Florence Council Meeting Had Something for Everyone

 

It certainly lived up to it’s billing. The 10/3 Florence City council meeting promised to have something for everyone, right up to being covered by Japanese media. What was promised and what was delivered will be debated for a long time. I guess it mattered what you came to the meeting looking for. 

To those who came hoping to see the end of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods, they were delivered defeat. One commenter did bring up a very interesting legal note about the city’s ability to allow short term rentals period but other than this lady, the no short term rental folks seemed kind of down. 

The noise ordinance folks seem to have come away victorious with the city passing an enforceable decibel level that must be met for someone to be violating the law while chanting during a protest. But, then at the last minute a new player came in wanting to broaden the baby agenda item to include very loud motor vehicles. 

Next came the budget people who were unhappy that once again another fiscal year budget was voted on before the public had the opportunity to see it. When a commenter stated that the agenda should be added to the city website with a PDF file attachment and Jimmy Oliver, District 6 councilman, agreed there seemed to be a little less gloom and doom with this contingency. 

Then there were the PSS protest folks and their wanting to have the Confederate statue moved from in front of the Lauderdale County Courthouse. Granted, to get their votes and help elect him, Mayor Andy Betterton had promised to help get the statute moved, but that was before the Alabama Republican Legislature got involved and passed a law. Code § 41-9-230 through 237, AL Act 2017–354, Senate Bill 60) is an act of law in the U.S. state of Alabama which requires local governments to obtain state permission before moving or renaming historically significant buildings and monuments that date back 40 years or longer. You can’t beat a dead statute! 

To round out the meeting a couple of folks were unhappy that a new recreation center was not being built in West Florence. One person pointed out that while Handy Recreation Center and Royal Avenue Recreation Center were both built in 1954, Royal has an Olympic size swimming pool and Handy does not. While that statement is true, at least Handy does HAVE a pool. Broadway recreation center in East Florence was built 8 years later (1962) which still makes it pretty old and it does not have a swimming pool at all! None of the councilors or the mayor made any promises to anyone that could be heard. And the build a new building guys came up short.

Whatever citizen that came to this meeting hoping to leave this meeting with some satisfaction probably left disappointed to some degree. But in a way, does that not make us ALL winners?? Well, except for Japanese TV who was hoping to see a good ol' fashioned Alabama take down knock down drag out wrestling match. Learn to live with it, Japan!

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖

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