The Winona Board of Aldermen met Monday, Nov. 25, after rescheduling from Nov. 19 due to lack of quorum. Three aldermen attended the rescheduled session, meeting the minimum requirement for conducting city business. Ward 2 Alderman Travis Johnson and Ward 5 Alderwoman Linda Purnell were absent.
The first agenda item was approval of the Oct. 15 regular meeting minutes. However, since Ward 1 Alderman Mickey Austin was the only current attendee who had been present at the Oct. 15 meeting, the Board lacked sufficient participation for a valid vote. Alderman Austin motioned to postpone the approval until the Dec. 3 meeting, with Ward 4 Alderman Charles Harris seconding the motion. The motion passed unanimously. However, the Board proceeded to approve the minutes from the Nov. 4 regular meeting. Alderman Harris made the motion, Alderman Austin seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.
The next several items on the agenda were approved swiftly and unanimously. Those items included the payment of the regular bills, the water and sewer adjustments, and the rental deposit reimbursements for the Community Center and Community House.
The next item on the agenda was to discuss the draft of the agreed order from MDEQ. This concerns the Wastewater facility being out of compliance with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality several months back. Mayor Aaron Dees said that he wanted City Attorney Adam Kirk to review the agreement before approving it. City Attorney Adam Kirk was present via telephone and said that he either did not receive the document in question or misplaced it.
“I would really like for the Attorney to look at all this before we make a decision on what we’re going to do and what we’re not going to do,” Mayor Dees said. “Our agreement was that we would pay $5,000 and then hold $5,000, and once they redid their sample test, we’d get that second $5,000 back. We’re going to have to pay something.”
Mayor Dees then addressed Attorney Kirk saying, “They came back Adam, and they wanted to do $10,000 and $10,000. So that’s basically what it’s stating, but I’d rather you look at it.”
“Yes sir, I’d be glad to,” Attorney Kirk responded.
The Board unanimously approved a series of items, including City Clerk Tracy Holcomb's attendance at the Winter Conference/Election Training, Attorney Kirk's attendance at the Winter MMA Conference, the updated Employee Handbook, the Municipal Compliance Questionnaire, and the closure of a Bank of Kilmichael account.
Lastly City Clerk Holcomb presented an invoice from Ana Blakely Davis for the work that she did for the downtown mural project.
“After she was approved to do it, she was the one that was chosen, she started doing artwork and then found out that we couldn’t do the artwork on the building that we had chosen. So, there’s a $1,400 bill that she’s claiming seven hours for design, research, and approval for mural. It includes all rights to the design created for this project.”
“My take on it is this, but y’all have the decision,” Mayor Dees addressed the Board members. “To me every one of those people that gave a proposal, or a bid did their research as to what they wanted on that property.”
“The invoice is for research, it’s not for materials, it’s not for all of that,” Mayor Dees continued.
“It’s for research after they had received the bid though, not before,” Alderman Austin responded.
Alderman Harris then requested Attorney Kirks opinion.
“The problem to me is, she made a bid, and the Board accepted her bid and agreed to pay her to do the work,” Attorney Kirk stated. “My knee jerk reaction is we said, ‘Okay go ahead’ and she went ahead, and we stopped her, and that’s what she incurred in between those points in time. So, I think we probably need to pay her.”
Alderman Harris made a motion to pay the invoice. Alderman Flowers seconded. All were in favor.
