City Leaders Set Date For Market Festival Day

Aldermen take notes as Mayor Larry Hart talks about culvert bids.

Mayor Larry Hart uses a pair of scissors loaned to him by City Clerk Vivian Snider to open SCADA bids at the Monday, Feb. 2 City Board meeting. – Photo by Jack Gurner

By Jack Gurner
Reporter

WATER VALLEY – Aldermen have declared May 8 as Main Street Market Festival Day in the City.

Water Valley Main Street Association Director Mickey Howley presented a letter to the Board at their regular monthly meeting Feb. 2 outlining the group’s plans for the second annual Main Street Market Festival.

There will be local arts, crafts, food, entertainment, and local market produce at the event that will highlight the opening of the Farmers’ Market for the season, the letter stated.

“I think Mickey has tried to live better these past few months,” Mayor Larry Hart joked. “Because when he tried to do this last year, it rained and rained and rained and rained.”

Howley told Aldermen that the group was hoping for good weather this year. “It really put a crimp in our style last year. We had rain at the beginning and rain at the end.”

“Once again we are going to try to put on an event that starts at 8:00 in the morning and goes until 8:00 at night,” Howley explained.

“The response we’ve had from the people who attended last year, mainly the artists and crafts people, is that they want to come back and do it again. We plan to have at least half a dozen musical groups.”

Hart asked about fireworks and Howley said that was still under discussion. The fireworks that were canceled due to the weather last year ended up being shot at the Watermelon Carnival in August.

The Mayor thanked the WVMSA for their efforts. “We’ve been talking to Mickey and Bill Taylor (WVMSA President) and we’re looking forward to the immediate future to try to get some things going for Main Street improvements.”

Among other actions, the Board of Aldermen:

• Accepted culvert bids from G&O Supply for metal, ADS for plastic, and Hanson for concrete.

• Voted to take under advisement bids for the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system.

“I don’t know if I have the equipment to open them or not,” Hart said as he held one of the envelopes containing a bid.

“I brought my scissors this time,” said City Clerk Vivian Snider as she handed them to the Mayor.

The bids ranged from a low of $98,924 for part of the needed system to a high of $128,349.30. “We’ll get to these no later than the first meeting in March,” Hart said.

• Took under advisement the only bid received for four aerators for the wastewater treatment facility. Coastal Process of Denham Springs, Louisiana, bid $30,057.36.

• Heard from the Mayor that Feb. 15 is Presidents’ Day.

“I guess y’all are going to take that again, aren’t you, Vivian?” Hart asked the City Clerk.

“Yes, sir!” replied Snider. Her quick response drew laughter from the Aldermen.

• Appointed Oxford attorney Bela J. Chain, III as City Prosecutor Pro-tem.

Hart explained that from time to time the City prosecutor might have a conflict of interest involving a case before the Court. We ask them to recuse themselves when that comes along. In order to accommodate that, we need a City Prosecutor Pro-tem, Hart told the board.

• Went into executive session to discuss a personnel matter.

After the brief session, Mayor Hart said that the board agreed to transfer Lisa Cook from the Blackmur Memorial Library to the Electric Department. Cook will replace Betty Buford who is retiring.

The next regularly scheduled session will be Tuesday, March 2, beginning at 6:30 p.m.