By Timbre Garrow
Lake Area Weekly
The Clinton City Council met as scheduled on October 12, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. with Mayor Richard McCormac presiding. Council Members attending were Gayla Bradley, Jeff Pistole, Jason Lynch, Shon Hastings, Sam Ward and Tim Barnes. Minutes, and Financial Reports were read and approved.
The Highway Department has requested the following easements for Peyton Auto, Johnson Title Company, Webb Auction and John Stacks properties to ensure construction doesn’t accrue further costs. Council members were confronted with a resolution to begin condemnation proceedings for the properties previously stated. Condemnation is defined as “local, state, or federal government seizes private property and compensates the owner.
In other council news:
•Airport Commission – No new information to report.
•Lori Treat, with SNYP Animal Control- informed the council that the shelter is still in need of 91 families to sponsor the shelter for $20/month ($240/year). The Spay/Neuter fee is $50 for animals weighing 50 pounds or less and an additional $1 per pound for animals weighing more than 50 pounds. The shelter is still seeking volunteers to help get “dirty” by cleaning out pins, cleaning/dusting the shelter. Dogtoberfest will be taking place October 21, 2017, which will be a big adoption event for area shelters.
•Fire Chief D.L. Webb- informed the council the Town Hall meeting would take place on October 23rd at 6 P.M. at the Clinton Fire Station (to discuss proposed quarter cent sales tax for November’s special election). “Scare on the Square” is a free kid-friendly event at the Courthouse Square on October 31st from 5 P.M.-after dark that features a Haunted House, hayrides, trick-or-treating and costume contest.
•Charles Wilson, with the Parks Department – No new information to report.
•Chief of Police, John Willoughby – informed the council that from January -September approximately 1,165 citations were written (not including felonies in the city). Council approved a motion to pay $2,000 deductible to fix the two police vehicles that sustained body damage while on duty (a deer ran into the side of one vehicle and tree damage to the other vehicle).
•Street Department’s Charles Wilson – informed the council of the continuous progress they’ve made by clearing ditches and touch-ups around the city since the grass has slowed down.
•Water/Sewer Department’s Richard Hink – informed the council that Hwy 65 plans have been accepted by the Highway Department and construction should begin in late 2018. 65 S construction has started from Choctaw Creek near Bee Branch and will continue all the way up to the Clinton hospital. Council members approved the 10% fees ($20,000) for engineering for Hwy 95 E sewer expansion.
•Philip Ellis, with the Zoning Department – informed the council that Casey’s General Store, located at 2051 Hwy 65, will be opening the first week in February instead of the projected date of January 25, 2018.
New business:
Motion passed for Ordinance 2017-7 for a 2.9 Levying Millage or Real Estate tax. Property tax or millage rate is defined as “a tax levied by the government authority based of the jurisdiction in which the property is located.”
The Clinton City Council meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Clinton Municipal Airport Terminal building. Meetings are open to the public.