2026-08-04 - Public Safety Committee

00:00Are you probably live?

00:02It just went back live on the second

00:04session.

00:05We're not live yet.

00:08It may be a different video.

00:17Okay, we are next on

00:19>> We are next.

00:20>> Public safety

00:21>> Yes.

00:21>> Okay, public safety

00:26>> Okay, I would like to call to order the

00:27public safety meeting. Our first order

00:30of business is approval of the minutes

00:32for the public safety committee for June

00:35the 2nd, 2026.

00:37>> I make a motion that we approve the

00:38minutes from June 2nd meeting.

00:40>> I second.

00:42Okay.

00:44All right, um

00:47Our next, the second and the third is

00:49our monthly updates from our fire

00:52department and our police department.

00:55I'm going to let their written reports

00:58stand as their report today. And I'm

01:01also going to make a suggestion that we

01:04have them give an oral report

01:09every quarter. That way they're not tied

01:12up at our meetings

01:15every month if we're just going to

01:17accept their oral report the written

01:19report.

01:20>> I agree. It's a good idea.

01:21>> Yes, I second it.

01:23Yes. Okay.

01:26>> So, are we saying that we're going to

01:27not have to require them to come to

01:29committee meetings? Is that where we

01:30just treat my call to

01:31>> Yes, we're going to unless there's

01:32something that they need to be here for.

01:39Because we've been letting them do, and

01:42you know, a written report

01:44and letting that stand as their report.

01:47And

01:48>> I I think that's really helpful, but I I

01:50I do believe that if in the in when we

01:52need questions and things like that,

01:54it is important for them to be in the

01:56room so that they can be able to answer

01:58those questions especially during

01:59committees.

02:00So I would really love that we keep it

02:02you know the same that we have with the

02:05simplified reports they're able to give

02:07us but still allowing for them to be in

02:08the room

02:09because I think that is important.

02:14>> Okay.

02:15>> Yeah, I

02:16probably agree with that. I'd say that

02:19I'm good with the oral report every

02:21every quarter

02:22but I do think it's beneficial for the

02:24two of you to be in the room.

02:25>> Okay.

02:29Well, I mean but they're able

02:31That's fine.

02:34Okay.

02:35>> [clears throat]

02:37>> That takes us down into number four

02:41which is code enforcement report

02:44planning and zoning director

02:46Chuck George.

02:56>> So uh in your packet uh we did print out

02:59a detailed list of all the cases that we

03:01have active uh within our minimum

03:03housing community

03:05uh dealing with minimum housing we have

03:07three new sets 93 and vehicles

03:09which could be multiple vehicles on a

03:11property which was total six come out to

03:13a total grand cases of 101 which are

03:17have been closed or still active.

03:19Uh

03:20so do we have any questions on any of

03:22these right now or

03:23>> The only question I have Chuck is this

03:25company is doing these demolitions in

03:26town.

03:27I don't think they own anything on Only

03:29thing they do is tear stuff down. It

03:30just sits there.

03:32>> That's what we're running into. We may

03:34have to get our attorney involved with

03:36them on this because

03:39there's a lot of stuff going on behind

03:40the scenes right there with them.

03:42>> the

03:43you know the only other thing I have was

03:44the two houses down there

03:46right right behind the back of the

03:48Martin Luther King there. The one is

03:49that he's ripped the side off of the

03:51house. It's just an eyesore. They're

03:53doing nothing there. I haven't seen

03:54anybody over there in in weeks.

03:55>> You're talking about 700 block of

03:58Lexington Avenue?

03:59>> I haven't seen anybody over there in

04:00weeks.

04:00>> They they put those walls up in the

04:02back.

04:02>> Yeah.

04:03>> But then there's nothing over there.

04:04>> Yeah, nothing.

04:06And you know, it's just

04:07>> What we may do is go ahead and start

04:09moving forward with condemnation on it.

04:12Um

04:13and I'll go back to see when the last

04:15time an inspection has been done. If it

04:16ain't been in the last 6 months, then we

04:18just move forward with condemnation and

04:20let them come before you and answer.

04:22>> Yeah, well, one at one time I was seeing

04:23them with the brick house, but nobody's

04:25I've never seen anybody do anything at

04:26the other house.

04:27>> Okay.

04:28>> it's just such an eyesore.

04:29>> So, you want to move forward on the

04:31two-story one?

04:32>> Yeah.

04:32>> Okay.

04:33>> one I you know, they've [clears throat]

04:34they've made some upgrades too.

04:35But that one there is just

04:37>> are we talking about, Doc?

04:38>> The two-story one right there on the

04:39corner right across from uh

04:41>> Where West Side used to be.

04:42>> Yeah. Right there where they built those

04:43two metal buildings. I hate riding by

04:45it. It's just so ugly.

04:47>> That's why I mentioned that over

04:48breakfast this morning.

04:49>> This morning?

04:50>> Yes.

04:52>> Thank you, Chuck.

04:52>> Chuck, is this like a typical month?

04:55Like 101

04:56cases?

04:58>> In the summertime, yes.

04:59>> Yeah. Just cuz of grass and stuff?

05:01>> And now that the rain has started back.

05:03>> Yeah.

05:03>> We had a you know, with the drought, it

05:05wasn't as much, but now it's back where

05:07it should be.

05:08Right.

05:09>> Super annoying.

05:10Um

05:11good deal. Uh interestingly, the

05:13demolition company on Taylor Street,

05:16they have like palleted everything up

05:18and are taking it away. And it's the

05:20same company, I think. So, I'm like,

05:22"What are y'all doing?"

05:23>> done on

05:24Lexington Avenue without a doubt. They

05:26palleted up all of the brick and stuff.

05:28>> Stuff they wanted

05:30>> Right. It's cuz they're selling those

05:31bricks, and once they get all the bricks

05:34and stuff sold, then you're going to see

05:36the same thing that I'm seeing at on

05:39Lexington Avenue. It's It's all going to

05:41be piled up, and there's going to be an

05:43excuse. Their machine or this or that as

05:46to why they're they've not finished the

05:48cleaning.

05:48>> a

05:48>> reason why they're the cheapest person.

05:50>> Correct.

05:51Um I have been getting a ton of

05:53questions about what's going to happen

05:55at the Plant A lot, and I tell people

05:58it's not ours. It's a private property.

06:01It's private enterprise. We don't know

06:03what they're going to do with it, but we

06:05are trying to get them to at least

06:07finish cleaning it up.

06:08>> They had a contract signed between them

06:10and the land owner. So, it comes to

06:12civil dispute between them and the land

06:14owner. And I think a couple of them are

06:16ready to go to court with them right

06:18now.

06:19Good grief.

06:21>> The truck was just sitting in the same

06:22place every day.

06:23>> Yep.

06:25Cool.

06:30And there's a lot of it.

06:32>> Right.

06:33And then uh Chuck, the homeless on uh

06:35Baptist Children's Home on Lexington

06:37Avenue right there uh that was burnt um

06:40and has collapsed now

06:42right on that corner where the lights

06:44set on Lexington Avenue going down

06:45Baptist Children's Home uh right across

06:48from that uh

06:49the auto car lot.

06:51Um

06:52>> The home that was burnt with Fitch

06:53Industries.

06:55Right before you go up the bridge.

06:58>> Um

06:59not familiar with that one. I apologize.

07:01>> No, it's okay. Um

07:02and it's it was it was burnt and then we

07:04had it uh

07:06roped off and then now it's fully like

07:09collapsed. So, I'm just wanting to make

07:10sure that we have that one on our list

07:12that we're going to get some ASAP.

07:15>> Those little white houses right there

07:16and then that just that burning house

07:18just collapsed.

07:20>> Okay.

07:23>> Mhm.

07:24>> I'll work on that one today. Find out

07:26something. Apologize for that. All

07:28right.

07:29>> Chuck, I appreciate what you do for us.

07:31>> Yeah.

07:32Yeah, there's much going on around town.

07:34A lot of new construction and then code

07:36enforcement cases and

07:37>> I see infill development everywhere.

07:40Every little lot that someone can put a

07:42house on. It seems like they're putting

07:43a house on it.

08:02>> You know, like these 30-ft trucks and

08:04stuff just sitting out there. It's just

08:06It's real eyesore right there.

08:08>> Uh Holly Grove and

08:10Fisher Ferry?

08:14Mhm.

08:16>> On the left.

08:17>> On the left-hand side.

08:24>> Oh, okay. You're way on down there.

08:26>> Yeah.

08:26>> Oh,

08:27Holly Grove.

08:28I'm thinking Holly Hill. I mean, uh

08:36And you talking about where the barber

08:37shop and all is or Oh, that white house.

08:41Uh

08:43Yes. Yes, the box truck there. Yes.

08:47Okay.

08:48Okay.

08:58Okay.

09:00>> Chuck, I have a question.

09:01>> Sure.

09:02>> Do we have an ordinance on

09:05junky yards?

09:08>> Oh, would that come under the nuisance

09:10ordinance?

09:12>> Can Can you send that to I guess all of

09:14us because

09:16I personally have been driving around

09:18and taking pictures and reporting cars

09:20with no tags on them and trying to get

09:22the city cleaned up because this is the

09:24only way that this is going to happen is

09:27all of us working together and reporting

09:29things because y'all are a report

09:32based. So, yeah. So, if we could maybe

09:35get an ordinance sent to us like on the

09:38um

09:39junky yards and

09:41I mean, I know we can't tell people what

09:43they can put in their yards, but when

09:45the grass is high or when there's just

09:48excessive junk in their yards.

09:52Yeah, and I know multiple locations as

09:54well, but I didn't Yeah, but I didn't

09:56know the ordinance, so I don't want to

09:58>> Well,

09:59I I I caution

10:00>> That's okay.

10:03>> Are you talking about you personally

10:06talking to them about the issue or that

10:10you just know what the rule is that says

10:1318 in high on grass or 12 in high on

10:15grass?

10:20Okay, cuz I just want to be clear. We

10:22have staff that do this work. That that

10:25that's not

10:25>> I just tell you text junk.

10:27>> Well, I've reported a lot of junk cars

10:29and they've been removed since I've been

10:31reporting them, so

10:33I would like that ordinance as well. I

10:35mean, just so we can have it on I can

10:37have it on file myself.

10:38>> Yeah, because at least I can know there

10:40was one that was on National Highway

10:42reference Johnny Johnny Automotive has

10:44he stores cars across the street with

10:46permission of the landowner. And they

10:49can set up they can store on another lot

10:51if the owner allows it.

10:53Um in that case. Right. Right.

10:57Right.

10:59Uh the hotel that are Microtel that got

11:01removed those cars.

11:03Um I was trying to think uh we've been

11:05working with the people on Lexington

11:06Avenue right there at the Battle of

11:08Children Home Road. Those lots uh one of

11:10them had approximately 30 cars in his

11:11area. He got it down to I think 15. I

11:14think his name is Omar. He kept coming

11:16up on his weekly was on him. The uh the

11:20other

11:21Latino group in the Nates building. Uh

11:23we've been they get it down and then

11:25they'll increase them again, so we're

11:26constantly on them folks. Uh

11:29so we're constantly dealing with those

11:31folks right in that area.

11:32>> And

11:33>> It's a continuous battle.

11:34>> Also, our ordinances are online.

11:37You can go to the city website and

11:40through the municipal

11:42you can search for ordinances. It goes

11:45to

11:46MuniCode. And you can type in junk

11:49vehicles or

11:51overgrown nuisance and it'll bring up a

11:53whole section. So, you don't you can

11:55have it on your phone.

11:56>> But, I'd be glad to send out the

11:57reference to the where those are

11:59located.

12:01All right.

12:02Anything else?

12:04Thank you.

12:10>> Okay. Number [clears throat] five,

12:12update on Salem Street enforcement

12:14status, code enforcement officer Glenn

12:16Presley

12:18with attorney Missy Whitman.

12:20>> I'm going to request that this item be

12:21placed on our briefing agenda because

12:24Missy was not able to be here.

12:26And that and so to add it as an action

12:30item or at least a reportable action

12:32item on next Monday.

12:36>> Why wasn't Missy able to make it today?

12:39Why?

12:40Cuz she was on vacation.

12:47>> Okay.

12:47>> [snorts]

12:47>> If I could get a motion to move that to

12:49briefing.

12:51>> Make a motion to move item number five,

12:53the update on Salem Street to our

12:55briefing meeting for action item.

12:57>> Second.

13:01Okay. That moves us down to additions

13:03and updates. Michael, do you have

13:05anything?

13:06>> I don't believe I have any.

13:10>> Um

13:11Chief, I'm going to put you on the spot

13:12for just a second.

13:13Um

13:14we did a speed study on Rosedale in my

13:17neighborhood. Have you Have the results

13:19come back from that?

13:20>> Yes, and

13:21prepared to present that

13:23>> Okay.

13:23>> next month.

13:24>> That's fine. That's all I needed.

13:27Okay.

13:28>> It's based on the

13:35Perfect.

13:39Good deal.

13:41I appreciate it.

13:45>> Okay, that moves us down if there's no

13:48other additions and or updates that

13:50moves us down to adjournment. I need a

13:52motion.

13:53>> Motion to adjourn.

13:54>> I second.

13:56We are adjourned.