Anniston City Council Address the State of RMC Patient Treatment and Crime Increase – July 18th, 2023

Anniston, AL –  The city of Anniston held the regular scheduled work session and city council meeting on July 18th. 

City Council Meeting

• Invocation
• Pledge Of Allegiance
• Call To Order
• Roll Call
  • Mayor Jack Draper – Present
  • Ward 1 Councilman Jay Jenkins – Present
  • Ward 2 Councilman Demetric D. Roberts – Present
  • Ward 3 Councilwoman Ciara Smith – Present
  • Ward 4 Councilwoman Millie Harris – Present
• Reading/Approval Of Minutes Of Previous Meeting – Unanimously Approved 
  • June 20, 2023 Regular meeting
  • July 10, 2023 Called meeting
• Additions/Deletions To The Agenda – Unanimously Approved  with no changes
• Adoption Of Agenda – Unanimously Approved 
• Board Confirmation Hearing –
  • Curtis McCants – Highland Health Systems Board
    • Councilman Roberts introduced Mr. McCants has served at a police and was noted as a public servant and coach who is very community minded. Mr. Curtis McCants thanked the council for considering him for this role in the city, .
• Public Hearing – None
• Unfinished Business – None
• Consent Agenda – Unanimously Approved
  • Resolution appointing members to the Highland Health Systems Board
  • Resolution declaring a reported condition to be a public nuisance – Grp 2023-03 G/D/V Motion to approve the bid for the grass cutting and lot clean-up of 18 lots to Wendy Thornton in the amount of $4,850.00
  • Motion to approve the bid for the demolition of substandard structures using CDBG funding to Emtek for four (4) properties totaling $42,800.00 and to T&D Stump Grinding for ten (10) properties in the amount of $62,500.00
  • Motion to approve the bid for the purchase of one (1) 2023 3⁄4 ton Crew Cab Pickup for the Fire Department in the amount of $50,550.00
  • Motion to approve an amendment to The City of Anniston’s Personnel Policies and Procedures manual addition Essential Information Policies section to include “Pregnant Workers Fairness Act” PWFA after Family and Medical Leave:
•  Additional Or Other Matters That May Come Before Council – None
• Public Comments
  • Glen Ray – Addressed the council about the importance of mental health. He wanted to make sure the community was united and acted as one.
  • Shawana Hill – Was not present.
  • Jayda Bettes – Was not present.
  • Richard Jackson – Addressed the council about his personal experience. His mother was at RMC in 2012 with for a concenascopy and never made it home. He also mentioned another patient that had the same situation. A friend was there at for four hours and never made it home. Then he shared another story of long waits. He wanted those on the hospital board and those appointed to know about these situations and “errors” that are occurring. He wanted to focus to not be making money, but on providing care. He feels that too many are not making it home from the hospital because of a lack of care.
• Council Comments
  • Councilwoman Harris – No comments
  • Councilwoman Smith spoke to Mr. Jackson and Ray and agreed with a better focus on mental health and health care. She noted that she can’t speak to the operational side of the hospital. She also noted she has heard the same stories and agreed it should be addressed and looked at.
  • Councilman Roberts thanked all for attending. He agreed with Councilwoman’s Smith comments on the hospital and saw it as an opportunity for improvement. He also plead to the parents of the community regarding the crime and incidents that are occurring. He thinks the community needs to take accountability in their actions as well. He even asked if the National Guard should be called out. He asked the parents to know what was going on and stop blaming the police for not responding fast enough. He said people always say the police are profiling, but they have to respond to what they see. He also mentioned the new semi-pro basketball team who had their first game. It was a lot of fun.
  • Councilmember Jenkins notes he does sit on the hospital board. He stated the issues are a shortage of staff and that it is a national problem. He also stated that COVID did a lot of damage to creating a national nursing shortage and many have decided they would rather go home and not work in this industry any longer. There were 108 agency nurses just a month ago getting paid quadruple what a normal nurse would. This is because they can’t get regular nurses. Now that number is down to 48 and regular nurses have had pay increased. There are multiple empty beds, but without nursing staff it limits how patients are treated. He did assure all that the goal is to provide the best treatment and that all those involved want the same thing.
  • Mayor Draper – No Comments
• Motion – Motion to convene an executive session to discuss the consideration the Council is willing to offer when considering the purchase, sale, exchange, lease, or market value of real property – Unanimously Approved
• Adjournment to Executive Session– Unanimously Approved