There was a scant amount of attendees at the board meeting. I noticed since the library was sold to Lamar County for $1, there’s no longer any representative from the Lumberton Library giving the board a report on the activities of the library. But since the board sold one of Lumberton's greatest assets for four quarters, I guess it's mission accomplished and there's no need to inform the city of any activities of a building it no longer controls. Mission accomplished. The first agenda item was to discuss and approve a water rate review. I don't think any of the board members have attended the water board (apologies, I don't remember the official name at this moment) meetings regarding the guidelines the city must adhere to in order to protect the life of the city; the water department. However, there was a brief discussion that there is going to be a need to raise the water rates in order to cover the $36,847 needed to repair water well #2. Later in the meeting, the board approved this repair and the work will be completed by Griner Drilling Company. There was an agenda item to declare March 2014 as American Red Cross Month. Mayor Winston signed a proclamation for this observance. The next agenda item was to hear from the department heads. This is where the meeting became interesting.
Chief Cowart gave her reports on the fines collected and there was a plea from Alderman Quincy Rogers to address the need for patrol cars for the Lumberton Police Department. Mayor Winston was not willing to discuss the matter; stating they were working on it as he hurried the board to the next department head. Side note: There's a rumor that he and other aldermen are attempting to shut down the Lumberton Police Department. From what I've heard, once the budget has a surplus of $350,000, there's going to be a proposal to turn police services over to Lamar County. That would explain why he is reluctant to make any purchases or improvements regarding transportation for the LPD; despite the safety issues this lack of concern may cause for the officers as well as the citizens of Lumberton.
The next person to give a report was Merlene Wall, city clerk. This is where I gleaned a lot of useful information and I must say that I was surprised that Alderman Tommy Dukes was actually getting involved and challenging the status quo. As we all know, there has been problems in the water department for years and it seems the problems are only getting worse. At the meeting, I learned that water services are getting disconnected before the end of a 30 day cycle. As Alderman Dukes stated, "this is unacceptable." There are accusations of rude treatment by the city clerk. Keep in mind, the clerks are always stating that the customer's are rude but it seems that it's a two way street. For instance, there was a customer that was trying to get an explanation as to why her water was cut off. She called the office and was trying to get some assistance. The clerk that was addressing the concerns was not able to answer all the questions that were being posed so she transferred the call to Merlene for further assistance. After a brief back and forth about what caused this problem, the phone was disconnected. There was no closing statement and there wasn't anything said by Merlene before ending the call. She disconnected the call without any explanation. Now, I'm not talking about something I heard; I'm talking about something I know. You see, what Merlene and the other clerk was unaware of, was the fact that the person conferenced me in on the call because she wanted a witness to what was being said. So, I'm not talking about something I heard, I'm talking about something I know. Please note: I will blog more about this matter in a later post.
The bottom line is the water department needs to be fixed and if we're going to continue to try and vilify those that are angry about the lack of professionalism displayed in the office; we're not going to get to the bottom of this situation. Also, there's uncertainty about the fee that is being charged for reconnection. As I stated, I will post about this in more detail on another post but I must say that I am glad to see Alderman Tommy Dukes stand up and demand accountability and an explanation for all the errors taking place. There was an order to vote to have a security system installed at city hall. The motion was voted down at Mayor Winston's request but there is a need for surveillance cameras to be installed at city hall. The times have changed and when you have disgruntled customer's dealing with less than professional behavior, there could be a problem. The board approved the minutes for the regular called meeting for February 4, 2014 and the special called meeting that was held February 18, 2014. They approved the paid and unpaid claims for the month of February. There was an order to vote and discuss the attendance for the MML Conference in June. It seems the board is not certain if they're attending and they are not certain if they're staying on the Coast during the conference. There was a vote to discuss and vote on amending the budget for FYE September 2014. However, Mayor Winston informed Chief Cowart that this discussion will not be a budget workshop.
There was an order to commend Chief Cowart on her attendance and completion of the Multidisciplinary Team Development Training present by the Children's Advocacy Center. There was also an approval of a motion to approve a Police Alarm Ordinance for the City of Lumberton. The board is also looking to discuss and vote on an ordinance for the carrying of weapons or firearms on the premises of Lumberton City Hall. At this point, one of the aldermen joked about a woman in the audience that was carrying a fire arm. Several of the attendees became visibly upset when they realized that he wasn't joking. Personally, I understand the need for protection, but so many people have been whipped into a frenzy of fear because Fox News want everyone to be afraid of everything and of course everyone is now out to take away your constitutional rights. Hogwash. I wonder what happened to the time when people would call the police if there was problem. Why are people so afraid of going to a board meeting, where there's a group of armed police officers? As a matter of fact, people are so frightened; they are carrying guns into grocery stores. That's something for another post. But keep in mind, I believe in protecting myself but I refuse to live my life in a constant state of fear. In my opinion, a person that has the need to have a gun on their waist as all times and they're not law enforcement, is basically a coward and there's no constitutional amendment to cover that truth.
Before the board went into executive session, there was a talk about smoking on city property. The board is now looking to enforce the guidelines of the Smoke Free Ordinance they adopted some time ago. From what was said, this is not limited to city hall but to city owned vehicles. At that time, I asked the board if that included them using the city owned vehicles to go through the drive through window at the tobacco stores and they said yes. One alderperson asked to see my photos and at first I said I would share the photos but I'm not certain if I want to share the photos; especially if they're being used to address some other issue. For the record, I took the photos because there was this talk about certain members of the Public Works Department congregating at the Shell station. Well, I would see this person at the cigarette store several times throughout the week and shopping at Ramey's every Sunday. Now, he was always in a city owned vehicle but for some reason this was never addressed by the board. So, I started compiling photos so I could blog about it but I'm reconsidering the release of the photos. Also, let me be clear, I don't have a problem with employees smoking in their vehicles. As long as they're getting the job done, it's not my problem. However, I have a problem with people smoking at the entrance of a building and I have to walk through that could of toxins just to get to my destination. Now, that's not a problem that's limited to city hall; it's a problem going to the grocery store, the gas station, the library, the bank and restaurants. I'm am all for enforcing the ban on smoking at the entrances of city hall but I think trying to monitor who's smoking in the city vehicles is a bit much.
Now, this is when the meeting became really interesting. The board voted to go into executive session. Just when you thought we heard the last of Stephanie Mullings, her name comes up again. As a citizen, I would think that any descent lawyer would have instructed the board members named in the lawsuit to avoid any contact with the person bringing the suit against the City of Lumberton. But it seems that Alderman Crider is still going to the battlefield for his friend. I guess he feel the lawsuit does not allege he was wrong as well. Anywho! It seems that he feel that the fact that our former clerk has a dumpster, she is exempt from paying garbage fees. Well, according to the garbage ordinance, the use of a dumpster is an additional fee but the use of a dumpster does to void the charge for garbage collection. After coming from executive session, the meeting became a little more interesting. Right before there was a vote to adjourn the meeting, Johnny Buckley decided he wanted to inform the board that he and the chairperson of the Airport Committee were allowing a company to do a test run and see if the Lumberton airport would be a prime location for their business venture. When pressed for more answers like what's the name of the company and what type of work they're doing, Buckley was true to form and because irate saying he will tell the company to forget about using the airport and how the city was losing out an opportunity because this company, whose name he does not know, have a lot of money and the board should let them do whatever they want and maybe, just maybe, they will come back and pay next time. Well, as you know, I have a suspicious mind and in the worst case scenario, a drug lord wouldn't need to make a second drop if they are giving permission to make the first drop. For some reason, Buckley did not seem forthright in his request and the next day I went to the airport and it seemed like the business he claimed was looking to come to the Lumberton airport had already set up shop. There was a large truck and equipment set up and as Alderman Dukes said, he was putting the cart before the horse. It seemed that he wanted to ask for permission after they already gave the green light. I guess Buckley and the Airport Committee are of the mindset that it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. I don't know what's going to be done about this malfeasance and I wonder if the board will now require the Airport Committee to make monthly reports to the board or will they continue to have cart blanch when it comes to the airport? Only time will tell. Also, I guess Mayor Winston wasn't expecting any of the aldermen to ask questions and he completely forgot the rules of order. AS a matter of fact, Winston jumped up, yelled "that's it......I make a motion to adjourn this meeting....I'm out of here" and left the board room. I've attended enough meetings to know that the Mayor does not make a motion to adjourn a meeting and the fact that the adjournment of the meeting was never officially made, this meeting is still in session. I wonder what the city clerk has written in her paperwork regarding the adjournment of the meeting. From what I witnessed, the meeting is still in session because it was never properly adjourned.
There was a scant amount of attendees at the board meeting. I noticed since the library was sold to Lamar County for $1, there’s no longer any representative from the Lumberton Library giving the board a report on the activities of the library. But since the board sold one of Lumberton's greatest assets for four quarters, I guess it's mission accomplished and there's no need to inform the city of any activities of a building it no longer controls. Mission accomplished. The first agenda item was to discuss and approve a water rate review. I don't think any of the board members have attended the water board (apologies, I don't remember the official name at this moment) meetings regarding the guidelines the city must adhere to in order to protect the life of the city; the water department. However, there was a brief discussion that there is going to be a need to raise the water rates in order to cover the $36,847 needed to repair water well #2. Later in the meeting, the board approved this repair and the work will be completed by Griner Drilling Company. There was an agenda item to declare March 2014 as American Red Cross Month. Mayor Winston signed a proclamation for this observance. The next agenda item was to hear from the department heads. This is where the meeting became interesting.
Chief Cowart gave her reports on the fines collected and there was a plea from Alderman Quincy Rogers to address the need for patrol cars for the Lumberton Police Department. Mayor Winston was not willing to discuss the matter; stating they were working on it as he hurried the board to the next department head. Side note: There's a rumor that he and other aldermen are attempting to shut down the Lumberton Police Department. From what I've heard, once the budget has a surplus of $350,000, there's going to be a proposal to turn police services over to Lamar County. That would explain why he is reluctant to make any purchases or improvements regarding transportation for the LPD; despite the safety issues this lack of concern may cause for the officers as well as the citizens of Lumberton.
The next person to give a report was Merlene Wall, city clerk. This is where I gleaned a lot of useful information and I must say that I was surprised that Alderman Tommy Dukes was actually getting involved and challenging the status quo. As we all know, there has been problems in the water department for years and it seems the problems are only getting worse. At the meeting, I learned that water services are getting disconnected before the end of a 30 day cycle. As Alderman Dukes stated, "this is unacceptable." There are accusations of rude treatment by the city clerk. Keep in mind, the clerks are always stating that the customer's are rude but it seems that it's a two way street. For instance, there was a customer that was trying to get an explanation as to why her water was cut off. She called the office and was trying to get some assistance. The clerk that was addressing the concerns was not able to answer all the questions that were being posed so she transferred the call to Merlene for further assistance. After a brief back and forth about what caused this problem, the phone was disconnected. There was no closing statement and there wasn't anything said by Merlene before ending the call. She disconnected the call without any explanation. Now, I'm not talking about something I heard; I'm talking about something I know. You see, what Merlene and the other clerk was unaware of, was the fact that the person conferenced me in on the call because she wanted a witness to what was being said. So, I'm not talking about something I heard, I'm talking about something I know. Please note: I will blog more about this matter in a later post.
The bottom line is the water department needs to be fixed and if we're going to continue to try and vilify those that are angry about the lack of professionalism displayed in the office; we're not going to get to the bottom of this situation. Also, there's uncertainty about the fee that is being charged for reconnection. As I stated, I will post about this in more detail on another post but I must say that I am glad to see Alderman Tommy Dukes stand up and demand accountability and an explanation for all the errors taking place. There was an order to vote to have a security system installed at city hall. The motion was voted down at Mayor Winston's request but there is a need for surveillance cameras to be installed at city hall. The times have changed and when you have disgruntled customer's dealing with less than professional behavior, there could be a problem. The board approved the minutes for the regular called meeting for February 4, 2014 and the special called meeting that was held February 18, 2014. They approved the paid and unpaid claims for the month of February. There was an order to vote and discuss the attendance for the MML Conference in June. It seems the board is not certain if they're attending and they are not certain if they're staying on the Coast during the conference. There was a vote to discuss and vote on amending the budget for FYE September 2014. However, Mayor Winston informed Chief Cowart that this discussion will not be a budget workshop.
There was an order to commend Chief Cowart on her attendance and completion of the Multidisciplinary Team Development Training present by the Children's Advocacy Center. There was also an approval of a motion to approve a Police Alarm Ordinance for the City of Lumberton. The board is also looking to discuss and vote on an ordinance for the carrying of weapons or firearms on the premises of Lumberton City Hall. At this point, one of the aldermen joked about a woman in the audience that was carrying a fire arm. Several of the attendees became visibly upset when they realized that he wasn't joking. Personally, I understand the need for protection, but so many people have been whipped into a frenzy of fear because Fox News want everyone to be afraid of everything and of course everyone is now out to take away your constitutional rights. Hogwash. I wonder what happened to the time when people would call the police if there was problem. Why are people so afraid of going to a board meeting, where there's a group of armed police officers? As a matter of fact, people are so frightened; they are carrying guns into grocery stores. That's something for another post. But keep in mind, I believe in protecting myself but I refuse to live my life in a constant state of fear. In my opinion, a person that has the need to have a gun on their waist as all times and they're not law enforcement, is basically a coward and there's no constitutional amendment to cover that truth.
Before the board went into executive session, there was a talk about smoking on city property. The board is now looking to enforce the guidelines of the Smoke Free Ordinance they adopted some time ago. From what was said, this is not limited to city hall but to city owned vehicles. At that time, I asked the board if that included them using the city owned vehicles to go through the drive through window at the tobacco stores and they said yes. One alderperson asked to see my photos and at first I said I would share the photos but I'm not certain if I want to share the photos; especially if they're being used to address some other issue. For the record, I took the photos because there was this talk about certain members of the Public Works Department congregating at the Shell station. Well, I would see this person at the cigarette store several times throughout the week and shopping at Ramey's every Sunday. Now, he was always in a city owned vehicle but for some reason this was never addressed by the board. So, I started compiling photos so I could blog about it but I'm reconsidering the release of the photos. Also, let me be clear, I don't have a problem with employees smoking in their vehicles. As long as they're getting the job done, it's not my problem. However, I have a problem with people smoking at the entrance of a building and I have to walk through that could of toxins just to get to my destination. Now, that's not a problem that's limited to city hall; it's a problem going to the grocery store, the gas station, the library, the bank and restaurants. I'm am all for enforcing the ban on smoking at the entrances of city hall but I think trying to monitor who's smoking in the city vehicles is a bit much.
Now, this is when the meeting became really interesting. The board voted to go into executive session. Just when you thought we heard the last of Stephanie Mullings, her name comes up again. As a citizen, I would think that any descent lawyer would have instructed the board members named in the lawsuit to avoid any contact with the person bringing the suit against the City of Lumberton. But it seems that Alderman Crider is still going to the battlefield for his friend. I guess he feel the lawsuit does not allege he was wrong as well. Anywho! It seems that he feel that the fact that our former clerk has a dumpster, she is exempt from paying garbage fees. Well, according to the garbage ordinance, the use of a dumpster is an additional fee but the use of a dumpster does to void the charge for garbage collection. After coming from executive session, the meeting became a little more interesting. Right before there was a vote to adjourn the meeting, Johnny Buckley decided he wanted to inform the board that he and the chairperson of the Airport Committee were allowing a company to do a test run and see if the Lumberton airport would be a prime location for their business venture. When pressed for more answers like what's the name of the company and what type of work they're doing, Buckley was true to form and because irate saying he will tell the company to forget about using the airport and how the city was losing out an opportunity because this company, whose name he does not know, have a lot of money and the board should let them do whatever they want and maybe, just maybe, they will come back and pay next time. Well, as you know, I have a suspicious mind and in the worst case scenario, a drug lord wouldn't need to make a second drop if they are giving permission to make the first drop. For some reason, Buckley did not seem forthright in his request and the next day I went to the airport and it seemed like the business he claimed was looking to come to the Lumberton airport had already set up shop. There was a large truck and equipment set up and as Alderman Dukes said, he was putting the cart before the horse. It seemed that he wanted to ask for permission after they already gave the green light. I guess Buckley and the Airport Committee are of the mindset that it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. I don't know what's going to be done about this malfeasance and I wonder if the board will now require the Airport Committee to make monthly reports to the board or will they continue to have cart blanch when it comes to the airport? Only time will tell. Also, I guess Mayor Winston wasn't expecting any of the aldermen to ask questions and he completely forgot the rules of order. AS a matter of fact, Winston jumped up, yelled "that's it......I make a motion to adjourn this meeting....I'm out of here" and left the board room. I've attended enough meetings to know that the Mayor does not make a motion to adjourn a meeting and the fact that the adjournment of the meeting was never officially made, this meeting is still in session. I wonder what the city clerk has written in her paperwork regarding the adjournment of the meeting. From what I witnessed, the meeting is still in session because it was never properly adjourned.
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