Civic Corner: Board of Aldermen Recap

By Ward 6 Alderman James Lott III

The September 15, 2026, Board of Aldermen meeting began with the approval of a proclamation recognizing September 17 through September 23, 2026, as Constitution Week, commemorating the 239th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution.

The Board then approved the consent agenda items, which included minutes of the previous meeting and the claims docket, as well as approvals for professional development and training for City employees, including Police and Public Works personnel; $2,000 for the Faze4 concert at Lions Club Park; payments related to the Traceway Park 4-Plex Building Project; Public Works training, membership, and travel expenses; and $1,430 for a memorial plaque at Public Works.

Randi Jarnagin, Director of the Clinton Visitor Center, gave the department head report and shared several updates regarding activity, programming and improvements at the Visitor Center.

Since June 1, the Visitor Center has welcomed approximately 610 visitors, including 142 Clinton residents and 30 visitors from eight different countries.

Friday Nights at Milepost 89 has also continued to grow. Attendance increased from approximately 35 guests at the first event to more than 80 at a recent event, with the series attracting approximately 180 concert guests overall.

Randi also highlighted upcoming art and cultural programming at the Visitor Center; several free monthly music programs; plans to extend Friday Nights at Milepost 89 into the Christmas season; expansion of locally made products, artwork, books, and food items; a new children’s section focused on Mississippi and Clinton history and nature; new historical displays featuring items connected directly to Clinton’s history; ongoing facility improvements and the addition of 10 new volunteers over the past several months.

The Board approved the City of Clinton’s 2026-2027 Combined Budget. This was the final step in this year’s budget process following previous budget work sessions and the public hearing. During the discussion, the Mayor described the City as being on strong financial footing and thanked City employees and the Board for the work that went into preparing the budget.

The Board approved an ordinance to close and vacate an undeveloped portion of City right-of-way. During discussion, the City Attorney explained that the approximately 0.14-acre area in Cherry Park had originally been shown as a street but was never developed or used as one.

The Board approved an ordinance allowing the City to dispose of a small piece of real property near Leake Street that was determined to have no fair market value. The property was associated with a previous transaction but had not been included in the original conveyance.

The Board approved adding CAD Alert texting for the Police and Fire Departments to the City’s existing ADSi contract. The additional service will cost $177 per month, increasing the monthly contract from $3,670 to $3,847. Chief Hayman noted that even with the added feature, the updated agreement remains less expensive than the City’s previous monthly cost. The Board also approved a five-year agreement with Equature for Dispatch 911 telephone recording services at an annual cost of $7,231. The system records incoming 911 and other Police Department telephone communications and provides records that may later be needed for documentation or investigations.

The Board approved the summary change order, final payment request of $138,751.96 to ADCAMP, Inc., and project closeout documents for the 2026 Street Paving Improvements. During discussion, it was noted that three additional streets were added near the end of the project before closeout.

The promotion of Officer Damarius Cotton to Patrol Sergeant and the hiring of Cedric Hill as a Maintenance Worker I, pending completion of the hiring process was approved.

After a brief executive session, the Board returned to open session and announced that it had taken action to terminate a City employee.

Our work sessions are typically held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Courtroom, and our Board meetings are typically held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m. in the Courtroom.

Our next work session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on October 5, 2026 in the Courtroom.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on October 6, 2026 in the Courtroom.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by email or at 601-954-1628.

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.