Board votes to rename street
In a move to settle the issue of recognizing Holly Springs as the birthplace of Ida B. Wells and her legacy as a civil rights and anti-lynching activist, the board of aldermen put motions on the table at the March 15 meeting to name a street and park after the icon.
Alderman Andre Jones asked that separate motions to rename Memphis Street and Spring Hollow Park in her honor be added to the agenda.
Mayor Sharon Gipson expressed opposition to the two motions, which were approved by all four aldermen present. Alderman Colter Teel was on vacation and not present to vote.
Gipson said a date for a public hearing for public comment would be required as was done for the first public hearing on the proposed renaming of Randolph Street in Wells’ honor. That would allow the hearing to be set May 7, she said.
Jones challenged the need for a public hearing, saying one had already been held on the issue.
As Gipson’s name was in the proposed ordinance read by Jones, the mayor said she wanted her name off of the document.
“We are the governing authority on the ordinance, whether you agree with it, because we are the governing authority of the city,” Jones said to Gipson.
He read ordinances to rename Memphis Street as Ida B. Wells Street and the park Ida B. Wells Park.
Gipson said she will submit a veto to the two motions.
“Make sure to get the veto to us in writing so we can act on them,” Jones said.
“It is the desire of the mayor to have a public hearing,” Gipson said.
Ward 4 alderman Patricia Merriweather challenged the need for another public hearing.
“We did have a public hearing concerning Memphis Street and Randolph,” she said.
“That obviously has been discussed with constituents who had the opportunity to voice their concerns. We had a very long and detailed public hearing,”
“The notice only referred to Randolph Street and did not refer to Memphis Street,” Gipson countered. “Memphis Street did come up but Memphis Street was not part of the original legal notice in The South Reporter.”
“Spring Hollow Park was not put in the ad, but it was put on the agenda,” Merriweather said.
Gipson said an ordinance was not required for Spring Hollow Park, which was on the agenda but not acted upon.
“I held it based on concerns...I put it out there and want to be consistent,” the mayor said.
Jones said renaming the park was not discussed at the public hearing and if it is required, it would be put on the agenda at the next regular meeting of the board of aldermen.
He asked Garret Estes, standing in for attorney John Perry, if a public hearing is required.
“I do not know of a statute that requires a notice,” Estes said. “But it would be best practices. Be mindful you may be creating something the court would have to find.”
In other business, the board of aldermen:
• made a motion to take bids for city services under advisement following bid openings by Kevin McLeod, engineer with Elliott & Britt Engineers.
McLeod noted that a number of suppliers would not give prices for over 30 days because of the instability of fuel prices. The contract specifications called for bid for a year.
Bids for paving were submitted by Gregory Construction (Murphy Paving) and Lehman-Roberts. Irby Utilities and Howard Lighting bid on LED lights.
Nunnally Trucking’s bid on road materials was rejected because the bid required the use of the city’s bid form.
• approved receipt of $46,858 from homestead tax receipts.
• authorized receipt of $54,771 from an Appalachian Regional Commission grant refund.
• approved $46,097 for payroll to Gulf Guaranty for insurance.
• authorized execution of a grant application to AARP and execution of all related documents.
• approved transfer of $131,977 in sales tax receipts to general operations fund and transfer of $25,586 from tourism sales tax revenues. Also approved was transfer of $2,201 in tourism sales tax receipts to general operating fund and $1,173 from that to the Department of Tourism.
• approved June 30 fireworks street closings.
• authorized use of Coopwood Park for autism walk sponsored by the Zeta Phi Beta Inc.
• authorized Sam Coopwood Park for use May 22 for law enforcement and fire and rescue day celebration.
• approved travel. Rodney Crane and Shane Wommack will attend the 85th Mississippi Fire Chief’s Conference in Vicksburg. Crane and Wommack will also attend the Mississippi Fire Investigation Spring Seminar in Oxford.
Sgt. Dennis Freeman and Sgt. James Wright and Det. Milton Palmer will attend the Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing and Advanced Interrogation.
Officer Samuel Harris will attend DUI Training in Southaven.
Officer Tranescia Walker will attend Sexual Assault Investigative Training in Clarksdale.
Officer Samuel Harris will attend TASER Energy Weapon Instructor training at Moorhead.
Officers Nolan Moss and Tranescia Walker will attend Interview and Interrogation Training in Moorhead.
Officer Montarious Coleman will attend Field Training in Indianola.
Officer Jariah Lesure will attend Sexual Offender and Violent Offender training in Oxford.
Police chief Grant Glover will attend the FBI Supervisor Leadership Institute in May.
Tracy Reynolds, Kip King, Jeff Williams and Terry Sims will travel to the National Gas conference.
Donald Warren will attend the TVPPA Certified Power Executive class Introduction to Pricing and Rate Design.
• approved the following: Sgt. Dennis Freeman will be promoted to lieutenant in the police department at a base salary of $48,170.
Promoted Maurice Jeffries to lineman with base salary of $52,624.
Promoted Javarrius Jeffries to lineman IV with base pay of $45,000.
James Pryor will be appointed as supervisor of concrete with a base salary of $35,006.
The following will be hired or transferred:
Dustin Johnson will be transferred from the Street Department to the Utility Department at $15.50 per hour.
Lewis Jones will be hired at the Water Department at $15.50 per hour.
Alexis Jefferson will be hired as full-time cashier at the utility department at $15.50 per hour.
Jabbari Brown will work as general laborer with the Street Department at $15.50 per hour.
Melvin Boyd will work at the Water Department at $15.50 per hour.
Mario Buffington will work as general laborer in the Street Department at $15.50 per hour.
Anthony Jones will be raised to $17.83 per hour in the Street Department.