By DEMETHRIUS BOYD

(Editor’s note: The following is an open letter to Mineola from Pastor Demethrius Boyd)

Because I will not openly be speaking to the city council on this issue again, I conclude my statements on this issue with this example given by Mark Robinson, a representative from SWEPCO, who also made a presentation to the city council on Monday.

A concerned citizen addressed the city council and said she believed her home was being underserved by SWEPCO. Mark did not make it seem as though her perspective had no validity; he didn’t offer excuses or make her feel like she was getting the brush off.

He simply looked at the situation in truth, “sympathetically acknowledged” that there was a citizen under-served with a power issue, made sure she understood that she was a valued customer, and assured her that SWEPCO would do its part in making it right.

Mark then backed up his words with a “reasonable action plan” based on her concerns. SWEPCO presented a plan to the city council and the public for consideration.

It now is in the city’s hands. If they want to improve the city’s power system, they must make some hard decisions. Now, if some hard decisions by the city are not made, citizens who keep experiencing power failures may perceive that the city doesn’t really care if all its citizens have equal access to reliable electrical power.

Well, in the same sense, some patrons from the Mineola Ministerial Alliance have expressed to the city council community concerns and public perspectives arising from current events. Some citizens felt they were being under served. They just wanted acknowledgement of their concerns and a publically stated action plan. You can’t have unity without all people. You cannot ignore public concerns or excuse them with a business-as-usual attitude.

It was our humble request that the Mineola City Council consider or make some hard decisions with a reasonable action plan that addresses the lack of trust and public perspectives of our legal and law enforcement system. Otherwise, it will confirm to some citizens that our city officials do not care to serve the entire population beyond mere words.

It is my belief that some people will draw lines that we have worked hard to erase and become comfortable with those lines, which in turn gives an additional negative public perception to our city. We need to stop making everything a racial thing when it’s just a right thing. As for me, I will no longer be addressing the city with these concerns, but I, as well as the Mineola Ministerial Alliance, am always ready to work for reasonable solutions.