James Pursifull Sr. took the oath of office during the city council meeting on Tuesday.
Kevin Barnett was voted chair of the Parks and Recreation committee.
Councilman Kevin Barnett will also assume a new role in the council. After being nominated by Bo Green, the council voted unanimously to make Barnett the new chair for the Parks and Recreation committee. Massengill was the former chair of the committee.
The council revisited the issue of lowering the number of council meetings to once a month and including sub-committee work sessions. This would allow the sub-committees to meet once a month and the council as a whole to meet once a month to do business.
“I’m wondering if these committee meetings could be put on the same schedule about 30 or 45 minutes before our regular meeting and still meet twice a month,” said councilman Gary Mills, who has openly opposed the meeting change from the beginning.
Evelyn Farmer stated that what Mills proposed would limit the meetings because committees would have to rush and finish before the council meeting began.
“This guarantees that a committee will meet more often,” said Farmer. “This way the public can attend and we can get their input.”
The council approved a resolution to have the sub-committee meetings once a month. The sub-committee meetings had be addressed in the form of a resolution because state statute does not require the council to have sub-committees. Therefore the issue does not have to placed in the form of an ordinance.
When these meetings are scheduled, the media does have to be notified 24 hours in advance. The meeting also has to be advertised at least a week before it takes place.
Green stated that he believed the public would be more comfortable coming into an informal setting to discuss their problems. Green also stated that every committee has to meet now.
“Some of these committees didn’t meet at all last year,” said Green. “In my opinion, the public will have better knowledge of whats going on.”
The council also approved the first reading of the ordinance to move the council meeting to once a month. Councilman Doug Hughes and Mills were the only two members who voted against the first reading of the ordinance.
The council also approved an ordinance that changed the salary for council members to $100 a month. Mills also voted against the reading of this ordinance.
“I find it highly objectionable that we’re voting to cut the number of meetings to the public in half and almost double our own salary,” said Mills about the ordinance that would raise the councils salary.
Pursifull also voted against raising the salary of the council.
The ordinance regarding salary will not to take affect until January 1, 2013.
The council had the second reading of an ordinance regarding the back pay of some firemen. The ordinance addresses unpaid overtime on incentive pay between April 20o4 and April 2005 in the amount of $250,000.
During the public portion of the meeting, Leman Moyers addressed the council about a water problem that he is having in East End on sixth street. “That is a major water drain, and it’s flooding,” said Moyers. “I got ten acres that I cannot use.” Moyers stated that he has had this problem for about six months.
Mayor Bill Kelley stated that it is on the list to look at, but he has to prioritize the issue.
James Estes also approached the council concerning a dead-end street that was opened up during the flood for emergency use. He was concerned about why the road has not been closed again.
The mayor stated that he can only go by what Roy Lewis, property tax assessor, has stated. Lewis told the mayor that the road mentioned is not a private closed road.
Other business taken care at the meeting included the entrance of reports, committee reports, and the approval of minutes of the last meeting.
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