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New street supe What started out as the routine appointment of department heads for the coming year in Grove Hill turned into a rambunctious and at times confusing discussion of the need for additional help for the street department and how salary expenses are allocated between the town’s general fund and the water board. At the center of Monday’s controversy at the Grove Hill Town Council was Mayor Willie Welch’s recommendation that Street Superintendent Larry Williams’ appointment be tabled so that a committee could look at hiring a superintendent "since he [Williams] is already being paid by the water department." Council member Lamar Hudson was the first to question the proposal. He asked "Where are we going to get the money? We don’t need to be hiring, we need to be saving." Welch responded that with the increase in taxes and the moneys that will be coming in from Clarke-Mobile Gas, there will be enough to pay a street superintendent. The new budget includes $60,000 in royalities from the gas utility that the town jointly owns with Jackson and Thomasville. "Are we sure?" asked Hudson of the promised gas funds. Council member Kim Kelley jumped in and suggested that if the town is in such a poor financial condition, things need to be left like they are for the time being. Hudson suggested that the town needs a "working superintendent" and said he has seen Williams "sitting in the truck watching" while other employees work. That prompted a strong declaration from Williams, "I work every day." Hudson suggested that town clerk Edd Stifflemire have oversight over the street department employees "and let everyone out there be workers." Council member Mary Golthy said she agreed. Council member Charles Love echoed, "We don’t need to be hiring anybody else right now." The water board and the town share employee costs with each contributing toward an individual employee’s salary based on the work being done. However, because of the town’s financial difficulties, the water board has been paying all of Williams’ salary for some time now. If the town doesn’t have money to pay Williams now, how can it have money to pay a new superintendent, Hudson wondered. Welch said it was because of new money that is included in this year’s budget. He said the town has four employees for street work that it also shares with the water board. Williams makes five as a working supervisor and William Jackson, who works at Hudson Park during the summer, helps during the winter months. Welch said that is simply not enough people to do the things that need to be done. "We need somebody else to help...how we shuffle it [between the town and water board] is one thing but we need an extra man who is qualified to run some equipment," Welch declared, sounding as though he had a specific person in mind. Right now Williams has been running some water extensions for the water board. It requires at least two workers to help him. Hudson observed that the town would be better off hiring a private contractor if it is so hard pressed for other work to be done. Council member Travis McIntyre made a motion to follow Welch’s suggestion and approve all of the appointments except the street superintendent which would be tabled for review. It died for lack of a second. Later, Hudson motioned that Edd Stifflemire be assigned to oversee street work. That motion failed on a three-three tie vote with the mayor voting against it. Finally, council member Kelley returned to Welch’s proposal that the matter be tabled until the personnel board could get with the water board to discuss the matter. It was adopted but even then there was confusion. Hudson asked who was on the personnel board and was told council members McIntyre, Golthy, Kelley and the mayor. But Hudson referred to his sheet of committee assignments and said there was no personnel board listed and said he thought the entire council made up the personnel board. McIntyre said it was the personnel and budgeting committee. Hudson said only the finance committee was listed. Hudson asked Town clerk Stifflemire about a personnel committee. "I don’t think there is one per se," he said. Hudson smiled. Mary Golthy wanted to know how soon the meetings would be, acknowledging with a grin that she is on the council, the water board and the committee—whatever it may be called—to consider the matter. Mayor Welch said he would get with Water Board Chairman Kossie Powell and set up a time. Appointments The appointments included William E. Jackson, park director; Edd Stifflemire, town clerk; Leo Frazier, police chief; Don English, fire chief; Dewayne Huggins, assistant fire chief; Jackie Garrick, clerical billing administrator; Lori Weaver, magistrate/clerk; Lamar John-son, prosecutor; Spence Walker, public defender; Bruce Wilson, town attorney; Ronnie Keahey, municipal judge; and Darryl Horn, wastewater manager. Other business A building permit for Elaine Presnall to reroof her home was approved. Permission was given to Gil Gilmore to transfer the lease on his airplane hangar to Dr. Gary Kania and to lease another spot to build a new one for his plane. Kania initially was to build a new hangar. A proclamation recognizing Grove Hill Elementary School’s extended day program was approved. Jean Price, who offers input and comments all during the council meeting as a "concerned citizen" told the council she is the "brainchild of something very good that will be happening to our town." She said she was working with someone she did not identify on a private project that would provide "short term and long term jobs to Grove Hill." She did not elaborate but said it concerns geriatrics. It was noted that the town has $210,000 in checking and saving accounts, up a good bit from just a few months back. Council member McIntyre, a teacher, recognized one of his students, Zavier Nettles, a seventh grader, who will be writing a report on the meeting.
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