REGULAR MEETING

6/04/07

THE GRAND JUNCTION BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN MET ON 6/04/07 WITH MAYOR CURTIS LANE, AND ALDERMEN JOHN BARRY, FRANK BELL, NICK EDWARDS, PERRY LANE, AND JERRY SMITH IN ATTENDENCE.  ALDERMAN CHERYL SMITH WAS ABSENT.  MAYOR LANE CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER.  AFTER THE ROLL CALL, ALDERMAN BARRY OPENED THE MEETING WITH A PRAYER.

MINUTES OF THREE MAY MEETINGS WERE APPROVED AS READ WITH ONE CORRECTION:  ALDERMAN BELL ASKED THAT THE MINUTES STATE THAT HE REFUSED THE PACKET OF PICTURES WHEN MS. SMITH ATTEMPED TO GIVE THEM TO HIM AT HIS HOUSE. IT WAS SO NOTED.

BILLS PAYABLE WERE READ AND DISCUSSED.                                                                                        MOTION BY PERRY LANE TO PAY, SECONDED BY JERRY SMITH         (VOICE VOTE OF AYE)      

CITIZEN CONCERNS:

 MONROE WOODS, PRESIDENT OF THE BOLIVAR/HARDEMAN COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE NAACP GAVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION AND ASKED THE BOARD MEMBERS TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, INCLUDING THE USE OF RACIAL SLURS.  HE SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO COMMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO RAY SMITH IN A POLICE REPORT.

MICHAEL  AGUIRRE DEFENDED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SAID THAT THE OFFICERS HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF CLEANING UP HIS AREA OF TOWN.

FRANK CHAMBERS ALSO PRAISED THE TOWN AND THE POLICE OFFICERS AND SAID THE CITIZENS SHOULD SUPPORT THEM.

CAROL FRYER REFERRED TO HER FATHER, THE LATE JAMES FRYER, WHO SERVED THE TOWN AS AN ALDERMAN WITH DIGNITY AND PRIDE.  SHE SUPPORTED THE OFFICERS AND ASKED THE TOWN LEADERS TO NOT TOLERATE THE BEHAVIOR OF CERTAIN CITIZENS.

PAT REED CRITICIZED MS. SMITH’S ACTIONS AND THE ACTIONS OF THOSE BOARD MEMBERS WHO DEFENDED HER AND ALSO STRESSED THAT THE CITIZENS MUST SUPPORT THE POLICE DEPT.

RICHARD KEE REPORTED THAT MS. SMITH HAD BEEN WARNED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT HAVING AN OPEN CONTAINER IN HER CAR.  KEE FELT THAT MS. SMITH HAD GONE OUT OF HER WAY TO DISCREDIT AN OFFICER.  HE ALSO REFUTED A RUMOR THAT THE MAYOR WAS TRYING TO REMOVE MS. SMITH FROM OFFICE, SO HE (KEE) COULD TAKE HER POSITION.

PAM FOSSEE ASKED THE BOARD MEMBERS WHAT THEY WERE DOING FOR THE TOWN.  SHE NOTED THAT ONLY THE MAYOR SHOULD BE CHECKING ON THE BACKGROUND OF AN OFFICER.  MS. SMITH HAD BEEN SEEN INTOXICATED BEFORE AT THE PARK.  IF SHE THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY TO DISTRIBUTE THE PORNOGRAPHIC PICTURES, SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE SO ONLY AT AN OFFICIAL BOARD MEETING.

WHEN QUESTIONED BY PERRY LANE AS TO WHY HE WAS DIRECTING HIS NEGATIVE COMMENTS AT THE BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN WHEN THE PERSON WHO MADE THE RACIAL SLUR WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE BOARD,  MR. WOODS SAID THAT THE BOARD STILL SHOULD NOT HAVE IGNORED THE COMMENT.

THE MAYOR THEN RECOGNIZED CITY JUDGE RUSSELL X. THOMPSON.  MR. THOMPSON EXPLAINED THAT A BOARD MEMBER COULD MAKE AN INVESTIGATION AS A CITIZEN, BUT THAT WOULD NOT MAKE THE CITY LIABLE.  ONLY IF INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE MAYOR COULD THE ALDERMAN’S ACTIONS BE BINDING ON THE CITY.

DEPARTMENT REPORTS:

FIRE DEPARTMENT, MIKE BRYAN:

THE MITIGATION PLAN IS IN THE FOYER OF CITY HALL FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.  EVENTUALLY THE CITY MUST PASS AN ORDINANCE ACCEPTING IT.

POLICE REPORT, TERRY MATHEWS:

AFTER HIS REPORTS OF THE MONTH’S STATISTICS, HE WAS ASKED BY PERRY LANE HOW

MANY POLICE CARS THE TOWN NOW OWNED.  THE ANSWER WAS FIVE IN USE AND TWO TO BE AUCTIONED OFF.  IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER QUESTION, MAYOR LANE SAID THAT SOME ARE BEING PARKED AT THE CHIEF’S HOUSE IN BOLIVAR.

POLICE CHIEF RYAN EXPLAINED THAT THE CARS ARE NOT LEFT IN THE CITY BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT THE CRIMINALS TO KNOW WHEN THE POLICE ARE IN TOWN AND ALSO DOESN’T WANT TO EXPOSE THE CARS TO THE RISK OF VANDALISM AND THEFT.

PERRY LANE SAID THAT THE POLICE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEIR VEHICLES.  CITY POLICY WAS FOR ONLY THE CHIEF AND ASSISTANT CHIEF TO TAKE THEIR CARS OUT OF TOWN.  GAS IS TOO EXPENSIVE TO PUT SO MUCH MILEAGE ON THE CARS.  HE ALSO QUESTIONED WHETHER THE BOARD WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO APPROVE ALL OFFICERS WHO WERE HIRED.  MAYOR LANE AND CHIEF RYAN SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT TO MEAN ONLY FULL-TIME OFFICERS. 

AFTER SOME DISCUSSION CONCERNING POSSIBLY USING THE OLD GIN LOT FOR CAR STORAGE,   IT WAS AGREED THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE TABLED UNTIL JULY SO THAT THE MAYOR COULD INVESTIGATE WAYS TO FINANCE SECURING AN AREA FOR THEIR STORAGE. 

NEW BUSINESS:

MAYOR LANE REPORTED THAT HE AND BILLIE GATEWOOD HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 07-08.  HE PLANS TO HAVE A WORK SESSION WITH BOARD MEMBERS AND THE CITY AUDITOR, BOB DOLL.  MAYOR LANE PROMISED THAT THE BUDGET WILL BE BALANCED FOR THE COMING YEAR. 

THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED.

MAYOR                                                                                                                                 RECORDER