Matters regarding Street Department personnel were handled during a special-called meeting of the Eupora Board of Aldermen last Thursday.
Street Superintendent Will Gary recommended the hiring of Chance Cooper as a Street Department employee for three weeks (120 hours) through the Gateway workforce program, which is administered by the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District.
Salary and worker’s compensation is paid through the program during a worker’s trial period. The board will then decide whether or not to hire Cooper as a full-time city employee. Aldermen did vote 5-0 to hire him, and authorized Mayor Lamar Dumas to sign the contract upon review by the board attorney.
Jerry Gary (at-large) then reported the Street Department had an opening because Courtney Harrison had resigned and recommended advertising to fill the vacancy. She was hired in January 2018 as a maintenance person.
Robert Gibbs (Ward 4) asked Alderman Gary about having the Park and Recreation Department worker fill in at the Street Department when available, apparently instead of hiring someone else. Although Gibbs did not name him, Park Director Rusty Bowen is the only employee of the former department.
No alderman specifically addressed Gibbs’ recommendation. However, Alderman Gary said he thought the person hired should be called, and qualified as, an “equipment operator,” and made a motion to advertise for that position to work with the Street Department.
His motion was seconded and Dumas called for a vote. Gibbs, addressing Gary, told him he was going to “plead the Fifth” and not vote on anything else that night because, he asserted, Gary opposed whatever he said. Gibbs did abstain from voting and the motion carried 4-0. Gary did ask him to give his input but Gibbs did not respond further.
Gary then brought up the need for waterproofing around the chimneys on the roof of the City Hall/Community Center complex. He said the mortar is cracking around the chimneys and that the one in the Community Center, which is a Mississippi Landmark, is leaking.
Gary presented two quotes but the board tabled the matter until he could obtain a third. The motion passed 4-0, with Gibbs again abstaining. The board meets again at 6 p.m. Monday.
