Fremont Board 12/20
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on December 24, 2016 12:31 PM
FREMONT -- The Fremont Board of Alderman recently held a public hearing for a proposed ordinance amendment which would impose fines on those who violate garbage and recycling ordinance's in the town.
The board then tabled discussion on actually implementing the changes.
The public hearing was part of a process which has been working since August, when public works employee Matthew Drummond first brought to the board's attention that people leaving their garbage and recycling on the side of the road too long or incorrectly was creating serious issues for his ability to pick up the garbage. Various solutions, including informal notices and written letters designed to inform offenders of proper garbage can usage, were tried, resulting in a reduction in offenders. For those who continued to ignore ordnance's, however, the board decided that a $50 fine applied to the offender's utility bill after sufficient warning would be the next step, necessitating a public hearing.
Alderman Leon Mooring and Annie Lewis were not at the meeting, which Mayor Darron Flowers said was reason to delay discussion of the ordnance until January. He called the change "one of the most important decisions we'll make," and advised the board to wait until all members were present.
Alderman Joyce Artis, who has been a vocal advocate of the measure since its inception in August, said that the board should take action on the matter anyway, as a majority of the board was still present. However, when the time came to make a motion on whether to take action or delay it, none of the board members, Mrs. Artis included, made a motion of any kind. Flowers thus postponed action until the January meeting.
The board also announced that Dwight Williams, a representative for Congressman David Rouser, will begin coming to the Fremont town hall from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. every first and third Tuesday beginning Jan. 1. Citizens will have the opportunity to speak with Williams in private to relay concerns to Rouser.
Flowers then took time to recognize a long list of town employees and other volunteers for their work with the Meals on Wheels program, as well as various projects around town aimed at making things a little easier for people during the holidays. Fremont police chief Paul Moats thanked the town for their willingness to help out.
"I really appreciate the outpouring from the community, we have a lot of good people here," he said. "A lot of people who have come out just to make people's Christmas better."