Civic Corner: Board of Aldermen Recap for May 16

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large

The Board of Aldermen met this week [May 16] and first heard from our Communications and Tourism Director, Marlee Price. Director Price was pleased to announce that our new website is closer to completion and should be ready by July 1. She also announced that there had been an impressive attendance at our first Job Fair of between 175 and 200 people. The Job Fair will be hosted twice a year. Director Price also reminded everyone to vote on June 6 at Traceway Park for the renewal of the 1% tax on hotels that will provide maintenance for our parks. She announced that seventeen trees had fallen at Traceway Park during a recent storm.

In a vote to move our massive sewer project further along, the Board voted to approve four individuals to the Big Black River Authority, which will be overseen by one representative each from Raymond and Bolton and four representatives from Clinton. The four Clinton appointees include Public Works Director Phillip Lilley; Mark Bailey; Rodney Harris; and Mayor Phil Fisher.

There is a lot of excitement about and questions regarding the 80/20 Project at the corner of Springridge Road and Highway 80. The Board of Aldermen accepted notice of approval from the 80/20 Committee of a traffic study and a wetlands study to be performed by Pickering Engineering.

The Board also approved the donation of a golf cart from Hales Equipment for the Clinton Fire Department and approved the acceptance of a $25,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Quality for our Household Hazardous Waste Day.

The beginning of our yearly paving projects are always exciting, and the Board approved to advertise for bid the list of 2023 paving improvements. This list is created every year as street paving projects move up the list, based on an evaluation of their condition. This year’s list included some paving projects in our parks that had been put on the list in 2018. Ward 2 Alderman Jim Martin requested that the Board exclude some of the park streets in favor of moving up some of the city streets, but a majority of the Board believed the park streets were equally important to consider. The Board voted six to one to approve the list as presented.

Following an Executive Session, the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to rescind a previous vote to approve a conditional use for a sober living facility on the property of Day Spring Community Church. In its previous meeting, Mayor Fisher had broken a three-to-three tie vote, with Aldermen Wilbanks, Godfrey and Lott voting yes, and Aldermen Oliver, Chapman and Garrett voting no, with Alderman Martin absent, to approve the conditional use for the project. In a review of the process, it was determined that the conditional use had not been advertised correctly, so the Board voted to rescind the previous vote, and the project will now go through the approval process again.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Space will be provided in each issue of The Clinton Courier to the Board of Aldermen for a recap of each meeting. Aldermen are asked to volunteer to provide this recap for the Courier.