Mayor and Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Everyone, I'm now calling this meeting to order. Please stand with us. I'll lead us in prayer tonight. Please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance. It'll be led by Alderman Jerome. Dear Lord heaven, we acknowledge you and thank you for the privilege to gather together and make decisions for the benefit of South Haven. We ask for your wisdom and your direction when we make these decisions. We thank you most of all. We thank you for our city, but we thank you most of all for your son Jesus who died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. First on the agenda this evening is the approval of minutes for the April 21, 2026 meeting. So move second. We have a motion Jerome, second Alderman Lewis. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman Payne. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman H. Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Gallagher.

Alderman Wheeler. Yes.

That motion carries. Next on our agenda, we have a a special event. We have our uh our graduating seniors from our mayor's youth council that are here tonight uh getting ready for high school graduation. And so we're going to uh we're going to uh acknowledge them uh this evening. So again, like I always do, I'm going to give you some good advice, okay? You you don't have to listen to it, but I'm going to give you some good advice. And it's stuff that uh I experienced in my own life, so you can take it or leave it, but it is good advice. And that is you're at a point in your life where you're you're you're about to start making uh decisions that are going to impact the rest of your life. up until this point, your decisions, yeah, you've had to make some decisions and your mom and dad have, you know, helped you along, but the ones that you're about to start making are going to have lasting impacts on your life. And so, the advice I'm going to give you is know this from this point forward in your life, whether it be your college, your uh vocational choice, uh career, whatever, they're going to be people who are going to try to put labels on you. And what I mean by that is they're going to say, "Hey, you know, you're pretty good at this, but you really don't have the talent to do this. So why don't you settle for this?" And so one day maybe you'll remember that I told you this because it is going to happen to you. And so my advice to you is don't let anybody put labels on you. Whatever it is that you're planning to do with the rest of your life, you are the sole decision maker for that. So I encourage you to do that. Do not settle. Um, you hear people say that you can do whatever you want. Um, if you want it bad enough, you can do whatever you want. That's not true. I'm here here to tell you that is not true. God gave everybody a unique skill set. God has a unique purpose for all of your lives. Everybody's not meant to be a mayor. Everybody's not meant to be an attorney, a doctor, whatever it is

that you're choosing. Everybody has a specific skill set that God has given you. Uh but what you do need to do remember and do is that you can do so much more than you think you can. Like what you've done in your classes and and whatever um you know outside extracurricular activities you've done, you haven't even touched the surface yet. You can do so much more than you think you can. So don't sell yourself short. whatever it is that you want to do, don't let your uh boyfriend, your girlfriend, maybe even your parents talk you into p talk you out of pursuing your goals. It's up to you. So, go for it is my advice. And so, here are the here are our special seniors. So, I'm going to start with South Haven High School. So, we're going to do we call your name, come forward, and uh then at the end, we'll have a group photo with everybody. So, from South Haven High School, we have Sebastian Belanos. Sebastian here.

Not here. We have Emily Pearson. We have Giovana Demo. Joshua Haynes. And from DInnesota Central High School, we have Ella Brian. Madison Kaine, Laniah Johnson and Genesis Weeks. And then from North Point Christian School, we have Addie Driell, Liz Flowers, Sarah Louise Manley,

Arsh Patel

and Mackenzie Roach. She's trapped me. Okay. Okay. We'll get them their course. I get in here next to you. Good luck to you.

Next on our agenda is a resolution for a sole source purchase in our police department. City attorney, Mr. Nick Manley. I guess mayor board, this resolution for soul source is for the um SWAT team for the SBD. It's for uh it's called a LCO and it's a SWAT team um Bearcat and the uh total cost is 413270. Uh LCO is the only company that will make the armored vehicle needed to the specifications that are required and requested um by the SPD. So tonight, uh, we're requesting a resolution for this purchase and authorize the mayor to sign along with the purchase by the SPD for the Bearcat from Linco. Here, I'll make a motion.

I'll second. We have a motion Hoot, second, Alderman Jerome. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman Payne. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman. Yes. Jerome, yes. Alderman Gallagher. Yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes. That motion carries. Next on the agenda is a a police department generator transfer switch improvement project bid.

Yeah. These uh recently the city went to bid for these two projects or this project and received two bids. Um one from OSB services and one from Ready Power LLC. The bids were 187 187,000 and 190,842. Uh the recommendation is to reject both bids and then rebid this again in next fiscal year uh due to the fact that we're higher than anticipated and above the budget. So tonight we just need authorization to reject the bids and then authorize the rebidding in October for this project. I'll make that motion. I'll second.

We have a motion Wheeler, second Jerome. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. Any oppose say no. Eyes have it. Motion carries.

Next on the agenda is a contract amendment for the Michael Hatchin Associates landscape maintenance contract. I'm going to ask for this to be tabled tonight. Uh there's still there's some information that I've requested I've not gotten on that. Uh this uh this addition is for our uh hummingbird garden to maintain it. Some of the numbers um seem unusually high to me like that that would give us like a $27,000 a year uh increase in cost just for that small area. It's a lot of money just to uh for the landscape right there. So I've got some more questions about that. So I want us just to table that for tonight. Please I'll make that motion. Second.

Got a motion Wheeler. Second, Berman Jerome. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Any oppose say no. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Next on the agenda is a proposal from Final Touch Security. This proposal it's an amount of $1,80. It's for the inspection and testing for the and monitoring the fire alarm at SPD East Precinct. Um it's a small amount, but this is such it's a c a service contract has to be approved. So tonight, authorization for Dylan Brink to sign this contract with Final Touch Security. So move. Second. We have a motion. Alderman Hoot, second by Alderman Jerome. Is there any discussion?

Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman Payne. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman H. Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Gallagher. Yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes. That motion carries. Next on our agenda, our sponsorship agreements for our bank plus amphitheater.

There's three agreements tonight for a recommendation for approval. The first is with A&B and it's a um they've sponsored in the past. It's a lump sum of 60,000 per year. Um that will be uh for a four-year term. They have u they'll have um they'll be able to advertise um at the uh big on the amphitheater big screens along with having uh signage on the terrace. It also gives them a nine seat premium lower box, two parking passes, and the logo on the website. It's very similar to what we've had in the past with them. Uh the second one was with Old Dominic. Old Dominic will give 6,620 um for a one-year term, and it gives them two terrace tables and a logo on the web on the video walls pre-show and intermission. and then also Clark beverage uh lump sum of 20,000 per year and that's for a two-year term eight seat premium box and then two parking passes and then the logo on the website and video walls pre-show intermission and post show. Uh these were all been signed by the each entity and they're part of the sponsorships for the bank plus amphitheater for the 2026 season. So tonight I need authorization for the mayor to sign each one of them. So move

second. We have a motion by Alderman Wheeler, second by Alderman Jerome. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman F. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman Hughes. Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Gallagher. Yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes. That motion carries. Next on our agenda is uh a final change order with the Cherry Valley uh bike pump track and skate park.

This uh project has been completed. The final change order just closes out the contract. It is a decrease in the amount of $26,95125. So tonight get authorization for the mayor to sign the final change order closing out the project and then reflecting the the decrease in the project cost of 26,951. Mayor, I make a motion. I'll second. We have a motion Hoots, second Alderman Lewis. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I.

I. Any oppose say no. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Next on our agenda is a utilities contract with smart sites. This contract with smart sites uh is a software that the city uses to provide alarm notifications for our SCADA systems. Um it provides redundancy for the sites and computers that are needed part of the SCA reading. Um the software that's used is ancillary to service provided. So that's not required to be bid out. Um and it converts the um software license from a perpetual license to a subscriptionbased license which is similar to most software that's used. Um the cost is 10,000 per year need authorization um for signature and approval for the SCADA system by utilities department.

So second we have a motion Hoot second Alderman Jerome. Is there any discussion hearing? None. Roll call. Alderman Payne. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman H. Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Gallagher. Yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes.

That motion carries. Next on the agenda is the engineering work authorization for the mill branch and town and country roundabout. This work authorization civil link which is in compliance with our master contract. Um, it will be for the C and I associated with the roundabout at Mil Brenton Town and Country as the mayor noted and it's an amount not to exceed 13,000. I'll make that motion.

Second. We have a motion alderman Lewis, second by Alderman Hoots. Is there any discussion? And just to recap for everybody that um we were granted from the state of Mississippi um Representative Rodney Hall uh assisted us with that and u the state legislature allocated $750,000 with the stipulation that it had to be an investment in the west end uh for our west end uh redevelopment efforts. So we feel like this is one of the best things we can do with that money. Uh this is something that will uh not only improve uh traffic flows but uh will help us with um uh deter criminal fleeing. Uh putting it right there. Mill branch is a a popular spot where um where criminals flee South Haven back to Memphis and putting the roundabout at Town and Country. That's the northernmost u side street. So we believe that that will be uh help us be effective in uh you know deterring uh that type of criminal behavior as well. So feel like it's a really good uh use of the money. Any other dis questions, discussion? Hearing none. Roll call.

Alderman Payne. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman who? Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Gallagher. Yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes. Eyes have it. Motion carries there. And then u next on the agenda is the contract proposal with ADP.

Yeah. This contract will allow for the transition from the city from manual onboarding process through electronic through ADP. Um allows the city to use electronic onboarding and voice of the employee uh surveying. The total cost is 11,000 for per year. Um but it's going to be prrated for the first year since we're not won't start until May. Um it will reduce manual labor cost and then also allow for business continuity during inclement weather events. So tonight need authorization for Melanie Drizzdale to sign the agreement with ADP and then authorize payment. I'll make that motion. Second. We have a motion by Alderman Jerome, second by Alderman Hoots. Is there any discussion?

Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman Payne. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman Hoots. Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Gallagher. Alderman Wheeler.

Yes. That motion carries. Next on the agenda is a fire department affiliation agreement with the EMS training school. This affiliation agreement with the school of EMS allows for paramedic students um to ride with and participate in EMS clinicals with the South Haven Fire Department. Um and it's an online course. Um and based on the requirements and the stipulations, it seems to only apply to maybe one student within the course. However, um provide that opportunity for future students and this student and possibly future employees. It's recommend recommended for approval and signed by Chief Scallions for the affiliation agreement with the email school training LLC. So move.

A second. We have a motion hoot. Second Alderman Lewis. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman Payne. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman who? Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Gallagher. Yes. Miller. Yes. That motion carries. Next on our agenda is an amendment to our agreement with the DInnesota County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

This amendment is just it's a amendment that authorizes the city at the city sole discretion end of this year to renew this contract for an additional year in the event the city um desires to continue with the DCCBB next year. Um, it also is required as part of the licensings for alcohol and liquor at the amphitheater by the DCCBB. Um, so tonight need authorization for the signature by the mayor on the amendment that allows us to extend it at the city's discretion for an additional year. I make that amendment. I make that motion. Okay. Second. We have a motion by Alderman Lewis, second Alderman Wheeler. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman Payne, yes. Alderman Lewis, yes.

Alderman Hughes, yes. Jerome, yes. Alderman Gallagher, yes. Alderman Wheeler, yes. That motion carries. Next on our agenda is a contract with Murphy and Suns for fire station number three addition. This contract with Murphy Suns is just for the addition to the fire station number three. Uh the amount of the contract is $288,150. It was previously awarded to Murphy and Suns. just need authorization to um authorize the uh contract to be signed and then the contract is for 210 calendar days um and um we'll begin soon. So tonight need authorization for the mayor to sign this contract um for the fire station number three edition with Murphy and Sons. So move second.

We have a motion from Alderman Hoot, second by Alderman Jerome. Is there any discussion? And this is one of the projects in our budget under the facility renovations. This is one of the uh projects in that budget line. Any other discussion? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. Any oppose say no. Eyes have it. Motion carries. Next on the agenda is a resolution to clean private property. Mayor, I make a motion we clean private property as presented. I'll second. We have a motion hoot, second Jerome. Is there any discussion?

Is there anyone in the audience who has a financial interest in any of the properties who would like to speak? Hearing or seeing none. Roll call, please. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. H. Yes. Jerome, yes. Ger, yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes,

that motion carries. Uh there's no planning agenda tonight. No items on there. Uh next on our agenda is Mayor's report. Uh just a quick update for everyone. Um little Springfest debriefing. Y'all know we um made some changes to uh Springfest couple years ago uh with hours and different security things. And uh the report tonight is uh we had an outstanding Springfest. I mean, it was just uh really no issues. the changes that we made have proven to be successful. Uh thank we thank Christy Faulner again for an outstanding job all the work that that she does every year. But it was a great event. Uh has had a little rain like we always do, but then the sun came out. It was really nice. The carnival had a a good feel to it. I mean, we had that family feel to it again. And so it was uh just a a really successful thing. So, I'm thankful to all the people of the city who, you know, worked hard to make sure it was a good event, you know, for our people. And u and again, it's just another lesson that we have, as our city grows, uh we have to make changes here and there. We have to make adjustments to the way we do things. Uh but this is another uh proof that when you make those adjustments, uh you can still keep the events that you have and have a good quality of life for everybody. So, I'm very thankful of how Springfest went off. Um, Stateline Road is being resurfaced. Um, if you've tried to drive down it, you you know that. But, uh, it's, uh, don't go there right now unless you want to wait in traffic cuz it's, um, it's State Line has a lot of traffic on it. So, um, it's being resurfaced. Uh, it was last resurfaced in 2014. So, this is the first road uh, during my time as mayor that we paved twice. So, uh, that was the first one of the big first big road projects we did, uh, during my admin, the beginning of my administration. So, uh, that either tells me that I'm I'm getting old or it's time to to go home or something.

But anyway, uh, this is the first one that we paved twice, so it's, uh, going to be in really good condition. It's it's about two weeks away from completion. Um, and just so everyone knows, I know people don't watch this meeting. they'd rather just go to social media. But um but for those who do watch, uh there is a section underneath uh the I-55 overpass uh that the city does not have authority on. It's it's MD DOT property and so we are waiting. Uh we have had meetings with MD DOT and explain the conditions of that road right there. It's in horrendous condition. Uh we feel like we've got a solution pending with them. Our goal is to combine that with the current project that we have and just, you know, do it crisp and clean and get it all done at the same time. But the reason that you're going to see it, it looks like it's being done in two different projects is that's not our road. That's MDOT's property. So, we're waiting on their approval. So, anyway, anyone that um sees this or everybody else, if you get a question, please help me relate that information to all the social media experts. Um, last thing, one that I'm proud of is, um, Rasco Road, uh, between Tulome and Getwell, uh, years ago, y'all may remember, and this was also in the early years of, um, my administration as mayor, uh, we extended Rasco. You know, Rasco used to be a dead-end road at Sweeney. Um, so the areas where all the residential neighborhoods are on the east side of Sweeney all the way to Getwell, those roads, that part of Rasco is not built to be a a road. It was built to be a like a neighborhood collector street. So that's the reason that the road has failed so bad. When we open Rasco and have you have all this east west traffic going on that road, it wasn't built to handle that kind of traffic. And so that's why we've had serious road failures out there. So what what we did is um and the engineers call a full depth reclamation. And basically

what that means is you rebuild the road. You just dig up what's there and you rebuild it. So it was a mess for the last three or four weeks. But the good news is it's been uh done. It's fresh. It's striped. It looks Have you Have you seen it?

It looks great. So anyway, we've built it uh correctly to withstand the traffic. So it should uh should remain in good condition for a while. And then uh after those two big projects are done, um this is the uh this is paving time. You know, this is the time of year where we can the weather's good. It's about to get hot and uh we can just keep rolling. So we have a a long list of streets that uh that will be repaid. We have we budgeted $7 million. And so after they they finished the Rasco project, after they finished the Stel Line project, the contractors would just keep on moving. So we'll start hitting those streets. So, you're going to start to see a lot of the streets in the neighborhoods that are getting uh getting resurfaced. So, uh it's it's it's good to pave streets. So, again, uh other cities, whoever's watching, if you're wondering where you put your money, you better pave your streets. That's that's always got to be at the top of the list. If you want to have a quality city, you got to pave your streets. It's not just for the condition of the roads. It sends a message about pride in your city, what your city looks like. you know, do you care about the attention to detail? So, Paving Streets has got to be at the top of the priority list. But anyway, we're underway with that. So, that's all I have this evening on mayor's report. Uh, now we have again we've been hot on these donations.

Yeah. Are we are we are we out soliciting some animal shelter donations? So, we we appreciate it, but we got two two more donations it looks like on the docket. Mr. May I I will recommend that we approve the donation docket as presented in the amount of $3,15 to the animal shelter. I'll second.

We have a motion by Alderman Drum, second by Alderman Lewis. And it and it looks like we have one of them is from walk-ons. So we appreciate walk-ons. Uh and then uh the in on first is the other. So we're thankful to these organizations for donating money to our animal shelter. And so is there any other discussion about accepting these donations? Hearing none. Roll call, please. Alderman Payne, yes. Alderman Lewis, yes. Alderman, yes. Alderman Jerome, yes. Alderman Gallagher, yes. Alderman Wheel, yes. That motion carries. Next on our agenda is our personnel docket.

Uh, mayor, I will recommend approval for the personnel docket as presented. We have a motion by Alderman Jerome, second by Alderman Wheeler. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman P. Yes. Alderman Lewis. Yes. Alderman H. Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman Galler. Yes. Alderman Müller. Yes. That motion carries. Next on our agenda is our city attorney's legal update. Everything was on me, too. Okay. We'll move on. Uh, next on the agenda is our utilities billing leak adjustment docket.

Mr. Mayor, I will uh make the motion to approve the utilities bill leak adjustment docket as presented. Second. We have a motion Jerome, second by Alderman Hoots. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Roll call. Alderman Payne. Yes. Alderman Le. Yes. Alderman H. Yes. Alderman Jerome. Yes. Alderman McGaller. Yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes. And that motion carries. Next on our agenda is our is one claims docket. Mayor, I make a motion we uh approve the claims docket in the amount of 3,393,349.36 including demand checks.

I'll second. We have a motion Bman Hoot, second by Alderman Jerome. Is there any discussion hearing? None. Roll call. Alderman Payne, yes. Alderman Lewis, yes. Alderman Hicks, yes. Alderman Jerome, yes. Alderman Gallagher, yes. Wheeler, yes. And that motion carries. Uh, next on our agenda is the purpose of determining the need for executive session. I'll make that motion. Second. We have a motion, Alderman Wheeler. Second, Alderman Jerome. All in favor say I. Please.

I. Any oppose say no. Eyes have it. Motion carries. The needs this evening are litigation litigation involving our police and fire departments, economic development within the city, and interdep departmental personnel with no action. Is there now a motion to declare executive session? So move. Second. We have a motion alderman Hoot, second Alderman Jerome. All in favor say I. I. All oppose say no. Eyes have it. Motion carries. The mayor and board will now enter executive session.