Love your neighbor as you love yourself: Albertville community meets at city council meeting

ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Love your neighbor as you love yourself: A common theme from Monday night’s Albertville City Council meeting.

Albertville resident Paula even became emotional after telling Haitian community members at the meeting that they were loved and supported.

Debates over Haitian migrants in Albertville have spread throughout the city as many try to navigate the best way to move forward. Some people are pushing for stronger enforcement of zoning ordinance 1454-15.

It was instated many years ago to dictate how many people can live in a home. Some residents express that it has not been enforced recently. They go on to share that they believe other residents are asking for stronger enforcement now to single out Haitian community members.

“Albertville citizens have been struggling to find housing for a long time,” Founder of Reclaiming Our Time Unique Dunston, who spoke at the meeting, said. “This isn’t a new issue. And, so, trying to enforce these zoning laws is a direct target to migrants whether they’re Haitian, African, Hispanic. No matter where they’re from.”

Dunston attributes this statement to how migrants tend to stay together in a new town for various reasons ranging from unfamiliarity to not fully grasping how everything operates.

Despite Albertville Police refusing a camera interview, they told News 19’s Peyton Newman they enforce the ordinance fairly and without any bias.

Dunston said that this zoning ordinance has not been enforced to her knowledge in recent years. The police responded to this by saying that there have not been housing issues in prior years to warrant this enforcement.

In the end, many in Albertville wish for peace and harmony, including the city council.

“There’s nobody in this room or this community that deserves to be in fear of anything,” Mayor of Albertville Tracy Honea said. “If it’s in school or work. I don’t care what color you are, folks. We’re better than what some of us have shown in the past few days.”

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