City Appoints New Department Head

City Appoints New Department Head

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Alder-men accepted the retirement resignation of water and sewer department manager Morris Surrette and promoted David Floyd to the position during the April 5 monthly meeting. The matter was handled in executive session, as it was a personnel matter. Floyd has worked for the city since 2004. 

Other business handled at the meeting included:

• Approved an industrial tax exemption for BorgWarner.

“They have filed with us their exemption on expansion equipment that they have installed,” Mayor Larry Hart reported. The true value of the equipment to be exempted is $21,584,257.99. Also granted was an exemption on the free port warehouse inventory in the amount of $188,000.

“That’s property that is in inventory in the warehouse on the last day of the year waiting to be shipped. The state has accommodated where they can get an exemption on that. 

Also granted was an industrial tax exemption from Allied Group on an expansion in the amount of $37,800. State law allows counties and municipalities to grant up to a 10-year tax exemption to eligible industries that locate or expand in Mississippi. The exemption includes all local property taxes except school district property. 

• Tweaked the electric department policy in accordance with a request from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The policy change will be added to the city’s application for electric service and will also be available upon request. The change allows an electric department customer to seek resolution with a billing dispute with TVA if a complaint isn’t resolved at the local level. 

• Approved a request from B.T.C. Old Fashioned Grocery for a beer permit for on-premises beer consumption. Hart explained the application and a recommendation was made to grant the request by a committee that includes the police chief, fire chief and code enforcement officer. The committee is charged to review each beer applicant in the city as part of the town’s beer ordinance. 

• Authorized the quarterly write-off in the amount of $4,080 from the latest quarter from delinquent electric bills.

“Once again, we don’t throw these away, we continue trying to collect them,” Hart reminded aldermen about the outstanding bills. He explained the city takes the bills off the current accounts receivable each quarter in accordance with TVA policy.

• Adopted a resolution to accompany a grant application seeking funds for sewage work. The resolution states the city will provide $20,000 in matching funds for the $600,000 grant. Hart explained the actual grant application seeks $300,000 in funding from the Appala-chian Regional Commission and $300,000 from a Community Development Block Grant through the state.

If awarded, Hart said the money would fund work that continues on the main sewage trunk line.

“I think we have a good chance of getting this grant,” Hart added.

• Approved the monthly claims.

• Heard a report from Main Street Manager Mickey Howley.

Alderman-at-large Donald Gray was absent from the meeting as he was out of town on a business trip.