Councilwoman Jamie Dykes Calls For End To Northport Council Committee System

NORTHPORT, AL — Patch has confirmed that Northport District 4 Councilwoman Jamie Dykes has resigned from her two council committee assignments and is calling for the city to do away completely with the council committee system that has been in place for years.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

Dykes, who is in her first term in office, served as chair of the Council's Community Outreach Committee and also as co-chair of the Council's Projects Committee. However, Dykes opted to step down from her assignments in a email Wednesday to Northport City Administrator Glenda Webb.

"I prefer that the Council collaborate and work as a team alongside staff for the betterment of our city," Dykes told Patch. "I would prefer the council meet together in a work session instead of the committee structure. This way we could collaborate together on the items that come before our council, be it funding, board appointments, speed tables or community events. We represent our district, but our districts make up our city."

This decision will not effect her status on the Council and Dykes will also remain chair of the Northport Planning & Zoning Commission.

During the last meeting, Dykes also was the lone vote in opposition when the Council considered appointing newly sworn-in District 3 Councilman Karl Wiggins to the committee assignments previously held by his predecessor — former District 3 councilman and Northport Mayor John Hinton.

It's worth pointing out that while there is no statutory mandate requiring Council members to serve on committees, it has been common practice in recent years for appointed Council members to fill the committee assignments vacated by their predecessors.

Still, in her letter of resignation from the committees, which was obtained by Patch through a public records request, Dykes lamented what she views as a lack of efficacy for the committee system and confirmed to Patch that she would prefer the city do away with committees altogether and instead hold work sessions prior to each meeting.

"I am not in favor of committees in any shape, form or fashion," Dykes wrote to Webb earlier this week. "We are all equals and committees put the entire power of the Council in one or two people’s hands and every one else’s opinion is a moot point. EVERY Council member should have input on EVERY item/issue that comes before us; be it a board appointment, agency funding, budget, a future event, a speed table or pedestrian/bike path."

Dykes argued that each council member should have the opportunity to hear agency funding requests or consider board appointments, insisting those decisions should not be left up to two members on each committee.

"I, personally, will never take time away from my job again to attend a committee meeting where my voice is total irrelevant, no matter what is decided," Dykes said. "My plan was to step down from the two lame committees I am on anyway. It just is not worth my time off work when my voice isn’t heard ... I'm quite certain I am in the minority - as always - but I feel strongly enough about this to step down from my committees."

In the email exchange, Webb offered up three possible solutions to the issues raised by Dykes:

1. Continue with existing committee structure and times.
2. Do away with committee system and just have a work session, possibly at 4 p.m., every third Monday of each month.
3. "Keep the committee structure, but with a twist"

"Notice that committees begin at 4 p.m. on every third Monday, and that the respective chairs of each committee will preside over their respective portions as we get to the agenda items that relate to that committee," Webb said in response. "So, we say that they all start at 4 p.m. and then we set them up much like our comment section on Council agenda — we roll through each and spend only the time needed for the discussion on that particular item. With this, we should eliminate the delay between meetings. An added benefit is that we don’t have to cancel a particular committee for lack of items, rather the chair merely reports that there are no items for consideration."

Webb said if there is a majority of the Council that favors the third option, that she can reach out to the Alabama League of Municipalities for their blessing on the proposed change. She then explained that, due to the Council being less than a week out from its next regularly scheduled meeting, that no changes should be made effective until June 1.

The Council will vote Monday during its next regular meeting to appoint replacements for the committee assignments vacated by Dykes.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.