City Aldermen Change Policy On Comp Time
Aldermen listen as Mayor Larry Hart speaks during the 17 minute regular monthly meeting held Jan. 4. – Photo by Jack Gurner
By Jack Gurner
Reporter
WATER VALLEY – City workers will no long receive compensation for being on-call after Aldermen voted to discontinue any monetary allowance or additional compensation.
Details of the policy change are not known because the issue was handled behind closed doors in executive session at the Dec. 1 regular monthly meeting of the Mayor and Board. The change only came to light after being reported in the minutes of that meeting that were approved at the Jan. 5 regular meeting.
The entry in the minutes states, “It is understood that being “on call” does not carry additional compensation except when the employee is actually called out at which time he is paid for actual hours worked.”
The new policy overrides a board order from August of 2005 under which department heads could give one day of comp time for a week of on-call duty.
According to Mississippi’s Open Meeting Law, a public body may go into executive session to discuss personnel issues relating to a person holding a specific position. Matters that affect employees generally are not exempt.
At the conclusion of the December meeting, Mayor Larry Hart told the Herald that the only action taken during the executive session was a vote to terminate an employee of the fire department.
At the Jan. 5 meeting, the Board of Aldermen:
• Took under advisement culvert bids.
• Accepted a bid from Mechanics Banks to be the City’s depository at 1.35 percent annual percentage yield.
• Agreed to pay Willie Foxx $1600 per year for the continued use of a piece of his property as a rubbish landfill. That’s an increase from the original price of $1000 per year the City has been paying since 2005.
“I believe we would be very wise to continue to operate that landfill because it is very convenient and has a lot of area left in it,” Hart said of the property which is located on Stephens Street in the eastern part of the City.
• Adopted a resolution of support for Randy Kelly in his quest to represent Mississippi on the TVA board in Washington. Kelly, who is from Pontotoc, is head of Three Rivers Planning and Development District.
• Agreed to advertise for asphalt. “We’re way behind in putting asphalt down and I think it is time we give this some attention,” Hart said.
• Accepted a quote of $7750 for one aerator for the wastewater treatment facility.
“As we continue to get our readings on our BOD. We need to expedite on getting some air on that first cell down there,” Hart told Aldermen.
The effluent BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) five-day limitation was exceeded last year during the months of March, April, and June. At a special meeting in November, the Board agreed to bring the wastewater treatment facility into compliance or face a $10,000 fine.
The City is currently advertising for four aerators and the Mayor said the purchase would not interfere with that. Work was to begin immediately on preparations for installing the aerator.
• Heard a report from the Mayor that Jan. 18 is a legal holiday for the City. Alderman Fred White requested that the newspaper notice state the holiday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “It hasn’t been done in the past,” he said. “It just said legal holiday.”
After meeting for just over 17 minutes in regular session, the Aldermen voted to enter executive session. They returned to regular session after five minutes.
During the executive session, City officials agreed to purchase a piece of property to add to Oak Hill Cemetery, according to Hart.
