Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

I call this meeting to order. This is our regular meeting of Tuesday, first meeting in March. And we will first stand we will first stand for pledge of allegiance followed by invocation from Vaughn and then a moment of silence. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

God the father, God the son, God the holy spirit. Father God again as always another Tuesday you allowed us to meet both the people the ones that elected us but Lord they were directed by the Holy Spirit. We thank you so much for our accomplishment that you provide us today. Father, we just give praise in our own glory to because I'm always reminded Psalm 129:4 say the Lord is righteous free from the court of the wicked let us to pay to make wise decision strong decisions of the wicked Isaiah 41:13 say I am the Lord thy God to take hold of your right hand say fear not I will help God don't let wise decision by our people. Father God, Luke 10:13 say, "I am the Lord thy God to take over the right." Lord, we just give praise and glory honor just for this be able to serve serve the people because you say love one another the way you love us. Lord, if we love one another, we going to make best decision, wise decision regardless of what color. We always like trust and lean in. Thank you for leading and guiding and directing us the way we should. But most of all, God, thank you for the angels that you had to watch over us all day long. Those death angels from our bedside allowing us to see another God in Jesus name. Amen. We welcome everyone here tonight. We appreciate it. We've had some beautiful weather and so uh we will start our start our evening with the first of all the approval of the official agenda with consented items. There are changes to be

made to the agenda. Please we need to remove item um G4 which is two disciplinary actions. We need to remove those two those two actions from that item number four. So, if you would remove that from the agenda and then we need to add one item, which is the parks item. Um, and as we know, I I do my best not to do that, but sometimes in order to get the best the best of our, um, purchases, uh, we have to kind of respond quickly. And so, this is a need for us to get the low to approve the lowest quote from Houston Print Company. So, uh, we will add that one to the agenda under parks, please. Um, see, was there any anything else? Yeah, that's under I. So, it' be I um number two. All right. With that, um I will take any other changes to be made. Alman, anything?

Um yes, thank you. If the board allows that item on consent under parks, the parks item under any objection to the parks item going under consent. Any objection? Seeing none. All right, we'll move that under the consent item. So, so that would be um parks number two. will go on consent and I will you remember to read that appropriately. So, anything else? No, ma'am. Okay. All right. Um, no, ma'am. Thank you. Alman. Uh, no, ma'am. No, ma'am. Thank you. No, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Alman. No, ma'am. May I thank you? All right. Seeing none, if you would please, I need a motion to approve the official agenda with the consent items as amended. Move approval. A motion from Alderman Poker. Do I have a second?

Second. Second from Alderman Skinner. Further discussion. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I.

Opposed. All right. I will read the consented agenda items, please. First, we have consideration of the minutes of the February 13th, 2026 work session of the mayor and board of Baldwin of the city of Starkville. Then we have consideration of the minutes of the February 17th, 2026 special call meeting of the mayor and board of almond of the city of Starkville. We have consideration of the minutes of the February 17th recess meeting of the mayor and board of almond of the city of Starkville. Then under uh airport business, we have acknowledgement of a donation of a 2012 Nordco model 4009 serial number BL300 gas powered manually driven belt loader for aviation use from RCL components inc. Second one is a request approval for the Clearwater Consultants Inc. work authorization number 26-01 for the 2026 FAA BIL 2026 M.S. SMIF corporate hanger project at George M. Brian Field. Then under community development planning, we have consideration of appointing Jason Walker and Alex Ballard to the Starkville landscape advisory board. Two is consideration of COA26-01, a request for a certificate of appropriateness for construction of an open air carport at 511 Greensboro Street. Third is consideration of authorizing the execution of Mississippi Humanities Council regranting agreement grant number MS250-25-053 and acceptance of $15,000 America 250 Mississippi grant with required local match. Under engineering, we have consideration of approving the proposal from MSU's Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center for Neighborway Branding Design in the amount of $9,50. And under finance, we have two, request authorization for the city clerk's office to advertise for publication of legal notices per Mississippi code 21-39-3. Three is consideration of entering into

an agreement with Tyler Technologies to add the content manager module to Tyler Technologies ERP Pro 10. Four is request approval to renew the revised mechanical service agreements with Brian, Inc. for city hall and the police department for inspections and maintenance of all HVAC equipment. Under the fire department, we have request permission to apply for a grant through the Homeland Security Grant Program, HSGP, fiscal year 26. The amount of the grant will be approximately $45,233.16. The equipment for the grant will be purchased upfront and SFD will be reimbursed 100%. This grant will be used for 14 Kinwood mobile radios and four Kinwood base stations and accessories. Under human resources, we have request authorization to hire John Stewart as police officer pre- academy and Tyrone Hlett as a reserve police officer in the Startwell Police Department. Two is request authorization to hire Nia Hudson as a building inspector in the building community development department. Three is request retroactive authorization to promote Tamarius Miller as a water technician for the utilities department. Five is request authorization to hire Dorne Scales as ground technician one in the sanitation and environmental services department. Next we have request approval under under it we have request approval of a yearly renewal of the threat locker software for the sold source bound of $13,30. Under parks, we have consideration advertising for bids for the re-roofing of the Sports Plex annex and Travis Outlaw Center awning project. Two that was recently placed on consent is consideration to approve the lowest quote of $9,3248 from Houston Print Company for sublimated recreational youth baseball and softball jerseys. Under the police department, we have request approval to purchase a vehicle VIN number 89622 from the New South Ford 4 in Meridian, Mississippi. The lesser of two quotes at a cost of $25,872

to be used by the narcotics division as an unmarked car and paid for primarily with police forfeited funds. B is request approval of the receipt and the use of the city of Startville 2026 wireless communication fund of $34,7426 to purchase from Comouth Solutions five Kinwood Viking VP8000 model 2 portable radios and five Kinwood VM5930 700 800 mobile radios at a total cost of 32,78545. The portable and mobile radios are source are sole source and compatible with the existing system under code enforcement under Mississippi code annotated 20 section 211911 sub 2 and is adopted by the city of Startwell board of alderman the following properties are found in violation of said ordinance and are in such a state of uncleanliness as to be amen to the public health safety and welfare of the community and are therefore placed on the property mowing list and that would be 41 Kilington Cookington Drive under utilities department we have one is request authorization to or order number two with Garver LLC for the construction phase services related to the headworks clarifier and RA improvements project in the amount of $612,800. Two is approval of the low quote from Chamber Services LLC for insertion valve installation at Lockxley Way in the amount of $16,954. Three is request authorization to accept the low quote from Altech Service Birmingham in the amount of $33,592.60 60 cents for the repair of the backyard machine unit number 39. And number four is request authorization to accept the emergency purchase in accordance with Mississippi State statute 31713 from Parks and Parks and Well Water Well Service, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $72,613 for the repair of the pump at the Curry Street Well. And that concludes the consent agenda items.

Thank you, mayor.

I'm very glad to do that. um under announcements and comments which we have next. Um one of the things I I mentioned at our work session, I'll mention it again is we have what we're going to do is a no moch. So this is the first time we've done this which is uh a program that allows Mr. Smiley's landscape crew to have a month of watching the grass grow and watching the bees pollinate and taking taking the advantage of nature and what nature can do for us. And we will uh see how this works out. This will be the first time we've done this. So, um, that will be that'll be something if you think it needs to be mowed, then we're just going to take the Mar month of March off and y'all be patient with us and we'll come back and start mowing in in April. Um, also want to comment that the Startwell Yellow Jackets are winning, winning, and winning. And they're down in Jackson right now, so we're looking forward to uh hopefully them bringing home yet another series of wins. And so, we'll acknowledge that in some way if we get to that point where everybody's state champs. also want to acknowledge that we have the the sad um news of uh former alderman Janet Self's passing this past week. Her services is their services are at 11:00 at Bethl Church this coming Friday. Um she was a she was an alderman. She was our first female uh black alderman and she was also the first alderman to serve on um the the board when we had a new ward. So, she was a first serving alderman for Ward 7. And so, um, we she was a great friend of the city. She was a great supporter of the community and I certainly regret her passing. So, um, I did want to acknowledge that for the board and for the community. So, uh, nothing else from me. Alman Morland, anything?

No, ma'am. Alman Cron, no ma'am. Scanner. Uh, no, ma'am. No, mayor. Thank you. Alman Poker, no ma'am. Thank you. Vice Mayor.

Yes, ma'am. Mayor, very briefly. Um, mayor, I am um very uh respectfully and professionally requesting for you to please um allow your uh city clerk uh to forward to me um upon her receipt of the following documents via email uh for my um information and consideration. Uh the documents are a uh I would like for your city clerk to forward to me effective immediately beginning with the month of March of 2026 a copy of all invoices that are tendered to her for the mayor and the voice consideration that pertain to all legal services provided to and for the city of Sfield. And B, I would like for the city clerk to email to me for my information and consideration uh a copy of all documents that contain all itemization of all legal services provided to and for the city of Starkville. And we can just do it mayor beginning with the month of March. um this board approves the claim docu docket that contains the monthly payment of those services once a month. So I would like to get that whenever she receives that I would like for the city clerk to forward that to me for my review because we ultimately have to consider that in our role as alderman and mayor if you would do that for me I yield. Thank you.

All right. Yes sir. Absolutely. Thank you. Honorable. No ma'am mayor. Thank you.

All right. Thank you all. All right. The next on our on our agenda is uh public citizen comments. This is an opportunity for you to come to the board and give us your your comments, your concerns, um whatever might be on your mind. You have three minutes to do so. Mr. Turner, always lovely to see. Uh, good evening to the mayor and B. My name Alvin Turn to the mayor, to the police chief, to the fire chief, the sanitation, and to our uh NACP president Jerry Jeffson. Uh we have a couple concerns, but first we we would like for the prayers of everyone for the Perkin Howard and Tunnel family be our heard on last evening that my cousin Ricky Howard uh passed from a massive stroke. All right. So we we would like your prayers on that. Uh the Henderson Ward Stewart um we afraid for the police officer because we have little road and uh we don't want another police officer to get hurt uh and uh they becoming swift from War Stewart and we wouldn't want uh them to get hurt by being in the wrong place. All right. Also, uh with um the uh uh service. All right. We got road, but then we have people that don't be paying attention. All right. And uh I have another cousin that lives at what used to be the Grove, but uh it's another name now, but they

have lights out. and the young women over there is afraid that are with it being dog and whether or not they might get taken advantage of. Just want you to look at that. Thank you, Mr. Turner. Anyone else wishing to speak to the board under citizens comments? You would please identify yourself.

Yes. Good evening, Morans. I'm I'm Thurman Ward and I'm speaking for the communities of the Sand Road and the uh Henderson Road. And what we're concerned about is that we see the city of Stark being beautified. You yourself just expressed the beautiness of this town and how it's growing and we see a lot of money being spent and we know that some of it is is taxpayers money and also for grants. We put in for a grant I believe two years ago for to have our sewer be placed on the sewage and the city water and we live right across from the wastewater treatment plant on the sand road. We got a multi-million dollar facility there and I sad to say not with disrespect I don't think many of the almans have even come out to take a look at this facility and to this very minute we still are not own that facility and it takes away from our property very much as to having septu tanks and and for the grant money. We see all the beautiful things that's happening, buildings everywhere. You go through the maze to get from one place in town to another uh downtown. And the thing about it is that we know a lot of money is being spent there. But we wonder why some of our tax dollars has not come out in our community take care of some of the problems that we have. And we certainly like living in Stark. I'm sure all of us do. and we see how it's growing and the beauty of it. We're just dieh hard citizens and we want to see our community grow right along with the rest of the rest of the the city.

Thank you, Mr. Ward. Anyone else? Anyone else? Positive citizens comments then we'll move on. Sir, you want to speak? Okay, come on. Come right on up. Mhm.

Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry. How are y'all? Good evening. If you'd identify yourself, please. I'm Monica Perry. Henderson. I'm sorry. Mr. Henderson Henderson. Okay, Miss Perry.

Um, we're here this afternoon this evening because uh we've been recently made aware that property that was inherited from to us by our uh great-g grandandmother had been a blight on the community. and we were instructed that we needed to either make the necessary adjustments or uh repair or we would be have to demolish it in order to bring it up to the city code standard. So we did do the demolishment of the structure. We demolish the structure probably

January early February

and um I think and so we've noticed that members of code enforcement uh and other members of the board not sure which ones cuz I don't live there. is secondhand information to me have been coming to the area on the weekend through the week and we're trying to basically get an understanding of what the time frame is in order to complete the demolition because we did get demolition permit. Um it has that it's 6 month completion time frame I think and but it seems to be there's a feel of intimidation or harassment because somebody's keep come comes every week and uh or once a month I'm not sure how often call again this secondhand information to me Charlie can speak to that

well we have this is a threem minute timeline okay sorry about that but basically we just need to get a minute one minute left appreciate you. Yes, ma'am. All right. I didn't know that. Yes, ma'am.

So, uh around Thanksgiving, uh we had the code enforcement official come by and say that uh we had x amount of days to get the house removed or uh bring up the code or etc. Um but uh we haven't I haven't received any documents saying that uh I live at 995 H so I haven't received any documents or saying otherwise but um and I was was trying to see okay well if we do we we have torn the house down so how long will we have to remove the the debris?

It has not come before the board yet. I'm going to respond to you. Normally we don't do that during citizens comments, but this hasn't come before the board yet. So if it is in the demolition uh process, if you would speak to Mr. Steam McMullen, he is back there. There he is. The gentleman standing up right there. He'll be able to help you with that. Okay. All right. All right. Thank you. M be recognized. Yes, sir. How how how do you get your uh documentation for tear down? Who told y'all to tear it down? Because it never been through the board cuz I don't remember.

And that's the code process. They were they took pictures, got all the proper authority to go do that. And it is I'm one of the ones who first saw it because I was back there just looking at the street as we were starting to go through our street prep process. And it is um it actually was already in fairly disrepair. And so I brought it to the attention of the code officers and let them take it from there. That's their role. And so as a part of that, then they look at it, they do what they need to do, and then they will bring it to the board. But based on its status, that's something that would come back to us. But if you've gotten a demo permit, then you should be processing your way through that, which is why Mr. McMullen will be able to help you with that. Yes, sir.

Why Why were they forced to get a demo permit? And they and this hadn't been for the board for us to give them the guidance and direction they need to go. what forced them to get a a well those were the choices that were provided to them as a part of bringing something up to code. I mean that's that's what our code enforcement officer says. You know these are the things that are a problem and these are the things that need to happen in order to make it up to code or else we start a case on it and then it comes to the board for the board to give direction.

But but but but you you they have torn this problem down but without getting consent of the board. That's what I'm saying. What forced them to tear this product down, to tear this building down before they got consent from the board? That's the way they didn't have to be forced to do it. They were told that this was one of the options for them to handle the property. Mayor, you you missing something now? Missing something. What drove them that they had to tear this down in a timely manner? What drove them to that point? That's what I'm asking. No, it it don't if it work it don't work like that for everybody. Because if it work like that for everybody, everybody be trying to get it done right quick. Hold man, I'm talking. Hold on. I'm talking. Okay.

Some forced them to go ahead and get a permit to tear that down. That wasn't right. We didn't follow the law. We didn't follow the rules. We didn't follow the ordinance ourselves. We didn't broke the ordinance our own self. When they come before us, then that's when we give them time to let them how long you got before you get this property in the condition that we want it in. Am I right? There are times when code reaches out to someone. I have never seen the time. I have never seen the time. They don't do it all the time. All okay then. Oh, I'm not understanding. Okay.

And another thing I'm not understanding. What's more important? Sewage for them are the condition of the house, laminated house. What's more important? They've been 27 years they they've been without sewage. 27 years. But what what more safety and healthy for them to to not have sewers but we more concerned about a lapidated how we'll getting these people sewers out of 27 years. WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT? WE don't live like that. They can't keep they don't need to keep living like that out of 27 years. What healthy about that? That's not nothing healthy about that matter. Come on. Be honest with me. Well, I think being honest is saying that we've got a CDBG grant that is about to be

two years. He we've been said that two years. But we can move money around everywhere else. I said this once before and I'm going to say it again. We move money around everywhere else to do thing. But we still can't find no love and no favor to give the people. No love, no favor to give the people city. And they've been next in the city ever since 1998. You have five years deadline to to do something. We ain't did nothing in 27 years. And we still making excuses. All right. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Anyone else under citizens comments?

Yes, sir. Good evening. My name is Brandon Ward. I stay on Sand Road right in front of the wastewater treatment plant. Yeah, we want city uh things we should get from the cities, taxpayers, but we have a a a problem and I I I heard something about uh tearing down houses because of health issues. We have a lagoon in front of our house. It been there for years. I'm sorry. You have a what?

A lagoon. See, it's cool. Sorry. I'm sorry. out in front of our house and it's and uh since they reworked that water plant that one of those ces pools are completely filled up I guess with the runoff they put back in it. We can't enjoy our mornings for the scent. If you raise your wind up at night, cool breeze. You know what kind of scent I'm talking about. And then if we try to sit out in the morning before the sun really get hot, it's some little nats will eat you up. Eat you up. They sucking blood. Same thing in the evening. We had a few animals. We was wondering why the skin was coming off of them and the gnats was eating this the hair off the animal. We putting up with that. We want to know if the house is just sitting up there. It's a health hazard. What about that sis group

and we have to breathe it and we have to breathe it 24/7. What about that? What you going to do for us? We had to sit there and you know what I'm smelling. You know what a s pool is? What you going to do about it? What going to happen? We got to continue to put up with it. I'm through.

Thank you, sir. All right. Anyone else? Anyone else? All right. Closing it as a citizens comments and we will go to public appearances. We have a presentation from Urggon on um the pavement preservation program. Mr. Bernett is a recipient of said awards and Mr. Kaplan as well. They worked on our pavement preservation program. So um thank please mayor. I believe we have a do we have a presentation of park? No, we're just we were just going to talk. We're just going to take just just take a few minutes. Yes.

Um my name is Stan Williams and I work for Urggon Asphalt and Emulions. Um I cover uh the Southeast. I cover about eight states. So I I I get to see a lot of this stuff around the southeast and brought with and today I also have uh Amy Walker. She's the salesperson or the aerial sales manager for this area. Um, and what we wanted to do today was just present to y'all a little or make known and congratulate y'all on the city and and for the engineering department uh for uh a couple of awards that you received last week at a conference that we um are partners of are members of and it's the EMA era ISA conference. Uh EMA stands for the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association. Uh, ERA is the um, asphalt recycling association and issa is the international slurry systems association. These are national associations. So for Starkville to win uh, one award is kind of a big deal because you're going up against things like the national parks um, Yoseite, not Yoseman, but uh, the Hold on, I wrote that down here. the um

Yellowstone.

The Sequoia National Parks. The Sequoia National Parks uh was one of them. That one you had several uh Department of Transportations. Alabama was was a a winner this year. There were several other cities. Uh but the thing that made Starkville, Mississippi unique was that you won two awards this year. Uh you were the only ones to to step up there and twice on stage. uh we share as as an emulsion manufacturer we shared the first award uh that was picked out by by EMA the association uh and it's the past president's award for emulsion excellence and the reason why you win that award is because your engineering department was able to put together a citywide plan and use a a diverse set of uh pavement preservation treatments that showed a benefit to your your taxpayers that showed an incentive to go out there and really uh try to do the best that you can for your community and and it stood out amongst everybody else in the country. So, it was it was nice to to to get to share that award. The reason why Urggon was was part of that award was because of what the city had done. Um, and then the other award that we have out there that you had is the International Slurry uh surfacing association award for excellence in pavement preservation. And this was another one um that was that you were selected because of the diverse number of treatments that you do. uh it stood out that you had a pavement preservation plan that was put together uh that was well researched and that this this selection committee could see that how what you were doing over time was going to be a big benefit for for the taxpayers and for what you do. So in the long run you've got a a really good system. Uh I will say that I cover eight states. Uh, I cannot brag on your guys enough because I I get to see this a lot

and it really takes a lot of time of people to really a lot of times come around to a pavement preservation program. And one of the reasons why Amy and our marketing group decided to submit the city of Starkville for these awards is because of the willingness for for you as a board to step out and and approve this for them to research and learn how to use it and implement it as fast as you did. And then also for your team to to step up and educate the public the way you do. There's some really things that I hope that a lot of agencies that I deal with will learn from your practice, particularly of using QR codes that come back to your website so that a lot of people can actually see what's going on. I think that is a tremendous program. Uh that I I I brag on y'all. So I I send that out to other people as saying, "Hey, this is something that you can do." Uh and then also their willingness. both of these guys uh stood up and actually was were being teachers and educators at a recent boot camp that we had uh to actually treat teach other people that are around the state. So, we're appreciative for the for the the steps that y'all take for payment preservation. So, we just wanted to present these awards to y'all today. So, thank y'all.

Thank you very much. AND we appreciate you're submitting us for that and we certainly appreciate our engineering. And if you would like to see that submitt package, we can get that we can get that to you so y'all can read the inside of what we submitted. We we will get that from you and and pass it on to the board. All right. Thank you again. All right.

All right. And then uh next we have under mayor's business um in in terms of our discussion for the work session. This was a consideration of calling for two public hearings to adopt an ordinance to ban the sale of syntheticum and cratom products within the city of Starkville. Um, obviously this is this is one of those things that is um it it was addressed first by the by the legislature. I believe we have a house bill here that uh 1077 was that was passed last year. And so, um, this came up because there have been a number of, uh, social posts, a number of outside discussions from, uh, community members who have talked about it. And so, um, there was a little research that we did to get who was who had done this and who was in the process of doing this. And so, um, there was a drafted an ordinance based on Tupelo and based on what Columbus had done. And that was put together for us to consider calling for two public hearings. But that was just um uh an option for the board. So sister, I see your hand.

Yes. Um if if you educate yourself a bit about about this, the the problem issue is 70. And I'm not even going to attempt to to pronounce the chemical compound that that represents, but it is a concentrated um chemical compound from cratom leaves. Um the state last summer passed a law that or last spring passed a law that became effective July 1st um that bans anyone under 21 entering a store that sells these products or anyone under 21 possessing these products. The FDA considers this an the 70 compound uh and illegal as a dietary supplement or as um for use in food products. So between those two things, those are pretty powerful um enforcement tools that that address the a big part of the issue, the the dealing with youth, the the the compound as a dietary supplement or in food additives. um gummies for instance. Um further Tupelo's ordinance which we based ours heavily on has been appealed and is in the process of working its way through the court system right now. Um, but even more importantly, the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration at the at the federal level has asked the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency at the federal level to take scheduling action to control 70 as a controlled substance, which would then give you it. It would take care of anything that we are trying to do. Having said all that, I think that it would be behoove us not to put ourselves in a position of trying to invent the wheel um when when these things are already in the works and to

avoid any maybe unnecessarily legal fees if there were an appeal to an ordinance, that sort of thing. And so I'm going to move that we table this until the um move that we table this for now and and then until Tupelo's ordinance has been reviewed by the court and the DEA makes a scheduling determination. Right. Um I'm happy to withdraw it from my from my consideration again. Uh as opposed to tableling it without a date certain. Um, do you want to table it until the litigation has been resolved in Tupelo?

And and the DEA, I think, is an important component of it because that then it becomes a drug that that will be handled by the police department like any other scheduled substance. Okay. Do you Well, would you like to make a motion that we do not take this matter up at this point in time? I'd like to make a motion that we do not take this matter up at this time. Okay. Do I have a second? Okay. I have no second. So, moving right along. Um, discussion from the board. Al Morland.

Yes, ma'am. I agree with Miss Andrew. I think the litigation, the legal matter in Tupelo. Um, and we've had a lot of that lately, some of the ordinances that we've passed. Um, I just think that from that standpoint alone, not saying not take it up, but not at the moment. I don't I just want that to be clear. I know. I just want to be clear. It's not that I want it to go away because I did stand behind this, but since the tup below legal issue is around, I think we just need to table it right now because I did say that I was far getting rid of it, but I think with the tupo I will second permission. Yes. Sorry. M. Okay. I need I either need a motion. I've got vice mayor.

Sorry, Vice Mayor.

Yes, ma'am. Mayor, um I've heard the comments from the um my honorable colleagues, honorable budget chair and the and a colleague from W one. Uh, Tupelo mayor, am I correct, not the only jurisdiction that has banned um this um this drug? I know um Loun County, Columbus, and some other entities, you know. Um I think we need to move forward very prudently um with this matter. Um it um has been presented to us as having some form of control substance. I think it is very important that we take the necessary action to promote the health, safety and welfare of our jurisdiction. Um the um drug has been um banned by other municipalities in this state. Uh Tupelo is just one of those and and it is my very respectful legal opinion that we should not just base our decision on Tupelo. I mean things are in the courts all the time. I think it would be wise in my opinion to move forward and to um enact this ordinance and laws appeal all the time. I see it in court every day be in court tomorrow. You know dealing with these issues of constantly not necessarily this issue but things are always before the courts. I think this issue is very important enough for us to move forward and ban it. And anytime you're banning anything that has any um control substant is certainly um is in the best interest of our community. I would rather mayor to um thank you for the leadership of putting this on the agenda. I would like to see this um uh move forward uh call for the public hearing. That's what you're doing tonight um is moving forward call for public hearing. So there's this this is a win-win situation. Mayor, I I'm not in favor of

of um of removing it from the agenda from removing from consideration. I think that this is a very important matter that requires us to move in affirmative. Okay. Are you making a motion that we call for the public hearing? Yes, ma'am. All right. I have a motion from uh Vice Mayor Perkins to call for a public hearing. Do I have a second? Second. All right. I have a second from Alderman. Sorry, it's two Ps. All right. Any further discussion? Any further discussion? Senator, you say Tubo is in court with this now. Yes. How long they've been in court with?

Um I think they I think their their ordinance passed about a month ago and was immediately appealed. So I don't know how long it will take to We have received the the suit. We can we can email the suit to you so that you can read it. Uh Mr. Huskinson has a copy of it that I think he can email easily email out so that you can So it's a lawsuit filed against Superlo. Yes, sir. Yeah. Yes, sir. It's Tupelo and Lee County. I think it's the same attorney. It was filed. The appeal was filed February 13th. Okay, mayor.

Yes. All right. Anyone else? Anyone else? I have a motion and a second and it sounds as though I may need a a roll call vote. So if you would answer and this is for the purpose of calling for two public hearings to consider adopting the ordinance to ban sales cratom and cratom products. So if you would please answer yay or nay as the city clerk calls your name. Alderman Morland yay. Alman Sra nay. Alman Skinner yay. Alderman Brooks. Yay. Alderman yay. Vice Mayor Perkins. Yay. Alderman B. Yay.

All right. Uh vote six to one. Motion carries. Moving to the claims docket to get a motion for the approval of the claims docket. So move. Thank you. Alman Brooks. Do you have a second? Second. Second from Alman Skinner. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Nay.

Nay. Motion carries 5 to two. That takes it to the end of our agenda. Let me read the call for the post for the work session. Um, in accordance with the notice as required in this code annotated 254113, the board will have a work session on Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th again of March 26 at 11:00 a.m. that meeting will be held at city hall, the second floor conference room located at 110 West Main. Notice should be provided at this work session within 1 hour of this meeting by posting such a notice at city hall. The notice for the work session should be made a part of the minutes of the board meeting. The work session will be an open public meeting of the city of Startwell. Public and press are invited to attend. Could I get a motion to recess, please? So move. Thank you alder von second. Second second from popup. All those in favor signify by saying I.

I opposed. All right we are in recess. Thank you everyone. Everybody