Water bills bring tears in meeting

By Staff
Jonathan Willis FCT Staff Writer
RED BAY – A woman broke into tears at Monday night's city council meeting as she was confronted by Mayor Tommy Nelson while complaining about high water bills.
Nelson told police chief Pat Creel to escort city resident Barbara Richey out of the meeting if she didn't stop complaining.
Nelson told her that she needed to be placed on the agenda to speak at the water and gas board meeting Thursday if she has a problem with her utilities.
Richey said that she has called Nelson to complain on several occasions but he never returns her calls.
Nelson said that the city has replaced Richey's water meter in recent days, but she said that she was unaware of that.
When council member Ann Wilkins told Nelson to let Richey speak, Nelson said that she didn't have a say in the matter.
As Richey stepped away from the podium, she told Nelson that she had been his neighbor for years and that she cared for him, but that he didn't want to hear from anyone that has any feelings for him.
The brief confrontation in front of the crowd that filled the auditorium was the latest in a series of personal squabbles during the city's council meetings.
In recent meetings, several residents, including Nelson's wife, have spoken about the personal attacks and accusations that are being spread throughout the community and hindering the city's business.
In other business, the council authorized a change in the wording of the city dog ordinance that will give the city's police officers the authority to kill any dog who poses a threat to any person.
Nelson said that there had been multiple instances of late in which city employees felt threatened by a Rottweiler in the community. That same dog allegedly bit a city worker last week.
The council also voted to give the owners of the Clay Cup building on Main Street 60 days to clean the area or the city will clean it and hold a lien against the property. The building was destroyed by a fire last summer.