Anniston council certifies unopposed candidates, hears concern over wildlife response
Mary L. Harrington and Dottie Rimpsey were certified for seats on the Anniston City Board of Education, while Joe Harrington was certified as the Ward 3 councilman. Under Alabama election law, unopposed candidates are declared elected without appearing on the ballot. The municipal election is scheduled for Aug. 26.
The council also approved a resolution appointing Skyler Bass, the city's current clerk and interim city manager, as the city's election manager.
During the public comment period, Wenonah Bryant raised concerns about the city's lack of response protocol for erratic wildlife after encountering a raccoon behaving unusually in her neighborhood.
'A couple of weeks ago I had an incident with a raccoon who was behaving erratically,' Bryant said. 'And in the midst of all of this, I found that we don't have any protocol to deal with our wildlife if there is a problem.'
Bryant explained that she contacted the police and was referred to private wildlife trackers.
'I was told that our animal control does not deal with wildlife — only with dogs,' she said. 'Fortunately, my daughter was able to get in touch with somebody who was willing to come out … and fortunately, it was not rabid.'
Bryant said the process took more than 24 hours. She stressed that the delay could have endangered residents, especially children.
'There were children telling their parents, 'Oh, there's a raccoon out there.' It could have very easily been detrimental,' Bryant said. 'Especially with us opening up the Ladiga Trail, we really need to have something in place.'
After the meeting, Harrington spoke privately with Bryant. She described him as kind and concerned, saying, 'He said he would get back with me.'
During council comments, Councilman Demetric 'DD' Roberts praised the recent Heritage Festival at Zinn Park, calling it a wonderful event and noting the large turnout.
'We've pretty much outgrown the park,' Roberts said.
The council's next regular meeting is scheduled for July 15.
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