Andrews – Mayor James Reid and Alderman Steve Jordan, two longtime members of the Andrews Board of Aldermen, have reached a rough patch in their decades-long relationship.
Jordan rented space on property he owns off Rocky Creek Road near U.S. 19/74 to a couple who built an improvised campsite while they seek more permanent housing.
Their shanty, which is visible from the main four-lane highway, is constructed of pallets, tarp and other scrounged materials.
Reid said one of the couple asked about what she thought were wooden pallets on his property, and whether she could have them for an art project. Reid responded that they were concrete forms, but she could have them if she needed them.
In the process of picking up the forms, the couple allegedly took vehicle parts from a neighboring property. Reid went to their campsite and confronted them about the missing parts, but in so doing walked past their “private property” sign.
They subsequently swore out a trespass complaint with the magistrate. A deputy sheriff subsequently served him with a civil trespass complaint.
Reid described the encampment as a potential tent city.
“I told him (Jordan) that we didn’t need things like that in this town,” Reid said. “It’s a surefire way to get the town to go downhill quickly for a few dollars rent.”
Jordan said the couple told him they would be building tiny homes.
“Everybody needs a place to live,” he said, but added that they have not paid rent since December.
Jordan said he asked the couple to drop the charges against the mayor or leave the property. They opted to leave by the end of the month.
Reid was happy to hear the news, saying that shanty towns could destroy the landscape of the town. He also worries about crime that could result.