The Winona Board of Aldermen are mulling over whether to close the afterhours drop box for city water payments.
At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Winona Mayor and Board of Aldermen, Winona City Clerk June Williams asked the board to consider terminating the afterhours drop box for water payments.
“If we have a problem, it is always with the drop box,” Williams told the board.
She said after an incident earlier this week, Williams said she handled posting payments made through the drop box herself to determine how to make the system better. She said in addition to having to dig out payments from being stuck in the shaft, many people are dropping cash into the drop box – something that has become an administrative problem for the staff.
“Some people just put a name on the outside of the envelope and put cash inside and put it in the drop box,” Williams said. “We have had some that put cash in an envelope and do not write a name or anything on it. How are we supposed to know whose payment that is?”
The board took the suggestion under advisement but asked that the current “no cash in the drop box” policy be reinforced. There is currently a sign on the drop box telling customers not to put cash in the box, but it has been adhered to.
Williams said she and the staff will work to spread the word that cash will not be accepted in the drop box.
In other city news:
• The board approved an official pay scale based on rank at the Winona Fire Department. Until Tuesday, the fire department was the only department without an official pay scale.
• The board voted to award the bid for the new walking trail at the Winona Recreational Park to Double S, Inc. of Grenada for $205,800, $55,000 more than the grant awarded to the city for the trail by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. The city will pay for the overage with tourism tax revenues.
• The board adopted the proposed 2018-2019 Budget.
• The board adopted the proposed 2018-2019 budget for the Winona Montgomery County Municipal Airport.
• The board adopted the proposed 2018-2019 budget for the Winona Montgomery Public Library.
• The board accepted the resignation of Sgt. Devarius Smith at the Winona Police Department. The board approved hiring Cordaris Gholston and Jacob Edwards.
• The board accepted the resignation of Alonzo Robinson from the Winona Street Department. At the recommendation of Tony Palmertree the board hired Quentarius Tate and Cody Ward.
• The board granted permission to the Winona High School Booster Club to repaint the paw prints on Fairground Street.
