Council discusses voting, plans to address copper theft – The Selma Times‑Journal

The Selma City Council met at the city hall on Tuesday night to discuss their normal business agenda and encourage residents to take the initiative to vote.

City Council President Warren “Billy” Young said there will be two “get out and vote” events held early November that will be sponsored by the Foot Soldiers Park and First Baptist Church of Selma.

“[The Get out and Vote event] that is sponsored by the Footsoldiers Park will take place on the site,” Young said. “[It will start] at 11 a.m. on Nov. 2 and at 2 p.m. [on that same day], we will come down to First Baptist and host another “Get out and Vote” rally that would last from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.”

Young said the council is encouraging residents to vote despite their thoughts on the significant push behind the message to vote but said, as a resident in Selma, it’s highly important.

“I know that people think we are doing this a lot, but this is Selma, Alabama,” Young said. “And in Selma, Alabama, we take voting very seriously. Our ancestors took it seriously. That’s why we are in these seats today because someone took it seriously. So, if you cannot encourage anyone to vote in Selma, that’s the place to do it, here in Selma.”

Young encouraged residents to mark their calendars, come out and attend the event and to also bring a guest along to participate and vote as well.

Sample ballots are available now for residents to view for the upcoming Dallas County general election, happening on Nov. 5.

The ballots are available electronically at the Alabama Secretary of State’s website: www. AlabamaVotes.gov, and residents can see sample ballots for all 67 counties as well.

Young and the rest of the council members agreed in unison about the voting announcement and proceeded to continue with the approval of their council minutes from their special call meetings ranging from Sept. 26,Oct. 3 and Oct. 8.

In other business, two citizens of Selma spoke about their personal concerns regarding issues they have been having with the city including resident Clyde Richardson, who was concerned about a rash of copper thefts.

“If we don’t do something about this copper, there is not going to be a City of Selma,” Richardson said. “Copper thieves are tearing this city apart. Night by night, day by day and you’ve got to come up with a solution.”

Richardson said his purpose behind speaking up about the copper issue is because he wanted to relay a suggestion and stop it from happening.
“I think you need to create an ordinance because you don’t have one and you may get some tax base out of it,” Richardson said. “But, you need an ordinance on who’s buying the copper and selling it, and you need an enforcement on it, same way you do for alcohol.”

Richardson said the copper theft has not only happened in surrounding areas near him, but it’s happened to his own rental properties as well from 3 a.m. to daylight.

“We’ve got to stop this,” Richardson said. “Because it’s happening to everybody and people won’t even talk about it. They will sweep it under the rug.”

Councilwoman Christie Thomas was notified during the meeting that there was in fact an ordinance regarding the purchase and reselling of copper, and Young said the council will have to review the document to make sure it’s updated. If it’s not, he said the council plans to revise the ordinance and soon possibly have it effective to try and cease the issue.

Young said the copper issue is something on their radar because they have seen houses destroyed and almost nothing structurally after the copper is taken.

Young added Richardson was not alone in regards to the copper matter and that he agrees that it does damage but also devalue properties around Selma and surrounding cities like Montgomery.

The next city council meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m.