PEARL RIVER COUNTY —
A motion to appoint a new member to the Public Housing Commission met with a divided council, and sparked some debate amongst its members.
The failure of the motion, which met with a 3-2 vote to deny the appointment of a replacement for Virgie Bolton, was hotly questioned by council member Larry Breland. Council member Lynn Bogan Bumpers also questioned why the motion failed. Bolton recently took a job with Public Housing.
"It just comes to a time when we got to work together," Bumpers said.
"When we sit here and can't do what's right due to race or sex it's wrong," Breland said.
Three people applied for the open position. Breland and Bumpers were the only two council members to vote for the appointment of a new member, with council members Wayne Gouguet, Larry Watkins and Jason Todd Lane voting against the motion. City Attorney Nathan Farmer said the matter could be brought before the council again at the first meeting in March.
A hearing concerning the annexation of land into the corporate limits of Picayune is expected to be held on April 2, but a venue for the event has not been determined. Farmer said since the hearing will be held in Circuit Court, and each judge in that court works within a five county district, that hearing could be held in another city beside Picayune, such as Hattiesburg. The annexation aims to take in land along Interstate 59 as far south as Nicholson and as far north as Carriere, Picayune's airport and other areas including the Westchester subdivision. A time and venue will be announced at a later date.
The council also approved a motion to send City Manager Jim Luke, Police Chief Bryan Dawsey and Capt. Tommy Dyle to Regional Organized Crime Information Center conference in Destin, Fla., from March 4 to 7. When asked why Luke, the former police chief now serving as city manager, was attending the law enforcement geared training, Luke said the training is required to maintain his law enforcement certification. The council approved the motion.
The council also heard about a matter that was out of their control, a school district related complaint. Local mothers Destiny Magee and Debbie Newsom said both of their children were duct taped to a chair at Westside Elementary school Friday for getting out of their seat. Mayor Ed Pinero Jr., notified the mothers that the matter would have to be addressed to the Picayune Seperate School District superintendent and the school board, since the school district is a separate entity from the city.
A matter concerning travel also earned one council member's opposition. The matter concerned travel to Washington D.C. by council members and the Mayor from Feb. 29 to March 2, to meet with congressmen and senators. The motion was opposed by Gouguet, who voted against the motion. When asked after the meeting why he opposed the motion Gouguet said in tough economic times he felt less than four representatives, the current number planned to attend, should go on the trip to minimize expenses.
In other business the council;
— Approved appointment of Andrea Brown Bolton to the Cemetery Board to replace C.R. Brown.
— Approved a second budget amendment to the city hall renovation/expansion project.
— Approved licenses to Endzone Bar and Grill to sell alcoholic beverages more than and less than five percent in alcohol content, and approved a license to Staten's BBQ and Soul Food to sell alcoholic beverages with an alcoholic content more than five percent.
The next council meeting will be March 6 at 5 p.m.
Local News
Council divided on replacement
Public Housing Commission is one member short
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