More than a year after first addressing the issue, the Loyall City Council is once again faced with defining and clarifying the location of city alleyways.

"Save yourself a lot of trouble, go out there and put pressure on them to clean those things up," said Loyall resident Curt Roper, son of Loyall City Council member Albert Roper.

According to Curt Roper, original city documents supposedly stipulated that the land which was leased to the city for alleyways would revert back to the owner, the Wix Howard estate, if the property wasn't used as specified.

Loyall Mayor Charles Wattenberger said he wouldn't act without legal guidance since the city didn't have the proper documentation. The old records had been lost.

"I'm not going to get me and the city sued," said Wattenberger. "There's stupid people that file lawsuits all the time."

"I think it should be taken care of myself," said Albert Roper.

Roper then made a motion for the city to look into the matter, which the council passed unanimously.

"The motion was to contact the attorney and check on the validity of the alleys and write letters," said Wattenberger.

Curt Roper also expressed his displeasure with the city's lack of law enforcement in regard to speeding motorists.

"I'm not here trying to stir up nothing," he said, before relating a story about rodents plaguing a certain city street.

"The rats were bigger than I am," he said.

According to Roper, a residence in the old section of Loyall had deteriorated to the point that rats were a problem on the street.

Council member Sue Ball said legal action had been taken against the property owners and nothing had been accomplished.

"You figure out what can be done. ... I've done everything known to man. They've been taken to jail, they've had social services called on them. ... They're home before you are," said Ball.

In other business, the council:

n heard a report from Wattenberger about addressing leakage of sewer into storm water, which then drained into the lagoon which occupies the former Cumberland River channel around the town.

Wattenberger said a grant was being sought to remedy the problem.

n addressed the PRIDE cleanup effort. "We had seven truck loads of garbage hauled off," said Wattenberger. Approximately $1,000 to $2,000 had been spent by the city on the cleanup which Wattenberger said would be reimbursed by PRIDE.