By Jennifer Middleton/Jefferson Jimplecute
Jefferson’s regular City Council meeting opened with public hearings on budget and tax rate, and continued with a delay in hiring a new City Secretary.
Council approved a $4,451,836 budget beginning October 1 with a property tax rate of $0.45000 per $100 in valuation. The budget was a 17.1% increase over 2020-2021 while the tax rate remained the same.
At the end of August, total city revenues were $3,902,670.97. There is one reporting month still to go for revenues. The City has approved underspending projected revenues by $100,306. In previous years the City has approved a balanced budget.
After a lengthy discussion, Council voted to table the hiring of a city secretary following discussion on the legality of the process the city administrator had been using to identify a lone candidate. Kuykendall said there were five final candidates for the position and all were from the Jefferson area.
“I was really proud to see quality people step forward for this position,” he said. A committee had interviewed the candidates and narrowed it down to a lone finalist and Councilman Turner questioned the legality of that process and said it was never explained to the council that the committee would narrow it down to one applicant.
“This is the process and you are under no obligation to take the recommendation,” Kuykendall said.
Turner continued stating that he believed the process was gone about the wrong way.
“It just feel like it’s being rushed and not involving the rest of the council,” he said.
Baker said, “We need to back up and do it a bit different to please everybody.”
An audience led question about the salary of the position was also raised by former Mayor Carey Heaster. Kuykendall stated the proposed salary was $65,000 and was what the lone candidate had requested. Doris Hines, the former City Secretary was paid slightly under $49,000, according to Heaster.
Members agreed to hold a special meeting Monday to re-interview all five applicants.
Mayor Rob Baker also stated that the Citizen Action and Diversity Committee meetings would be indefinitely postponed because they were set to meet at the community center in Frogtown. He said he had received multiple phone calls that the space was too small for attendees to spread out and be COVID-safe.
He added that maybe the committees could meet again at the Transportation Center, which has more space and will allow the groups to spread out, but that for now the committees were postponed.
Will Thomas also addressed the council and announced the creation of a new organization, the Revitalize Frogtown Initiative. They held their first meeting on Aug. 21. Board members include Thomas as president, his wife Lucy, Portia Johnson, Morris Parker, Ed Mathews, Jerry Smith and Ernest Jones as the chaplain. They have launched a Facebook page and are adding new members each day, he said.
“We are using this Facebook platform to inform our neighbors and people of what’s going on in Frogtown and sharing ideas on ways we can revitalize and beautify that area of our community,” he said.
One main issue that came up was the flooding in Frogtown. Thomas said he had spoken to the mayor about cleaning out the ditches and he agreed that the city would help. He thanked the council, the mayor and City Manager Eric Kuykendall for their assistance in addressing the matter.
The clearing has already begun, and Thomas thanked city worker Tremaine Williams for doing a lot of the work.
Revitalizing Frogtown is starting to raise the morale, build the spirit,” he said. “Our goal is to be counted as a vital part of the city.”
They’ve had a few meetings, Thomas said, and that they are excited about the new start and what they can continue to accomplish.
The city administrator gave an update on the streets, and stated that they are blading them out and they should be ready for paving soon.
Brickwork has begun on Lafayette and the drainage project on Vale Street is complete and they have started on Walnut and Soda and pouring walls to Canal. He added that they are seeing progress daily.
Francene Rainey spoke about the Jefferson Community Law Enforcement Partnership’s Meet and Greet event and Jefferson Adopt-A-Cop organization.
She said that the organization raises funds for law enforcement officers who have to pay for their own equipment and they raised $6,000 in the first 60 days. This allowed them to expand the program to cover all law enforcement in Marion County.
“It’s a very worthwhile organization,” she said.
They are planning a Meet and Greet at the Jefferson Community Center in Frogtown from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on October 26. It will include a light dinner, games and activities for everyone.
The council also approved the 2020 financial audit presented by Jordan Shaw of McMinn, Pope, Woodlin and Shaw CPAs of Marshall.
The audit shows the city’s total net position at $11,579,609. Governmental activities increased net position by $370,402 and net position invested in capital assets, net of related debt, decreased by $147,954. Total revenues for the governmental activities decreased from the previous year by $36,445. General revenue had a decrease of $100, 242 and program revenues had an increase of $63,797. The net position of business-type activities increased by $306,311.
Shaw said there were a total of 55 adjustments in the financial statement, and typically there are about 30. He added that these are errors that should have been caught by the previous auditing firm.
Mayor Rob Baker said the city is about to close the month of September and prepare for the 2021 audit, which should be ready sometime in the spring.
The council also considered a payment of $13,000 to the Friends of Jefferson Animals.
Councilman Richard Turner said the city should make the payment in quarterly installments rather than one lump sum.
“We don’t know if FOJA is going to be in existence after a certain period of time,” he said. The council approved Turner’s motion to make the payments quarterly.
A $6,000 payment to a legal firm for the city’s redistricting program was also approved. Mayor Baker said this is the second of two payments and that the city is required to reassess demographics every decade following the census.
“With every census, by law, cities go through the redistricting process using census information on demographics and where the population has shifted,” he said. He added that the city should receive a report on the data sometime in the spring.
In other business, the council tabled the consideration of widening the sidewalk on Vale Street next to the Jefferson Hotel until they can take a look at it.
Colleen Taylor with the Convention and Visitors Bureau asked the council to pass a requirement that all lodging establishments register with the city, pay their 7% HOT tax and display their lodging certificate.
She said that more bed and breakfasts are opening in the city and tracking down the owners can be a challenge.
The council tabled the item and will work to amend the current ordinance in place to give it more “teeth.”
The board also approved the CVB applying to the Texas Music Office to become a member of the “Music Friendly Community.” These are a network of cities throughout the state that foster music industry development and being a part of it sends a clear message to industry professionals that these communities are serious about attracting and developing music industry growth. Some of the cities on the list include Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Denton, Lindale, Stephenville, Conroe, San Angelo, Nacogdoches, Abilene, McKinney, Waxahachie, Waco, Alpine, Bastrop, New Braunfels, Victoria, Arlington, Denison, Lubbock, Brenham, Dripping Springs, Round Rock and El Paso.
There is no cost to participate. The council agreed to form a committee in the tourism department to facilitate the program.
The council also denied a request from Rose Haggerty to vacate the alley behind 204 and 206 E. Moseley Street. It was not granted because the closure would affect water drainage in that area.
A permit was approved for James Souter to construct a concrete driveway and patio area at 520 N. Walnut. He will also remove and replace the sidewalk.
Also approved was a building permit for Allen Wayne Smith to add an additional unit to the duplexes constructed on Main Street between Douglas and Webster Streets.
A permit was also approved for James L. Brookshire to construct a concrete driveway at 1204 S. Main Street.
An event application for National Night Out on Oct. 5 was also approved. This year will also include the fire department and EMS and a “Battle of the Badges” blood drive will be held in conjunction with the event.
Approval was also given for Sacred Spur Carriage to operate two carriages in the city. The annual Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk Tour special event application was also approved pending owner Jodi Breckenridge’s signature on the application.