By Nathan Prewett
LEEDS – The Leeds City Council voted against a resolution to waive the city’s policy in setting up a streetlight during a regular meeting online on Monday, February 1, 2021.
Before the regular meeting began, the council held a public hearing for granting an alcohol license to a newly established venue, Mangos Cantina and Grill, during which no one spoke against it. Later the council voted unanimously to grant the license.
Mangos is not currently open but should be open within the next two weeks, with a tentative date set for February 8, said Jessica England, a manager at the restaurant. Anyone interested in working at the restaurant can stop by and get an application and speak with a manager from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily.
Mayor David Miller mentioned the recent opening of the Leeds Buc’ees location on Jan. 25, saying that it was highly attended. The store has hired 281 people and is seeking to hire 300 in total. Miller expressed his confidence in the revenue and job generation of the new location.
The agenda for the meeting was short, beginning with the granting of the alcohol license, and then followed by adopting and ratifying the December 2020 city expenditures and payables. The details of that can be seen in the agenda packet on the city’s website.
The discussion then turned over to a resolution that would waive a standing streetlight policy and approve a budget adjustment for the installation of a residential streetlight on Mohring Place in the city. The policy is “to not install, pay for, or otherwise sponsor neighborhood streetlights due to the related perpetual associated cost”.
The request for the installation would require a waiver of the policy and would bring costs of an estimated $2,500 for the installation itself, $600 annually and additional costs per month that necessitates a budget amendment.
Miller said that homeowners associations and individuals are responsible for paying for new streetlights based on a policy by the Metropolitan Planning Commission.
“My opinion is that we should stay with our policy because even just the rumor of this being a resolution has already got people calling and wanting streetlights,” he said. “I know that when I wanted to put a streetlight on my property, I had to pay for it.”
A concern was raised about what may be considered a double standard in some residents or homeowners associations paying for their own streetlights while others would not have to if lights are placed on their streets by the city.
After some discussion, the council voted against the resolution, with council member DeVoris Ragland-Pierce being the sole “yes” vote. In the public comments, resident and a homeowners association board member Burke Wren spoke on the matter.
“It’s just a matter of being fair and also consistent,” he said.
Meetings of the Leeds City Council are held on the first and third Mondays of every month at 6 p.m. and will be held virtually until the city government allows for in-person meetings.