Poplarville’s Board of Aldermen approved setting a date to elect a new member of the board to fill a vacancy left by Randy Brown.

In a statement released by Brown to the Item, he said the reason for his resignation was due to a recent State Auditor’s Office interpretation of the state statute and an opinion by the Attorney General’s Office.

Brown is an investigator with the city of Biloxi’s Police Department, and has been a member of Poplarville’s Board of Aldermen for the past year.

“As you all know I had to choose my position as police officer over alderman due to the fact serving as your alderman was a part time position with a part time salary that with it alone would not have supported my family,” Brown said in his statement. “I have spent 13 years in law enforcement and have been honored by the citizens of Poplarville by being given the opportunity to serve on your Board of Alderman for the past year of service.”

During Monday’s meeting the board approved a motion to accept Brown’s resignation and set a date for a special election to fill the vacancy. The election will be held on Tuesday Aug. 26.

In his statement, Brown said his wife will run to fill the vacancy.

City Attorney Martin Smith said any person wishing to run to fill the vacancy must turn in a petition with 50 signatures from qualified city electors. A statement released by Smith states that petition should be filed in the city clerk’s office by 5 p.m. no less than 20 days prior to the election.

The election will be held between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at City Hall.

In other business the board heard reports from department representatives.

Capt. Rossie Creel with the police department said officers responded to 198 calls, 36 of which led to reports being filed. Officers also worked 114 traffic stops or miscellaneous violations. Of the 198 calls 25 ended with arrests, Creel said.

During the month of June 21 warrants were served that totaled $8,573 in fines, of which $2,419 was collected. So far this year $31,007 in fines have been collected by the department.

Fire Chief Bobby Strahan said his department responded to 21 calls, 12 of which were medical in nature, two were for fire alarms and three involved vehicular accidents.

Strahan said his department is also holding volunteer firefighter training, which is available to all county volunteer firefighters. However, he has received little response from surrounding departments. Strahan said in his department all but two volunteer firefighters have undergone the training. If those two firefighters are not certified soon, they will have to be cut from the department.

Creel suggested the board consider purchasing a surveillance system for the city’s park due to a recent rash of vandalism.

He proposed using the local company Glover Communications, which turned in a bid of $3,443 for three cameras to be installed at the entrance of the park, at the pavilion and one outside the restrooms.

The board also considered installing an Internet connection at the park in order to monitor the system, which could lead to public wireless Internet service at the park. However, the board decided to take the matter under advisement until more information was available.

Check Thursday’s edition of the Item for continued coverage of Monday’s meeting.