Tobacco ban discussed again
The Roanoke City Council addressed many issues at the Monday night meeting but the dominant ones were a discussion of smoking on city property and what can be done about a collapsed downtown business.
The council discussed banning tobacco products on city-owned property at the last meeting and discussed it again without resolution.
Mayor Mike Fisher said he had taken pro and con calls from citizens, talked with City Schools Superintendent Chuck Marcum, talked with city attorney Clay Tinney and met with Hutch Hammond.
The city already has an ordinance against smoking in enclosed places, and the football field is an enclosed place, Fisher said. The attorney told him if someone leases the ballfield, the armory etc. they can make their own rules as long as they do not conflict with state of Alabama rules. The state board of education has its own rules, he said.
Fisher said the city owns the football field. There is a $25 to $100 fine for each offense under the Feb. 28, 2005 ordinance, he said. The state board of education ban extends to all of the state for athletic events, he said.
He has talked with other cities that own ballfields and they do not have designated smoking areas, he said.
Hutch Hammond, who has allegedly smoked in the stands at games, asked to speak and the mayor said he had to get on the agenda and that he was out of order. Hammond said he wanted to be on the next agenda and the mayor said he needed to contact the office during regular hours.
Councilman Joseph Roberson said he would like to study it before the next meeting. Outside smoking does not bother him, he said. Councilman Russ Cummings said the policy seems far reaching.
The mayor said at playoff games smokers cannot get passes to go outside the fence and return.
Speed breaker
Various representatives gave their point of view on the proposed speed breaker at Douglas Drive and Bartlett Avenue, off of Highway 22.
Bill Nobley, who supports the speed breaker, apologized for a name incorrectly being placed on the petition but said they are still having problems on the stree. He frequently spends hours on his front porch and has seen three kids nearly get run over by drivers. Many drivers go right through the stop sign placed there to slow them down. Kids walking and driving bicycles need protection, he said.
Jimmy Dunn said he does not live on the street but goes through there several times a day and sees no need for a speed breaker.
Sara Traylor-Drummond, who opposes the speed breaker, said from the four-way stop to 22 is less than one-tenth of a mile and that is not a lot of room to pick up speed between there and Douglas Drive. It had been mentioned many drivers cut through there to avoid the school traffic coming down Gilham Road.
Dunn said he has seen the police monitoring traffic. Nobley said others there on this issue say there is a need for the speed breaker. He said there is no posted speed limit and that might help.
Police Chief Adam Melton said he had been on the road most of the day watching traffic and recommended the speed limit be lowered from 30 to 25 miles per hour. He did see one person cut through to 22. Cummings made the motion to accept the chief’s recommendation and post 25 mph on Bartlett and Douglas and it was unanimously approved.
The mayor said if this does not work to contact him and they “will have a block party and talk about it.”
Collapsed building
Cummings asked the status of the old World Bazaar building. It collapsed in April of last year.
Councilwoman Tammi T. Holley said the downtown merchants need to join together and sue to make the owner clean it up.
Melton suggested they leave up the barricades until they obtain a letter from a licensed structural engineer. Pieces are falling, he said.
Holley said the same thing is going to happen to the building next door. The mayor said churches were going to open a soup kitchen in the old Commercial Bank property but “it’s evident Larry Cohen is not going to fix anything, and put that in capital letters. He’s had ample time. We’re not in the building business. We’ve had people come in here and say this building is hurting our business.”
Fisher said the city cannot afford to go in and clean it up. Of the numerous deteriorated downtown buildings, he said, “They’re ugly–they’re awful–but what do you do?”
Randolph County Chamber of Commerce executive director Dorothy Tidwell mentioned some upcoming events and asked if anything could be done to clean up downtown for these.
She asked if students might be involved in putting up plywood to cover the ugly buildings and do a facelift but the mayor said the city cannot legally go on private property. He suggested she get with the owners.
He said he would get with the city attorney again and talk about what could be done. Holley said everybody from the Environmental Protection Agency on down needs to be involved because this is a health hazard.
Freeze damage
On another subject, streets department supervisor Donnie Cash said Fincher Road had sustained a pretty good bit of freeze damage and the Emergency Management Agency, as well as county and state personnel, had looked at various spots around town. Randolph County is one of 13 counties that had recent freeze damage.
EMA director Donnie Knight told him the county had enough damage to qualify and he is waiting for information about how much money there might be for road and utilities damage, included due to the number of burst pipes. The numbers are being tallied and he is hopeful, he said.
The mayor read his proclamation on Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month and Alabama Marriage Month.
Fisher also read a letter from Southern Union State Community College President Amelia Pearson extending a special invitation to the towns in the county to a basketball game during February.
Thursday, Feb. 11, is Roanoke Night. Residents with valid identification as a Roanoke resident will be admitted free that night. The Roanoke Academy of Ballet will provide special entertainment that night.
High school seniors can enter their names into a special drawing taking place Feb. 25 for a chance to win a semester of free tuition at Southern Union. Tuition and fees for up to 12 hours of course work the summer semester will be given to a graduating senior from the county meeting college admission and scholarship requirements.
by Penny L. Pool, Therandolphleader
