15 Feb 2012 Board of Supervisors' Meeting @ 5p

If you missed this first evening Board of Supervisors' Meeting, you missed a good time. The meeting was much more relaxed and after the meeting, everyone stayed around to talk with elected officials and fellow Tunicans. Hopefully. this is only the beginning of moving forward in Tunica County.

Now, onto the complaints. That is why you are reading this blog isn't it?

1. On 9 Feb 2012, I sent an email to James Dunn, Sonny Nickson, Clifton Johnson and Andy Dulaney requesting this Committee be put on the agenda to discuss Housing and to present some of the documentation we have been working on for the past many months.

2. On 14 Feb 2012, Clifton Johnson sent an email stating this Committee was being placed on the BOS's agenda for 5 Mar 2012. This is not acceptable as the first meeting of the month is held at 9a and is full of departmental reports.

3. On 15 Feb 2012, I sent an email message to Clifton Johnson asking who made this decision. Still waiting for an answer on that one. However, I could probably make an educated guess.

4. On 15 Feb 2012, I called James Dunn to talk about this situation. James suggested the 29th of Feb @ 5p and I agreed.

5. On 15 Feb 2012, we arrived at the BOS's Meeting and found that this Committee was not the only group not given time to speak with the Board. There were Tunicans from the Verner Road area who had asked to talk about their flooding problems. This group too was not put on the schedule. They are on the BOS's agenda for the 29th of Feb at 5p as well.

So, back to the "who done it" with this scheduling problem. Oh, and one more thing, the Beat 2 Supervisor, Cedric Burnett was the only Supervisor who left and did not stay to talk with his constituents. I will venture to say he was out the door before the Recess was called.

By-the-way, both Tunicans who asked to speak with the BOS last night are residents of Beat 2. Again, I would like to thank the Beat 2 residents who voted for this Supervisor and those of you who did not bother to vote for sticking us all with this "not interested" Supervisor for the next four years. And therein lies my educated guess.

6 Feb 2012 Board of Supervisors Meeting

Oh boy...the Board Room was really packed yesterday morning. Another reason to move the first meeting of the month to an evening time slot too. We could meet in the Court Room; even more people could come and everyone would have a seat.

Here are a few of the issues discussed during the meeting:

The BOS had a 9:45a appointment with T'rohosia Ingram and her attorney representing Daniels Farm Development, LLC. This is a housing community being developed in District 2 of Tunica County. Apparently, Ms. Ingram has been waiting for 2 years for the Tunica County Utilitry District to complete the Development's application for sewer and water. Why? Firstly, I don't understand why Ms. Ingram had to pay TCUD $15,500.00 for them to complete this application.

Supervisors McKinley Daley and Phillis Williams volunteered to investigate this delay and get the application completed within 30 days at the most. Thanks go out to these two Supervisors for taking the bull by the horns. We sure wouldn't have gotten this effort from the 2 Supervisors you replaced.

Another item: The Board of Supervisors moved to have Dr. Gene Osborne, who heads up the Healthcare Authority, to make a report at the first BOS meeting each month.
Again, thank you.

Another item: Supervisor Nickson moved and Supervisor Daley seconded a motion to increase the salary of a Road Department employee as requested by the Road Department Manager. Supervisor Burnett voiced his opionion to give everyone a $6,000.00 raise if this raise was going to be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Geez, this is a prime example of doing things wrong so long you think they're right. Burnett doesn't seem to realize that employees need to be evaluated and raises given when warranted. Thanks again to Supervisors, Nickson, Daley and Williams who voted to give the department head the responsibility of running his or her department. That being said, I still don't think Joe Eddie Hawkins is the right person to be head of the Road Department.

Last item: Claims. Supervisor Burnett, please stay in the Board Room and review the claims just like the other Supervisors. You were out of the room when this part of the agenda was being conducted. You returned to the room to gather your things and leave at 11:48a. The claims were approved at 11:50a. And yet when I left the Courthouse at 12:16p, you were standing in the parking lot talking.

Excuse me, Cedric. We are paying you to do our business. Please do you job.

A light bulb moment

For me...

Since the Board of Supervisors' Meeting this morning, I have received a few disgruntled comments...all from white Tunicans.

First of all, I do not believe Tunica is going to become another Clarksdale just because the color of the skin of the present Board of Supervisors happens to be black. That being said, we could become another Clarksdale if the character of this Board of Supervisors is not above reproach. Unfortunately, that means this Board of Supervisors has to be better then the last Board and they have to serve all of the residents of Tunica.

Further, if you are one of the Tunica residents who sat on your butt and now wants to complain...talk to the hand. I've found that in most cases, you don't know what you are talking about because you haven't taken the time to discover the truth.

Maybe the changes from the last election are not the best we can do but it's a start.

Board of Supervisors' Meeting 15 Nov 2011

We are now another $4 million dollars in debt. The first thing on the agenda was "Consider no protest resolution relating to the Community Disaster Loan from FEMA."

But wait...there has been a change in the agenda since 14 Nov 2011 at 1:47p. On this agenda was the following:

Bids: 9a Receive bids for the purchase of riot gear. (Note: Are you kidding me?)

Public Hearing: None.

Appointments: 9:15a Jewelie Brown - Lot Cleanup Issues
9:30a Barbara Tuchel - Transparency Committee

Now to be fair, I received an email from Clifton Johnson on 14 Nov 2011 at about 4p with a note saying that the Board would not be having any appointments today because the Board's Attorney, Andy Dulaney would not there. I've never been to a Board meeting where there was no attorney serving in Dulaney's absence. But hey, something new everyday.

Also, to be fair the information the Transparency Committee requested in a Freedom of Information letter sent on 3 Oct 2011 was attached to this email. Actually, we requested this information be added to the Supervisors' Minutes so that the records would be there for all to see. The requested information was a listing of employees and their wages. We will be discussing this information at the Transparency Committee meeting on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 at 10a.

Okay, so there is the agenda switcheroo.

Now, questions that need to be asked concerning this $4 million loan:

Is any part of this $4 million going to be used to satisfy the Board's "Memo of Understanding" to purchase the land for GreenTech from a private property owner? Want to answer that Clifton, Andy, any of you? Do you know?

This loan is going to be paid back with an increase in property taxes. That was what was stated in the legal advertisement. Are all of the Board of Supervisors going to be effected? District 1: James Dunn: yes; District 2: Cedric Burnett: no (The tax records are in Clara Burnett's name.) District 3: Paul Battle: yes; District 4: Bobby Williams; yes; 5. District 5: Billy Pegram: yes.

Don't think this wasn't strategic planning on the part of the Board of Supervisors. They gave us less then a week to get 1500 signatures on a protest petition. I'm saying less then a week because most of us who really care about this county were involved in getting most of this Board of Supervisors removed from office.

I did ask for an extension until the end of Nov for the registered voters of Tunica County to get their petition of protest together. No can do.

I can't wait until January.

They are going to borrow 4 MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!

And pay it back with what...tax increases?

Here's the resolution:

"Resolution of Tunica County, Mississippi (The "County") declaring the intention of the county to authorize the borrowing of an amount not to exceed four million dollars ($4,000,000.00) by entering into a loan with the United States of America, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") relating to the disaster experienced by Tunica County associated with the flooding of the Mississippi River, loss of revenues, damage to public property and infrastructure; and for other authorized purposes under the ACT."

Further, the Public Notice states that "the taxing power of the County will be pledged to the payments of the Loan..." That answers that question.

So, the Tunica County Board of Supervisors has authorized the building of all of this stuff around here and never thought to put money aside for a rainy day?

Throw the bums out!!!!