REGULAR MEETING

         4/07/08                 

THE GRAND JUNCTION BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN MET ON 4/07/08.  MAYOR CURTIS LANE PRESIDED WITH ALDERMEN JOHN BARRY, NICK EDWARDS, PERRY LANE, CHERYL SMITH, AND JERRY SMITH IN ATTENDENCE.  ALDERMAN FRANK BELL WAS ABSENT.  AFTER THE ROLL CALL, MAYOR  LANE OPENED THE MEETING WITH A PRAYER. 

MARCH MINUTES WERE READ AND APPROVED WITH ONE CORRECTION MADE BY PERRY LANE. THE MINUTES ARE CORRECTED TO SHOW THAT HE RECOMMENDED ONLY THAT THE CITY INVESTIGATE CONTRACTING WITH THE SHERIFF TO HANDLE CITY POLICE MATTERS.  BILLS PAYABLE WERE APPROVED ON A MOTION MADE BY BARRY AND SECONDED BY PERRY LANE.

DEPARTMENT REPORTS:

WATER-SEWER – FRANKLIN STANFORD.  THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR MAJOR WATER LEAKS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. TWO PUMPS HAVE BEEN OUT AT THE HIGHWAY 57 STATION.  A SEWER LINE IN THE CITY HAS COLLAPSED.  ALL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ATTENDED TO, INCLUDING REPAIRING THE SEWER LINE OVER THE WEEK-END.  WITH STATE APPROVAL, THE DEPARTMENT HIRED AN OUTSIDE COMPANY AT A PRICE OF $3,500 TO ASSIST THEM WITH THE SEWER REPAIR PROJECT. 

ICO POLYMERS IS GOING TO PAY THE CITY TO PAVE THE STREET BY THEIR PLANT.  AFTER ACCEPTING BIDS, STANFORD RECOMMENDED ACCEPTING FOWLER’S BID OF $8,034.  STANDARD BID $6,176.94, BUT THEY OFFERED THE USE OF WASHED ROCK   AND 1 ½  INCHES OF ASPHALT.  FOWLER WOULD USE LIMESTONE ROCK AND 2 INCHES OF ASPHALT. THE THIRD COMPANY CONTACTED DID NOT MAKE A BID.

AS TO STREET LIGHTS, STANFORD SAID THAT A SPOKESMAN FOR BOLIVAR ENERGY AUTHORITY SAID THE EXCESS RAINFALL HAD CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS.

POLICE DEPARTMENT – PAT RYAN.  HE READ STATS, AND GAVE THE ALDERMEN A COPY OF A COMPLAINT THE DEPT. HAD RECEIVED ABOUT A FIGHT AT THE EXXON STATION.  THE SHERIFF’S DEPT. HAD NO OFFICER AVAILABLE TO RESPOND.  THE CITY HAD NO OFFICER ON DUTY, SO RYAN AND JENNINGS WERE CALLED OUT. 

PERRY LANE SAID THAT THE OWNER OF THE STATION SHOULD NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE ON THE PARKING LOT,  AND THAT THE CITY POLICE SHOULD COVER MORE NIGHT HOURS. 

RYAN SAID THAT HE COULD ENGAGE RESERVE OFFICERS WHO COULD DO ANYTHING REGULAR POLICEMEN COULD DO AS LONG AS THEY RECEIVED 40 HOURS OF INITIAL TRAINING AND 40 ADDITIONAL HOURS EACH YEAR.  THEY WOULD BE PAID $1.00 A YEAR. 

WHEN A REVISED POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL IS COMPLETED,  THE  CITY BOARD  AND TML MUST APPROVE.  THEN THE DEPARTMENT CAN START USING RESERVE OFFICERS AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN THE CAR WITH A CERTIFIED OFFICER.

RYAN SAID HE WAS NOT RIDING AROUND AS MUCH IN ORDER TO CONSERVE FUEL.

HE CONTINUED THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO DECLINE THE $47,000 GRANT OFFERED TO IT, BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF FUNDS TO MAKE THE ORIGINAL PURCHASES.  THEY CAN REAPPLY LATER.

MAYOR LANE SAID HE WOULD INVESTIGATE INSTITUTING A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH.  HE WILL TRY FOR A MEETING IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER.

ALDERMEN REPORTS:

BARRY -  ROUTINE.

EDWARDS - THE DEFECT IN THE STREET AT THE CORNER OF TIPPAH  AND MADISON NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.  OVERGROWTH OF VEGETATION BETWEEN ROGERS AND SONS AND CHARLIE DAWKINS PLACE BY HIGHWAY 57 NEEDS TO BE CUT.  MAYOR LANE REPORTED THAT THE HOME ON NORTH TIPPAH THAT HAS BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION MAY SOON BE RENOVATED.  HE ALSO CONTINUED THAT AFTER MIKE BRYAN GETS CERTIFIED, ACTION WILL PROCEED ON OTHER PROPERTY IN THE CITY.

CHERYL SMITH – SHE HAD TALKED TO A RETIRED COLLECTOR WHO LIVES HERE AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TRYING TO COLLECT ON OLD FINES FOR A PERCENTAGE.  SHE ANNOUNCED THAT LARRY JACKSON WILL BE A NEW MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THE COMMISSION HAS NOT MET.

SHE HAD HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT A RESIDENCE ON THE CORNER OF VIRGINIA  AND JEFFERSON THAT HAD TOO MANY VEHICLES AND SUCH IN HIS YARD.

JERRY SMITH – HE REPORTED FOUR FIRES.

PERRY LANE – HE EXPLAINED THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO ELIMINATE THE CITY’S POLICE DEPT. IF OUR BUDGET CAN PAY TO KEEP IT.  HE HAD TALKED WITH CHIP CARY. CARY EXPLAINED IN A LETTER TO PERRY THAT THE SHERIFF HAD THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE CITY ORDINANCES IF THE CITY AGREES AND FILES PAPERS TO THAT EFFECT.  THIS MOVE WOULD ELIMINATE THE CITY POLICE DEPT. AND CITY COURT. PERRY SUGGESTED THAT THE CITY TRY USING RESERVE OFFICERS FIRST.

OLD BUSINESS:

BILL CLAYTON WITH ICO WILL NEED TO GET THE HOME OFFICE’S APPROVAL FOR THE PAVING PROJECT.

SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO BREAK  INTO A POLICE CAR WHEN IT WAS PARKED AT CITY HALL, SO THE CARS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO ANOTHER LOCAL SITE.  MAYOR LANE EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD GIVEN JENNINGS PERMISSION TO DRIVE ONE POLICE CAR FROM BOLIVAR SINCE HE HAD CAR PROBLEMS.  THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT TO A PROPOSAL BY EDWARDS TO PERMIT A TRIAL PERIOD OF 30-60 DAYS.  

MAYOR LANE SAID THAT HE AND BILLIE GATEWOOD WILL BEGIN WORKING ON A NEW BUDGET SOON.

MOTION BY BARRY TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR AND RECORDER TO SIGN FOR ANY CHANGES TO CITY-OWNED CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT.  SECONDED BY JERRY SMITH.  ALDERMEN BARRY, EDWARDS, PERRY LANE, CHERYL SMITH, AND JERRY SMITH ALL VOTED AYE. THERE WERE NO NAY VOTES, AND THE MOTION PASSED.

CITIZEN CONCERNS:

SHARON NORRIS GAVE STATISTICS FOR THE LIBRARY.  PAM FOSSEE THANKED THE BOARD FOR TRYING TO KEEP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OPERATING.

THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED.

MAYOR                                                                                                                         RECORDER