BAY MINETTE – Speed bumps have been up for eight weeks and residents either love them or hate them. Residents in neighborhoods without them want speed bumps, while some with the bumps don’t want them.

So the City Council has been forced to revisit the matter. In mid-April they purchased 30 of the yellow moveable plastic wedges.

“I’ve been pinged on by individuals and groups saying they want speed bumps,” said mayor Bob Wills. “We only have so many of them so we can’t just put them out willy nilly. We need to come up with some sort of criteria.”

Among the suggestions was polling the residents of the neighborhood and referring to the police department and the number of complaints about speeders.

“We got one on Mixon, one block over from where a bunch of kids play,” said councilman Danleigh Corbett. “The lady who requested it polled the neighbors and had only one guy against it.”

“Polling is good, but we need to be partnering with the police,” said councilwoman Dolly Mims. “If folks are speeding, they would know.”

One speed bump on 14th Street has brought some complaints. It is on a long, isolated stretch with limited houses only on the north side of the road.

“If you hit that one going the speed limit, it will rattle your fillings,” said councilwoman Kathy Dobbins. “I think there are only three houses on that section of the street.” She questioned why the speed bump was installed there in the first place.

Police Chief Clarence Crook said his department has been getting complaints that people want that one removed.

Dobbins would like to see speed bumps installed on 9th Street near the Highway 59 bypass.

“I don’t think it needs to be in the middle of (a long stretch of open) road,” said Dobbins. “It needs to be closer to the stop sign. People run the stop sign behind Winn-Dixie all the time.”

Councilman Chris Norman, who represents District 5, said he hasn’t had one negative comment about speed bumps from any of his constituents.

Wherever the speed bumps are installed, the Public Works department has installed caution signs to alert motorists. There have been some complaints about the sharp angle of the speed bumps jarring the drivers and passengers as they pass over the bumps.

“I think we need to go with the ones like they have at Falkner (State Community College),” said councilman Johnny Biggs. “Those are more of a platform.”

The college also uses moveable plastic strips. Their signage describes the lower, sleeker speed control devices as a speed hump.