The Mendenhall Mayor and Board of Aldermen held their regularly scheduled meeting on September 7 where they approved the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget and tax levy.
The board also approved their annual ad for The Source Magazine published annually by the Magee Courier and Simpson County News.
The board discussed the sale of property on Dixie Avenue. Rica Gray made a request to purchase the property, which is located near J &M Funeral Home. After some discussion the board decided to declare the property surplus and hold a public auction pending clearance of the deed to the property.
Duane Fewell provided an update on the sports programs of Mendenhall. He stated that approximately 210 kids played softball and baseball this summer in the program, and Mendenhall hosted the District Championship. He said restrooms were the only problem throughout the year.
The Sportsplex is currently signing kids up for soccer. Fewell said there has also been discussion of starting a fall ball league in Mendenhall as well.
Bids were opened for the annual paving project. The city recently began bidding the project earlier and locking in rates through the following summer. This allows for paving to be done throughout the year to fix substructure in places where roads are damaged. The city received two bids on the project that were opened at the meeting.
The first was from W.E. Blaine and Company that bid Surface Course at $142, Ultra-Thin mix at $145 per ton, and tac at $5 per gallon.
The second bid came from J&L, who has handled the city’s paving for the last four years. J&L bid Type 8 at $133.35 per ton, Ultra-Thin mix at $139.85 per ton, and tac at $6 per gallon. After some discussion the board accepted J&L’s bid for the project.
The board also approved amendments to Ordinances 236 and 258 to increase the rates on garbage, water, and sewer. The city intends to increase the monthly garbage fee per standard residential unit to $16.20 per month and $30 per month for standard commercial units.
David Miller and Teenia Carter were approved to attend training for the comprehensive plan and zoning. The aldermen were also approved to attend the Small Town Conference.
Amendments were approved to the current pay scale to help with employee retention. The Mendenhall Police Department was discussed specifically. Alderman Tim Gray said, “For the longest time we were training everyone else’s policemen.” Chief Candy McCullum said the amendments to the pay scale make Mendenhall as competitive as anywhere else in terms of salary.
The board authorized Mayor Todd Booth to retain authority to hire personnel for the public works department in the future and the board would ratify his actions during the next scheduled meeting.
Discussions were held about implementing a two percent food tax in the city. The tax would apply to anywhere in the city that prepares and sells food except for grocery stores and restaurants with sales of over $100,000 a year. Booth said the tax has worked well in other municipalities and suggested that the tax be designated for sports and recreation. He explained that sports and recreation has been neglected because the city is playing catch up on the conditions of the streets. Board members discussed the tax briefly and wanted more information on how many business owners it would affect. The item was tabled for further discussion.
Discussion was also held about joining the International Code Council. However, after further review it was discovered that the city is already a member of the council. This will help with the ongoing task of determining whether to update the current building codes. The Board moved to upgrade the city’s membership to premium and allow building inspector David Miller and Alderman Robert Mangum access to look at the codes.
Police Chief Candy McCullum and Charles Sherman were approved to attend the Crime Stoppers Conference in October, and Heather Geiger will now serve the Mendenhall Police Department as TAC officer.
The board entered executive session to discuss personnel before adjourning the meeting.
