Citizen opposes Marquee

Irene Jeffries got on the three-minute public comment spot at the Feb. 21 Holly Springs Board of Aldermen meeting to voice opposition to the purchase of a marquee for the Eddie Lee Smith MultiPurpose Center.

The proposal to purchase a marquee to advertise events and attractions in the city was made by Ward 2 alderman Andre Jones.

Jeffries said her water meter has been broken and her street is riddled with pot holes.

“I can't imagine to rent it (the marquee) out,” she said.

She said one proposed marquee would cost $42,000, a lot of money to spend. With the possible return on renting the advertisements at $1,000 a year it would take 42 years to pay for the unit, she said.

“We can advertise at two radio stations and the paper,” Jeffries said. “Holly Springs has no way to recoup the tax base for the outlay, which she said would take too long.

“Young people don't come back home,” she said and older people can't make up for the declining tax revenues in the city.

“I moved back in 2005, and the tax base is too thin to support this,” Jeffries said.

Ricky Raimey expressed gratitude for restoring power following the Jan. 31 ice storm. He asked the city to take a look at a cable that has been downed by a tree across his property line on South Center Street. He believes it could be a telephone line but is not sure and has to avoid contact with the line in case it is energized.

“I don't feel comfortable going in and out with that line there,” he said. “The tree fell on it all way across that property. The line's been down for a year. I'm trying to get the line up.”

Mayor Sharon Gipson said it could be an AT&T line and will have it looked at.

“If it is AT&T, they are still working on their lines,” she said.

In other matters the board of aldermen:

• authorized payment of $2,500 to Thaddeus Zinn for emergency repair of water treatment lines at the water holding tank at the water tower.

“We had three lines broke on the holding tank due to extremely cold weather,” said Eddie Jefferson foreman with the water/wastewater team. The insulation broke allowing the lines to freeze, he said. Cleveland Construction repaired the lines that are used for chlorination of water and other treatments.

• approved a radio repair bill for $4,500 that operates Well #5. Jefferson said a similar problem was corrected in 2015.

• authorized back pay of $3,270 due Javarrius Jeffries for completion of a certification in lineman school. His pay raise after certification was overlooked from October 2022 until January this year by no fault of employees.

• discussed a motion to get the floor and roof repaired at the Sims School gymnasium and at Frazier I. Marvin Bruce had four quotes in hand for the repairs but the board of aldermen wanted to know if the city’s insurance would pay for it.

A contractor patched the roofs during the Kelvin Buck administration but the work has not held up, said alderman Bernita Fountain. Gipson said the job did not correct deeper flaws such as the replacement of the roofing boards as well as the shingles.

“It’s taxpayer’s dollars,” said Gipson. “We want to make sure we do real repairs.”

The item was held over so the city can see if the insurance company could have contributed to the worsening of the condition of the roofs.

• held an agenda item on the matter of annexation, at the recommendation of Gipson. She said more information the city requested from the attorney representing the annexation plan is needed before making final decisions.

• approved the city participating in opioid litigation settlement with CVS, Walgreen’s, Walmart, TEVA and Allegra. Municipalities entering this litigation will be eligible for a pro rata share of the settlement.

• opened two bids for expansion of the Holly Springs Fire Department. Fifer and Associates and Hill Construction offered base bids and alternates.

Fifer offered a base bid on Phase 1 of $644,900 and on Phase 2 of $335,000. The overall base bid and 11 alternates was bid at $2,289,900.

Hill Construction offered a base bid on Phase 1 of $649,000 and of $438,000 on Phase 2. Hill’s bid on the overall base bid and 11 alternates was $2,886,000.

The bids were taken under advisement.

• approved advertisement for bids to provide maintenance of rights-of-way at the utility department.

• authorized travel for Ernest Campbell to attend substation training. Approved travel for Marvin Bruce to attend the Mississippi Recreation and Parks Association. Approved travel for Lemon Weeks to attend confined space rescue technician classes at the Mississippi State Fire Academy.

• approved payment of $2,114,552 in school tax settlement to the Holly Springs School District.

• authorized transfer of $158,677 from the ACH fund to the general operating fund for January’s sales tax.

• approved transfer of $1,583 and $29,349 from the ACH fund to the money market fund for January’s tourism tax settlement. Half of these monies will be paid to the Holly Springs Tourism Bureau as its share of the tourism tax receipt.

• approved payment of bills and claims for the city and for HSUD.