A public hearing was part of the meeting of the Magee Board of Aldermen on September 27.
In that hearing, the property located at 601 First Ave. Southeast was found by the board to be in a state of uncleanliness and determined to be a hazard. The board found the property owner, Cindy McBroom, non-compliant with city regulations following proper notification of the city’s intent.
Robert Pierce, the replacement for Roma Windham on the Zoning Board, was approved by the board to serve. Pierce indicated that there had been a lot of misinformation about the property on 405 Fifth Ave. S.W. A church bought the house from owner Stephen Tullos and is using it as a place to transition individuals from drug and alcohol programs into the community.
According to Pierce, who had spoken with the preacher for New Life Church, Thomas Phillips, the congregation is renting space to the individuals in rehab, who must be drug tested weekly to stay in the church program. If they test positive for substance abuse they are dismissed from the program. Pierce said Phillips had told him that they were not a half-way house. Pierce said that in addition to the testing, a spiritual program is also required. Other than that, there is no full-time staffing at the residence.
Susan Walker, a nearby resident, told the board that the zoning manual clearly defines what a halfway house is and she believes this is what the facility qualifies as. She stated that the code does not address the locations of half-way houses in the manual.
Walker told the board that if necessary they would file an objection to allowing the facility to operate in a residential neighborhood.
Alderman-at-large Sue Honea told the board that she is working on a sidewalk project from Raleigh Road at 541 downtown Magee at First Street. This would provide safe pedestrian travel along the busy throughfare to downtown. Funding for the project would be a 80/20 split with the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
The board discussed the claims docket with Austin Brown, who does the city’s IT work, but that discussion was not made public. The board was also concerned about the quality of photographs on the city web page, which Honea said Brown could not change.
The board also discussed an $1,100 pizza bill for inmates at the jail. It was normally not so high because the city usually purchases less expensive Becky Burgers instead, but Becky’s had to close recently.
Mayor Dale Berry suggested to the board that it is time to raise the connection fees for water as well as sewer service in the city. The water fee is currently $125 per month, and sewer is $575. Berry had recommended $450 for water and $875 for sewer. When the board expressed concern about the substantial increase, Berry told them that the cost was much higher than the city is charging.
Alderman Patrick Brown said the idea was to gradually recoup the cost over time through water usage. He suggested a possible increase in water usage fees. Alderman Lane Steele suggested that the issue be tabled to give the board the opportunity to study it before they make a decision. The board agreed.
The aldermen then discussed banner signs that have started showing up in town. These do not meet the city’s signage code, and businesses are being asked to remove them. Someone stated that there was confusion as to whether these signs are actually approved. It was suggested that any changes should be presented to the city prior to approval because having to replace signage could get costly for owners.
City Recreation Director Jimmy Zila reported that 13 soccer teams have been formed this fall compared to 11 last year. He advised the board that the sportsplex will be busy the next couple of weeks hosting tournaments and championships. There had been discussion about purchasing a lift truck for the sportsplex, but the cost was $298K. The board agreed to contact Southern Pine for their assistance in replacing bad lights at the fields.
Police Chief Shane Little reported to the board that he had nearly completed a written policies and procedures manual for the department. He told the board that new uniforms will arrive within the next couple of weeks and that the officers should be in a standard uniform by the end of October.
Public Works Director Tim Bray told the board that his crew was posting the exit on Highway 28 at Magee Coop because of safety issues with 18 wheelers possibly being involved in accidents when attempting to cross. This would pertain only to 18-wheeler traffic.
Consolidated Pipe made a presentation to the board for the purpose of considering the implementation of digital water meters in the city. The board was told that the meters could be read from up to a 1/4 mile away and would speed reading time as well as being much more accurate than the existing meters. This would mean additional revenue to the city. Steve Womack, who contracts with the city, estimated between $75,000 and $100,000 in new revenue from a meter change.
