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The Magee Board of Aldermen met on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, for a regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting opened with prayer by Alderman Mark Grubbs, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
The board approved the agenda for the meeting.
Mayor Dale Berry announced that qualifying for municipal elections will be held January 2-31, 2025. The primary election will be held on April 1, 2025. Primary run-offs will be held April 22, and the general election will be held on June 3, 2025. New terms begin July 1. Interested parties should see the city clerk.
Berry also announced that garbage pickup for Maring Luther King, Jr. Day, which January 20, will be as follows: Monday pickup will be done on Tuesday, and Tuesday pickup will be done on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be as usual.
Finally, Berry encouraged the public to prepare pipes for freezing weather.
Libby Hegwood presented information to the board about IRIS (Immediate Response Information System). She explained that when the city has an issue with water or an emergency situation the information is sent to the system and then disseminated to all of Magee’s citizens.
She told the board that IRIS is the system used by the Mississippi Rural Water Association, as well as the United States Army.
“The main problem we have is the information in our accounts,” Hegwood said. She is asking the public to complete a short form updating phone numbers and email addresses.
“We need the information to be correct before we build the system,” she said.
The cost of the system is $1.15 for each meter each year. The city has 1600 meters.
Hegwood said one of the best features of the system, in her opinion, is that if someone misses the call, they can call the number back and receive the information. Also, the system is able to contact residents based upon location in cases when only portions of the city are affected.
The board approved the building and use of the IRIS meeting.
Forrest Dungan of Clearpoint Engineers updated the board about ongoing projects. He said Contract 2 (Water Treatment Plan No. 1 Improvements) is complete besides the punchlist. The water meter project is 83% complete. The Lamar Road Sewer Extension Project will have a preconstruction meeting on Wednesday, January 8, and work will begin in the next week.
The board approved a change order for deducting $9,500 for inadequate work and the cost of repairs, and then approved payment of $162,930.66 to Southern Paving. Paving overlay is complete on McLaurin Drive, North Hill Drive, and Colonial Circle. Colonial Drive is almost complete as well.
Dungan did say that temperature restrictions will limit work over the next few weeks.
The pre-construction meeting for the Playground Project is tentatively scheduled for January 21, 2025.
The grant agreement for the Erosion Project at 11th Avenue and Big Creek has been signed, and Clearpoint has begun work on plans.
Dungan said there is a preliminary plan for lagoon improvements and the city is pursuing a DRA grant.
Clearpoint Engineers has begun looking at developing a master improvements plan for water and sewer line repair and replacement.
The board approved the minutes with one change. The date was recorded as December 3, but the meeting was held December 17.
The board approved the claims docket.
Nurse Practitioner Kristina Wood appeared before the board, asking for the closure of the small frontage that runs along the railroad adjacent to the property where she is building a new clinic. She explained closing the road would allow the building to be built facing Main Avenue and would ensure enough parking and room for ambulances to enter and exit the facility.
Al Gordy told the board, “This will be an enhancement to the city.”
The board agreed to research its options and revisit the issue at its next meeting.
Joshua Burns of the MS Tobacco Free Coalition asked the board to update its partial smoke-free ordinance, which was originally adopted in 2013 and expanded in 2018. He recommended the board expand the ordinance to include all e-cigarettes and vapes and make it a complete smoke-free ordinance.
“I’m for that,” said Alderman Lawana Thompson.
Alderman Patrick Brown said, “It was a little bit difficult to enforce, and there is probably some opposition.”
Burns said, “You’re not stopping people from smoking. People who don’t smoke have a right to clean, fresh air.”
The board agreed to revisit the issue at the February 4 meeting and consider a proposed ordinance.
Public Works Superintendent Tim Bray said that water plant 2 is back online. He updated the board on storm cleanup.
“Right now, we’re working on ditches,” he said.
The board approved the low bid for boring on the Dry Creek Road project.
Police Chief Denis Borges presented the board with an updated policies and procedures manual for review.
Fire Chief David Craft told the board he is working on a grant for the restoration of an antique fire truck belonging to the city. He also is working on purchasing volt detectors for downed power lines.
Craft warned citizens to be careful with space heaters and reminded everyone that, except in emergency situations, the fire department will wait for the storm to pass before going out.
“We’re not sending anybody out in a storm,” he said. “Once the storm is over, we will help when it’s safe. Our first priority is making sure everybody is safe.”
He reminded everyone that if winter weather comes, it is best to stay at home.
“Don’t get out on the roads,” Craft said. “Stay at home. Stay off the roads.”
He requested a workshop to discuss the purchase of radios and consider bids on Thursday, January 16 at 4:30 p.m.
The bid for the radios is $167,544.48 in total and includes 11 radios for trucks and dispatch and 34 handheld radios, as well as 20 handheld radios for the police department.
Zoning Administrator Penny Aguirre announced an upcoming Town Hall Meeting on January 23, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
The board approved a public hearing about 621 11th Avenue NW on January 21, 2025.
Building Inspector All Sullivan reported the following:
- 1 residential remodel permit issued
- 1 commercial mechanical (HVAC) permit issued
- 2 residential framing inspections completed
- 4 residential gas inspections for service connect completed
- 1 certificate of occupancy inspection for new business completed
- 2 city contractor licenses renewed.
Mike Berry updated the board on airport matters, saying painting will start Monday, and the beacon light should be done before the second week of February, depending on the weather. He told the board they had sold 400 gallons of fuel since December 18.
The board approved extending Cit Attorney Wesla Sullivan’s contract for six months.
The public hearing for 727 1st Avenue SE was held. The homeowner was given two weeks to make significant progress before the board will make its final decision concerning the property.
What a miserable joke!!! I just watched a board let a person come before the city about his trashing his property and he sit there displaying such disrespect for the Magee in its lackluster attempt to clean this city up!! Everybody that comes before that board begs for more time to clean up and the board lets it continue. Probably because it’s election time, then absolutely nothing will be done.
That was evident by a wanna be Mayor candidate!! However let’s look around the whole city and behold!! It looks like crap in several places. One thing for sure, a government can’t fix anything and never will. It’s the lack of pride of property owners, rather commercial or residential, and a lot of that is rental properties!! There needs to be a campaign and education to get people to clean it up!! Growing up here, Magee was a Hallmark setting but it now looks like a trash dump.
As a city, government or civic clubs, you need to give an incentive to make personal changes to property. We can’t depend on City Hall, ain’t gonna happen. Clean the streets from being junked up, that’s a start.
We need businesses and industry here but what would attract them here? NOTHING!!
Maybe we will get some better choices for this year on the board that will have better vision and quit worrying about being re-elected!! We can only pray for relief!!!