Council members discussed demolitions, board reappointments and remembered Sheriff James Clemmons at their August meeting Tuesday night.
                                 Matthew Sasser | Daily Journal

Council members discussed demolitions, board reappointments and remembered Sheriff James Clemmons at their August meeting Tuesday night.

Matthew Sasser | Daily Journal

ROCKINGHAM — Rockingham City Council approved the demolition of three buildings at their Tuesday meeting, and considered a suggestion by a mayoral candidate that they consider removing questions about criminal history from city job applications.

Minimum housing proceedings began on a dilapidated building on Aslington Street in December of 2020. The owner, Tony Freeman, obtained a building permit to repair the dwelling, but no action has been taken since the Code Enforcement Officer issued a notice in July.

A dilapidated dwelling on Bickett Street did not have anyone attend a hearing after minimum housing proceedings began in March of 2021. Property owner BVGG Properties has been notified of the plans to demolish, but no action has been taken to date.

The third and final building addressed by City Council is located on Curtis Drive. The owners, Shamsul A. Khan and Shireen Islam, have communicated with the Code Enforcement Officer about the dwelling. They were notified to either repair or demolish the dwelling by July 27; no action has been taken to date.

Assistant City Manager said that owners of the dwelling on Curtis Drive have indicated that the walls are unstable. A plastic covering has been placed on the roof to keep rain out.

Mayoral candidate discusses fair hiring practices

Michael McRae, candidate for Mayor of Rockingham in this year’s municipal elections, asked City Council to look into an executive order from Governor Roy Cooper regarding hiring employees with criminal records and see if they could adopt a similar policy at the city level.

According to the Governor’s website, Executive Order No. 158 eliminates employment barriers for individuals with criminal records by removing criminal history questions from the application for state employment. This is also referred to as “banning the box.”

“Striking the question until after the initial interview will serve as a necessary counterbalance to a criminal justice system that disproportionately convicts African-Americans in general, often for non-violent drug offenses,” McRae said. “Implementing ‘ban the box’ in Rockingham will go a long ways toward reducing recidivism and stopping the revolving door of the criminal justice system that plagues some members of our city, especially some members of our younger community.”

McRae himself has a criminal history. According to the Des Moines Register, McRae pled guilty in 2015 to writing a letter in 2012 in which he impersonated an anonymous racist and made death threats to Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad — who McRae was clerking for at the time while in college — and to McRae himself, citing the representative’s support for Trayvon Martin and opposition to people of color holding public office.

McRae opened the letter himself, and the threat caused a panic at the Iowa State Capitol. The envelope was filled with a white powder, later determined to be non-toxic, which caused a four-hour lockdown.

McRae was convicted of one felony count of conveying false information concerning a biological weapon over the incident, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. His defense argued that McRae did this because Abdul-Samad was pressuring McRae to run for office and called the hoax a “one-time mistake made by an anxious young man” who grew up without a father, the Des Moines Register reported. He was later diagnosed with a stress disorder.

McRae on Tuesday encouraged the City Council to study the issue of criminal histories limiting felons’ job prospects, and suggested that City Manager Monty Crump look at “banning the box” for city jobs as well as private employers.

Councilman Bennett Deane replied to McRae that the council didn’t have the ability to compel private employers to follow this legislation.

Mayor Steve Morris said he would look into the pros and cons of implementing this change locally.

Council members remember Sheriff James Clemmons

Sheriff James Clemmons passed away last Thursday, and since then condolences for his family and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office have poured in. The City Council on Tuesday took a moment to honor his life.

“Our hearts go out to the Sheriff’s [Office] and to the family of Sheriff Clemmons,” Mayor Pro Tem John Hutchinson said. “It’s a big loss to the community. He was a fine leader that we all respected.”

Councilman Eugene Willard said he was impressed by the speakers at a Celebration of Life held on Tuesday.

“One of the big things that impressed me was probably 60-70 sheriffs in North Carolina came to his funeral,” Willard said. “That spoke very well of James Clemmons.”

“When I think of Sheriff Clemmons, I think of a very large man, sturdy, rough and tough looking guy,” Morris said. “But the thing I got out of his funeral today was love. I appreciated all that he did.”

City staff makes reappointment recommendations

Rockingham City Council approved all of the recommendations from city staff for reappointment to various boards, but discussed the appointment of Malcolm McLester as chairman of the ABC Board.

Council member Denise Sullivan voiced her understanding that McLester had recently moved to Moore County.

“I just feel like if you serve on our board, then you need to be a citizen of Rockingham,” Sullivan said. “I have nothing against Malcolm.”

Other Board members discussed whether he had already left the County or was in the process of leaving.

Council member Bennett Deane agreed with Sullivan, adding that McLester should still serve until they determine when he’s officially left the community.

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Reach Matthew Sasser at 910-817-2671 or [email protected].