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The LaFayette City Council voted to choose the East Alabama Regional Planning Commission (EARPC) to write the application for a city planning grant at Monday night’s council meeting. 

Two different representatives came before the council to talk about handling the city’s Comprehensive Plan, one from EARPC and the other from Place Associates. 

The planning grant is an 80/20 grant, meaning that the city would have to supply a portion of the total. The city’s Comprehensive Plan will help build the foundations for future commercial and municipal planning and development projects.

According to the city council, LaFayette has not had a Comprehensive Plan written up in about 20 years. 

Earlier this year, Ben Wieseman of Place Associates gave a presentation on what development and planning the company could provide; however, the company could not write the grant application as well as write the city plan.

Whereas, EARPC can write both the application and the city plan itself. 

The deadline for submitting the grant application is July 22. 

During the discussion period of the meeting, Council member Terry Mangram suggested that the city work hard to get projects completed more quickly so the city can continue to improve. 

Council member David Ennis brought up the discussion on the city’s dilapidated houses. During the May 13 council meeting, 17 homes were presented to the city council for a decision on disposal. 

If the owners did not have a clear plan and a timeline for bringing them up to code, the city would need to tear them down.

The city council agreed to give the owners who didn’t understand the code enforcement language a 30-day grace period to develop a plan and present it to the city’s code enforcement officer, Kim Langley. 

Ennis also wanted to discuss changing the city’s protocol for fining homeowners who do not address dilapidated buildings. The city council set up a work session on July 1 to discuss it in more detail.