Leading this week's Country Star

Many complaints, few resolutions at town board meeting

By Pennie Embry, Staff Writer

QUINTON, Sept. 17 — Complaints about a neighborhood dispute, missing stop signs and one or more smelly mules, along with the need for better police coverage dominated last week’s Town of Quinton Board of Trustees meeting. But by the evening’s end, little, if anything was resolved.

Approximately 30 people, including the board members, Mayor Ron Wiggins, City Attorney Kay Wall, Quinton Chief of Police John Barbee, one reporter and a handful of residents gathered for September’s regularly scheduled Town of Quinton and Quinton Public Works Authority meetings held back to back on Sept. 10.

After the town meeting was called to order, board members quickly ran through the agenda, approving August’s payroll, August’s board meeting minutes, and an unspecified list of claims and purchase orders. Approval of the treasurer’s report was tabled for a later date.

When the meeting was opened for public comment, a woman identified only as “Miss Eileen” rose and approached board members. Her complaint? Two mules, or one now, though there had once been two, tied up in a neighbor’s yard near her house. Although it was not the noise, but the overpowering smell of mule waste that was at the heart of Miss Eileen’s complaint to the council. She wanted them to do something about the situation that was making life in her home near the mule or mules intolerable.

The council offered little, if any, relief.

“We do not have an ordinance on the books against them (mules),” said Wall. “We only have one against swine. But we do have an ordinance against public nuisance.” Wall then advised the woman to see her attorney of choice and pursue the smelly mule problem as a civil matter, or see the chief of police and find out if she could file a public nuisance complaint about the animals.

Misty Parker attempted to discuss an automobile accident she said happened in the spring, stating that a town-owned truck had backed into her car. She had not made a police report at the time, but had filed a statement. Barbee said he could find no copy of the statement, and Wall would not discuss the incident with Parker, citing attorney-client privilege.

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