Mayor and Board of Aldermen - Special Meeting

I'm now calling this meeting to order.

Please stand with us. We'll be led in prayer of Autumn and Gallagher. Please remain standing after that for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Autumn and George Payne.

Heavenly Father, Lord, we just want to thank you for what you've done for our city, Lord Jesus, that you've given us a prosperous city, Lord, to run, Lord Jesus, and that the Lord, I pray that the people that run it, Lord Jesus, are people who Run after your own heart, Lord Jesus. So we ask you to be with us tonight as we make this decision about our budget, Lord Jesus. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Amen.

First on our agenda this evening is the resolution to adopt the 2027 fiscal year budget and tax millage rate.

Mr. Mayor, I move we adopt a resolution fixing the ad valerum tax levy on real and personal property for taxes and establishing the budget appropriations and expenditures for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the city of South Avon, Mississippi. Second.

We have a motion by Alderman Payne, second by Alderman Wheeler. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, roll call.

Alderman Payne. Yes. Alderman Jenkins. Yes. Alderman Hood. Yes. Alderman Gallagher. Yes. Alderman Wheeler. Yes. Alderman Flores. Yes.

And that motion carries. Next on the agenda is a MOU between the city and the North Mississippi Hummingbird Foundation. Just a quick summary of this is basically last year we did improvements to Stone Grove Park and created a hummingbird garden. and then had the first hummingbird festival in South Haven. Used to be at another location in North Mississippi, but we were able to get that here. Alderman Wheeler helped lead that to get the hummingbird festival here. So what we want to do now is just make sure everything is formal. There's no misunderstanding about who's doing what. It's a public park, but this is a different entity. The Hummingbird Foundation is not the city. It's a totally different entity. So we want to have everything spelled out. So our city attorney, Nick Manley, helped us put this MOU together. So basically the guts of it are that it just clarifies that the Hummingbird Garden is a public park. It's part of Snowden Grove Park. The Hummingbird Foundation is a nonprofit organization. So we're entering this MOU to spell out who does what there. So the reason there's an interest in us doing this for the city is the Hummingbird Festival brings tourism value to our city, brings a lot of people to our city, and also adds quality of life for our citizens. A lot of people are really into the nature and the birds and preserving the birds and their travel patterns and everything else. So it's just a fun thing for our citizens. and so that's what's in it for the city and then uh... what the foundation does for the city is they take their expertise with hummingbirds so we don't have to go hire someone uh... they prune some of the plants that are there uh... they keep the you know the food fillers filled up and that kind of thing because they know you know what it takes to effectively you know track the you know the most hummingbirds and then the other thing is they coordinate along with our parks director of the festival every year so for that benefit what the MOU also gives to the foundation it gives them an easement that's the entranceway to the garden and And that way they can put bricks down and have memorial bricks to people that, you know, want to make a contribution to the foundation. And then that money is used for charitable purposes, you know, to promote wildlife and other things. And so this MOU gives an easement, a small easement to the nonprofit. So I feel good about it. I mean, things kind of move fast, but I feel good that we have it all formalized. That way it's real clear. You know that it's public property is public property, but the city has the legal right to give an easement to a nonprofit for this reason. So we think it's a solid agreement. I feel really good about it. So I'm asking the board to approve it.

Mr. Mayor, I'll make that motion.

I'll second.

We have a motion by Alderman Gallagher, second by Alderman Jenkins. Is there any discussion?

So the only easement is just that entrance?

Yeah, it has like an arched wire where there's going to be more plantings that kind of grow around it and decorate it. So it's the entrance right there. So the bricks will be laid for the floor of the entrance right there. But yeah, that's the only piece that the city's given an easement for. And it just makes it, again, cleaner and crisper, like there's nobody's change. Any kind of contributions that are going to the Hummingbird Foundation go to them. The city doesn't touch that money. The foundation doesn't make any alterations or amendments to a public property. They don't do anything else. So this MOU just keeps everything crisp and clean. And the event is on September 12th. The festival is September 12th and 13th. Coming up. Any other discussion? Hearing none, roll call, please.

Alderman Payne?

Yes.

Alderman Jenkins? Yes. Alderman Hood? Yes. Alderman Gallagher? Yes. Alderman Wheeler?

I think he's refused.

Oh, I'm sorry. And Alderman Flores?

Yes.

Okay, and that motion carries. That's the end of the agenda. Is there a motion to adjourn the meeting? So moved.

Second.

We have a motion by Alderman Hoots. Second by Alderman Payne. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed say no. Ayes have it. Motion carries. This meeting is now adjourned.