WHITEHALL — At Tuesday’s Whitehall city council meeting, councilwoman Tanya Cabala addressed council effectiveness and her desire for council members to work closer together in the hopes of becoming more efficient and effective. She suggested they put the three-minute maximum for public comments at the top of agendas distributed at each meeting, while still relaxing the rules when need be. She also wants to include something about the conduct that is expected, including no “disparaging remarks.”
“People elected all of us and I want to respect all of you because you’ve also been elected, and I think we need to remember that at times,” Cabala said.
Councilman Scott Brown talked about his concerns over safety around Ealy Elementary. This has been on the council’s agenda for the last three months and he felt it needed to be addressed now given the upcoming school year. He said driving down Sophia Street during school time is hazardous. He wants to discuss how to find the best solution to improve this for drivers, students and parents.
Councilman Jeff Holmstrom agreed, saying he has seen more pick-up and drop-off’s recently than in the past. He said they have tried various traffic pattern changes, none of which helped.
“There are options and it is a problem,” said Holmstrom. “I don’t see it getting any better.”
City manager Scott Huebler said they have discussed this with the school previously, and Ealy has growing concerns about the safety of the students the further away from the building they are being dropped off. Huebler said he and Chief Roger Squiers will meet with Whitehall School’s superintendent and the Ealy principal to continue finding a solution.
During public comment, a resident voiced their concern over a plant called Datura stramonium, also known as Jimsonweed, they have noticed growing along the bike path. They said this plant can be used as a deliriant drug and they have concerns over teenagers abusing this plant. They said they are a local botanist and offered their help to the city for free, along with providing the coordinates of where these plants are exactly located. They plan to work with Whitehall’s Department of Public Works to remove them.
