Restraining order keeps Harvey alderman off board
By David Pollard For Chronicle Media — March 7, 2017At the recent Harvey City Council Meeting one aldermanic seat was empty during the meeting although the alderman who holds the seat was not too far away.
Harvey Ald. Lamont Brown (4th Ward) sat in the audience at the Feb. 27 city council meeting. A temporary restraining order was issued barring him from taking part in the meeting because he is a convicted felon.
Brown, 42, was convicted of possession of drugs and a stolen vehicle in the 1993 when he was 19.
Ald. Keith Price (6th Ward) initiated the temporary restraining order and wants it to become permanent. He says it’s not personal.
“I don’t have a problem with Lemont, but I do have a problem with all felons being treated the same,” he said. “Until they change the law or he gets a pardon the law is the law.”
Brown’s absence on the council was the subject of much debate during the meeting. During the mayor’s report, Mayor Eric Kellogg, gave a slide presentation on slavery and its long-lasting effects of African-Americans since it was Black History Month and comparing some of the effects of slavery to the actions taken by his detractors on the council, within the community and Brown.
“There are certain factions that have spewed negative information,” he said. “There are five or six people in this room (city hall council chambers) that have worked to derail the progress of this city.”
Kellogg believes Brown should not be on the council and those who continue to support him are wrong and it undermines the credibility of the Democratic process.
“The entire Lamont Brown sideshow has to stop,” he said. “Who was part of this scheme to put Lamont Brown in power?”
During the “Reports by the Alderman” portion of the meeting Ald. Joseph Whittington (2nd Ward) spoke in support of Brown staying on the board and believed the Brown’s past and his position on the council could have been handled in different way. Whittington works as a senior facilitator for Safer Foundation, which helps ex-offenders reenter back into society and believes like with others who have paid their debt to society Brown’s past should not be held against him.
“He (Brown) was motivated by his leaders (city council members) to become better than what he was,” he said. “You will never be anything than what you’ve been unless you are a prisoner of your past.”
He said that airing “dirty laundry” like this should always be kept in-house and not put out for everyone to see.
“You may have one finger (pointing his index finger) pointing at someone, but there is another pointing back at you,” he said referring his thumb. “Do not judge him unless you should be judged.”
Kellogg quickly retorted against Whittington’s claim about not airing one’s dirty laundry.
“You’re the biggest washing machine in the city,” he said to Whittington.
Meanwhile the council failed to pass the city’s tax levy ordinance despite the urging of Kellogg and city administrators that they would not be able to make payroll without it in the near future.
Brown claims Kellogg and Price knew about his past and recruited him to run for the seat and support them, but when he aligned with other members on the city council who are anti-Kellogg that’s when his past was publicized.
“I decided not to roll with them,” he said. “I decided not to be a part of the status quo.”
Price said that he had no knowledge of Brown’s past until recently and took the appropriate action.
“I didn’t know he was a convicted felon,” he said. “I did know he had a brush with the law.”
Brown is hopeful that he will regain his seat on the city council and is appreciative of Whittington’s support.
“I believe it was respectful and honorable,” he said. “We as black men should be lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down.”
He said sitting in the audience with the residents during the meeting gave him a different perspective on his position he’s had since 2015.
“Seeing it (council meeting) from the audience; it is a lot worse than seeing the view from my (council) seat,” he said.
The next court date regarding to Brown’s temporary restraining order is scheduled for March 10.
— Restraining order keeps Harvey alderman off board —