Board Of Aldermen

By Randy Bell After a vote on Clinton’s new ward lines was put off for two months and then for another two weeks, the issue is back on the Board of Aldermen’s agenda at its September 19 meeting. The City is required to approve a new map of the six wards, because the 2020 census…

By Randy Bell Clintonians who like to exercise on the multi-use path along Arrow Drive will soon find it a little safer to do so at night. Work will begin soon on the first phase of a project to place bollard lights along the path which runs from Pinehaven Drive to Traceway Park. A Meridian…

By Randy Bell Every burger. Every burrito. Every steak. Every salad. Every meal sold at a Clinton restaurant since last September will soon be paying off with local park improvements – and City leaders believe improved restroom facilities should be one of the top priorities. The City will have about $1.2 million in revenue from…

By Randy Bell Clinton is finally getting new ward lines after a two-month delay. The Board of Aldermen will vote at its September 5 meeting on a reconfiguration that was necessitated by a shift in the City’s population. The Board has been looking at several possibilities for months. It was poised to vote in July,…

Ricki Garrett, Alderwoman at Large   The Board of Aldermen has been meeting regularly over the past couple of weeks to develop the budget for 2023-2024.  Our regularly scheduled meeting was also this week, but no work session was held.   Tara Lytal, our Main Street Director, provided the Department Head Report for this week.…

By Randy Bell Clinton leaders would have more money to spend in the new fiscal year without imposing a tax increase under a budget proposal the Board of Aldermen is considering. Mayor Phil Fisher has presented the Board a $24.04 million budget, which provides a three percent raise for City employees and salary increases ranging…

By Sherry Lucas The Red Brick Roads Music and Arts Festival, August 25 and 26 in Olde Towne Clinton, is back, bringing that spirited festival vibe, lively musical grooves, cold brews and hot times to the heart of Clinton. New Orleans funk and reggae rockers Flow Tribe will deliver the weekend’s climax, bringing all that…

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…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large   As we reach the two-year mark in our current terms of office, representing the citizens of Clinton, I want to express our appreciation to you, both for the opportunity to serve, as well as for your engagement with us. Whether it is attending a Board of Aldermen…

By Randy Bell Clinton officials will spend two more months getting public input on new ward lines before voting on a redistricting plan. The Board of Aldermen was poised to make the decision at its July 5 meeting, but representatives of the NAACP complained that the maps being considered don’t adequately represent the city’s African-American…

By Randy Bell Clinton is taking steps to keep its designation as a certified retirement community. The City’s Director of Communications Marlee Price says under the Mississippi Development Authority’s program to attract retirees known as Welcome Home Mississippi, cities must undergo an evaluation every three years to be recertified. Clinton is one of fourteen communities…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman-at-Large   The Board of Aldermen welcomed former Congressman Greg Harper to our meeting this week.  Congressman Harper is currently serving as our lobbyist on the Federal level, as well as helping us with legislation on the State level that pertains to our extensive sewer project.   Congressman Harper expressed his…

By Ricki Garrett, Ph.D., Alderwoman at Large The Board of Aldermen had a very brief meeting on June 23. Philip Lilly, our Public Works Director, presented the department head report to the Board. He discussed the recent bad weather and the number of trees and limbs that must be dealt with. The City had just…

By Randy Bell After trees were cleared at the corner of Highway 80 and Springridge Road last year, some Clintonians may have expected an eagerly-awaited mixed use development to take shape quickly, even though officials were cautioning there was a lot of preliminary work to be done. Ward 4 Alderman Chip Wilbanks, a member of…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large The first report of the Board of Aldermen meeting was from our Police Chief, Ford Hayman. Chief Hayman reported that, within the next few months, we should have fifty-five of the sixty-two allotted police officer positions filled. He said reinstating the traffic division had been a very good…

The Board of Aldermen had a very brief meeting on June 23rd.  Philip Lilly, our Public Works Director, presented the department head report to the Board.  He discussed the recent bad weather and the number of trees and limbs that must be dealt with.  The city had just completed the clean-up from the previous storm.…

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…

By Randy Bell A single set of eyes has determined which streets in Clinton were recommended for resurfacing this year. And the Board of Aldermen at its May 16 meeting voted to advertise for bids to do the paving, after some debate about whether three parking lots and a street at Traceway Park should be…

By Randy Bell A vote to approve a church’s request to operate a halfway house in Clinton was rescinded after the City discovered that a legal notice regarding a public hearing was published two days late. The error came to light as City officials were preparing to respond to an appeal filed on behalf of…

Ricki Garrett, Alderwoman at Large, 2023   The first report of the Board of Aldermen meeting was from our Police Chief, Ford Hayman.  Chief Hayman reported that within the next few months we should have fifty-five of the sixty-two allotted police officer positions filled. He said reinstating the traffic division had been a very good…

By Randy Bell Clinton voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, June 6, for a special election on whether to renew a portion of the local tax that’s added to the bill of every hotel guest in the city. A two per cent hotel tax which generates money for tourism is permanent. But under…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large The Board of Aldermen meeting on April 18 began with members of the Boy Scout Troop from Clinton United Methodist Church leading the pledge to the flag. The members of the troop introduced themselves, and their Scout Leader shared information about the troop. This was followed by a…

Ricki Garrett, Alderwoman at Large   In this week’s Board of Aldermen Meeting, there were four Aldermen present in person, two of us participating by telephone, and one absent, so it was a somewhat unusual meeting.  However, several important actions were taken.   Director of Main Street, Tara Lytal, presented our Department Head Report, and…

By Randy Bell The Clinton Board of Aldermen spent its entire work session April 3 discussing proposed revisions to the City employee handbook. Yet, there still seems to be no consensus on how detailed the new guidelines need to be. The Board has been looking at a range of topics related to City employees, including…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large The Board of Aldermen received a report at our regularly scheduled meeting from Courtney Nunn, Director of Parks and Recreation. Courtney gave us the participation figures from the various sports utilizing Traceway Park and also gave an update on equipment coming in for Robinson Park. The Board also…