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The city council discussed an ordinance requiring visible roadside address identification during Monday’s LaFayette city council meeting. 

Council member Michael Ellis said that there has been a problem identifying residences during emergencies when address numbers aren’t visible from the road. He asked LaFayette Fire Chief Jim Doody who confirmed it.

“There’s some residents that are not quite at the roadside or a distance back and there’s no identification at the current level or on residents’ themselves property,” Doody said. 

Several years ago, Ellis said the county 911 center went out to verify all the proper addresses in the county areas. He requested that someone look into the city ordinance on having a visible number plate from the road.

“A lot of times I’m sure police and firemen respond to the call and there’s not an address on the mailbox or in some places don’t even have mailboxes posted,” He said. “… Because a few seconds or a minute or two could be the difference between life and death for somebody.”

City Clerk Louis Davidson said that Jeff Monroe, the former Lanett fire chief, was working on a similar project for the city of Lanett. Davidson said he thought that Monroe reached out to the former LaFayette fire chief about it. 

Ellis also addressed three roads — Pine Crest, 6th Street SW and 7th Street — where street signs need replacing and reflectors are missing. He said these were areas where he had planned to submit work orders to Street Department Superintendent George Green but forgot. 

He said on Pine Crest, there is also a problem with standing water in the roadway that needs to be addressed.

No official action was taken by the council on any of these discussions.