Poplarville aldermen reappoint Jordan to school board
Published 4:01 pm Thursday, January 19, 2012
On Tuesday night, the Poplarville Board of Aldermen again appointed Violine Jordan to the Poplarville School Board after a nomination that called for the appointment of businessman David Barry failed for lack of a second.
Jordan is president of the school board and serves as a deputy chancery clerk in Chancery Clerk David Earl Johnson’s office.
When Mayor Billy Spiers opened the floor for nominations, Alderman Bill Winborn nominated Barry.
Alderman Dr. John A. Grant, Jr., asked if Jordan had expressed interest in serving another term, and Alderman Byron Wells said that she had. Then Wells placed Jordan’s name into nomination.
Said Grant, “She has done a good job, and if she desires to serve a second term, I see no reason not to reappoint her.”
“I am not saying she has not done a good job,” replied Winborn. “I would just like to see someone with Barry’s expertise on the board.”
Spiers entertained Winborn’s motion first. “Is there a second?” asked Spiers. There was no second.
Then he asked for a second on Well’s motion. Grant seconded it.
Then the vote: 5-0, unanimous. Winborn voted for Jordan, also.
Jordan is one of two school board members on the five-member school board who is appointed by the board of aldermen. The other three are appointed by the board of supervisors.
The other four members are Shirline Magee, Samuel Gentry, Lisa Graves and Tommy Strahan.
On another matter, aldermen moved cautiously when faced with adopting a procedure that would have, in some cases, charged businesses with fire inspection fees in connection with the issuance of special permits by the fire department.
Wells, who is a Poplarville businessman, cautioned the board about charging the fees. “Some of our businesses are not doing very good,” said Wells, “and the additional charges, whether they are fees or taxes, won’t help them, but will hurt them.”
Winborn suggested that an inspection be performed without a fee and the business fined if a violation of the fire code was not corrected by a certain specified time outlined by the fire department.
Grant questioned whether or not the fees were needed to reimburse personnel for the job of inspection, and Fire Chief Mike White said the fee was not used to subsidize pay for personnel performing the inspection.
“It’s not like they are doing this on their own time. They would be paid anyway even it they weren’t making the inspections, correct?” asked Grant.
“That’s correct,” said White.
The board then tabled the vote on the fire code and fees until their next scheduled meeting on Feb. 6. They told White they wanted a revised proposal to consider on Feb. 6.
In another matter, the board took under advisement a proposed expansion and partial remodeling of City Hall at the intersection of Mississippi Highways 26 and 43, after a presentation of alternate proposals by architect Charlie Williamson of Perkins & Williamson Architecture, Hattiesburg.
In other matters, the board:
— Renamed attorney Martin Travis Smith attorney for the board.
— Approved the expense, payroll, system transaction and privilege license reports.
— Approved travel expenses for Jonathan Head, hazardous materials technician, to a Feb. 13-23 training session in Jackson.
— Approved travel expenses for Justin Miller Feb. 13-17 in Alabama to a training session.
— Authorized advertisement for adding a police officer on the force.
— Rescinded the Dec. 6 order approving the lease-purchase of a police car and approved the solicitation of lease-purchase proposals for a car. The board said it wanted to look at other models.
— Approved travel expenses for Russell Miller to attend the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor School Feb. 13-17 at Vicksburg.
— Went into a short executive session.
— Adjourned to Feb. 6.