January 8, 2018 – Announcement of opposition panel
In a City Council Meeting on January 8, 2018, Mayor Dr. Holly Cost announced a panel regarding the NDO which was organized by individuals in opposition to the ordinance. Mayor Cost made it clear that she felt she needed to use her platform as Mayor to encourage attendance to this opposition panel, as she recently had promoted a support panel, and that all voices deserve to be heard equally during this community conversation.
Mayor Cost emphasized the need to bring the NDO committee and City Council together to discuss all of the information gathered from panels and forums held by the City of Montevallo, University of Montevallo, and independent groups. After consideration of information gathered, the Council would like to have an ordinance prepared for the community to review. However, Council Member Peterson stressed the need for the municipal judge and Council attorneys review of a finalized draft of the non-discrimination ordinance, and the meeting would be scheduled as quickly as possible.
January 11, 2018 – Public Information forum at Parnell Memorial Library
At the Parnell Memorial Library Auditorium on January 11, 2018, four panelists were in attendance to speak about why the community should oppose the non-discrimination ordinance, or at least question the motives behind the ordinance. These four panelists were from various communities and held various positions.
“The assembled panelists came from varying angles of opposition. Matt Sharp, Senior Council for Alliance Defending Freedom, cited the impact of other similar ordinances in other states. Adam McLeod, professor of law at Faulkner University, examined the legal underpinnings of the issue. A. Eric Johnston, an attorney at the Southern Law Institute took a stance against the overarching issue of LGBTQ rights. Finally Pastor Harry Reeder III, of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, took a religious view of the implementation of the ordinance.”
Source: Haas, Jamie, and Geordie Kennedy. “Montevallo divided over NDO.” The Alabamian [Montevallo], 26 Jan. 2018. The Alabamian, www.thealabamian.com/montevallo-divided-over-ndo/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2019.
The panel was met with a large audience, many with stickers which read ‘Equality is not a threat’. Concerns regarding the impact that the ordinance would impact the religious community within Montevallo were echoed. However, the non-discrimination ordinance had provided exemptions for religious organizations and institutions from the first original draft presented in May of 2016.
An interesting point which was reiterated throughout articles and interviews was that the panelists were not from Montevallo. According to the Shelby County Reporter, panelists were from Birmingham, Montgomery, Northern Shelby County and Atlanta. The moderator of the panel was from Montevallo.
Some sentiments were more bold than others, with Adam McLeod of Faulkner University stating,
“An ongoing theme noted by the panelists was the potential effects of the proposed ordinance on local business owners and as stated by McLeod, ‘people of conscience.'”
“The folks who are being prosecuted after these ordinances are not, as we took pains to emphasize, discriminating because of sexual orientation,” said McLeod, “In every case it’s a question of what they can do in conscience. That is, they believe as a matter of conscience they cannot tell a falsehood using business resources about what marriage is.”
Source: Haas, Jamie, and Geordie Kennedy. “Montevallo divided over NDO.” The Alabamian [Montevallo], 26 Jan. 2018. The Alabamian, www.thealabamian.com/montevallo-divided-over-ndo/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2019.
While opposition opinions were welcome during forums and panels hosted by the City of Montevallo and the University of Montevallo, this panel spoke specifically to reasons for opposition, rather than an open discussion regarding any concerns from any side of the conflict.
January 22, 2018 – City Council Work Session, Documents in Opposition to NDO presented
Mayor Holly Cost announces the next NDO consideration meeting will happen on January 25, 2018. This meeting would be open to the public, and allow for some public comment. However, this would not be a forum but rather a public meeting for the City Council to discuss the NDO. Another community forum would not be scheduled until further notice.
Reverend Scott Fowler, a local pastor at Spring Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church, presented documents in opposition to the non-discrimination ordinance. These documents were from the Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization whose Senior Council, Matt Sharp, had spoken earlier in the month at the Public Information Forum on January 11, 2018.
Alliance for Freedom Docume… by on Scribd
The documents provided by Reverend Fowler reference the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which Dr. Andrea Eckelman referenced in her interview. For clarity of understanding, a Huffington Post article has been included here to explain the concerns of pastors in Houston.
Issues of business rights and church/religious organization rights in the City of Montevallo had been contentious from the first draft of the non-discrimination ordinance. These issues were continually part of the exemptions of the non-discrimination ordinance. However, some constituents of the city of Montevallo still felt that the ordinance was overreaching into the abilities of businesses to conduct as normal, and churches and religious organizations to preach and spread their messages as they pleased.
January 25, 2018 – meeting with Municipal Judge to discuss final NDO draft
While we were unable to locate any information regarding the meeting of the Municipal Judge, City court team, and City Council to discuss the final draft of the non-discrimination ordinance, we are aware of the meeting from a notice released on January 19, 2018.