Board Of Aldermen

By Randy Bell The Clinton Board of Aldermen is planning to vote on a couple of recreation proposals at its July 19 meeting. One is a project to build a new park which could take years, the other a management contract which would result in an immediate enhancement of tennis opportunities at Brighton Park. In…

By Randy Bell The cabooses won’t be coming to Clinton, but there’s still a chance that the City will approve an ordinance allowing short term rental property in Olde Towne. Brian Biernat has withdrawn his proposal to place five refurbished railroad cabooses on a vacant lot to provide accommodations for people visiting Clinton who want…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large   Due to travel obligations, three of us participated in the June 21 Board of Aldermen meeting by telephone. It was a brief meeting but included a report by Communications Director Amanda Jones regarding the work she has been doing on behalf of the City.   There has…

By Randy Bell Voters in Clinton’s Ward 3 will go to the polls on August 2 to choose a new alderman, following the death of Bill Barnett in June. Barnett had represented the northeastern portion of the City since 2009. He was 85. The Board voted at its June 21 meeting to declare “with regret”…

By Randy Bell Clinton could soon take a step to acknowledge one of the darker moments in the city’s past. A Mississippi College history professor is asking the aldermen to place a marker near the spot where two Black men arrested on robbery charges were taken from jail and later lynched in 1894. Dr. Otis…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large   Since our May 17 Board of Aldermen meeting was probably the shortest in recent history, I will take this opportunity to share some information from our Board of Aldermen Work Session, as well as other updates.   Two items came before the Board during the Work Session.…

By Randy Bell Clinton aldermen are considering an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals in Olde Towne after a developer proposed moving five railroad cabooses to a vacant lot near the north end of Jefferson Street to offer “unique” accommodations for people visiting the city.   Brian Biernat said the cabooses would be painted and retrofitted…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large   Our Board of Aldermen meeting on May 3 began with a presentation by the Clinton Junior Civic League of a gift of $11,000 to the Parks and Recreation Department from the proceeds of the Hearts of Gold Gala. We are very appreciative of this donation, as we…

By Phil Fisher   For many years, Clintonians have asked for improved recreational facilities and additional quality of life opportunities to match or compete with other communities. I have sought additional funding from many sources, sometimes with success, many times without success. Even when successful, consistency is always an issue.   Our City budget is…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large Present at the Tuesday night (April 19) Board Meeting were members of the Clinton Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. President Wanda Thomas provided information on the many service projects carried out by the group, and those present introduced themselves. Director of Therapeutic Recreation Chandra Broomfield then…

By Randy Bell   On Tuesday, April 5, Clinton became the latest city in Mississippi to decide not to participate in the medical cannabis business. The Board of Aldermen voted 5-to-2 to opt out of the portion of the new state law allowing medical cannabis businesses within the city limits, although it could later change…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large   The Board of Aldermen’s three-hour meeting on Tuesday, April 5, followed a three-and-a-half-hour work session Monday, so it was a busy week. Some controversial and very important issues were discussed and voted on, and I will try to cover them all. Some of you are aware that…

By Randy Bell   A sewer line collapse which created major traffic problems on one of Clinton’s busiest streets last month is the kind of headache the City would like to avoid in the future. And a comprehensive analysis of the sewer system is underway to identify potential trouble spots before they need emergency repairs.…

By Randy Bell The City of Clinton is tearing down a neighborhood clubhouse where Christmas parties were once held and other special occasions were celebrated, because the building has become an eyesore and a target for vandals. “It was a very nice clubhouse,” said Heyward Bell, president of the Easthaven Homeowners Association, who’s lived in…

By Randy Bell Gregg Harper spent ten years representing Mississippi’s 3rd congressional district in Washington. Now, he’s doing the same for the City of Clinton, only this time as a lobbyist, not a congressman. And even though he was hired to pursue the City’s interests on Capitol Hill, he’s agreed to lobby for Clinton at…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large   In a previous article, I shared with you that the Board of Aldermen was exploring the idea of doing a city-wide drainage study to determine the causes of flooding in our city. A previous study had been done twenty years ago, but, due to the inability of…

By Randy Bell People know about Clinton’s Olde Towne—so it’s hardly a hidden gem. But Ward 4 Alderman Chip Wilbanks says the city’s historic jewel needs a polishing. He wants better landscaping and improved maintenance to help Olde Towne shine. “There are particularly a lot of towns in the metro area that don’t have a…

By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large In its February 15 Board of Aldermen meeting, the Board asked for a report from our economic developer, Daniel Lang, regarding his proposed trip to Hanover, Frankfurt, and Munich, Germany, to attend the Hannover Messe Conference and for economic development meetings. In his report, Director Lang indicated that…

By Randy Bell The Clinton aldermen have less than three months to decide whether the City should opt out of Mississippi’s new medical marijuana law, but they appear to be in no rush to make that decision. At a February 14 work session, Board members heard from Clinton Police Chief Ford Hayman, who cautioned against…