Meeting of the Southaven, Mississippi Mayor and Board of Aldermen - December 6, 2022

[0:06:50] everyone I'm now calling this meeting to order please stand with us we'll be leading prayer bottoman Gallagher please remain standing after that for the pledge of allegiance that will be led by Alderman at large George Payne Heavenly Father we come before you to ask your blessings on tonight's meeting Lord we uh thank you for this special time of year when we get to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Lord and Lord I pray that you would help us all to be a little Kinder and friendlier to one another Lord and Lord I pray that you would be with us during this board meeting today and help us with all the decisions in your name we pray amen pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all first on the agenda this evening is the approval of minutes from the November 15 2022 meeting second we've got a motion Waterman Hoots second Waterman paint is there any discussion hearing none roll call please yes yes the motion carries next on the agenda is the South Haven fire department release City attorney Mr Nick Manley yeah previously the board had approved the South Haven fire department working with the Sutter County Schools or different School associations as part of training and mentoring for students who may have an interest in firefighting and paramedics so tonight we're just bringing this release for the board to approve so each individual and or parent will sign the release before participating in the program so just need approval for the form of the release so that the fire department can start getting these signed for that program which way I like that motion

[0:08:53] second we have a motion bottom and pain second Alderman Hoots is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes that motion carries next on the agenda there's a resolution for emergency repairs yeah this resolution authorizes emergency repairs the amount of 6 764.85 to Upchurch Plumbing associated with the bathroom repair in city hall there's a couple items that weren't anticipated once the repairs began so the uh the resolution ratifies those repairs as needed for the bathrooms in City Hall Mr make that motion second we have a motion by Alderman pains second order me Kelly is there any discussion hearing none roll call please yes yes yes yes that motion carries next on the agenda is a contract with DeSoto County Sheriff Department yeah this contract we've done before it's just it's the authorization for the Sutter County Sheriff's search and rescue team they utilize a stone Grove irrigation Pond to train and so it's part of that contract they agreed to identify us along providing their certificate of liability insurance no cost to them for doing it for the training but it allows them to use our pond for that training and they coordinate with Wes Brown before doing anything so just authorization for the mayor to sign that contract with the DeSoto County search and rescue team I'll make a motion second we have a motion of alderman wheeler second Alderman Flores is there any discussion mayor I was just going to say I was looking here it doesn't list us as an additional insured it just lists us a certificate holder so we may want to add

[0:10:57] our we may ask them to add us as an additional insured okay yeah we'll get that request that okay Andrew you note that in a minute thank you any other discussion hearing none all in favor say aye aye any opposed say no I just haven't motion carries next on the agenda's recommendation for bid Awards Dan Mr Dan Cordell you switch sides mayor board um we have three tonight the first one is Getwell Road multi-use Trail it connects um nail road that that stretch Point nail Road May Boulevard with a connected multi-use Trail lit is going to be on the east side we're going to correct the drainage and put piping and everything right now it just shoots flow sheet flows onto a side road ditch the low bed was 662 872 dollars with Phillips Contracting we recommend being a ward tonight and asking for approval from their signed contract documents any and all document I'll make that motion do we make one motion you can do all these at one time okay okay so if anybody uh has a question about a specific one when Dane gets through it all of them we'll just go to whichever specific item there there needs to be discussion about we also had two term contracts this this past year that did not renew due to pricing increases related to their previous term contracts the first one was the striping and marking uh term contract would rebid that even though there's an amount that we use to review the bids we actually issue yearly a list for them to do but to compare bids the apparent low was

[0:12:59] Riverside traffic which was our previous term contractor I'll recommend award for them the load bid was 380 680 dollars uh but it is not a set amount contract that we give them so we're recommending approval for them as the contractor for that that would that that term contract the other uh term contract is for full depth Reclamation which again we had prior we don't use it all the time but there are certain roads that have insufficient substructure and in that case we use full depth recognition to fix it we actually used it around the Lander Center in some areas if you're familiar so we actually have two bids uh on them we're recommending as low as in primary bitter Lehman Roberts which currently has a contract with us on the other Cy Paving term contract theirs is in an amount of 873 750 dollars we would also like to recommend award to a first alternate bidder to give us the option if Lehman Roberts cannot get to the work in a timely fashion to give us ability to use the first alternate boob con which we have used in the past and some things they were slightly out at 894 600 dollars we're recommending award and approval by the May approval for the mayor's on all those contracts I'll make that much second we have a motion modern wheeler second motorman Flores is there any discussion any discussion on any of the items a b or c hearing none roll call please yes yes yes yes yes that motion carries next on the agenda's approval of the final change order and payout for the field Turf project at Green Brook and Snowden Grove Parks this

[0:15:02] work has been completed for really over a year we've been going back and forth over the paperwork but the first thing that we're asking for approval on is an adult a deductive change order in the amount of 14 663.99 we do a full quantity assessment at the end of it to do unit adjustments it resulted in the negative decrease in the contract amount uh so we're asking for approval for that deduct change order um and then we have based off of that deduction and contract we have of the last and final pay application which releases some work money but most of it's retainage that we held until it was finally and that final payment is in the amount of 177 661.98 and that'll close out this contract we're asking for y'all's approval for the change order first and then the proper for us to process that paper some of the second we have a motion mommy Gallagher second monitor Flores is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes that motion carries thank you thank you next on the agenda's authorization for the South Haven fire department to seek approval for bids yeah yeah yeah just the South Haven fire department's bids uh or current bids and quotes expires into this year for their uh uniforms just need authorization to go see um bids for uniforms be a reverse action and Central Committee second the motion modern Hoots second bottom and Jerome is there any discussion hearing none roll call please yes yes yes yes yes no motion carries

[0:17:08] next on the agenda is a resolution for information technology Surplus to Surplus those uh items not needed for the high tech department in accordance with 17 Missy Code 17 25 25. I'll make the motion second the motion Alderman Kelly second bottoman wheeler is there any discussion roll call them yes yes that motion carries next on the agenda is the parks department Professional Services contract yeah this agreement Correctional Services is Rose kawasak um to help facilitate and run and post through that host but facilitate and run at least eight softball tournaments at the city parks it's the same individual we've been contracted with for the last seven eight years so it'd be a one-year contract until the end of 2023 either party can terminate with 30-day notice but it was a recommendation of the parks director to continue Contracting with rose kawasak as we've done in the past so tonight in the documentation for the mayor to sign a Professional Services agreement with Miss Council I'll make that motion a second we have a motion modern wheeler second motorman Jerome is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes that motion carries next on the Jenna's resolution for a sole source purchase yeah this resolution for sole source purchase is with the point of sale system that is going to be needed for the amphitheater based on the specs that are required along with the information I mean along with the qualifications needed this was the only uh First Data Management

[0:19:10] Services LLC was the only entity that could actually provide what was needed and it's due to the mobile device act they're the ones who produce it I mean who uh created and Market it so they have their own POS Hardware their own payment Terminal Hardware along with they don't have to have a separate third party getaway or gateway to get away Gateway and then it also has a Perpetual um inventory component which is native to what they create so this is the only entity that could provide those in those services that are needed um at this jump so we're still working on the contract portion of the purchase so if any for any approvals tonight I would make it contingent upon us getting the contract finalized because there are some revisions I had to make to that contract but I'm still waiting to hear from them all so if we do want to go ahead and approve it we need to make it continued upon vinyl review and acceptance of the contract as based on the revisions that have been proposed foreign discussion so do we want to do that or we just want to table it you're I mean that's your call I'm okay either way do you want to do it if you want to do it make the resolution for the sole source contingent upon the contract and we don't the resolution would not be signed by the mayor it's contracts finalized where he signs both that's fine with me um if you're on table that's fine with me but if you want to go ahead don't I think the only concern is this time and so and I know we meet again in two weeks but if it does get finalized later this week later next week it does that one week does help getting everything going because after that I'm good with the contingency yeah only thing is after the 20th 21st 22nd between then and the year just being blunt people aren't going up to work that much so um I think we did tonight Megan can change it and the mayor won't sign anything until we have that until he signs both the contract and the resolution if it's not done by next meeting we'll bring it up again so if that's okay with the board yeah good

[0:21:15] any other discussion hearing none roll call please yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no motion carries next on the agenda is a resolution for Lanes yeah this is the resolution we do every year pursuant the Mississippi code 21 1911 that allows us to file the liens for those uh grass cuttings that were done that for Condemned properties so tonight the documentation for the mayor to sign the resolution and it does include the 250 penalty which is uh Allowed by Mississippi State law and these are the Bills will then be transferred to assessments so that we can still continue to collect on these uh property cuttings German second we have a motion modern Hoots second motorman pain is there any discussion hearing another roll call yes yes yes yes no motion carries next on the agenda is our planning agenda Miss Whitney so our first application is a subdivision approval of a one lot subdivision for the Horn Lake Creek base and Interceptor Sewer District this is going to be south of Stanton Road West of Tulane Road it's a really odd shape lot you see right there and it kind of hugs the West line of our training facility for the police and fire access that narrow area you've got right there is where the access is going to come off of Stanton Road and where the Horn Lake Creek Interceptor sewer facility is going to be in and the larger rectangle to the South End by the creek line uh it is 7.3 acres and again it does have a 50 foot wide access drive from the road south to the actual property it has minimum requirements set forth in the ordinance it is an industrial lot and it was but

[0:23:19] recommended for approval of Planning Commission Mayor Mike emotionally approved item number one on the planning agenda second on item one we have a motion ballroom and Hoops second Alderman pain is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes yes yes yes that motion carries our second application is for phase partial form sorry parcel 4 of Central Gardens subdivision uh if you'll remember we had a large PUD that came in which was a mixed-use development you'll see highlighted there in red that went all the way from Airways Boulevard on the north side of Brasco and then carried somewhat to the South side where you see that triangle piece that's the piece in question tonight just the triangle on the south side it has been proposed for single family um Lots in a gated community for active seniors and it is proposed as Row Housing the Planning Commission did ask for a detailed set of covenants to include the rental agreements facades design materials which you'll see there amenities and the association dues to make sure that that doesn't fall Upon Us in the long run once those had been addressed the Planning Commission did vote unanimously in favor of it just may have like the motion to uh prove item number two on the planet agenda as presented second one item two have a motion Barnum and Jerome second bottom and Hoots is there any discussion Whitney isn't there a creek or a ditch in there with some flooding issues if you go to uh the master design of this those are the elevations but there should be a portion in there on the south end of this there is a floodway there's the large Creek system and there's floodway floodway cannot be built on can't even put a parking lot on it they have left that open and they are proposing that as part of the open space or living in a natural setting so it's not going to be touched

[0:25:22] and we are in quality and quantity of water in terms of storm water so we'll maintain what's already flowing there not to aggravate that Creek line at that point okay will some of this help it out because I know back years ago when was it 2013 when we had one of the heavy rains uh 100 Year rains I know that some of the homes on Blair Drive had flooded a little bit the they're in a flood zone the town homes that were there they were already in a flood zone over there because this will not be unfortunate flood zone whatsoever but what we want to ensure when we come in and and build it like I said there's a master plan as part of this booklet uh you'll see that all of the developed areas where the Lots will be where the amenities are they're actually located north of it um and then where we've left the natural state is where we'll let the water permeate and slow down as it gets to the creek line but we'll work with civil link the entire time to make sure that the the quantity of water going into that Creek line is not going to be aggravated so this is a great addition by the way I think we saw the initial proposal seems like it's been a couple years ago but this is you know new construction you know in our central part of our city we hadn't had you know any new construction in that area in a while so I think it's a good concept you know having the the homes there and you know the mixed use will be coming in the area as well so I think it's going to be a nice little addition to that that part of our city looks great I think yeah I agree Eagle move over there no okay any other discussion on two hearing none roll call please yes yes yes yes yes that motion carries item number three is an application uh for Silo Square commercial Lots 33 36 and 38. these are gonna be on the North End of the

[0:27:24] commercial District uh on the north and south side of what's called Market Square Avenue now uh the one you have to the far west is where you're going to see the farmers market come into play uh the two lots that you see up front are for office uses I believe they're already sold and I'll have the site plan and design review in front of you soon enough um but uh the only thing different with this is they're um our 50-foot right away is added in for Mayberry lane and then it's an extension of the existing uh right-of-way that we've already dedicated and taken on as a city street so Market Square Avenue will carry with these Lots um they'll build it up to code they'll dedicate it just they've done the rest of the silo square area and we'll take it on as a city street so um it was compliant with commercial regulations set forth in the ordinance and voted unanimously in favor by the Planning Commission Mr Mayor I make a promotion that we approve item number three on the planning agenda as presented tonight second on item three you have a motion bottom and Flores second ottoman Gallagher is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes yes yes that motion carries and so in an effort not to be repetitive because this the next three items um are all associated with the same project a couple years back we submitted um an application for an RV park with some cabins and some open space and some RV settings on the north side of Airways on the west side of I mean on the north side of State Line Road West of Airways behind the the C store and very Bush Lawns Insurance Company well to do the master plan for that you can see there's three different subdivisions incorporated into that master plan but to do the master plan we have to have them all in a cohesive subdivision so the next three applications are simply removing those lots that you have with your applications on your packet they're removing those lots from all of these different subdivisions one's Ratner

[0:29:27] one's Park Place and one is blcs they're actually removing those lots vacating Those portions of those subdivisions pulling them out so the next time they come in with a subdivision application they'll all be combined as one so that we can formally do the comprehensive design for the RV park and from a title standpoint it will all match up all of them follow suit with the covenants in those that say that if you remove a lot you have to have the adjacent Property Owners north south east west anything touching that they all will abide by that but the comments are the same they all meet the requirements that condition is put in the staff report so we will not afford those revisions until those signatures have been put in place and we will not bring forward the combined subdivision until these are all recorded So we recommended approval and Planning Commission voted unions in favor of it we need to do those separately Nick I don't know how Nick wants to do it but it would be items uh four five and six once you if you're if you make a motion for all three and then if anyone has any concerns among the board then we'll back up okay okay Mr Mayor moved to approve items number four five and six on the planning agendas presented this evening second we have a motion on items four five and six for Alderman Kelly second Alderman Poots is there any discussion regarding any of the Third hearing down the roll call please yes that motion carries so our final application it's I'm sure everybody's noticed that the Steak and Shake is gone it's South Crest Parkway and Goodman Road and the black and white building has been removed uh Chase Bank did take on that lot bought it demoed it and they want to come up with a vertical Chase Bank you'll see the design review in front of you very neutral tones they're using the cement panel boards brick for the facade kind of a modern appeal to it

[0:31:31] there were some comments regarding their lighting decorative lighting is required so they're submitting to us kind of a modern design for that we did make some adjustments to the landscaping and kind of asked them to enhance the Goodman Road area because there's a lot of galvanized metal and overhead power lines that really deter um aesthetically from that corner so they're going to do an enhancement there for us but we do see it as a positive it will also lessen traffic there so um as we've discussed in the past with some other Quick Service restaurants that wanted to go in there we did a traffic analysis it is obviously already congested uh the removal of one of the Quick Service restaurants and the bringing in of a bank actually will help that so Planning Commission thought is a positive they did not not have any comments regarding the facade itself and recommended approval with those minor comments on landscaping and photometrics yeah they were out there surveying today actually Mr Mayor I make the motion to approve item number seven on the planning agenda that's presented second when item seven we have a motion by ottoman Jerome second by Alderman Payne is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes yes yes yes okay and that motion carries there is one other item that we tabled at the last meeting we did not get it on the uh on the agenda this time because we weren't done with discussions on trying to frame everything up and finalize the details but y'all know the discussion we had the lengthy discussion about the diamonds of Snowden Grove the request to rezone that piece of property to allow a hotel and so the board asked at the last meeting that we go back and that we set the conditions for a conditional use permit and so our planning director has done that and we were able to meet again today and finalize that in written format which is the memo that's that's here tonight and so I just want to give the board an opportunity if you felt comfortable we

[0:33:34] feel like it's complete and it's ready now and if y'all are willing to go ahead and vote on that tonight I just want to give you that option if not then we'll put it back on the agenda for the uh the meeting on the 20th Mr battle excited off the table a second okay so we have a motion to vote tonight Baltimore wheeler second Waterman Flores um the discussion basically I'll I'll review that again uh basically what our concern the concerns were expressed by the board and uh and by me at the last meeting was uh because it's such a crucial piece of property in a high profile location adjacent to Snowden Grove Park and in our Entertainment District we want to make sure that that we don't open that up just to any hotel you know that may that may sell out you know in the future and become less maintained and less and less successful as a hotel and we felt uncomfortable without laying some specifics out there that would prevent prevent that so uh so what Whitney has recommended uh the SRT chain scale is the official rating scale of hotels and they rate the hotels in the different categories so what is in that area now is is what they call classified as middle upper and then you could go to Upper and upper upscale or luxury you know so we know that if we put these conditions on there that whatever brand of hotel that comes we won't get into another 45 minute debate about what is is this and what's not this and and who this is and who they're not like the meeting kind of got a little a little crazy so this will will guarantee that we don't have to have that discussion we know that whatever the brand is that they're going to be rated this and it will be a high quality hotel for many years in the future and then the other thing is um as you'll note that we indicated that the hotel not the parent company as y'all know many uh parent companies have subsidiary uh corporations there will be different hotels that could be a range of different ones on the SRT scale so

[0:35:38] this just uh verifies that it's that specific Hotel not the parent company which is a very good move on Whitney's Park and then the other thing is just indicates that the restaurant must be detached obviously with the hotel of that caliber in this area it's likely that a hotel I mean excuse me a restaurant would want to follow that development and so this just guarantees that it's not just a restaurant that's stuck in the hotel that is a freestanding hotel in that same property so anyway I think it was a I think the conditions are good they're solid so floor is open for any other discussion so this protects Us in the city in the future say if this hotel chain sells to another hotel they still have to adhere to these this variants that condition will stay it runs with the property it runs with the land not the actual applicant that comes in so it runs with the land so yes uh the conditional use there each time it it we do conditional uses in five-year increments and we do it even though something may be there for years and years to come it allows us to have a check and balance so you know in five years we check still compliant we carried on uh so if at any point in time it sells and a new tenant space wants to come in into that conditional use we can ensure that it meets those standards as well and that's what I'm talking about when I say not the brand but the rating that gives us that protection because as you all know it's very common it's happened in our city over the years where the new development comes in and it's one thing then they you know let a few years go by and they sell out to another and then the demand for the property changes throughout our city and then so then you're left of the development that's not so shiny as it was you know a decade prior to that so this protects us there as Whitney stated so I feel good about it now still the concern about it being a little close to the park um you know because that's kind of jammed in there but I really believe if it's if it meets these standards I think the good outweighs the bad and I think we can work like we talked about last

[0:37:42] meeting work with the the architectural drawings and where it's placed on the property I think we can work around that to make it a good development for us if it meets these standards I feel confident planning can can address any issues that we that the city would have with that and and the last thing I would add to that is I'm reminding y'all what you already know but uh you know we're making decisions for what can happen in the future you know uh the the property owner uh very respectable businessman in our community would have no doubts whatsoever that he's going to try to do something in a quality way but we have to know that once he sells that property he's out and so whatever he wants is pretty much without us having standards like this in place that we the city could be at risk in the future so anyway I think we accomplished our mission Whitney have we ever done anything like this before we conditionally use permits on on several but I mean anything this strange I wouldn't call it strenuous I think the problem you have with this one that makes it a little different is this is in in the discussions of the initial branding that wanted to come here it's the first time we've ever come across one that's never been identified on our scales we we classify our hotels and we always have classified our hotels under the SRT chain scale so when we were approached with the initial branding it wasn't there so you know that was that was something new we took on um and I like I said with it being equivalent to what's already over there it gave it an even playing field but it was one step further on this one simply because that's something we've never come across and and we want to make sure that whatever comes in there is a vetted financially stable good amenities good price point that's that's even with everybody else around there too so have we ever done to a hotel system before no um but there was a reason behind it and you know I know you've been talking with uh the landowner over there is she in agreement with what we have here we've been talking back and forth uh several times uh I did get an email from him just before the meeting he's agreeable to this and he understands

[0:39:45] that even when this happens tonight the conditional use permit still has to be applied for and the The Branding still has to come in front of this board in its own formal approval so um he is willing to do that any other discussion Nick do we have to vote to take it off the table first before you motion to take it off the table or we allow this standards that are still require D we hadn't voted the first time yet so if there's is there any other discussion then we'll do we'll do just that hearing none all in favor say aye aye any opposed say no I just have a motion carries so now is there a motion to approve this uh these stipulations for the future conditional use permit Mr Brown make that motion I'll second it we got a motion modern wheeler second motor and Flores any other discussion real call please yes yes yes yes yes okay that motion carries thank you okay next on our agenda is our mayor's report uh have several things I want to update everyone about tonight the first thing is um y'all know that we've had a third party contractor to cut condemn properties in the city and that contract had uh had expired and we had another company was stepping up and doing that for us temporarily and so we started talking about that our Whitney and our planning director and our Public Works director made a presentation of me and a suggestion that we bring that in-house you all know the frustrations I know all of y'all have been frustrated with the amount of time that it takes when we have a condemned property you know in the summertime and the grass is tall and so not only are we waiting on the court process and everything then when we do

[0:41:48] condemn it then we're waiting on to get on the contractor schedule and so the bad thing about that is a lot of times by the time we get the property cleaned up then it's going grass starts growing again and by the time we go through the process they're in the same situation so we we do that with these problematic properties all summer long and so what we're proposing doing is bringing that in-house and us start cutting those that gives us a discretion on when we do it we can do it quicker we've had numerous discussions about you know just cutting the grass it may cut down on your safety your rodents your snakes your things like that but it still looks bad you have weeds growing over the sidewalk the whole deal and so bringing in house unfortunately to our guys that they're probably not liking what I'm about to say but then I get discretion on what it looks like and so it's going to look a lot better and we know that we have a a public works director that shares those quality standards and and he believes that that we have uh that we will eventually be able to add the Personnel to keep us and we can go ahead we have money budget now to go ahead and get the basic equipment you know lawn mowers weed eaters stuff like that so no vote tonight I'm just prepping y'all that we don't need to do anything at this point but the plan is to bring the management of condemned properties back in house and let our public warrants Department do it I think everybody will see that as a huge benefit and so our other goal that's related to this discussion is y'all know that we've had vacant positions in our public works department for about five years now and we've been struggling to find the people to fill those spots our new director Robert booth has come a long way already I think we're down to only one vacancy now and so the reason we didn't put additional Personnel in this budget is because we had ones that weren't filled in the past and so in mid-year we're going to be asking to add you know between two and four new personnel and these Personnel can manage these condemned properties during the summer

[0:43:51] months and during the winter months they can they can start doing work on other things potholes and other stuff you know throughout the public works out operation so our goal has been to expand our public works department because we need more workers and we've just not been able to fill those spots but the good news we believe that we're going to get there and that we can uh you know do a better job of The Condemned properties but any questions that Mike said no no action requested uh I'll come back before you sometime in March and we'll start preparing make sure we got our equipment and our Personnel so I'll come to you then with a with a proposal on how we pay for it how we adjust the budget for that any questions tonight about that y'all like that I do okay um okay and then the next thing we've talked briefly about a major project in our city the the LED street light conversion uh this is something that's been discussed for quite a while uh Entergy has um has started the conversion process and basically what this does is just change the changes the light fixtures from the old standard bulbs to the new led the benefit to the city is it gives us better light which is always a factor in fighting crime in our city the more light you have it's uh statistically cuts down or is a deterrent for Crime so it's important for that and it's also important for the delays in getting the service of the lights when they go out y'all know we've had struggles with that the amount of time it takes to get a street light back on we it just never made sense to me that it takes three months to get a straight line back on and so enter G we've uh communicated that with Entergy and so this led conversion solves that problem too it would these things are bold that don't go out for a much much much longer time so we think this is going to be a great project for us and the schedule is they're going to do um they're going to go by War starting in Ward one I understand that they have bounced around a little bit to some of the wards but the major priority of completion is going to be starting in Ward one and going through six in that

[0:45:54] order and it's a project that's expected to take two and a half years to complete but the good news tonight is it is underway so we're happy about that Dizzy Dean baseball and softball y'all know that's been a big thing for our city for many years as things have changed regarding competitive Sports in the United States it's changed the the Recreational Sports Dizzy Dean is a Recreational Sports League it's a great League been around for many many years we've been blessed in the city to host the World Series and we got that extended in 2014 for another 10 years over that time period there have been changes again due to the just the Dynamics of of the kids like so many kids now have chosen to play competitive softball and baseball so it has decreased the participation in Dizzy Dean and so we have seen declining numbers over the last few years in Dizzy Dean and so we realized that we had to make some adjustments this is a 2014 contract and the amount of money that went to Dizzy Dean from the city was based on the participating teams and that number has been nowhere near in the ballpark is what it was until 2014 so we requested that Dizzy Dean make some consolidations on the instead of having multiple weeks that they have the tournament since the participation is not as great as it used to be we've asked them to do a consolidation of their tournaments to make them bigger so they're not weak for a lot of days it's more you know kind of more bang in a short period of time more excitement more competition when you have more teams in the tournament and also adjust the pay scale which saves the city money if there's not as many teams so we have done that and made a proposal to Dizzy Dean they have accepted that and so just want to let you know that I'll be adding that to an agenda to bring that to your attention on a future agenda to approve that but we feel like it's going to be a healthy thing y'all know that we have the agreement with perfect game we think now that having perfect game there is maximizing our number of competitive events we have some tournaments now that

[0:47:59] we're attracting teams from places around the country that we've never had before so it just to the tourism benefit to our city but we've been able to preserve the Dizzy Dean agreement too and make it all work so we've got perfect gain but then we still have the time for Dizzy Dean as well so I feel really good about it it just gives a a fun time for all the kids whatever your skill set is there's a place for all of our kids to compete and have a big time so I think it's going to be a really good thing for us moving on um y'all heard me talk about the rasco Greenbrook Parkway traffic signal uh y'all know that's by Green Brook Elementary School and that signal has to be changed so we can add turning lanes and it's mainly just want to let everybody know that we haven't forgotten about that we've been working on that that's in process it's just crazy how long it takes to get the materials in to do a change to a traffic to an intersection and so just want you to know that that project is underway it's just taking us time to to get it moving same thing with Getwell Road South widening project I mean you know it's just it's one of the craziest things that we applied for federal funding for this project in 2015. what's today December 6 of 2016. what is this what year is it that's a long time it's 2022 and so we have been begging and crying and yelling and screaming and fighting all kinds of obstacles because it is a major need in our city I mean it is that beside besides a uh federal or state highway system it is the most congested area in our city and we need to get this project underway and the good news is that uh I've been told that you know we got the bid awarded waiting to have a pre-con meeting but the good news is this thing's going to be under construction before March 1. obviously we're in bad weather time but no later than March 1 this thing is for Real going to be under construction in 2023. so that's a great news for us

[0:50:03] carrying on tulahoma and Goodman y'all know that um that a few years ago we we finalized the Central Park um tulahoma multi-use trail that went South from Central Park on tulahoma uh South crosses Goodman Road and go south on Tullahoma to May Boulevard as the May Boulevard road is extended from Getwell all the way to tulahoma there's going to be another multi-use Trail through there so at that point which should happen in 2023 that will connect the trail all the way from Baptist hospital we put in designated bike Lanes down to Clarington those cross Sweeney and go through Central Park and then come out to this multi-use Trail on tulahoma then they carry southbound across Goodman and they're going to connect to May so when that connects all the multi-use trails that have been done at Stone Grove Park one of them that we approved tonight and the other one that was finished two years ago and then the other Improvement is going to come connect all those and this will be the longest pedestrian Trail in the history of DeSoto County so that is Insight so in 2023 we expect that to happen I have had just a few conversations with MDOT I know they're tired of me talking about this but I don't know about you but I don't feel comfortable Crossing Goodman Road on my on my feet and so uh we're not we've had discussions about just like we have a pedestrian bridge over get well we've had discussions years ago with MDOT about a potential pedestrian bridge that would go over Goodman obviously that's extra money for them they're not too keen on the idea and so if we can't get that then my plan has been to always do something different here to catch the attention of drivers y'all know Goodman Road is an animal of its own the traffic that's on Goodman the speeds and everything it's very dangerous so what I have requested from MDOT is that they allow us to do extra painting on the street striping to Mark the road on both sides of tulahoma

[0:52:08] and then to put extra signage there to just send that message way in advance y'all may know this but many trucks big trucks make a decision before they get to an intersection if you don't know this I'm sorry to have to tell you this but they make a decision before they go through the intersection if they're going or not so regardless of what happens with the traffic light they make a decision in advance if they're going to stop or they're going to go we've had some serious accidents on Goodman Road in the past because of that and so for that reason I want to do signals in advance of the intersection to send that message to drivers and hey this is not normal Goodman Road this is a special section it's got a pedestrian Crossing it's time to notice to slow down and so we're we've been working on that to get approval on a permit from MDOT I did achieve that this past week I got to go ahead and so now it's just a matter of Designing exactly where we want it and what we want the striping to say y'all approved an extension of our striping contract so that company will be the one that does those markings but what I've requested is something like you would see it um where the pavement is painted at I-55 in Goodman where they have the lanes like you know you have the signage but they have paint on the pavement too to tell you which lane to get in so this would be something that way in advance would say you know caution pedestrian Crossing something like that um with extra signage and things like that so anyway we're working on that and had a little bit of progress this week on getting MDOT to agree to that but it is exciting that eventually there's going to be um not me but there'll be people that are crossing the road right um and that is uh let me scan my list that is basically all I have this evening anybody got any questions for me about any of those topics I think we heard anything else back about the debris vacuum truck I mean that's something that we're looking at a bigger picture where we're wanting to get our own Crews like as you know we've made it we have a change in leadership in our public works department and so Robert Booth is our new director Robert

[0:54:12] and I have met numerous times we've ridden the city together to communicate areas that we think we can do better in and so we're getting that project underway we got our new Personnel doing other things now sweeping those intersections doing things that we can do with hand and that has already occurred so some of the islands at the intersections where you'll see little pieces of debris from car wrecks that accumulate there we're already starting to get those swept up and cleaned up so we're already doing that with this new conversion and Personnel but then we're going to revisit what you requested that's still on the table after we get this going we're going to go back and look and see is it feasible for the existing contractor to do this or do we need to look at buying our own equipment so that's something that we're still in the process of analyzing that but I will report back to you on that there's several of us that don't know who Robert Booth is we know that Booth would you please come forward please sir he loves attention so he was waiting on this opportunity I mean you know I I've asked several people and they go this is Robert Booth this is the uh you're the legend we've heard all about it as of October 1st 2022 this is the new Public Works director for the city of South Haven all right that's it you know I know he doesn't like to talk about himself but I'll just tell you this uh he he's in this position because he's the man that we want there this guy is uh he's a problem solver in the 10 years that that I've been mayor I've relied on him for so many projects and uh you know Bradley would be the first to tell you that he relied on Robert a lot Robert has been the superintendent of our streets for many years and that goes from everything anything that has to do with streets Robert's done it Robert's been up on a in a bucket truck on Goodman Road putting street signs he's done everything we've asked him to do he's um he's a very skilled guy as far as equipment anything construction wise he can he knows the equipment he knows how to manage the people and he just he just

[0:56:16] done a great job for many years with our streets and now he's he's adapting to his new roles Public Works director but so far since October he's done an outstanding job I hope I can continue on how much gray hair did you have before you started I had some but so now it's starting to come out that's not happening back in the last month has it started coming hey I'd rather turn gray than fall out the public works as you all know is a very broad Department Public Works the the things that Christy Faulkner can vouch for this statement the things that people get the most excited about uh are their garbage pickup which sanitation is under his authority all the sanitation he manages that and then your streets your potholes your street lights that's the man that takes super supervisory Authority you know over all that and so in Animal Control you know we have Perry Mason that's our director of Animal Control but he he uh he reports to our Public Works director so those are those are huge departments and so it's a big job so yeah probably gonna have some more growth so anyway that that's where we stand with uh like I told you we're gonna make some adjustments and that looking at that additional equipment is something that Robert is is any other questions okay let's move on um next on our agenda is our utilities billing leak adjustment docket Personnel doctors did I miss something yeah yeah okay my bad my bad he's getting it Mr Mayor move we approved the Personnel docket that's presented on the state we have a motion by Alderman Payne second modern wheeler is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes yes yes yes yes the motion carries did you have anything

[0:58:20] there okay City attorney's uh legal update is next a couple quick items that were added uh Friday or in Monday um the first one is the uh went to bed for a an ambulance reverse auction for 2023 ambulance so it was a striker Power Pro XT structure with wings and IV pole and Equipment hook a low investment bid was in the amount of 318 318 106 from emergency vehicle Specialists so authorization to purchase that perspective a bit thank you we're emotional modern Hoops second Monitor and pain is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes no motion carries uh next is a resolution for our Surplus Italian police department vehicle in accordance with Mississippi code 1725-25 subsection 5. it was a total loss vehicle from a wreck by Travelers who need objection to Surplus that vehicle um to Travelers so move check it got a motion modern Gallagher second moderman wheeler is there any discussion hearing none roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes the motion carries and then last is uh approval to transfer a vehicle uh 2013 Ford Explorer um asset number 5129 um to Shelter Insurance as a claim in the amount of Thirteen thousand six hundred dollars it was a total loss same situation insurance is paying as opposed to getting repaired just paying the value of the vehicle which is so authorization for that transfer in accordance with 25-1-47 Mission code so moved second we have motion Monument Flores second Alderman wheeler is there

[1:00:22] any discussion hearing none roll call yes yep yes yes the motion carries next on the agenda's utilities billing leak adjustment docket Mr Mayor move we approved the utility bill leak adjustment docket as presented on the state well second we have a motion Alderman pain second Waterman Jerome is there any discussion Muddy Waters lives in South Haven Muddy Waters lives in South Haven I know I've seen that I thought it was cool I think it's a relative I don't know I thought it was funny too there was a toilet leak yeah they're actually that's a large rental property all right oh interesting name all right if you like Blues any any other um any other discussion hearing none roll call yes that motion carries next on the agenda this one claims docket Mr Mayor we approved the claims Docket in the amount of three million 524 124.69 including demand checks second we have a motion Alderman pain second bottoman Flores is there any discussion hearing none roll call me yes yes yes that motion carries next on the agenda is the purpose of determining the need for executive sessions oh second we have a motion Waterman Hoots second

[1:02:24] Waterman Jerome on bearish AI any opposed say no I just haven't motion carries the need this evening is potential and ongoing litigation involving the city Economic Development within the city Personnel in the South Haven Police Department and interdepartmental personnel with no action so is there a motion to declare executive session so we it's like a motion ottoman Gallagher second bottoman wheeler all in favor say aye the opposed say no I just haven't motion carries and mayor and boredom now in our executive session

Captured 2026-07-26 · source: youtube.com/watch?v=Hrpd7e3jnuI