A number of organizations and individuals are requesting permission to use Poplarville’s recently completed City Square Park to hold events.

During Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, three requests were considered, all of which were approved.

According to the agenda, the requests came from Oak Hill Baptist Church, organizers of the Poplarville Farmers Market and the Poplarville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Oak Hill Baptist Church intends to perform a Christmas play at the park, called “The Town Square.” The play is written by Doyla Ashe and will be performed at the park on Dec. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. Refreshments during the free event will be provided by the church.

Poplarville Farmers Market was being held in front of the county courthouse on Main Street while construction of the new park was underway. Now, the event will move back to its original location, the newly completed City Square Park.

Dates for the Farmers Market will be Oct. 4, 11, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29 and Dec. 6 and 13. The market will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. each of those days.

Six to 12 vendors are expected to be offering their products during those events.

A request from the Poplarville Area Chamber of Commerce involved showing a family friendly movie as part of the Chamber’s Movies on Main event. The next showing will be Oct. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the City Square Park.

City Clerk Jane O’Neal said that all event requests were approved by the Board during Tuesday’s meeting.

Usage guidelines concerning the new park were reviewed by the Board and taken under advisement. O’Neal said the Board is expected to take action on those guidelines at the next meeting.

Veronica Nayyar, who represented the owner of an ice cream truck during Tuesday’s meeting, addressed the Board about operating the transient business in the city limits. O’Neal said that after hearing Nayyar’s questions, the Board advised her to seek legal advice and contact the Mississippi State Department of Revenue concerning sales tax collection concerning operating the truck in the city.

The Board also accepted the resignation of Alexander Carnathan as a firefighter effective Oct. 10 and approved the promotion of Joey Seal from part- time to full-time firefighter at the rate of $9.82 an hour. O’Neal said Seal’s employment was approved by the Board after coming out of executive session Tuesday night.

The Board also approved the hiring of Shelly Bowling as deputy clerk at City Hall at a rate of $12.72 an hour after the executive session. 

A bid for work to install workout equipment at City Park by Jefcoat Recreation and Construction was rejected during the meeting. O’Neal said the bid, which was for $23,685, was rejected because it includes a type of ground cover that did not meet the Board’s standards.

Instead of approving the bid with change orders, which would have been substantial, the Board decided to rebid the project.

It is being funded by $53,316 in grant funds from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Healthy Heroes program. Advertisements for bids will be published in the Poplarville Democrat and submitted bids will be opened on Nov. 6.

The Board also unanimously approved a motion to have heavy window tinting recently installed on an unmarked police car removed because it does not meet Mississippi Code 63-7-59.

The next Board meeting will be Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. in City Hall.