Laney discusses first 10 days in office during Rotary meeting

 

Demopolis Mayor John Laney reviewed the first 10 days of his administration for the Rotary Club Wednesday and told members how he is getting to know the people and the routine of his new position.

First, he said, he has found out “you can’t do anything by yourself.” As he campaigned, “I learned a lot about the city, the condition of the city and the people of the city.”

His first days in office have been spent meeting “an awful lot of people” and finding out what their duties are with the city. Laney also is learning the routine of the job, all the meetings he must attend and how to prepare for them.

Already, he continued, he and the City Council have passed a proposal to make permanent the tax-free weekend for back-to-school shopping as long as the state sponsors the event. The action removes the requirement to vote for the proposal each year.

He has set up two new committees. The first is the Economic Incentive and Contract committee to focus on underutilized and underserved areas of the city. The second is the Grant Review and Capital Budget committee to make sure any grants the city pursues will be in the best interest of Demopolis.

Laney is concerned that the city’s depreciation is $700,000 annually, but it spends about $300,000 less each year on maintenance.

“We are letting the city run down.” First impressions are important. “We have to be proud of our city and the city has to look like we’re proud of it.”

One of his main goals is to make City Hall a place where people feel they have been helped even if their problem hasn’t been resolved.

He also wants to make sure that the city government buys locally if an item is available locally.

Economic development will be a high priority in his administration. The city is helping with a $400,000 grant for the new Two Rivers Lumber Co. to build a rail spur to its new facility.

High speed internet now is available at the Demopolis Higher Education Center so Shelton State Community College can begin to offer more courses.

SSCC’s truck driver training facility has a budget of $1.3 million, but the college so far has $720,000 in funding. Some features may have to be cut, but Laney is working with the college to see what can be done and how area industries can pitch in to help.

Laney has been spending a lot of his time meeting with local businesses and industries to see what their needs are.

”Businesses in this town have to feel this is a good place to do business,” he said. “If they are happy, it will be easier to recruit new businesses to Demopolis.”

He plans to work with the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce to find out the needs of retail establishments in the city.

Marketing Demopolis is important, too, Laney continued. “We must get out and make people aware of Demopolis,” he said.

Laney hopes to start “Lunch with the Mayor” in January. At a different restaurant each month people will have a chance to ask questions and voice their concerns to him.

The mayor also said the city’s web site now is posting the approved minutes, financial statements and department reports in an effort to provide more transparency.

The last master plan for the city was completed in 2008. Laney wants to establish a new one to go into effect for the 2018 fiscal year.

He said the University of Alabama Law School students will review city ordinances. The procedure is not required, but such review by a third party may result in recommendations to consider.

Laney also encouraged anyone who is interested in serving on one of the city’s boards to send him an email. He is always looking for people who want the best for Demopolis.