Robust discussions about city procedures at City Council meeting

Thursday, September 15, 2016

As with most monthly Portageville City Council meetings, it started out as an average session, the hearing of and approving department reports, and passing one ordinance, referred to as the "Conflict of Interest" ordinance.

With last Monday being a holiday, the regular monthly meeting was held on Thursday, September 8.

"This is an ordinance of the City of Portageville to establish procedure to disclose potential conflict of interest for certain official. If not passed, then the City has to send in very detailed financial statement to the ethics commission, with the passing of this, you do not have to do that," said City Attorney Terry McVey. "This is something that has to be done every other year."

Next, City Collector Michele Crawford presented a list of delinquent taxes that needed to be removed from the books. She had a few listings of Personal Taxes that needs to be removed after a three year period, as well as a listing of real estate taxes that need to be removed after a five year period. "On the real estate taxes, if not paid, we take them to the court house to be auctioned off, if not bought, I have to clear them off of the city books," said Crawford. The City Council approved to have them removed.

The council approved a new business license for WM Taxi Service that will serve the City Limit area of Portageville.

The council also set the dates for the annual Fall Clean up for October 17-21. The alderman then authorized the city's contract with Crawford Murphy and Tilley, Inc. (CMT) on building the new wastewater treatment plant.

Additionally, Mayor Floyd Simmons informed the council that some of the streets will be getting a new layer of asphalt. Paving began paving operations this past Monday.

The streets and places that will receive a fresh one and a half, (1 1/2") inch overlay include: West Fifth Street, from McCrate St. to MacArthur St.; West 6th st. from MacArthur to Huffman; West 7th St. from MacArther to Huffman; Red Building parking lot at Meatte Memorial Park; and Haynes Drive, beginning next to the Chinese Restaurant, the shipping area behind the restaurant, and the loop of Haynes Drive.

Then, the council approved the rezoning of properties at the request of the Planning and Zoning committee after a public hearing was held in July. There were 30 transactions.

Additionally, the City Council approved to be corporate sponsor for this year's soybean festival for a $1000 donation..

Finally, the council approved of the Municipal Judge's report, City Collector's report and the City Treasurer's report.

During the comments and reports from the aldermen is when things became interesting.

Alderwoman Lynn Doering said she was approached with a question, "When were we (the City) going to be seeking an accountant position?" Mayor Simmons said that as long as he has been on board there has never been without an accountant. He asked the other alderman if there has been accountant positions open.

Sam Tillman, who currently helps the board with their finances, offered to address the situation. "My work has been solicited more than once. I take offense to this and I have been here for nearly 20 plus years and prior to that, my dad has," said Tillman. Profession services are not put out for bid, because it operates behind a standard of ethics. My works stands by itself and it is professionally done, and it is done ethically. And, it is done right because I have got the education to do it."

"If the city wants to submit bids for that, they are more than welcome to. I take offense and I know where this is coming from and I think it is highly unethical. I am not going to submit a bid, and I don't believe it is the ethical thing to do," Tillman said.

The next item of discussion dealt with the City's Code Book. She doesn't have one and has to come to City Hall to looks things up. In the past, when a new alderman is elected, they received a copy of the late4st code book, or handbook. Doering said that she found a handbook dated March 2003, apart of which is in the Code Book. After a few minutes of discussion, that was put on hold for the executive session.

The next issue Doering spoke of concerned City Clerk Jenny Scherer. Scherer requested permission from Doering and Alderman Berry to go to a Clerk Conference in Dexter, Mo that dealt with Grant Writing. There was not cost involved. However, according to Doering, Mayor Simmons would not let her go. When he was ask why, Simmons said, "Jenny just had too much on your plate right now." Scherer ask Simmons to explanation of what he meant, "We will discuss this in executive session."

Also, Doering ask, "Did everyone on the Council received a letter packet from "Justice For All", and ask if anyone on the board knew about the problems just before we received this?"

"Yes, and we had discussed this about a month prior to the letter," said Alderman DeLisle. Simmons added, "We had discussed it here during a meeting."

Doering replied, "I have never missed a meeting, and we have never discussed this in any council meeting.

"We discussed this here. Ms. Lynn, you came on board when, April, May this year?" he asked. "No, I have been on here a year," replied Doering. It goes back to January this year, and that what I do not understand why did everyone know about this problem but me? That is discrimination against me!"

Simmons began asking other council members about a meeting with Vannessa Frazier with the Justice For All group. Alderman Berry said, "I do not believe it was actually during a City Council meeting when she was here. I believe it was a meeting with her with board members."

"I did not know anything about the meeting or this problem before hand. My feeling is this, I am an elected member of the Board of Alderman, and I believe that I need to be told about this things, and I have not been. There was a recent meeting about this held at the police department and all the other board members were called, but I was not. Now there is some sort of discrimination right there!" said Doering.

Simmons said, "If for some reason I missed you, that is my fault and for that I am sorry. I called Mr. James, but was out taking his wife to doctor, Vince was busy, and Joe was out of town. I called Mr. Terry about what was going on. I take this stuff very seriously, and if I missed calling you, I am terribly sorry."

Municipal Court Judge Chris Stinnett reported about the problem in the court room. "We've got an infestation of what has been called Sewer gnats by the pest control folks. Jonathan Thacker, City's code enforcement officer, has sealed all the old unused sewer lines, but it has not eliminated the issue. Hamilton Plumbing is coming to do a smoke test on the sewer lines."

After a few more minutes of discussion, the board voted to go into closed session, and the open meeting was adjourned.

The next regular monthly meeting of the City Council is set for Monday. October 3.

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