The City of Mendenhall held its regular Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, April 1, at City Hall.
The agenda was amended to include the resignation of Slovakia Griffith, part-time Sports Director Assistant, which the board unanimously accepted.
The board discussed a drainage issue at 214 West Durr brought by resident Dustin Busby, but no action was taken. A city sewer line ran through the property and Busby requested assistance with clearing a ditch to help with drainage after heavy rain fall. After some discussion the board decided to research the issue for further solutions and a cost estimate to fix the drainage.
Following the amendment approvals, the board reviewed and approved the official agenda.
City Attorney Broadhead confirmed that public hearing notices regarding water improvements and zoning changes for properties at 709 and 711 Main Street South were properly published. However, the board took no action on the zoning matter.
Another drainage concern at 101 East Street, involving resident Willie Valdez, was tabled until the May 6 meeting to allow more time for legal review. The board unanimously approved the minutes from the March 4 meeting and financial reports for the month of March, which included over $323,000 in combined paid and unpaid claims, and a meter refund.
Mayor Booth was authorized to sign a resolution supporting the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application. The board also approved the resignation of Angie Bryant from both her positions as Deputy Court Clerk and a role within the Mendenhall Police Department.
Emergency infrastructure repairs along Highway 13 were addressed, with payments approved to Hemphill Construction Co. and Solid Rock Sand & Gravel, Inc., totaling over $27,000, using House Bill 603 funds.
During the meeting, the March 2025 Property Cleanup Report was presented by Susan McDonald. The board discussed multiple properties, tabling decisions on 301 West Court Street and 611 Simpson Circle, the latter of which prompted the board to request an update within two weeks from homeowner Leigh Ann Crouch. No action was taken on the property at 1731 Simpson Highway 149.
A public hearing was held mid-meeting, during which Sam and Lorrie Yingling addressed concerns regarding their fence and outdoor structures at 221 West Maud Avenue. The board chose to revisit this issue in May. In another hearing, the board declared the property at 512 Bailey, owned by Josephine Pittman, a safety hazard and imposed a $500 fine, which may be waived if cleanup is completed within two weeks.
Once the public hearing adjourned, the regular meeting resumed. Acting Police Chief James Walker provided a department update. The board then accepted the resignation of Landon Lack from the Public Works Department.
Several new hires were ratified, including Robert C. Barske and Elwin T. McDonald for part-time grass crew positions, Jha Whitcomb for the same department at $10 per hour, and Gregory Droddy as an operator earning $15 per hour. The board also reinstated Duane Fewell as part-time Sports Plex Director at an annual salary of $17,000.
The court update from March, presented in written form by Court Clerk Lorie King, was acknowledged without requiring board action.
To close the meeting, the board entered into executive session to discuss personnel matters, after which no additional action was announced before the meeting was adjourned.
