Civic Corner: Board of Aldermen Recap for August 4th

Ricki Garrett, Alderwoman at Large

 

The Board of Aldermen opened their first meeting of the month with a report from Director of Therapeutic Recreation, Chondra Broomfield.  She reported on the large number of citizens participating in the department’s activities.  She also shared upcoming events with the Board.

 

The Board approved, on a six to zero vote, with Alderman Martin absent, a corporate membership agreement, including add-on services from Boondocks Firearms Training Academy for an annual fee of $2,250.00 for training for the Clinton Police Department officers.  The Board also approved entering into a Memorandum of Understanding between the Clinton Police Department and the Hinds County Multidisciplinary Team (Child Advocacy Center) for the purpose of streamlining investigations and prosecutions of felony child abuse and exploitation offences.

 

In order to officially accept the twenty million dollars in funding awarded by the Legislature’s House Bill 603 for the Clinton Raymond Bolton Edwards Water and Sewer Plan Capacity Expansion Project, the Board of Aldermen authorized Mayor Fisher to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration.

 

The owners of Clinton Heights LP at 3000 West Northside Drive brought a dimensional variance request to the Board in order to make additions to the facility.  The Board unanimously approved the request.  The Board also approved the architectural review of the Fleetway Market at 550 Highway 80 West for the purpose of allowing it to be painted white.

 

The Board also approved the architectural review of the Huntcliff Vet Clinic expansion at 451 East Northside Drive.

 

In recent months, the Board has had extensive discussion of various zoning issues in the city.  In order to allow multi-use developments that would include residential offerings above retail space, the Board approved amendments to the Clinton Zoning Ordinance. Several developments of this type are being considered for locations in the city.

 

In the previous Board meeting the Board had tabled a request for a conditional use for 7Brew Coffee to be located at 109 Highway 80 East because of concerns regarding the type of construction for the project.  The owners returned with a proposal to construct the building using materials acceptable to the Board.  The owners also responded to concerns regarding traffic congestion with a workable plan for dealing with additional traffic related to the drive-through.  The Board approved the revised plans unanimously.

 

Mayor Fisher and the Board of Aldermen began this year’s budget discussions on Wednesday and Thursday and will continue the discussions with the department heads next week.  The budget process requires weeks of examining the various requests and trying to balance all of the needs of the city.  Once the Board agrees on a budget, then it is advertised and a public hearing is held.  The budget must be approved in an official meeting of the Board prior to September 15.