Demopolis City Council asks cops to crack down on loud trucks and kids on golf carts

The Demopolis City Council wants its police to be on the lookout for semi-trucks that use jake brakes in the city limits and kids on golf carts and scooters.

City Councilman David McCants asked Public Safety Director Rex Flowers to have his officers write tickets to truckers who engage the noisy compression release brake, commonly called a jake brake, in the city limits. He said the brakes often disturb the peace in the city as trucks make their way to the mill.

To make matters worse, McCants said that some young truckers adjust their exhaust pipes to make the brakes louder.

“It’ll rattle your windows,” McCants said. “It’s a source of pride for them. Young people like flashy things. They like noise, but it’s against the law.”

McCants said there’s no reason to engage noisy Jake brakes on the flat roads in the city other than to show off. He said writing tickets and putting up larger “No Jake Brake” signs might help.   

Councilman Jim Sanford asked Flowers to have his officers look out for youngsters on golf carts and scooters. Sanford said he’s seen young people in golf carts on main streets where they don’t belong, and kids on scooters are zooming through stop signs.

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Ernest Taylor asked the city council to get the Demopolis Water Board to drop plans to make residents on several streets in south Demopolis install sewage grinders.

Residents on South Walnut Avenue, Mason Ridge Drive, Southmount Drive and South Cedar Avenue were told at a meeting on June 30 that the sewer lines in the area would have to be replaced by grinders that would be installed at each home. The idea was not well received at the meeting, and Taylor asked the Demopolis City Council to convince the water board to find another solution.

Taylor said each resident would have to supply the electricity to run the pumps, which is a burden for folks on a fixed income.

 “This is a cost to citizens to solve a problem the city has,” Taylor said. “The city should solve it.”

Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins said while he and the city council “don’t mind passing along your concerns” to the water board, they have “no clout over them” because the water board is an independent organization. He encouraged Taylor to speak directly to the water board about the issue.