City board agrees to legislative consultant
The fine details of a contract the City of Holly Springs will offer a Jackson consultant was recently approved by the Holly Springs Board of Aldermen.
Mayor Kelvin Buck proposed hiring McCullum Consultant Strategies LLC to serve as a consultant for the city in the Mississippi Legislature. McCullum would bring his 20-plus years economic development experience and performance record to bear on bringing home some bacon.
Buck said he hopes that McCullum Strategies, of Prentiss, will help the city obtain $500,000 million from the Legislature to complete the restoration of the old Waterhouse. The city has already invested about $180,000 and Historic Preservation has invested money to prepare the structure for use.
Proposed uses of the Waterhouse are to house the Holly Springs Recreation and Tourism Bureau, the Holly Springs Main Street Chamber and a Blues museum to highlight the Hill Country and the Cotton Patch blues giants, forerunners of the present day blues musicians who currently entertain locally and regionally - such as the current day descendants of the Burnside and Kimbrough families.
Henry A. McCullum Sr. has service distinctions including director of the CDBG board, past secretary of the South Mississippi PDD, provider of court security for the U.S. Marshals Service, officer with the State Capital Police, sergeant at arms for the Mississippi House, a three-term sheriff of Jefferson Davis County, board director of Mississippi Archives and History Records and Retention, a minister, and a former owner of a retail store.
The board approved a fee to the consultant group of $3,000 a month for a 12-month period. The contract can be terminated by either party with notice.
In other business, the board of aldermen:
• approved Juanette Cummings and Vicky Everett as deputy municipal court clerks. Everett had served in the capacity on a temporary basis prior to being named to this post.
• promoted Pamela Lewis from zoning assistant administrator to zoning administrator.
• authorized payment of $16,593 to Bank Plus (street bond).
• approved a final payment of $23,440 to ASCO Sanitation. Team Waste now has the city solid waste collection contract.
• approved travel for Troy Wright, Tracy Reynolds, Kip King, Don Buford, and Bill Stone to attend the Mississippi Natural Gas Association’s 31st Annual Trade Show in Tupelo in February.
• accepted the resignation of Phillip Shelton as part-time CSR telephone operator. The board approved advertising for a replacement operator.
• approved a request to contract with Fleetcor/Fuelman for fuel car services under state contract. HSUD general manager Bill Stone said he was concerned about a possible breakdown of the current gasoline storage tanks used to provide fuel on site. Also, the use of the fuel card will help HSUD monitor those who have cards assigned in their name to match the vehicle they are assigned to drive.
“Eventually, we will get away from fuel storage tanks,” Stone said.
• approved membership fees for all firefighters to the Mississippi Firefighters Association. HSFD has 43 members and the fee is $20 per member.
• approved travel for Rodney Crane and Leland Reed to attend the 82nd Mississippi Firefighter and Chief Conference in Vicksburg in May.
• authorized travel for Yolanda Carter and Shirley Byers to the Comprehensive Training for HR Managers meeting in February.
• approved memberships for Yolanda Carter, Jerrica Jones and Shirley Byers to the Society for Human Resource Management.