Saying “40 hours is 40 hours,” Summit officials debated whether to change the public works department’s schedule from 10 hours a day for four days a week back to eight hours a day and five days a week.
Councilman Julius Nash recommended changing the scheduled to five days a week, saying he believed somebody from the department should be available to handle any problems that arise.
“So, 40 hours is 40 hours,” he said.
Superintendent Tim Baylor said setting the hours is the council’s discretion, but he prefers the current schedule.
Baylor said he usually tends to the calls that pop up on Fridays in order to keep hourly employees off the clock and reduce overtime.
Councilman Chris Daniels asked about moving the hours of operations to coincide with town hall’s hours of operations, and Nash said he’d like to see that.
Baylor said employees work 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday with an hour lunch break when Daylight Saving time is observed.
“Whenever time goes back we go back to the same hours as city hall,” he said.
Nash said his concerns involve the lack of available people on Fridays. Baylor said he has employees on call, and “nine times out of 10 I’m here” on Fridays.
Councilman Joe Lewis questioned the need to change things if they’re working as is.
In another matter, councilmen discussed quotes from a tree trimmer to remove problem trees on town property that threaten private property.
“I went through this and I picked out some that really needed to be done and then I went to see how much we really can afford,” Mayor Percy Robinson said.
He said three trees at Railroad and Grant streets are threatening a house, and Triple B Tree Service said it would cost about $5,000 to remove those. Another tree on White Oak Street would cost $450 to remove. A rotten tree on Beacham Lane will take $300. Another tree on Martin Luther King Drive that has power lines wrapped around it will cost $2,400 to get gone, Robinson said. he said a “huge” oak tree in Greenlawn Cemetery that could damage graves if it falls will cost a whopping $5,500. And it’ll take $2,600 to remove “two big ole pine trees” on Sid Nash Road, Robinson said.
“We want to get as much as we can,” Robinson said, adding that the town only has $20,000 to spend on tree removal and trimming through the rest of the fiscal year.
In other business, the council:
• Heard from Christopher Upchurch, who has also spoken to McComb’s city board and Pike County supervisors, about the need for a juvenile detention and rehabilitation center in the area.
• Heard a request from Darlene Taylor to pave Bill Seals Lane.
• Heard from Lonnie Cox, the organizer of the car show at Smokin’ on the Tracks, about the event that’s scheduled for April 22 and 23.
• Heard a recommendation from Monzella Tickles, who is serving as town clerk on a contractual basis, to waive a water bill late fee for Mary Nash, who has been plagued by high bills from apparent water leaks all year and has reached the limit on allowable adjustments.
• Heard a recommendation from Tickles to merge finances for Woodlawn and Greenlawn cemeteries into one account.
• Heard a recommendation from Tickles to adopt an ordinance that would make landlords responsible for closing tenants’ delinquent water accounts before a new tenant could establish an account.
• Heard a suggestion from Tickles to credit the water account of Darlene Conerly, whose $88 credit card payment never got applied to her water account.
• Heard an update from Tickles about progress government software and general services provider BBI is making in reconciling bank statements. Tickles said officials can now get an accurate snapshot of town finances.
• Heard from Southwest Mississippi Opportunity Inc. Executive Director Keisha Butler, who discussed the agency’s utility assistance program, which now includes help for water and sewer bills.
• Heard a request from Police Chief Kenny Cotton to reimburse Assistant Chief Kevin Kirk’s $40 bill for a drug screening, which Cotton said was done at the request of a town council member.
• Heard an update on a proposal from Pocket Money Dirt Work to clear wooded land that has overtaken some graves in Greenlawn Cemetery. “This will clean out the west end of Greenlawn Cemetery and provide more land for plots to be sold,” Daniels said.
• Learned that Hurricane Ida debris removal is nearly complete.
• Heard a proposal from Councilman Julius Nash for the town to enact a fleet maintenance program for police and public works vehicles.
• Heard a proposal from Nash for public works employees to participate in the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s LTAP program, which offers training on matters related to road repair and construction.
• Heard an update from department heads on employee evaluations that were requested by the council, with the task still to be completed.
