No motion on Bruno & Tervalon
With the persistent placing on the agenda of an audit company by Mayor Sharon Gipson, Ward 2 alderman Andre Jones said it is an insult for the mayor to continue to put the motion to hire the minority firm to perform the city audit.
The request to hire Bruno & Tervalon as city auditor has been placed on the agenda a number of times and each time has received no motion.
He said in his opinion it is an insult to the board of alderman for the mayor to continue to put the motion on the agenda to hire the company.
“No action is taking place,” he said. “Why are you continuously bring it back? It is like you are trying to force us.”
Gipson said it is more of an insult for such a qualified firm as Bruno & Tervalon not to be considered. She said she will talk with aldermen who seemed to be interested in hiring the auditing firm.
Gipson presented Woodrow “Little Wood” Falkner to do all the landscaping work for the city. The landscaping beds in downtown had grown up in grass and weeds and lots of the plants were killed in the winter freeze.
“It takes a bit more experience than just cutting grass,” Gipson said.
Ward 4 alderman Patricia Merriweather asked if the city had taken bids.
Gipson said several companies came in and walked the square with her, but Falkner was the only one who submitted a proposal.
Merriweather asked who the other companies were.
Aldermen wanted to know why city employees could not have kept up the beds.
Board attorney John Keith Perry said bids are not required for items over $5,000 up to $50,000.
“In the past our city did revamp the square and at one point the city crew came in with black mulch,” Jones said. “Why is it not an option now?”
Gipson said the city does not have enough staff to manage the beds. She said it was like the city hireing U.S. Lawns to come in and clean Hill Crest Cemetery.
She said grass has taken over the landscaping beds and someone needed to treat the grass. The irrigation is not working, Gipson said.
“He’s (Falkner) is the only one who responded in writing,” the mayor said.
Falkner said it would take about six months to get the beds under weed and grass control.
“We’ve got dead plants and trees dead and need to be removed,” Gipson said.
Merriweather said she had a couple of issues to ask about. First, the city lacked other bids. Second, how many employees does the city have working on the grounds? “They may not know how to
do it,” Falkner said. Gipson said maintaining
landscaping beds is “not something just anybody can do.” Merriweather said working with the landscaping is something city employees could do and are hired to do.
“It has nothing to do with you,” Merriweather said to Falkner.
The measure failed for lack of a motion.
Monday, Sept. 25, city grounds and street crews cleaned the grass out of the landscape beds around the square and applied black mulch.
Eddie Jefferson was called before the board to explain a request for purchase and installation of a GE Electric motor starter from Matalnic Systems. He said the city is down to two water wells that are operating. The price to repair the well located in Spring Hollow Park (Ida B. Wells Park) was quoted at $13,650, according to Jefferson.
“It is an emergency situation,” he said. “We have only two wells at this time.” He said the parts could arrive Sept. 22 and be installed Sept. 25 or 26.
Ward 1 alderman Bernita Fountain made a motion to get the well parts and repair the well. Merriweather seconded the motion. The motion passed 3-2 with Jones and Alderman-AtLarge Dexter Shipp voting nay.
Next up before the board was street superintendent Curtis Fitts who was asked about a request to repair a miniexcavator at a price of no more than $7,000 quoted by Williams Equipment and Supply.
Merriweather asked Fitts if he obtained two quotes.
Fitts said the equipment is used to repair holes in asphalt and to load brush into the brush truck.
“How often is it used?” asked Shipp.
Fitts said every day. The unit is used to clean out drain pipes and other things, he said.
The measure failed for lack of a motion.
In other business, the board of aldermen:
• authorized transfer of $156,962 to the general operating fund for August sales tax receipts.
• approved payment of $460,562 to the Holly Springs School District for ad valorem tax receipts.
• approved transfer of $900 to the general operating fund for the ABC Liquor Tax receipts.
• approved transfer of $40,657 and of $3,990 to the public money market fund for August tourism receipts. Half of those monies were approved to be paid to the Holly Springs Tourism Bureau.
• approved payment of $13,600 to First National Bank of Clarksdale for an electric system revenue bond.
• approved a payment of $19,053 to Peoples Bank for GO Refunding Bonds.
• authorized payment of $3,571 to the Department of Finance and Administration for the August settlement and $350 to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for the August Municipal Court settlement.
The board voted 2-2 to approve the consent agenda above with Ward 3 alderman Colter Teel and Jones voting nay. Mayor Gipson broke the tie and the motion passed 3:2.
Gipson asked to attend the 2023 Fall Municipal Clerk and Committee Session in October in Tupelo.
The request failed for lack of a motion.
Two other motions failed. A motion to hire Kentona Shipp as part-time laborer in Parks and Recreation failed for lack of a motion. And a motion to pay Clevin Hannah of Hannah’s Painting Services for $1,200 to paint the concession stands at Sam Coopwood Park/Stadium failed by a vote of 2-3 with Merriweather, Teel and Jones opposing the measure.