Truck Issue & More Causing Friction in Fayetteville
These are interesting days in Fayetteville.
While the rest of the country seems divided over national politics, one of Fayette County’s most charming little towns is dealing with much more local divisive issues.
It doesn’t just seem like neighbor versus neighbor. It’s literally neighbor versus neighbor.
Roger Parker has started a petition to remove mayor Carl Marino from office.
Parker and Marino live right next to each other.
Even amidst the COVID outbreak, a big crowd showed up to Wednesday’s town council meeting.
The entire meeting itself lasted two-and-a-half hours. It kicked off during the public comment portion with Parker reminding other citizens of the recall petition he has been circulating to remove mayor Carl Marino and council member Ronnie Pflughaupt.
“Resign and let the community move forward,” Parker said.
The issue that has sparked the backlash against Pflughaupt and Marino is the influx of gravel trucks through Fayetteville. Some residents’ believe that those officials’ are not trying to remedy the situation – though the recall petition also includes several other complaints.
Parker said in Pflughaupt’s case that he thinks the councilman actually impeded efforts to limit truck traffic because Pflughaupt’s own trucks regularly go through Fayetteville.
Parker has also been upset that many of his requests for open records from the city have gone unfulfilled.
One citizen during the public comment period at the beginning of the Wednesday’s meeting said, “I hope we can work towards something about those gravel trucks. That’s why everybody’s here.”
That comment was met with applause by many in the crowd Wednesday.
Mike Stroup, who has announced his intentions of running for mayor of Fayetteville was in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting.
Marino’s term ends this spring and he said he does not plan to run again.
Marino admits there’s a lot of big truck traffic through Fayetteville, “but I truly do not have a solution.”
Marino said one of the town’s slogans is “Fayetteville the Way Texas used to be” and truck traffic is one of the things that has always been an aspect of life in Fayetteville.
“People say we moved to Fayetteville to get away from the traffic and noise but is that realistic?” Marino said. “You moved to a living, working city and bought property on a state highway.”
Pflughaupt is up for reelection as well, and said after Wednesday’s meeting he is unsure of his plans. Councilman Steve Pavlicek’s spot on the council is also up for election this year. Parker says he has 32 signatures to recall Pflughaupt and 30 to recall Marino, which amounts to more than 10-percent of the approximately 244 registered voters in the town.
“The petitions may very well go no where legally, due to what I am learning regarding our District Attorney,” Parker said. “But the mere fact that their (actions) have been overwhelmingly noticed publicly may be all the accountability we as a community will get. Only time will tell.”
Several residents are also upset about what they say is overly significant tree trimming that has gone on in town.
Marino said Parker’s actions to bring about change have gone about things the wrong way.
Marino said he prefers what has been done by the Fayetteville Action Committee, which has been headed up by new Fayetteville resident Cade Burks. (See sidebar that begins on Page A1.) Amazingly, the talk of truck traffic was only one part of Wednesday’s two and a half hour meeting. Among other items of note:
• After nearly an hour in closed session discussing matters, the council welcomed the public back into the chambers and accepted the resignation of City Secretary Janice Wasut, who was not at the meeting. Wasut informed the council she would continue to work for the city until May 3 and would train her replacement.
• The council also adjusted the mayor’s stipend from $800 a month to $500.
• They approved the hiring of Mintage for some city administrative/payroll/accounting services.
• Steve Pavlicek was named Mayor Pro Tem
• A presentation was given about Fayetteville’s sidewalk improvements that will be paid for mostly by funds from a community development block grant of $330,500.
The city will have to kick in $70,000 for the project, but all the sidewalks on the town square will be re-done (but in a manner that looks historic, and all pre-existing etching, signatures, etc. in the current sidewalks will be retained).
“Without those grants there’s not a lot we can do here,” Marino said. “We’re operating on a shoestring budget.”