Cherokee Nation...Will Return?

Indian Reservation - Words and Music by John D. Loudermilk

They took the whole Cherokee nation
Put us on this reservation
Took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife
Took away our native tongue
And taught their English to our young
And all the beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan

Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

They took the whole Indian nation
Locked us on this reservation
Though I wear a shirt and tie
I’m still part red man deep inside

Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

But maybe someday when they learn
Cherokee nation will return, will return, will return, will return, will return


Yes, the town of Cherokee has returned to the news. J. J. Ray was at the called 9:00 a.m. meeting yesterday morning, as well as representatives from other local media. A short synopsis of the meeting in J. J.'s own words:

This is the ordinance (see below) the Mayor is crying about. As you see it does not usurp his power. It only gives the board the authority to confirm or deny on hires. No difference than any other legislative body.

The mayor refused to call the meeting to order--that had to be done by two members. He then threatened counsel with the loss of his license over a point of order. Then he tried to pick a fight with councilman Glover saying "come on big boy let's git it on." It became a real shouting match.

The mayor read a statement about how the citizens had been mistreated by the board. After the meeting Thelma Lambert begged the mayor to fire Melinda Malone in front of Mike Goens stating "She would do anything if he would just fire her."

*****

AN ORDINANCE REGARDING THE EMPLOYMENT OR REMOVAL OF ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE TOWN OF CHEROKEE, ALABAMA

___________

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHEROKEE, ALABAMA, AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1.
The Mayor of the Town of Cherokee, Alabama, (hereinafter called “Mayor”) shall have the power and authority to employ persons as employees of the Town of Cherokee, Alabama (hereinafter called “Town”) only on a temporary basis and only after a vacancy and salary or wage for said vacancy has been established by a majority vote of the Town Council at a previous regular or special meeting. This temporary employment shall be in effect only until the next regular or special meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Cherokee, Alabama,(hereinafter called “Council”) at which time the Mayor shall report in writing to the Council, and cause said report to be attached to or incorporated into its minutes, stating the name, position and salary or wage of the person or persons so employed.

Section 2.
No person shall be employed permanently or indefinitely as an employee of the Town without the consent of a majority of the members of the Council present and voting at the meeting at which said employment is considered by the Council.

Section 3.
If the Council shall fail to act in consenting or not consenting on the permanent or indefinite employment of a person temporarily employed by the Mayor as provided in Section 1 hereof at its’ regular or special meeting at which the temporary employment is reported by the Mayor, such person or persons may remain employees of the Town until such action is taken by the Council to consent or not consent to permanent or indefinite employment.

Section 4.
No person temporarily hired under Section 1 hereof, whose employment has been voted upon by the Council and the required consent not obtained, shall be re-employed on any basis until the consent of the Council shall be obtained as hereinabove provided.

Section 5.
The Council may, by majority vote of those present and voting, employ any person or persons as employees of the Town at such salaries or wages as may be set by them on a permanent or indefinite basis without such person or persons having first been temporarily appointed by the Mayor.

Section 6.
The Council may, by majority vote of the whole number of elected members to the Council, appoint any person as an officer of the Town whose appointment is not otherwise provided for by law, at such salaries or wages as may be set by them on a permanent or temporary basis.

Section 7.
The Mayor may remove any employee for good cause but only on a temporary basis and by at the latest the next regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Cherokee, Alabama at which time he shall report in writing to the Council, stating the name of the employee, the position, and the specific reasons for the removal.

Section 8.
No person shall be removed from employment permanently or indefinitely without the consent of a majority of the members of those elected to the Council at the meeting at which said removal is considered by the Council.

Section 9.
If the Council shall sustain the removal of the employee as provided in Section 7, the terminated employee may request a hearing before the Council for the reconsideration of the termination. This hearing shall be held by at the latest the next regular meeting. At the conclusion of the said hearing or by at the latest the next regular meeting, the Council shall by vote of a majority of those elected to the Council to either uphold or overturn the termination.

Section 10.
The Council may, by majority vote of those present and voting, terminate any employee or employees of the Town without such person or persons having first been temporarily removed by the Mayor. The terminated employee or employees reserve the right to request a hearing before the Council for the reconsideration of the termination as provided in Section 9.

Section 11.
No section of this ordinance shall be interpreted as interfering with the Mayor’s duty as otherwise provided by law and said ordinance shall be subordinate to the same.

Section 12.
All ordinances or parts thereof in conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed.

Section 13.
Each and every provision of this ordinance is hereby declared to be an independent provision and the holding of any provision to be unconstitutional or invalid shall not affect any other provisions of this ordinance.

Section 14.
This ordinance shall become effective upon its adoption and publication as required by law.

*****

An Ordinance establishing the rules of
procedure for the Town of Cherokee, Alabama

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF CHEROKEE, ALABAMA, that the order of procedure in all instances for meetings of the council shall be as follows:

Section 1. That the rules or order of procedure herein contained shall govern deliberations and meetings of the council of Cherokee, Alabama.

Section 2. Regular meetings of the council shall be held on the following dates: The First Tuesday of each month with an alternate meeting day on the Third Tuesday of the month

Section 3. Special meetings may be held at the call of the presiding officer by serving notice on each member of the council not less than 24 hours before the time set for such special meetings; or special meetings may be held as provided by Section 11-43-50, Code of Alabama, 1975, whenever two council members (or the mayor) making the request shall have the right to call such meeting. Notice of all special meetings shall be posted on a bulletin board accessible to the public at least 24 hours prior to such meeting.

Section 4. A quorum shall be determined as provided by Section 11-43-48, Code of Alabama.

Section 5. All regular meetings shall convene at 6 o’clock p.m. at the Town Hall and all meetings, regular and special, shall be open to the public. A work session will be held at 5 o’clock p.m. prior to the regular meetings.

Section 6. The order of business shall be as follows:

1 . A call to order
2 . Roll call (visual by the clerk)
3 . Reading and approval of the minutes of the previous meeting
4 . Reports of standing committees (as required)
5 . Report of special committees (as required)
6 . Reports of officers (as required)
7 . Reading of petitions, applications, complaints, appeals, communications, etc.
8 . Auditing accounts (as required)
9 . Resolutions, ordinances, orders and other business
1 0 .Public comments (No action shall be taken on any public comment until the next
regular or called meeting of the town council)

Section 7. No person other than the Mayor, Council, Town Attorney, Town Clerk, Police Officer(s), and Sheriff’s Deputy shall be permitted to be within 10 feet of the Council table while the Council is in work session or meeting without the consent of the majority of the Council present and voting.

Section 8. No member shall speak more that twice on the same subject without permission of the presiding officer.

Section 9. No person, not a member of the council, shall be allowed to address the same while in session without permission of the presiding officer.

Section 10. Every officer, whose duty it is to report at the regular meetings of the council, who shall be in default thereof, may be fined at the discretion of the council.

Section 11. Motions shall be reduced to writing when required by the presiding officer of the council or any member of the council. All resolutions and ordinances and any amendments thereto shall be in writing at the time of introduction.

Section 12. Motions to reconsider must be made by a member who voted with the prevailing side and at the same or next succeeding meeting of the council.

Section 13. Whenever it shall be required by one or more members, the “yeas” and “nays” shall be recorded and any member may call for a division on any question.

Section 14. All questions of order shall be decided by the presiding officer of the council with the right of appeal to the council by any member.

Section 15. The presiding officer of the council may at his or her discretion, call any member to take the chair, to allow him or her to address the council, make a motion or discuss any other matter at issue.

Section 16. Motions to lay any matter on the table shall be first in order. On all questions, the last amendment, the most distant day and the largest sum shall be first put.

Section 17. All meetings of the council shall be open to the public except when the council meets in executive session as authorized by state law.

Section 18. The council may meet in executive session only for those purposes authorized by state law. When a council member makes a motion to go into executive session for an enumerated purpose, the presiding officer shall put the motion to a vote. If the majority of the council shall vote in favor of the motion to go into executive session, the body shall then move into executive session to discuss the matter for which the executive session was called. No action may be taken in an executive session. When the discussion has been completed, the council shall resume its deliberations in public.

Section 19. A motion for adjournment shall always be in order.

Section 20. The rules of the council may be amended in the same manner as any other ordinance of general and permanent operation.

Section 21. The rules of the council may be temporarily suspended by a two-thirds vote of the members present.

Section 22. The chairman of each respective committee, or the council member acting for him of her, shall submit or make all reports to the council when so requested by the presiding officer or any member of the council.

Section 23. All ordinances, resolutions or propositions submitted to the council which require the expenditure of money shall lie over until the next meeting; provided, that such ordinances, resolutions or propositions may be considered earlier by unanimous consent of the council; and provided further, that this rule shall not apply to the current expense of, or contracts previously made with regular salaries of officers of wages of employees of the town.

Section 24. The clerk, engineer, attorney and chief of police, and such other officers or employees of the town of Cherokee, Alabama, shall, when requested, attend all meetings of the council and shall remain in the council room for such length of time as the council may direct.

Section 25. No ordinance or resolution of a permanent nature shall be adopted at the meeting at which it is introduced unless unanimous consent be obtained for the immediate consideration of such ordinance or resolution, such consent shall be by roll call and the vote thereon spread on the minutes.

Section 26. Robert’s Rules of Order is hereby adopted as the rules of procedure for this council in those situations which cannot be resolved by the rules set out in this ordinance.

Section 27. The time limit to have an item placed on the agenda shall be at 4:30 p.m. the last business day preceding the day of the regular meeting. The agenda shall be available as soon as practicable after completion but before the meeting. Only the Council may set the proposed agenda. The Council by majority vote may delegate the assembly of the proposed agenda to the Town Clerk. The Clerk must follow all adopted procedures in the assembly of the proposed agenda. In addition, items should be placed on the proposed agenda in the order in which they are received.

Section 28. This ordinance shall go into effect upon the passage and publication as required by law.

Section 29. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.

*****

Cam Newton for the Heisman? Sounds good to us. We're just disappointed Auburn didn't score as many points as Deshler did Friday night...





Shoalanda