Karma. . .and the Chameleon

Last night, I posted some minor details about the events of last night's board meeting, but today, I will provide you with more information about what happened. The agenda was rather short, but after 4 years in office, our aldermen are still dragging their feet on certain matters. For instance, there was an agenda item to vote on a lease agreement for Gold Coast Skydivers. Apparently, no one, other that Jay "Get Er'Done" McGraw, read over the agreement. I would also like to add that our city attorney apparently didn't read the agreement either. It seems there's a one year agreement on the table. The lease is for $350/month. The Gold Coast Skydivers sent a $3,500 check to cover the one year lease, but the lease that our attorney looked over and submitted for approval, stated 2 years. So, again, the Gold Coast Skydivers were attempting to get another free year and was hoping the city didn't read the lease. Please note, there were no provisions regarding the large number of trailers being stored on the property. Keep in mind, there was a Gold Coast Skydiver cheerleader in the audience, Johnny Buckley, who wanted to pontificate about how much it cost to fuel an airplane and how much it cost to pack a parachute and I was like STFU. The bottom line is Gold Coast Skydivers has been making a lot of money off the Lumberton Airport and it's time for the City of Lumberton to get something in return. If they were not making money, trust me, they would not be there. So, if the city attorney is not willing to do the work and make sure we have a contract that is fiscally beneficial to the City of Lumberton, then they need to send him home along with the city clerk. And if Gold Coast Skydivers don't want to pay for the benefit of having an entire air port at their disposal; now would be a good time for the city to tell them to pack up their parachutes. What's the point of having a group using a grant funded facility if the city is not going to benefit from all the money put into the airport. That's ridiculious. During the board meeting, I got the opportunity to meet the new public works director, Ryan Easley. I must say, it's refreshing to see an Public Works Director that's willing to get in the trenches and do the work. He said he was willing to help whenever he could and I even managed to overlook the fact that he was covered in mud; especially when he said he would like citizens to call him before calling a plumber so he could see if there's something he or his crew could do to help. Again, it's great to see a department head that is willing to go outside the confines of the office to help the citizens of Lumberton. Cheif Elsie Cowart stated that if any citizens received a notice about a warrant due to old fines, they should contact the office for more information. She said you will not be arrested for an old fine, but you should bring in a copy of your receipts. However, if you received a notice about a recent issue, you should be concerned. In other police business, the board approved the request to hire Officer Michael Decelle as a full-time, certified officer. Prior to going into executive session, the board voted to pay serveral bills that were marked as paid but they were not actually paid. The unpaid bills are as follows: Mississppi Department of Finance $350.00, Internal Revenue Service, $1,270.48, Mikes Auto Parts and Services, $1,098.19, ComSouth, $130.75, BBI, Inc., $547.74, Mississippi Municipal Worker's Compensation, $25, 954.00, Mississippi Municipal Liability, $13, 467.00, Waste Management, $2,745.69 and Airgas (note: Our First Responders are not able to purchase medical oxygen because this bill was not paid) $110.57. In all, there was a total of $45,674.42 unpaid bills for one quarter. I can't imagine the amount once they start reconciling the city's bank accounts. The board went into executive session. While the board was in session, there were several conversations being held and I was doing my best to hear them all. Faye Engle left shortly before they entered executive session. She was there taking notes. Kent Crider's wife was saying some very interesting things about Fire Chief, Jerry Walters but he chose not to respond. And there were some other conversations about how much the people on Lower Airport Road pays in taxes and the lack of services they receive from the city. This conversation was mostly being held by Johnny Buckley. In between the complaints about the city, he managed to pat himself on the back for all the "paid-volunteer work" he does just because he loves the City of Lumberton. By the way, I don't know if it was just a Freudian slip, but Bobby Gibson referred to Buckley as our Street Commissioner as well. So in addition to being the planning and zoning committee, the building and code inspector/enforcer, a part time spokesperson for the Lumberton Police Department, and the airport committee, he's also garnered a new title. And from the payouts listed in the books, he's getting a hefty penny for all of his "volunteer work". After the board came out of executive session, it was announced that there was a unanimous vote to terminate the employment of city clerk, Stephanie C. Mullings. They also voted to have her name removed from the city's accounts. I don't know what took this board so long to take this action, but it was long over due. There has been inconsistencies within that office for years, and this board knew about it. It seems that now that they're closing in on a new election, they're actually wanting to do their jobs. The Bobby Gibson that was present at last night's meeting was the Bobby Gibson I thought I was electing to serve. But is it a case of too little, too late. As I see it, we saw who he is and what he represents for the past four years and it's said that he, along with Kent Crider and Timothy Johnson, chose to stick their heads in the sand rather than deal with the issues plaguing the City of Lumberton rather than going after personal agenda. Kent Crider even stepped up to the plate last night. But I still wonder, if they're just making adjustments due to the upcoing election season. In addition to finally putting an end to the reign of Miss Appropriations, the board finally voted to hire Willie Sims, CPA to reconcile the city's bank accounts and to set up a system of checks and balances for the City of Lumberton. This matter was on the table for over a year, and it was voted down time and time again. Finally, we're going to get to know how much money is missing from the city's coiffers. At this juncture, I would hate to say, "I told you so, but I told you so." I have been telling you of these matters for the longest and I've been called everything except a child of God. In the words of Malcom X, "I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against."