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Mentone Election 2008 Congratulations to Mayor Rob Hammond and Council Members John Paul Verdon, Wesley Griffith, Gail Chambers, Larry Sanders, and Gerald Bailey who were re-elected for the next four years on August 26, 2008.
Slate McDorman for
Mayor During my first 100 days as Mayor, I promise to: ● Establish a direct phone number so that the Mayor can be reached 24/7. ● Conduct a full audit of the town's finances for the past two years. The town has not had an audit since 2006. ● Work with ALDOT to establish a solid timeline for when the rehabilitation/replacement of the Mentone Bridge will begin. ● Start a Mentone town Web site to publish all of the town minutes, business information and other town data. ● Work with ALDOT to establish pedestrian safety crosswalks in downtown Mentone. ● Introduce a Jake Brake Ordinance to prohibit transfer trucks from using their Engine Brakes inside the town limits. ● Introduce Eco-Friendly Guidelines. ● Restart the Mentone Historical Commission. ● Involve Mentone in the Top of the Mountain Watershed Agenda program. During my term as Mayor, I promise to: ● to not give away any public land without fair market compensation. ● to not allow any town employee with a violent criminal background. ● to support the historic and cultural preservation of our community. Serious Questions for Rob Hammond: ● Why did you send certain documents to ALDOT and then deny their existence, even after four requests under the Sunshine Act / Freedom of Information Act, in violation of numerous State and Federal laws concerning retention and disclosure of public records? Hammond_Files.PDF 4.3MB (courtesy of ALDOT). ● Has improper management of documents, such as referenced above, and the secretive decision to turn over the bridge to “the camp owner” affected the progress of the Mentone bridge project? ● Has any failure on the part of the Town administration to follow the procurement rules for use of Federal money for highway projects delayed the bridge project? Rob Hammond for Mayor Mentone’s greatest challenge, as with all small towns, is to provide services with limited resources. In the last four years we have managed to upgrade some services and have remained fiscally responsible. Police: The town’s most important responsibility is public safety. In the last four years we have made great strides in equipping and maintaining a professional police force. ● Our officers regularly attend continuing education courses. Chief Lamar Bray has completed the first 40 hours of training in the Certified Law Enforcement Executive Program. Assistant Chief Jeremy Bell has complete the required 12 hours for this year and will receive an additional 16 hours of training. ● We have two new police vehicles. One was donated by area camps and the other was obtained through an ADECA grant. (The surplus police vehicle was donated to the Mentone volunteer fire department.) ● Bullet proof vests were donated by the Fraternal Order of Police ● Cameras for the police cars and a computer were purchased with funds from Community Action Development grants. Safety: The town has worked with county and state officials in gaining highway and road improvements. ● We requested blinking lights at the school zone. ALDOT installed the lights and funding was provided by Senator Lowell Barron and Representative Todd Greeson. ● The town requested blinking caution lights at the bridge on AL 117. These were installed and are maintained by ALDOT. ● The town worked with County Commission Chairman Sid Holcomb on installing a guard rail at the top of Tutwiler Gap, and with Commissioner Ricky Harcrow on the paving of County Road 648. Bridge: The town asked the state to expedite the process in providing a safer bridge on Alabama 117. State Highway Director Joe McInnis, Senator Lowell Barron, and several ALDOT engineers came to Mentone for a meeting to address this issue. Though all of our citizens are not in agreement on the solution, almost all recognize the problem. The town continues to work for a safer bridge with the least possible impact. Currently the project is being reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office. Any bridge project will have to be approved by ALDOT’s Bridge Bureau and the Federal Highway Administration. Recycling: Mentone became the first town to participate in the City of Fort Payne’s satellite recycling program. Dumpsters are available behind town hall for cardboard and paper. Fort Payne provides the dumpsters and empties them when full. There is no cost to the town for this service. Future: Whether serving on the board of Dekalb County Tourism or traveling around the South for camp, it has been my goal to be a good ambassador for the Town of Mentone. As we face future challenges, I hope to have the privilege of serving you for another four years. Heather Nicely for Council Place 1 John Paul Verdon for Council Place 1 Paul Todd for Council Place 2 I am asking for your vote on August 26th. My desire is to serve the people of Mentone. I believe that the Town's government needs to be transparent to the public. If elected to Mentone Town Council, I will: ● Make the bridge issues my top priority! ● Work on safe measures for trucks and cars as they drive through our town. ● Develop a Town web site to list information for the Town, publish Council minutes and monthly budget information, and list businesses that have licenses (just to mention a few things that would be on the site). ● Have the Town books audited, since they have not been audited since 2006. ● Develop a 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year plan for the Town. ● Help keep Mentone the best Town in DeKalb County and Alabama. I will maintain an open and responsive relationship with the citizens and leaders of Mentone using honesty and integrity to make informed decisions based on the needs and priorities of our great town. Wesley Griffith for Council Place 2 Gail Chambers for Council Place 3 Larry Sanders for Council Place 4 Gerald Bailey for Council Place 5 Copyright © 2008 Skye Enterprises. All rights reserved. |