Southwest City Mayor Joe Carpenter presented a council code of ethics to city council members at the July 22 meeting stating, "Perception is as bad as reality or worse," when the council does not perform in an orderly manner.
Carpenter and Alderman Ron Jackson recently attended a training on July 14 and 15 in Carthage specifically designed to provide guidance to mayors and city council members.
The training stressed a city should be well managed and not be micro-managed. Council members are to bring their concerns to the table for discussion and not step directly into the operations of the city without consulting other members of the council.
The mayor stated that all council members and the audience must be recognized before addressing the council. Anyone not following protocol will be called out of order and not acknowledged.
In a step towards his goal, the mayor presented the tentative agenda for the night's meeting. Carpenter stated that he was often guilty of adding agenda items for approval during a meeting and that it wasn't fair to residents who may want to comment on those items.
In other business, the council went into two closed sessions, the first to interview for the officer position. The sole applicant, Ivan Russell, once again faced the council for reinstatement of his position with the department.
However, the council voted to re-hire Russell rather than reinstate him to his original position.
The decision requires Russell to go through preemployment checks and psychological fitness testing recently adopted for new hires in the police department.
The second closed session was to appoint Alderman Linda Hart as liaison between the city and Nick Myers, CPA to gain a better understanding of what the city is getting from the contract agreement.
The topic of placing a dumpster in the city spurred a lengthy discussion on issues the city could face if there was no oversight.
Danny Grey, with Southwest CMS told the group that while the idea was a good, there were serious concerns with allowing a dumpster to be available unrestricted.
Grey explained to the council that people will dump anything that they can't get rid of such as tires, AC units, refrigerators, dead animals, paint and even mobile meth labs.
He said he has seen dead cows placed in dumpsters. Adding the removal of hazardous chemicals or bio-waste placed in dumpsters can be costly. Grey noted it can cost approximately $25,000 or more for cleanup.
Shannon Gravette, of Southwest Sanitation suggested setting specific days and times for a citywide cleanup that a dumpster would be manned. She pointed out that people won't generally clean up their yard in hot weather like July.
The council voted to do a bi-annual citywide cleanup in the spring and fall in a central location.
The council voted to amend the water ordinance to read that a late fee will be applied after the 15th and that a meter disconnect would be done after 30 days if the water bill had not been paid in full.
Melissa Lance, senior center director, presented two bids for cleaning the floors at the senior center. The council accepted the bid from Brilliant Solutions, which included cleaning both the carpets and stripping then waxing the tile floor.
Kaycee Hunter, president of the Point of View Community Center, approached the council to request use of the city's Frisbee golf course for a fundraiser. She noted that the event would be held Sept. 20 during the day with a chili feed concluding the event.
The council approved the use of the Frisbee golf course.
The council voted to waive the building permit for the new FEMA shelter at the school and the mayor requested the topic of building inspections be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
Department Reports
Shane Clark, fire chief, reported the department responded to two medical calls, one accident, one grass fire, two fire alarms and set up two landing zones. Clark said that he signed up Jim Bob McGhee for EMT classes starting in September.
Acting Police Chief Bud Gow reported the department issued 17 tickets, one of which was for shoplifting. The department also made four arrests, three agency assists, issued three warrants and one DWI.
A question came up regarding recent gang activity in the city. Officer Rick Lance reported that some of the gang related issues were resolved when the subjects in question were put under house arrest.
The mayor reported that the idea presented by Alderman Wendell Jones to place cards in the doors of businesses as they are checked at night will be implemented as soon as the new cards arrive.
Clark, who also serves as utility director, reported the motor at the school well has locked up again after being repaired two months ago. The motor would not be pulled until a representative from Franklin Electric could arrive to check the part. He added it should be covered under the warranty.
In the sewer department, Clark reported employees were working on issues at the park lift station and that the clarifier gearbox at the treatment plant was having problems. If the complete gearbox must be replaced it could cost between $3,000 to $4,000.
The street department has been patching holes on Liberty Road, Mill and Cherokee streets, as well as mowing around the city.
While the council set about to pay bills in the amount of $13,633.12, a question arose about an attorney fee for a consultation regarding Jones. The mayor stated that he contacted the city attorney on conflict of interest concerns, but was told that Jones could remain on the council if he was chosen for the police chief position. The attorney advised that a conflict of interest issue does not apply to city councils.
Community on 07/31/2014