All city employees were rehired by Eupora aldermen at their regular monthly board meeting on July 6 in the Community Center. The board voted without discussion to rehire all current employees at their current rate of pay. Jerry Gary (at-large) made the motion to do so and Howard Rumore (Ward 2) seconded. The motion was approved 4-0; Hugh Gibson (Ward 3) was absent. Also last week, the board accepted the resignation of Mike McCain as director of public works. He retired effective June 30. The board authorized the city clerk to advertise for the position; applicants must submit a resume and application. Committee Reports The board heard updates and requests from the Eupora Marketing, Beautification and Cleanup Committees. Cathy Embry, chair of the Beautification Committee, said the city needed to make sure it is clean for a ball tournament this Friday-Sunday. She asked if the ditches along Gary Park and Spud Stennett Park could be cleaned up, and if riprap could be placed in them to cut down on maintenance/mowing. Mayor Lamar Dumas said he did not know if the city could afford to do so but would have someone look into the cost. Embry also reported that Ashtyn Krusee is getting a price for lights for downtown buildings, plans are being made for a Main Street Association, a banner fundraiser is planned, a goal is have benches on Main Street, and more planters will be purchased and planted this fall. Cleanup Committee Chair Bruce Walters again asked about enforcement of the blight ordinance, stating the city is not getting good response from notification letters being sent to violators. He said several abandoned vehicles are still located around town and properties still need cleaning up. Walters agreed to turn a list in to the city. City resident Jim Brown followed up with a comment/question about the lack of enforcement of the blight ordinance. The board voted in March to appoint Donald “Duck” Newton of the Water Department as assistant code director/inspector. Dumas replied that Newton was to work with McCain, but indicated that such things as the coronavirus pandemic and McCain's retirement had delayed Newton's training for this position. The mayor said he would make note of the situation. In a related matter, Street Supervisor Will Gary asks that city residents, when mowing their yards next to the street, mow in a direction that throws the clippings back into the yard rather than in the street. The litter control ordinance adopted in June 2019 makes it unlawful “for anyone to deposit or cause to be thrown litter or compostable trash (such as grass clippings) onto streets and in ditches, creeks, gutters or drains.” Other Action Other action taken by the Board of Aldermen on July 6: • Approved a resolution authorizing the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District to prepare and submit a USDA Rural Development grant application for a new police vehicle. • Authorized the mayor to sign an agreement between the city and Calvert Spradling Engineers to provide engineering services for the Industrial Park access road. The city has been awarded a Small Municipalities Grant from the Mississippi Development Authority for the project. • Accepted a bid from Billy Tabb for the five-year agricultural lease of approximately 180 acres in Industrial Park 3, beginning Jan. 1. HIs bid, which was the higher of two received, was for $4,000 a year. • Approved a resolution granting Plymouth Tube the final 2019 ad valorem tax exemption, as ratified by the Mississippi Department of Revenue, for five years on personal property valued at $737,000. The board approved the preliminary tax exemption request in May. • Approved a resolution regarding the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency’s District 4 Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. • Voted to hire Noah Barnett on a part-time basis to replace faulty water meter heads, at $5 per meter, with new ones provided at no cost by Master Meter Inc. • Voted to transfer a brush truck from the Fire Department to the Water Department. • Approved the claims docket. Special Meeting The board had a special-called meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 9. Aldermen authorized Mayor Dumas to contract with Good Hope Land and Timber Management of Natchez to clearcut all merchantable trees (mixed pine-hardwood) from the city's Toby Brantley Park property on Gifford Street, which is about 7 acres. The board advertised for bids last fall but tabled the item indefinitely in December because no bids were ever received, having already tabled the matter twice before because of a lack of bids. The land is being cleared for possible development. E-ticket system Cpl. Bradley Frost appeared before the board to request permission for the Police Department to apply for a Homeland Security grant for an electronic ticket system. He said the $52,212 grant, if awarded, would fund the purchase of computers, printers and mounting hardware for every patrol car. This would enable officers to generate citations and reports in their patrol vehicles, and should cut down substantially on traffic stop times, according to Frost. The board authorized him to apply for the grant, which requires no local match. Credit/debit card payments The board authorized Madison-based Ion Business Concepts & Payment Systems to be the city’s preferred electronic payment provider. City Clerk Gail Newton said customers could use the service to pay water bills, taxes, business licenses and court fines, and that it should be available by Aug. 1 Ion will process credit/debit card payments at no cost to the city. The customer will bear the cost at the time of transaction by paying a 2.5% service fee for in-person transactions at City Hall. Online payments will be processed with a 3.25% service fee. The county also uses Ion. Gibson and Rumore were unable to attend Thursday’s meeting.
