Safety, Lawsuit Top Council Agenda
Carlton “Peanut” Lewis says motorists are speeding up and down Goodman’s Main Street, creating safety issues.
He asked Goodman police chief Curt Drake and assistant chief Joe David how many citations are written for speeding and what they are doing to deter those who don’t slow down to the posted 30 mph.
Lewis spoke during the public forum at Tuesday night’s Goodman City Council meeting at city hall.
Drake and David said they rotate areas around town, write a number of citations and try their best to uphold safety standards in Goodman.
Drake said he has even asked county and state offices for extra
resources at times, and those requests have been fulfilled.
Lewis, who is upset about speeders, said he will go to the sheriff’s office, as well as the attorney general, if need be. He said the Main Street situation is too dangerous.
David suggested the city borrow a battery operated sign from another agency to alert speeders. Mayor Greg Richmond asked that the two obtain such a sign “as quickly as we can.”
In other business, former mayoral candidate JR Fisher questioned Richmond’s comments that were recorded in minutes from a special city council meeting on May 14. In the minutes, Richmond asked the council if he could have the city clerk, Karla McNorton, check with the city attorney to see if he can represent him in a lawsuit in which he’s named the defendant. Fisher has sued Richmond, asking for a recount in the April 2 mayoral election.
Fisher questioned if taxpayers would have to pay for Richmond utilizing the city attorney’s services. Richmond said he asked the council if it could even be explored. He said he doesn’t understand why he’s being sued; but that, if he’s being sued personally, he won’t utilize the city attorney. If he is being sued in his capacity as mayor, he would consider utilizing his legal services.
Most importantly, Richmond said he doesn’t understand why he’s being named in the lawsuit.
Fisher asked Richmond repeatedly if he understood Fisher’s position. Richmond said he didn’t have to understand.
“I signed up to vote, I voted … that’s all I had to do,” Richmond said. “The suit is asking for a recount and I can’t do that. I don’t understand why I’m being sued for something that I cannot affect.”
He added that he would in “no way, shape or form” do anything contrary to the city of Goodman.
After the meeting, Richmond said he was served with the lawsuit’s papers on May 11 and has 30 days to respond with an answer. He believes he has to hire an attorney to assist him. If so, he said he will countersue to recoup his costs. No court date has been set.
Other matters included the approval on the third reading of Ordinance No. 2019512, which allows the city to establish regulations for mobile food trucks, mobile food trailers and pushcarts. The board also approved the fee for such to be $50, a reduction from the $100 that was originally proposed.