The Itta Bena Board of Aldermen wrangled with infrastructure issues in a long meeting on Tuesday.
At the top of the list was water and sewer and whether customers should be charged for water tap hook-up or whether the city should shoulder that expense.
Newly elected Alderman Derrick Hart was the only vocal hold-out for relaying the cost of hook-up to the city.
“I’m against putting the burden on the customer,” Hart said, making a motion to table the issue until additional information was gathered.
City Clerk Edna Beverly indicated she had researched other towns of similar size and determined they require citizens to pay for hook-up. The cost in Itta Bena is about $350 per household.
Attorney Willie Perkins advised that the city has the right to adopt an ordinance requiring individual customers to pay the cost of tap water hook-up.
The issue was tabled, along with several others, including a discussion of how to deal with dilapidated housing that needs to be torn down.
Fire Chief Vonzell Self told the board that one property his department had been asked to burn was too close to another house to complete the task safely. A discussion of process ensued.
Perkins told the board that citizens had to be notified and given adequate time to respond in a hearing before action could be taken on any dilapidated property, or the board opened itself to lawsuits.
Codes inspector Victor Stokes presented a list of properties he had recently inspected. He said that there were a number of properties he would like to add to the demolition list but that the city has to be able to clean up after these houses are burned or knocked down, and that costs money Itta Bena doesn’t have right now.
Stokes identified a property at 118 Kennedy St. that was too unsafe to be hooked up to electrical service.
Utility linesman Maurice Mosley told the board he’d received a complaint from a homeowner who has a high or surging voltage problem and he wanted to make sure she understood that getting this problem repaired was her responsibility, not the city’s. The board approved notifying the customer that she needed to deal with the problem within 10 days of receiving a letter from them.
Mosley also brought up the problem of a number of properties he’d found that were “not in the system.” These were metered houses that may or may not have been receiving and consuming electricity from the city grid but were not being billed. Itta Bena’s utility billing problem has been a longstanding subject of contention with customers complaining about irregularities in their electric bills and very high charges in some cases.
Perkins urged Mosley to determine how much these errant customers owe the city and for the board to begin collecting on those accounts.
Beverly said she had been made aware of tenants who would move from one property to another they knew to be unoccupied without coming to City Hall to officially register the change of address or open an account with utilities.
Alderman Mildred Miller told the board she had received complaints from vendors about a transit vendor or mobile business that had been circulating through the neighborhoods without a tag. A discussion followed about the application by Crystal Thomas for a transit vendor license. Thomas was identified as the wife of Derrick Hart, who said he had operated the business in question for a number of years.
Perkins advised that Thomas needs to cease operating the business until the licensure process is completed. That entails securing bond for $2,000 and completing the permit process.
Perkins also advised that aldermen need to review the city’s ordinance on transit vendors.
Miller denied that her complaint was aimed personally at Hart, saying all constituents’ complaints need to come directly to the board.
“I don’t know you or your wife from a can of paint,” she said.
The issue was tabled until the board can review a copy of the ordinance.
In other city business:
•Beverly reported that she was working on getting a proposed budget together. The question arose of whether department heads had been asked to submit their budgets to the city, and the answer was no. Department heads present at the meeting representing the library, fire, police, utilities and public works were told to get a suggested budget to the city immediately. Beverly told the board that the auditor who was supposed to appear at this week’s meeting could not come until the Aug. 15 meeting.
•A claim has been filed with the insurance company for damages to the police station caused by a roof leak.
nJerry Carter appeared on behalf of the Leflore County High School Class of 1982 to invite the board to the first Stimulus Expo, set for Aug. 19 in Sunflower Park. Carter said the event would focus on the impact of people from Itta Bena out in the world, especially those from his class, and will feature “fun, friendship and giveaways,” including school supplies for local children. The board approved use of the park and water hook-up at the cost of $25.
•The board voted to replace Housing Authority board member Emmitt Riley, who has resigned, with Delbert Hudson, and reappointed board member Robert McClung for a new term.
•Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
