City could lose fire station project

A long awaited Holly Springs Fire Station expansion is getting close to the drop dead date to activate its CAP (interest rate cap) loan.

(CAP loans provide protection against increasing interest rates while maintaining ability to participate in favorable rate movements.)

Ward 3 alderman Colter Teel raised the question of taking action before June the 18 deadline.

“We need to move on this,” he said. “Do we have approval to move forward or we are going to lose it.”

Teel asked city attorney John Perry if he is familiar with the project which would add dormitory space for firemen to sleep.

Mayor Sharon Gipson said she is concerned loan may require matching funds

“I am meeting with chief Crane and I will meet with the architect,” she said.

“We’ve got to get some answers,“ Teel said. “If we do nothing it never gets on the agenda. It’s just like the parks. And we’ve been looking at speed bumps nearly a year.”

Fire chief Rodney Crane said the architect on the project is on standby.

“But we have to get bids out or the deadline will pass and they will take it back,” Crane said.

Bids were let under the Kelvin Buck administration and the price was over budget so the architect recommended the project be scaled back and rebid. No final action was taken.

“I feel like we got to do something tonight,” Teel said.

Gibson took umbrage at Teel’s questioning the fire chief about the status of the project in an open meeting.

“Before you make your motion, I must say this,” Gipson began. “Alderman Teel, you disrespect me.

"You will call me many things, but one thing you will never call me is a liar. You continuously disrespect me and continue to encourage employees to be insubordinate. As skilled as I am, I am not skilled at putting down speed bumps. Make sure as you speak, you are clear and accurate.”

“It’s hard to because you keep us (aldermen) in the dark,” Teel said.

Gipson said she has offered to meet with Teel in her office once a week.

Teel said he had sent her two text messages about knee high grass - overgrowth.

“I love it when you tell me to tell the truth and you tell me lies every week,” Teel said. “So how do we respect grass knee high. Are we cutting grass at this point? Are the managers of the departments managing the departments or are you managing the departments? Our managers are not managing and that’s why we are neglecting these areas.”

Teel said fourth of July fireworks has not been done. He made a motion to approve $5,850 for the city’s portion of the fireworks display.

“What about Porta Potties?” Fountain asked.

Merriweather said she was planning to bring up the fireworks and that Christy Owens had said she needs permission to set up a sound stage.

The board passed the motion to pay for the fireworks display

Perry said a request from the Main Street Chamber has to be sent in the form of a memorandum of understanding for the city to provide the funds - that there is time to get it done before the next meeting.

Merriweather continued her requests for her ward. They included repair of potholes across from the feed store, grass needing cut, a problem with a bridge on Rising Star Road, and potholes in the industrial park road.

Alderman Dexter Shipp asked Gipson when the fallen trees at the cemetery will be removed.

Gipson said she wants to “make sure as we removed it, we do it in the right way.”

She thinks the city could be reimbursed for the cleanup by MEMA (the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency).

Shipp continued.

“The street repairs are not being done correctly,” Shipp said. “What system do we have in place as far as fixing potholes. It’s not done correctly.”

Gipson had recommended hiring the superintendent of the street department Curtis Fitts based partly on his expertise at repairing potholes.

Shipp asked about how the green space downtown will be maintained.

“We have looked into that and are making plans on how to move forward on that,” the mayor said.

Dark mulch will replace the pine straw.

During public comment, Whitney Hunt, an employee with the utility department, asked to comment, and was stopped. A discussion about personnel requires an executive session.

Ivory Faulkner expressed concern about a very large pothole in his area.

“It’s really gotten dangerous,” he said. “You have to pull out in a hole on Rolfing Road. The car has to sit in a hole to see anything going in traffic.”

Other business matters included:

• scheduling of amnesty day for May 27 and 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at municipal court.

• approval of street closures for traffic control May 7 at 9 a.m. for the Lessye Lee Davis parade.

• authorization to transfer $158,356 in ad valorem taxes to the Holly Springs School District.

• approval of travel for Pam Lewis to attend Preservation Boot Camp and Building Officials Association Summer conference.

• authorization of travel for city employees and the mayor to attend a DHS/FEMA Read Training identification and preparedness planning conference in Tunica May 17- 18. Teel insisted that safety officer Don Buford be added to the list of 11 attending.

Fire chief Rodney Crane explained the program at Teel’s request.

“The program is set aside for the community to come in,” Crane said. “It’s time for us to step up our game to prepare for these (storm) incidents in our city. Trash and debris needs to be separated in order for FEMA to pay. We do not mix household garbage with storm related stuff.”

Teel said it “does not make sense that Buford not be included because he is in charge of safety training.

Gipson said Buford would not go.

Teel made a motion to approve the travel request and included Buford.

“Mr. Don Buford will not be going,” Gipson said after the motion was unanimously approved by the board of aldermen.

Ward 2 alderman Andre Jones questioned Gipson’s statement.

“How is it possible he not go as the motion passed?” Jones asked. “Once a motion is passed by this board you have to carry it out.”

Gipson defended her intentions.

“As the mayor of the City of Holly Springs, I have selected these people,” she said. “The motion passed but I will take the action to stop it.”

“Are you saying you are going to veto it?” asked Ward 4 alderman Patricia Merriweather. “That’s the only action you can take.”

City attorney John Perry was asked about the motion being carried out.

He said the motion was passed as submitted with the amendment to add Don Buford to the list.

• approved travel for Don Warren to attend a TVPPA (Tennessee Valley Public Power Association)training conference on Business and strategic issues. Assistant fire chief Shane Wommack and firefighter O’Neal Wilkins were approved to attend fire department inspector training. Firefighters Adrian Morales and Allen Hall were approved to attend rope awareness and operation training and hazardous material technician training.

• authorized refunding of over 17 sign-up fees at the parks and recreation for summer baseball. The league will not play this year because of delay in organizing the program.

• ratified account openings for ARPA funds and Cuba/Hill Street funds.

• approved storm-related bills. A claim for $60,895 from New Albany Light, Gas and Water was approved for work to repair utility lines downed by recent storms. The claim included payments for two crews of four and for about $12,000 for equipment used to restore electricity to the Holly Springs Utility Department power grid.

A claim from Jonas Talley for $850 was approved for access to remote areas of the electric grid.

• a claim from R. L. Isom for $10,575 for repair of a water leak underneath the foundation of the Frazier I building on the W.T. Sims school property was approved.

Fountain asked what procedure the city uses to hire a person to do repair work.

Gipson said she looks at quotes and makes calls to individual plumbers or checks the yellow pages. She said several local plumbers declined the work.

• discussed bulk dumpsters citizens use to discard household goods.

• requested an AG’s opinion on the 90-day time limit on the interim position of general manager Don Warren at HSUD. Perry said he will do that research.