City sells hospital and Handley Mills property
Following an executive session Monday night the Roanoke City Council voted unanimously to sell the old Randolph Medical Center and Dr. Gordon Ussery’s old office to the Helping Lazarus Ministry Incorporated for $50,000. The organization’s home office is in Douglasville, Ga. The hospital sits on nine acres of land.
Councilman Mack Arthur Bell moved to accept the price and Councilman Mike Parmer seconded it.
Mayor Mike Fisher said two ministers approached them, one who has lived in Roanoke several years. It is not known what they plan to do with the property.
The council accepted the offer from Faith Baptist Church for $15,000 for the old Handley Mills property. The church is across from the property.
Animal ordinance
Councilman Smokey Cole brought up a re-worked ordinance he had brought up previously dealing with mistreatment of animals. The mayor read part of it directing whether animals need to be kept in an enclosure, whether they have a shelter they can go in out of the weather, and whether they have drinking water. They cannot be tied or chained but they can be run on a lead. All dogs must be registered annually at city hall for a $3 fee each. They must get rabies vaccinations as required by state law. Consideration will be given to those over 65 years of age and on a limited income.
It will be unlawful for the owner not to comply.
Bell said this is for the welfare of the dog but what about the welfare of a person? Councilman Parmer said there are guidelines preventing someone from getting a vicious dog. There was some discussion on what is a vicious dog.
Cole said this gives nuisance officer Sgt. Michel Cofield responsibility to take action. He has seen dogs on a chain that could only sit down and stand up but not move otherwise. There are 10 x 10 fences sold at retail stores that people can buy.
Councilwoman Tammi T. Holley interjected “some people have too many cats.” She noted people do not spay or neuter their pets and let them run loose. She said she knows where there are eight pot-bellied pigs.
Cole said this is for the inhumane treatment of dogs. He said he could take people where horses are tied up with no food or water.
Fisher said he did not like the registration fee. People will have to come to city hall to pay it and it will it put more work on the overloaded staff at city hall.
Cole said there will be a book to keep track and dog owners can say what kind of dog it is and pay. Any money left over will go to the animal shelter in Wedowee. However, Bell said they give enough money to the shelter as it is.
Cole said, “We put as many animals up there as all the rest combined.” City Clerk Pat Truitt said Roanoke pays $10,000.
This was the first reading of the ordinance. It will be considered in two weeks at a council meeting.
Other business
Police Chief Adam Melton said he has applied for a grant in partnership with CVS to place a receptacle in the police department so people can bring drugs to dispose of them.
A public hearing was held on an ordinance vacating the right of way at Elizabeth Drive and Davis Drive. The council then voted to pass it.
Councilwoman Bronwyn Bishop has proposed changes on Mickle Street to alleviate traffic during school hours morning and afternoon but Mayor Fisher said Police Chief Melton said the police department can handle the traffic without putting up signs. If it will alleviate traffic an officer can be put there when needed.
Fisher read a letter of resignation from Roanoke school board member Lisa Reed, who is moving with her family to the Newnan, Ga. area. She said she greatly enjoyed her years of service and she wishes Mr. (Chuck) Marcum and the school board the best. The council accepted her resignation.
Councilmen Mike Parmer and Cole select the next two school board members and there are two vacancies. Due to new procedures council members questioned the two people the two plan to appoint. Parmer’s appointment was Tracey Brown and Cole’s was Lon Hurst. They were asked why they wanted to serve, their goals, what did they see as their role, and how they would go about making decisions. They told the council a little bit about themselves. The council will vote in two weeks.
The same applied when appointing Peggie Ward to the hospital board, filling the Richard Fetner vacancy. She said she has been a nurse for more than 30 years and still works in the field in Georgia. The mayor told her they could not appoint her that night because of the resolution they had passed to wait two weeks on appointments.
The mayor read a letter from Kesa Johnston Dunn saying individuals downtown are frustrated by vehicles altered to make them noisy and by loud radios. The noise can reach unbearable levels, she wrote, in asking the city council to enforce the law on the books about loud noise.
The mayor said he got the letter at 9:45, called the chief in, and the same day tickets were written. There are no warning tickets being written. “We take this seriously and want people to be able to hear their customers. People will be getting tickets. School is fixing to start back and the safety of the kids is important,” he said.
Bishop asked if the chief can monitor Stewart Drive going toward County Road 87, and Melton said they can move the signs to that area. This prompted Holley to say “please, no more speed bumps.” Bishop said she is trying to meet the requests of her constituents, slowing people down, showing concern about children and pets.
Dorothy Tidwell, executive director of the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce, had investigated the Aquatic Center in Piedmont at Holley’s request. It is open seven days a week. Swimming lessons can be given and it can be booked for private parties. Recently they built a driving range. She mentioned several grants that could be used to build it. The one there cost $1.8 million to build.
The mayor said they have committed to doing something for the kids. With grant money they might be able to do something like this. He asked her to get with Purchasing Agent Tim Jacobs to see what they could do. Holley said she wanted to try pursue it. She made the motion and Tidwell and Jacobs were told to look into it for grants. Jacobs said Piedmont has its own electric company and that is where it gets its money.
The mayor said he attended the Men’s Business Luncheon and heard an interesting discussion about the things men need to do as they get older like watching their blood pressure. Tidwell said 40 people attended. A physician from Tanner spoke.
