During Tuesday’s lengthy Poplarville Board of Aldermen meeting, the Board appointed the 2017 municipal election commissioners.
After some discussion, the Board reappointed Gwen Jordan, who was first chosen to serve in 2013.
Other appointees by the Board include Richard Sharp and Cassandra Blackwell.
Jordan, Sharp and Blackwell will attend training in Hattiesburg on Feb. 16.
Janet Kennedy was named as an alternate.
In other matters, Poplarville Fire Chief Jonathan Head updated the Board about ongoing issues with the department’s ladder truck.
Previous estimates to replace the damaged radiator were for about $4,000, Head said.
However he was able to contact the company who made the radiator. A representative said a replacement part could be made at a reduced cost.
Head said the total cost for that part, shipping and labor, would be about $1,500.
Head also informed the Board about issues with the department’s backup generator, though he hasn’t received estimates for repairs.
The department is hosting a fish fry on Feb. 25 at noon to promote community and fellowship, Head said.
Poplarville Police Chief Butch Raby requested approval to hire Bruce Eads as a full-time officer. Raby said Eads’ dedication and loyalty as a part-time officer qualified him for the position.
To fill the vacant part-time position, Raby asked for approval to hire Darius Hickman, a full-time officer with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department who also spent five years in the Air Force. The Board approved both requests.
The Board authorized Mayor Brad Necaise to sign documents to receive the Mississippi Development Authority Small Municipalities and Limited Population Counties grant. The agreement requires the city to provide a match of $22,362 to the $143,857 grant, previous coverage states.
The grant was set to expire this month if the Board didn’t commit to matching funds.
City Clerk Jane O’Neal said the new CPA firm the Board hired, Topp, McWhorter, Harvey, PLCC, is having trouble creating a clean audit report due to a large number of inconsistencies in previous accounting records and audits.
The firm requested a more in-depth audit of city finances before it can transition to the clean bank account already authorized by the Board.
O’Neal said it could take up to six months to consolidate the accounts due to the busy tax season and complicated nature of the problem.
The Board approved a motion to allow O’Neal and the CPA firm to continue with a more in-depth audit process.
Before adjourning, the Board reviewed a design for the entrance to City Park, soon to be renamed Senator Martin T. Smith Park.
Smith was a long-time attorney for the city, Necaise said.
The next Board meeting will be held on Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. in City Hall.