Auburn City Council met Tuesday, Oct. 1, to discuss street closings, board appointments and alcoholic beverage licenses. The Citizens Communication brought discussions of racism in the fire department and questioned the Council's support of schools.
Julian McPhillips, of McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP in Montgomery, represents Christopher Turner, an Auburn firefighter.
McPhillips said Auburn's population is approximately half black and half white, however according to the 2010 Census, Auburn is approximately 75 percent white and 16.5 percent black.
"Few blacks are being hired to begin with, and whites with much less experience and time on the job are being promoted, while blacks are being denied," McPhillips said.
McPhillips said no black people have been promoted by the fire department since 1996.
"Auburn's fire department, in its defense, says that in order to be promoted, the fireman must pass an assessment center validation. And Mr. Turner has not done that, they say," McPhillips said. "We say, the assessment center requirement is frankly a ruse or pretext that allows the Auburn Fire Department to discriminate against black employees, especially in promotion."
Council member Arthur Dowdell of Ward 1, said the firefighter assessment test is not designed to take into account experience. He said the test asks difficult and often trick questions.
"We ought to eradicate or delete, as far as I'm concerned, the assessment center at our discretion, we could do that," Dowdell said. "I think it's time we look at the fire department and see [that] it does not look like America."
"And we must look at this and see there is something remiss, there's something wrong in the Auburn Fire Department," Dowdell said. "It seems like we are not going forwards, we are regressing."
The city defended their practices citing a history of equality.
"We use race-neutral hiring practices when they hire, or promote," said Bill James, director of Auburn Public Safety.
He said every city department uses race-neutral standards of practice when hiring or promoting.
When asked if racial claims had been made before, James said, "Yes, there have been some allegations."
In other Council news
Steven Benson raised budgetary concerns about building a new high school.
Benson said he wants Council to ask departments to cut budgets by 5 percent. He leaves the Council with the charge, "Hard times demand leadership. You've been elected to be the leaders of this city, it's time for leadership. The question is simply, are you up for the task?"
Cody Carlson, fire division, named as October's employee of the month.
Two Dollar General stores, 1961 Wire Road and 1106 Opelika Road, received alcoholic beverage licenses.
Two Mapco Express locations, 2393 E. University Drive and 2385 Moores Mill Road., received alcoholic beverage licenses.
Resolution authorizing street closings for Homecoming Parade Oct. 11 was approved.
Approval of resolution to adopt tax abatement in connection with Seohan Auto USA Corporation for new equipment for its Auburn Technology Park location.
Resolution passed to sign contract with Sansom Equipment Company for the purchase of one 2014 Ramer 3500 Shuttle Knuckle Boom Loader with boom extension, one Kenworth T3170 Chassis and one Ramer 20-foot heavy-duty trailer.
Approved installation of fiber optic cable from Fire Station No. 5 to the H.C. Morgan Water Pollution Control Facility.
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