Officials may cut agenda

BY VICTOR INGE

THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL

The Selma City Council is scheduled to meet today at 5 p.m., and according to the agenda the meeting should adjourn by 8 p.m.

Council President George Evans has attempted to keep meetings moving by placing time constraints on agenda items, however, the last council meeting was a more than five-and-a-half-hour marathon. Ward 1 Councilman Cecil Williamson predicted Monday’s meeting &8220;will be a long one.&8221;

Ward 6 Councilman Johnnie Leashore said he plans to try and shorten the length of time the council takes to conduct the city’s business by voting to remove some of the &8220;frivolous items&8221; outlined in the proposed agenda, which contains 27 items, some of which he said have already been &8220;asked and answered.&8221;

&8220;Such as asking the Governor to declare martial law in Selma,&8221; Leashore said. &8220;The meeting shouldn’t be a long one. I plan to have that item removed. &8221;

Two members of the Hollman family, who allege several officers in the Selma Police Department brutally arrested their son and beat their 64-year-old father several weeks ago, are on the agenda for Monday’s meeting. The incident is under investigation by the Alabama Bureau of Investigations, city officials told family members during its April 30 meeting.

At the outset of each meeting, council members can have items removed by simply agreeing, or voting whether they remain for consideration or not.