Four of six councilmen present Tuesday unanimously agreed in a special called meeting to table the dumpster pickup issue until the next regular scheduled monthly meeting May 13.
Had councilmen voted to do away with picking up garbage from city dumpsters, then the work study wouldn't have been necessary.
Voting yes – meaning to table the issue – were councilmen Billy Joe Carver, Steve Newberry, Terry Newberry and John Cook.
Absent from the 8-minute meeting were councilmen Bobby Etheridge and Willie Brown.
Etheridge missed due to a prior obligation, while Brown arrived at City Hall within seconds of adjournment.
Others present were Mayor Kenneth Hollis, City Clerk Coby Knight and City Attorney Jon Wells.
Knight called the roll, and Hollis moved to the first item on the three-item agenda.
“Amend Ordinance #10-2 to take effect May 1, 2010,” Hollis read from the agenda.
Moving on to the second item, Hollis continued reading, “adopt ordinance #10-2, amending Title 17, Refuge and Trash Disposal, by adding ‘There shall be no collection of garbage, rubbish, or refuge from dumpsters of any size,’ as amended to take effect May 1, 2010, on second and final reading.”
Cook spoke up.
“Madam Clerk,” Cook said, “I would like to note on the record please that no video camera is set up tonight, and I’d also like to note on the record that I object to this meeting as a council member due to the last regular meeting. The councilmen unanimously voted to have a work session on this. I’d like to put that on the record please.”
Knight acknowledged Cook’s request for the record.
“The only thing to take action on tonight is amending that,” Hollis said.
Wells spoke up and said that the date May 1 needed to be changed to June 1.
“We’ve talked about garbage and garbage – that’s all we’ve talked about lately,” Hollis said. “We’re in the hole.”
Responded Cook: “Mayor, with all due respect, I realize everybody’s been real busy, and you appointed a committee to look at all this and then we set up a work session. I’m not for sure why you called this tonight except what you just said – you’re worried about it.”
Interjected Hollis: “We’re broke.”
Continued Cook: “But I have jumped through some hoops and put some stuff together and if there’s going to be a motion and a second then I’d like to call a discussion and discuss it all. In the past, Billy Joe and Steve – I can’t remember – I believe they voted for it. Terry and I voted against it. We do have a quorum and it takes four votes to pass all this. I don’t know with Bobby and Willie not here if it’s going to go anywhere tonight or not so we might just save time and …”
Said Hollis: “It’s broke, and probably there ought to be some money put in the account to pay the bills.”
Responded Cook: “Would you like me to show what I’ve got or do you want to wait until we might end up doing some action?”
Said Hollis: “Well, it’s going to have to be pretty quick. There’s got to be something done. We’re either going to have to do away with the garbage or we’re either going to have to put some money in the account.”
Responded Cook: “That work study, mayor, is scheduled for this Thursday night.”
Said Hollis: “I won’t be in town Thursday night. That’s why I called the meeting. The account’s broke. Ya’ll can do your work studies or whatever.”
Responded Cook: “It wouldn’t make any sense to vote on this tonight prior to the work study.”
Said Hollis: “Well, like you said, there’s two for it and two against it. There’s a quorum but I just don’t see it doing anything. I guess the only thing to do is to table it until the next meeting.”
Responded Cook: “Well, I don’t know how they’ll vote. I just made that statement. They might have changed their minds. I don’t know.”
Said Hollis: “I don’t know, either. Ya’ll can vote on it if ya’ll want to.”
Carver then made a motion to table the issue until the next meeting. Steve Newberry provided a second.
“Are we still going to have the work session Thursday night,” Terry Newberry asked prior to the vote.
Responded Hollis: “You’ve got one scheduled.”
Said Cook, referring to materials he brought with him to aid in the discussion process: “I’ll save all this for then.”
Carver spoke up and said “I doubt if I’ll be here.”
Roll was called and the motion to table the issue passed 4-0.
Discussion then moved on to the last item on the agenda – “discuss procedure to collect delinquent property taxes.
Ultimately, councilmen unanimously agreed to file all delinquent taxes from 2007 and back with Wells to turn over to the clerk and master. Carver made the motion with a second from Steve Newberry.
All said “aye” to adjourn, and Brown walked in the door within two seconds.
“We’re adjourned,” Hollis said as Brown approached the council table.
Brown then indicated he’d misread the time listed on the agenda.
The work study is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“The ones that can come Thursday night, we’ll talk about it all,” Cook said.
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