Maiden Voyage Underway For New City Board
Housekeeping was the primary topic during the first city board meeting following the summer elections in the City of Water Valley that includes three new aldermen. The business included appointing city officials for various positions as well as discussing how the meetings will flow during the four-year term.
The maiden voyage for the city’s newly elected Board of Aldermen got underway last Wednesday with an hour-and-a-half meeting that included the appointment of the city’s officers, conversation about how the meetings will flow and routine business.
“This is our maiden voyage,” Mayor Larry Hart told the group, “Let’s get this plane off the ground,” as the first vote for the new group was to approve the minutes from the June meeting.
Straying briefly from the meeting agenda, Ward One Alderman Kagan Coughlin then asked to discuss meeting protocol.
“I want to do a quick civic lesson on how this works and makes sure everybody understands it the same way,” Coughlin said, adding that for the most part the meetings follow Robert’s Rule of Orders regarding the parliamentary procedure.
Coughlin outlined the procedure, starting with if anything is put up for a vote, the majority rules. Next he explained that the mayor can veto a vote, and it takes four aldermen to override the veto. He also explained the mayor can’t veto a negative vote, which means if a motion does not receive enough votes to pass, it is dead and there is nothing to veto.
“The alderpeople can’t force anything over the mayor and a small minority plus the mayor cannot force anything over the board of aldermen,” Coughlin added. “Which means this is very much a place where we need to communicate, get along, all walk in the same direction and work together.”
The anticipated appointments for city positions came mid-way through the meeting and included Crow Martin PLLC, as city attorney, Vivian Snider as city clerk, A.J. Hernandez as police chief, Trent Howell as municipal court judge, Shannon Crow as city prosecutor and Andy Arant as public defender. The appointments were approved unanimously and are the same group hired by the previous administration that included three aldermen who were not re-elected. There was also no change in the rate of pay for each position from the previous term.
The only appointment garnering lengthy conversation was the employment of Crow-Martin, PLLC, after John Crow stressed the importance of the new board understanding the terms of the agreement. Reading the agreement, Crow described the scope of services his firm would perform and the monthly rate of pay, which is $1,900 and includes a maximum of five billable hours. After the five-hour mark, Crow explained the hourly rate of pay would be $200.
“I don’t remember in the last four years ever turning in a bill for additional billable hours, that is how smooth it has run,” Crow said.
Crow also explained that the employment contract is with his firm, instead of hiring him as an individual, because he is drawing state retirement and is restricted from working for the city as an individual.
The final question came from Coughlin regarding a potential conflict of interest if there was a disagreement between the county and city resulting in legal action because Crow-Martin PLLC also represents the county as board attorney.
“If there is litigation between both entities, we couldn’t represent either one. They (city and county) would have to have their own counsel,” Crow answered.
“So either you would remove yourself or we would ask you to step aside?” Coughlin said.
“Yes and we would gladly do it if that situation comes up,” Crow said. “I have to have your trust and you need my trust… we have never had any issues.”
Other business handled at the meeting included:
• Approved the quarterly write-off from the electric department’s delinquent bills in the amount of $1,638.70. Hart explained the delinquent bills are removed from the city’s current collection list, but effort continues to collect the past due money.
“All of those meters have been cut off?” Coughlin asked.
“Right,” Hart answered as a unanimous vote followed.
• Authorized a $16,792 payment to Willis Engineering for ongoing design work for work on one of the city’s main sewage lines. The $600,000 project is funded from grants from the Mississippi Development Authority and Appalachian Regional Commission.
• Approved an agreement with Willis Engineering for overseeing concrete work at the airport at the cost of $24,600 using funds from Federal Aviation Administration (FFA). Responding to questions from Ward Three Alderman Cinnamon Foster, Hart also provided a brief history of airport work. He explained that four t-hangars constructed at the municipal airport were all leased. The mayor added that the city has a little money remaining in their FFA account, but not enough to build an additional hangar so the money will be utilized for concrete work that will eventually be part of a project to build more hangars.
• Purchased two thermal imaging cameras for the fire department at a cost of $1400 each.
• Approved the purchase of an Exmark lawnmower at the state contract price of $8,990.
“We cut a lot of grass,” Hart said.
• Approved the $235 reimbursement for Coughlin and Folson to attend the Mississippi Municipal League (MML) training and $310 for Foster to attend the MML training and water board training.
In closing, Coughlin recognized two county supervisors, Lee McMinn and Cayce Washington, and school board trustee Pierce Epes.
“The more that all of us talk to the folks in this town, there is a lot of work to do. It is a group effort and I really appreciate that you all are here tonight,” Coughlin told the elected official.
