McComb selectmen adopted a new rental agreement for the MLK Center on Tuesday, but expect to amend it soon.
Board members raised questions about what constitutes a city-sponsored event, whether a city employee will be present at events and whether there should be a commercial rate for rental of the building.
Recreation Director Ron Kessler, whose department was detailed to oversee the facility, presented the new rental agreement, which had already been revised to reflect lower rental fees and no charge for city-sponsored events.
Asked about issues like staffing events and determining whether an event is city-sponsored, Kessler said guidelines on those specifications would be a board decision.
The board agreed rather quickly that the agreement should be held for more discussion at next week’s work session, but members continued questioning the points about staffing events and especially what makes an event city-sponsored.
Selectman Michael Cameron dug into the city-sponsored label and whether a board member making a reservation for an event would make it city-sponsored.
Kessler noted that Selectman Ronnie Brock had four events scheduled at the MLK Center, including three before the work session next week.
Cameron asked what the events were, but Brock called the question, which cut off debate for the time being and required a two-thirds vote to move to a final vote on approving the rental agreement.
The motion calling the question failed 3-2, with only Brock and Selectman Devante Johnson voting in favor and Selectman Donovan Hill absent.
With discussion open again, Cameron asked again what events Brock was having that he considered to be city-sponsored.
Brock deferred to City Administrator Kelvin Butler, who had Kessler read off the events: two color guard practices, a gun seminar and a Christmas toy drive.
Brock and Cameron bickered over the events and whether they should qualify as city-sponsored, but were eventually cut off by Mayor Quordiniah Lockley.
“We’re not going to solve this tonight,” Lockley said. “We need to give (Kessler) something to work with” to make reservations for the MLK Center.
The rental agreement passed 4-1, with Selectman Ted Tullos voting no.
The board skipped over several police department items, leaving those for consideration later.
An item to allow police officers to work as security guards was passed over after police Chief Damian Gatlin said the officers in line for the duty had holiday commitments with their families.
In other business, the board:
• Reappointed Libba Alford to the Keep Pike County Beautiful board.
• Voided outstanding checks more than six months old.
• Approved travel for Butler, City Clerk Servia Fortenberry and Comptroller Sevetrius Dillon to the Public Employees Retirement System annual meeting.
• Approved purchasing access for all selectmen on Grant Watch, an online clearinghouse for information on grants.
• Delayed consideration of a co-sponsorship of the Hope for the Holidays event at the MLK Center.
• Approved Dec. 24-25 for Christmas holidays and Dec. 31-Jan. 1 as New Year holidays.
