Storm Update and Press Release
Subject: Storm Update and PRESS RELEASE
All,
Just wanted to update you on the situation with regard to the towing of vehicles and the snow emergency.
First, I want to thank all our Police Force, Fire Department personnel,Street Department/Civic Center personnel and all other city employees who went above and beyond in helping to make this awful situation a lot less painful to those hundreds we were able to get to shelters.
Also our great appreciation to First United Methodist Church staff and volunteers and the Cedar Grove Baptist Church staff and volunteers who helped greatly by opening their facilities and taking in the many persons we couldn’t accommodate at the Civic Center.
In addition, a number of private individuals, including Dickie Drake and his family, and Keith Hall, and Cary Kennedy whom I have personal knowledge of coming out with their personal equipment and voluntarily assisting in transporting people to and from shelters and in some cases all the way to their homes. There were a number of other citizen volunteers whose names I do not know, but who gave of their time and equipment to help. The City thanks you all.
As to the incident itself, there has been much misinformation and many hateful words put out on facebook and AL. Com as well as distorted reports in the news media, particularly the hatchet job done by that ignoramus Archibald.
In a nutshell, our police force did what it had to do in a dangerous emergency situation by towing cars from Scott City Hill in order to open up access for us to transport the over 300 stranded men, women (several very pregnant), and children out of the sub freezing weather to the safety of our shelters for warmth and food.
Because we don’t have city tow trucks, we had to call private towing firms to move the vehicles blocking the roadway to the shelters. Naturally these private companies want to be paid for their services.
The question of who would pay for the towing services was not a question of immediate importance as the officers tried to handle the emergency situation. In response later to questions as to who would have to pay for the towing costs, I erroneously indicated that state law would not allow the City to pay the charges. Even at that time, however, I was working behind the scenes with our local delegation to seek some method of getting the owners of the towed vehicles reimbursed. When we thought we had found that method it was announced. Unfortunately the wording of the announcement made it appear that the State was going to write Leeds a check to pay for the costs. When the State corrected this, Senator Slade Blackwell and Rep. Dickie Drake stepped up and started to work on an alternative way of helping the City with the costs. I met with both of them today and while we were meeting, they made a call and we received a legal opinion that the City could in fact pay for the towing charges if the Council ratified the situation and the actions taken as a public safety emergency.
This finding allowed us to inform the media via radio and TV interviews and with the attached press release that the owners of the towed vehicles would not have to pay for the towing fees. I also confirmed with both Ryan’s Automotive and Murray’s Garage that, based on this information, they would release the vehicles to their owners at no charge and wait on City reimbursement.
In addition to putting out the word that owners could pick up their vehicles without cost, we also put out the word that anyone who had already paid to retrieve their car would be totally reimbursed.
Our attorneys are preparing a resolution for our council to pass Monday night which ratifies our actions in the incident and authorizes the payment of the tow companies and those individuals who have already paid their money, out of City funds. We have been assured by Senator Blackwell and Rep. Drake that they will do their best to seek funds to cover these payments by the City.
I know you have been bombarded by people who only know a part of the story, and I hope the actions we have taken and the information provided here gives you a clear picture of what went on and why, and that it will enable you to answer any inquiries with facts.
You can be proud of what was done by the City employees and private volunteers and thanks for all the words of support throughout this ordeal, they are much appreciated.
If you or someone you know wants to come to the council meeting at 6:00 PM Monday night, any positive words would be welcome as a balance to the mean words we already know we will hear.
Mayor David Miller