Civic Corner: Board of Aldermen Recap
By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman-at-Large
Five members of the Board of Aldermen – Karen Godfrey, Jim Martin, Chip Wilbanks, James Lott and I – attended the Mississippi Municipal League Annual Conference in Biloxi to acquire invaluable continuing education on a variety of municipal issues.
The Municipal League, under the leadership of Shari Veazey and Clintonian Robbie Brown, offers three levels of certification for municipal officials, including Basic, Advanced and Professional. Board Members work through the various levels until they reach, as in my case, certification at the Professional Level. These classes are extremely valuable in learning best practices in everything from municipal planning to legal issues, economic development, finance, tourism and more. We are fortunate that our Board Members are taking the steps to become more knowledgeable and proficient in their roles.
The Board of Aldermen met this week for both a work session and regularly scheduled board meeting. During the work session, a group of homeowners were present to express concerns about damage to property on Pinehaven Drive caused by continuing development in Copper Creek. Homeowner John Breeland presented the concerns related to excessive silt, soil and water flowing from the addition of four houses in Copper Creak, causing extensive damage to yards on PInehaven Drive. Additional concerns were expressed that development by the same company in Horseshoe Bend would cause further homes to be negatively impacted. Director of Community Development Roy Edwards is holding the Certificates of Occupancy for the four houses in Copper Creek until there is some resolution of the problem. The Board of Aldermen also voted unanimously to table a change in the preliminary plat of Horseshoe Bend until we can further study the issues related to the potential damage to other property owners.
The Board also heard from former House Speaker and now economic developer Philip Gunn on the efforts he is making. There is progress on the 80/20 Project, now known as Rising Spring at Mississippi College, and in other potential development.
In early action, the Board of Aldermen approved the payment of $9,000 over three years to Clinton High School Athletics to lease advertising space on the Arrow Field scoreboard. The Board also approved Mayor Fisher to request activation for the recently awarded Federal Transportation Alternative projects. Those include Springridge Road (Woodchase Park Drive to I-20) Clinton Boulevard (College Street to Morrison Drive), and Clinton Boulevard (Morrison Dive to Shaw Road). Also, Hemphill Construction was awarded approval for the Clinton NE and Briars UV replacement projects.
In other action, the Board of Aldermen approved three architectural reviews, one for Methodist Rehabilitation at 251 Clinton Center Drive, one for McHann Construction at 703 Highway 80 West and one for Louis Walsh at 101 West Northside Drive. Ward 1 Alderwoman Karen Godfrey was awarded a certificate of appropriateness for fencing at 503/507/509 Capitol Street.
Resolutions to address unkempt properties at 0 Cherrystone Circle and 0 Kitchings Drive were also approved by the Board. These resolutions allow for the City to clean up unkempt properties at City expense and then add the expense to the taxes paid by the homeowner.
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.
