PHOTO BY BRETT CAMPBELL Brookhaven citizen Darlene Graham expressed her thoughts on parent accountability recently to the Board of Aldermen and mayor.

A Brookhaven resident thanked city leadership and law enforcement for holding underage criminals accountable — and encouraged them to enforce the punishment on their parents or guardians.

“I feel like if my child goes out there and does wrong, I should be held accountable for what my child does,” said Darlene Graham. 

Whether its crimes involving guns, drugs, burglary or something else, Graham said minors should not be allowed by parents or guardians to “be out there” doing such things.

“When you have your child at home,” she said, “you should be held accountable for what they’re doing … You should keep up with what that child does.”

Graham said if a child or teen is caught breaking the law, not only should law enforcement arrest the minor, but also the parent or guardian.

“Put me down there with my child, because if my child did wrong, I should be held accountable for what they did if they are under age. And that’s my opinion,” she said. “I just want to tell you thank you, for the job you all are doing.”

In other business, the Board:

• Approved the low bid of $40,565 from Warren & Warren for work on base layers and a waterline trench on Big Lane Drive.

• Approved the low bid from Greenbriar Digging Services of $69,556 for drainage work on North Center Street.

• Approved the low bid of $73,728 from Traffic Services to remove existing striping and re-stripe on Big Lane Drive for the emergency entrance to King’s Daughters Medical Center.

• Approved the hire of two additional workers for the Youth Summer Program.

• Approved to establish a procedure of what to do to inform property owners of costs of cleanup by the City to abandoned or neglected properties, as well as a process for collection of fees and costs. The measures passed 4-3, with aldermen James Magee Jr. (Ward 1), Shannon Moore (Ward 2), and Charles Caston (Ward 3) voting against. Moore said he felt the issue should have been saved for the incoming board on July 1.

• Received the April 2025 Fire Department report of 21 runs in the city limits and three outside.

• Approved the low quote from Lane Line LLC of $18,625 to stripe Brignall Road.

• Approved fireworks permits for Heritage Family Church (July 4) and Lincoln Civic Center (July 5).

• Approved pay request No. 3 from Dickerson & Bowen for work completed on the Brookway Boulevard Medians Project of $258,117.70, to be paid from SB2971 funds.

• Approved a motion to close and vacate portions of Pine, Birch, Poplar, and Mills streets.

• Approved to declare as surplus and remove from inventory a bookshelf and wooden filing cabinet in the mayor’s office.

• Approved City Attorney Bobby Moak to attend the Attorney Association Conference in July. City will pay registration and lodging.

• Approved City Court Clerk Michelle Porter to attend the Court Clerk Convention in July. City will pay registration and lodging, and reimburse for mileage.

• Approved the resignation of Trevor Gatlin, a non-certified Police Department patrolman, effective June 6.

• Approved the resignation of Temarcus Lewis, a Fire Department firefighter with 10 years’ experience, effective June 17.

• Approved the resignation of Public Works Director Krix Xifos, effective June 30.