City officials presented concerns about use of the former Garan parking lot for yard sales at last week's meeting of the Eupora Board of Aldermen.
The city-owned lot is located on the south side of Government Avenue off Highway 9 South. City Clerk Gail Newton told aldermen May 7 that people have called City Hall asking when they are allowed to set up flea markets/yard sales there.
In January 2012, aldermen adopted an ordinance regulating transient/commercial vendors citywide and yard sales on city property. It established regulations and procedures for yard sales on municipal property, which included limiting sales to the first and third weekends of each month from dawn to dusk Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Additionally, anyone planning to hold a yard sale on city property was required to buy a daily permit for $5. In March 2014, aldermen amended the ordinance to stop the $5 setup fee but to continue the yard sales on the first and third weekends of each month. However, Newton said last week that people are using the lot almost every day.
She also said that, according to the state Auditor's Office, allowing vendors to be there is basically saying the city is donating that property to them, which is against state law. Also, it could possibly create a liability for the city, she relayed.
Police Chief Gregg Hunter told aldermen the Mississippi Department of Revenue does send agents there to check on state sales tax compliance. However, he said if police officers tell people they can't set up there on unauthorized days, some of them simply move across the street to the county-owned lot by the Department of Human services building.
Mayor Lamar Dumas recommended the item be tabled until the city could talk to county officials about the matter, and no action was taken.
In December 2011, then-Alderman Billy Brister presented a motion that the parking lot be closed to any type of selling except by non-profit organizations. His motion was seconded but, before it could come to a vote, another motion was approved to table it. Brister voted against that motion and did not withdraw his.
Tilsatec building
Lara Bowman, director of The Enterprise, met with the board last week regarding the agenda item of "Tilsatec A/C, etc." At her request, the board voted to go into executive session for the reason of industrial expansion. The executive session lasted about 15 minutes, with no action taken.
Bowman was scheduled to appear before the board again about Tilsatec at a special-called meeting Monday night. At the board's April 2 meeting, she reported options were still available as far as grants for proposed heating, ventilation and air conditioning system work at the city-owned building but she was still in the process of gathering additional information.
In February, George Crawford of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District told the Progress-Times he had submitted the planned HVAC improvements at Tilsatec as a potential project for funding (80 percent grant) from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.
Department head
reports given
During department head reports on May 7, Hunter said a used police car purchased from a sheriff's department in North Carolina had been outfitted and was up and running. The board authorized its purchase in March.
However, he also reported that the engine on a 2007 Dodge Charger had gone out. The board voted to accept a 2010 Charger as a donation from the Richland Police Department to replace it. The 2007 model will be taken off inventory but kept for parts; Eupora PD calendar sales will go toward equipping the donated car.
Hunter also said property crimes were increasing, and encouraged anyone who wanted house or storage building checks by officers to request them.
Board attorney Jacqueline Meek addressed the board about notifications of blight ordinance violations. Last month, out of nine courtesy letters sent out, only one property owner was present to give a progress update.
At that April 2 meeting, the board authorized Meek to issue hearing notices to the owners of two vacant houses on Adams Avenue. She reported last week that one was being substantially worked on, and the board agreed to give the owner another 30 days before proceeding further.
Meek said she was waiting to find out if the city could place a lien on the other property, which she said is "tied up." In February, the board instructed her to speak with the owner of that property and for him to respond within 30 days with a plan of what he intends to do with it.
Maintenance Director Kim Jones of the Webster County School District addressed the board about the Eupora High School tennis courts. He said someone had torn the lock up on the Hall Road gate trying to break into the tennis courts, which the city deeded to the school system last year. Jones plans to put up a new set of gates there and was told he didn't need the city's permission because the gates will be on school property.
Other Business
A public hearing was held before the meeting concerning Phase II of the city's lagoon stabilization project undertaken through a Community Development Block Grant. Crawford said the work has involved placement of riprap and dirt work.
In other business May 7, the board:
• heard an audit presentation from Chris Turnipseed of Watkins, Ward and Stafford for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2016. The city received a clean opinion.
• accepted high bids of $400 from Shaw's Towing for a 2000 Ford F150 Street Department truck and $251 from Robbie Gilliland for an old John Deere Gator that had been used at the ballpark, both of which had been declared surplus.
• adopted a resolution granting a 10-year industrial ad valorem tax exemption to Plymouth Tube Inc. for personal property tax additions in the amount of $1,127,533.88.
• approved three adjustments totaling $15,296 in General City and $700 in the Water Department.
• approved payment of an additional $333 for the purchase of the new city flag for a total cost of $553 and to take the funds out of economic envelopment for advertising.
• tabled until Monday night's special meeting any action on estimates received for repairs to the boat dock at Whites Creek Lake.
Aldermen Hugh Gibson (Ward 3) and Robert Gibbs (Ward 4) were unable to attend the meeting.
Clarification: On March 5, the board approved a motion to change the park director status from part time to full time with an annual salary of $25,000 plus full-time benefits effective that day. The board amended those minutes April 2 to include with that motion to "void any and all standing contracts with the park director."
Also, Grand Slam 6&Under and 8&Under tournaments were held April 21; an incorrect date was given in an April 11 article.
