By Jim Smilie

Local residents and representatives of various community action groups filled the seats at the Alexandria City Council meeting Tuesday night hoping to discuss the city’s utility disconnect policies, but were cut off by Council President Lee Rubin and City Attorney Jonathan Goins.

Cornelius L. White, a local resident and regular attendee and commenter at council meetings, got things started when he stepped to the podium to offer comments when Rubin asked for public comment regarding the standard opening motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

Rather than commenting on the previous meeting’s minutes, White told council members his utilities were recently disconnected, even though he is participating in the city’s Project RESTOR program launched earlier this year to help citizens with outstanding utility balances, and he needs help.

When Rubin told White his comments were not germane to the item being discussed, White cried out, “It is germane. I need you to listen! I need help,” his voice cracking with emotion. While White continued to try to tell council members about his utility issues, which are tied to charges for water and sewer totaling more than $1,200, which White said are the result of broken pipes, Rubin continued to cut him off noting, “we get your point. Please don’t make me throw you out.”

Once White took his seat, Rubin reminded audience members that any public comments offered during the meeting must be germane to the item being considered and people must sign up before the meeting regarding the agenda item they wish to speak about. That prompted one audience member to ask for a definition of “germane,” to which Rubin replied, germane comments should be “relevant” to the motion or matter being discussed.

A number of audience members began to speak up, asking questions about the policy, at which point Goins said audience members “cannot cross examine the Council,” and asked Rubin to move forward with the meeting.

Rubin was able to get through the consent agenda items and the first 15 of the 16 items on the agenda with minimal interruption. The most notable item covered was an ordinance authorizing Mayor Jacques Roy to “execute a master service agreement with Lexipol, LLC, to update the Police Department’s Law Enforcement Policy Manual and provide ongoing updates.” At the Oct. 3 meeting, when the ordinance was introduced, Roy spoke about the proposal indicating it would be a significant help to APD. Neither Roy nor Police Chief Chad Gremillion were in the Council Chambers room during the meeting. A request made to the administration following the meeting requesting comment on the Lexipol agreement was declined.

The final item on the agenda was to “consider final adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the low bid submitted for wire and cable for Electric Distribution Department.”

A number of people signed up to comment on that item, and most chose to talk about utility cutoffs rather than the proposed ordinance, which was as Rubin put it, “just about buying plain old wire for the electric department.”

One speaker, claiming there are currently more than 5,000 Alexandria residents who have had their utilities cutoff, asked where the funding for the wire was coming from and could that money be used to help residents with utility payments. Rubin acknowledged the question about the source of funding was germane, and answered that the funds would come from the utility budget.

Local resident Shicola Jones, standing by her chair in the back, asked what company would be supplying the wire. When she didn’t get a reply, she asked again, questioning if the materials would be coming from a company associated with Utility Director Michael Marcotte.

Rubin, noting Jones had not signed up to speak on the item, refused to answer her question and indicated she could be removed if she continued to shout out. Jones chose to walk out on her own, again telling Rubin “your days are numbered,” as she did when he had her removed from the Oct. 3 meeting. Jones has filed petitions seeking to recall Rubin, At-Large City Councilman Jim Villard and Mayor Roy.

As Jones left, another audience member got up and told the crowd he was walking out. As he left, he criticized Goins for supporting the council and not letting citizens have their say and told the crowd nothing would ever change in Alexandria.

As the crowd got increasingly vocal, Rubin hastily called for a vote on the motion, which passed, and then adjourned the meeting at 5:16 p.m. and left the room. When reached after the meeting, Rubin declined to comment further on the proceedings.

Following the meeting, a number of audience members stayed behind in the council chambers. They arranged their chairs in a circle at the back of the room and discussed what happened at the meeting and brainstormed ways to try to approach council members to express their concerns.

The next scheduled council meeting is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.