Board of Alderman - Regular Meeting

Any updates on you got any updates for the roads and everything? Tell them what you all been taking care of us, which is a major concern. Put your mic down there. I need the people to hear you now. Yeah, we just been around making sure that the bridge is clear. I went around today and just put a little more salt on there on the bridges, but everything else I got trucks ready to stand by in the shop. We want to thank Wayne and and public works department for their hard work also doing this winter weather advisories. All right, Chief Lynville.

Sir, Mayor, I just wanted to mention uh we're still doing the toy drive at the fire stations. Uh we'll do that up to the 15th of December. So if anybody wants to donate any fire station, it can be dropped off all ages. And uh I'll get in trouble if I don't mention this, but the lunchon is Friday at 11:30 I believe here at city hall for everybody. Just want to remind all the alderman and board all the city lunchon. Thank you. Thank you, Chief. Don't forget about our city lunch. Uh, Chief Pulling, did you want to say something about the detergent drive? We're still going. It's still going, right?

Yes, sir. We're still taking it in. Uh, today was our first day at H Heartland Hands and we gave out quite a bit, but we do still have a lot available. We've also gotten approved for a grant through Walmart to along with fire department. We're going to split to purchase pretty much everything that we'll need left. So, uh, we've got it all covered, but, uh, I know H Heartland Hands is more than willing to take it because it is the one thing that they can't provide throughout the year otherwise. So, people were extremely grateful today to get what they they were surprised and grateful to get what they could of it. So, um, I think it throughout the year if there's ever a chance to donate, that's that is something certainly that that uh, Heartland needs.

Thank you, Chief. Thank you all for these holiday efforts of blessing people in time of need. Drew Parks.

Uh, thank you, Mayor. Thank you, board. I just want to say that we gonna have the Christmas tree lighting ceremony this Saturday from 400 pm to 6 pm at Latimer Lakes Park. We'll have plenty of coats, lots of candy, coffee, hot chocolate donated by Starbucks. Uh, we'll have stockings filled for the children. We'll have the HL band, HL choir. We'll have an ugly sweater contest with prizes for first, second, and third. Lots of games, music, and most important, we'll have the Santa Claus there. So, come on out and have some fun. All right, Mr. Vince. Oh, uh, Ottoman Bost has a question.

Do we have a rain out date for that in case it was rainy and nasty on Saturday? We'll we'll try to push it for Tuesday. uh the Tuesday the following week. So, um I'll I'll send we'll have a rain outline and we'll post on social media what our times are. But that is the game plan. Well, hopefully we can get in on Saturday though. I haven't seen any rain.

All right. Anything else for Drew? All right, Mr. Vincent.

Thank you, Mayor. Um here I put uh before you there meeting tonight. I put before you some information on projects. Uh this is kind of just a project list that we have. I know we've got quite a few projects going on right now, construction. And basically that what this list is is a list of our construction projects, design projects, and then future projects. And we'll be we'll be providing this kind of on a regular basis, but just wanted to give you this to keep everybody a breast of what's going on. and you know just keep before you the projects that are under construction in case you know you may get questions about or whatever. But basically it's just some vital information about the construction projects telling you uh the name of the project, the percent complete the project is at this point and kind of the anticipated completion date uh and then kind of the progress that's been made in the last couple of months on it. So, uh, just something to keep you, uh, updated on on all the projects going on. And specifically, you know, the construction, we've got, like I said, these fact sheets along with the pictures of each one of the construction projects. And then behind that, I mean, on the front page, we've also got design projects that we're going to be looking at design and then future projects. So, anybody has any questions about those along the way, you know, feel free to ask. I just want to put this information before you tonight.

Thank you, Mr. V. And we just want to remind everybody some of these projects as we me mentioned before you sometimes you have to match the dollars going to them and sometimes you got a percentage to pay. Uh so we want to make sure the city stay in a healthy financial situation where we able to continue uh some of these projects. Um thank you Mr. Vince. Any question Mr. Vince? All right. Uh Alexis. Thank you Mr. Alexis Andrew. No sir. Nothing tonight.

Okay. Do any of the board members have any questions for the department heads? If not, we will move on. Um, thank we thank our department heads for all their hard work also. All right. Do we have anything from our city attorney?

We do tonight. Um, good evening everyone. I have like three things. One is I need to ask for authority um to attend the Mississippi Municipal Attorneys Conference that will be held in downtown Jackson, Mississippi on January 14th, 2026 is one day and that would cover the registration and the hotel. The registration is $200 and the hotel is not sure exact amount. All right. But it's for one night

for one night. Uh the for our attorney to attend the Mississippi Attorney's Conference. Um, can we get a motion? Mayor Aldwoman Johnson. I move that we allow Attorney Willis to attend MML attorneys conference in January. All right. Do we have a second? Mayor, I'll second. Second by Alderwoman Armstrong. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Miss Julie. I

I motion passes unanimously. All right. Okay. So, next is um Daniel, our IT director, has cancelled this contract. However, I think it's safe. It's called Laser Fish. It's a contract. I think it's safe to go ahead and just put it in the minutes to officially cancel it. It was a contract that was started or agreed to back in 2023 by the previous board for software. Um, you may want to elaborate on on exactly what it was, Dane. What's the name of it again? Laser Fish.

Laser Fish. And when was it implemented?

Do you have the year it was implemented? It was the contract was signed in 2023 and it was approximately about 69 $7,000 a year and it's never been used. No. All right. So, what we need is a motion to cancel this contract with uh Laser Fish. I make the motion to cancel the contract with Laser Fish. We have a motion by Alderman Langston. Do we have a second? A second. Second by Alderman Smith. Any discussion? All right. Roll call, please. Miss Julie, I

motion passes unanimously. All right.

Okay. The last thing is my recommendation to the board is to opt out of the Mississippi House Bill 1197 which is the Safe Solicitation Act. And you either have to opt in or opt out by January 2026. It was an act that went into place in July as of July 1 of 2025. And in brief, what it calls for is for the city to now issue permits to anyone who solicits funds within the city limits. Like if you were at say a stop sign and a group of high schoolers wanted to um just have buckets and solicit money from the public, they would need to get a permit from the city. Now,

what is this legislation again? It's called the Safe Solicitation Act. is House Bill 1197. It came from House Bill 1197. All right. You're saying that have to get a permit now?

Yes. Unless the city opts out of participating in that. So, my recommendation is that you make a motion to opt out of if if you choose to. You may want them to get permits. Um the idea is to keep I'm watching my words. It's um to to try to cut down on just people asking for money from the public just randomly within city limits. Um and there's been a lot of controversy surrounding it far as the homeless and people just being able to request funds. But then there are other groups and organizations that may gather in a city like They do it the four ways and ask for money. All of those will be included and they would have to get a permit from the city otherwise it would be a violation which then makes the city have to come up with a permitting um format of some kind or procedure as well as some type of ordinance to enforce it. woman Johnson.

Attorney Willis, could you get up some information about this or allow us time to research this before we make a decision on it? Absolutely. We can bring it up to the next meeting. We still have time. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, mayor, if that's okay with you. All right. So, do we want to just pretty much hold off on it until we have more information on on the bill? All right. That's all I have, Mayor. Thank you.

All right. Thank you so much, Attorney Griffin Willis. Uh, all right. I think Lord, we are Is it on almost 30 minutes? Oh, Lord have mercy. All right. Uh, let's see. We don't have anything for executive session. There's only one thing left to do. Uh, do I have a motion to adjourn? Mayor, I'll make that motion to adjurnn. Alderman Bostic. He motion to adjurnn. Do we have a second? Oh, Alderman Blessel. I got my cheat sheets. All right. Uh, any any discussion? Roll call, please. Miss

Julia, I you can now adjourn.