Debris littering the City of Grenada following Winter Storm Fern will remain curbside a bit longer after the City Council’s actions during a special-called meeting Wednesday morning.
The topic of storm debris removal and monitoring has been widely discussed by members of the seven-member Council since the storm blanketed the county in ice in late January. They have convened nearly 10 times to discuss emergency contracts for both services as well as funding to pay for each, however, approximately 56 percent of the work remains unfinished with contractual capped funds depleted and no resolution in sight.
“I’m still concerned about funding,” Ward 3 City Councilman Lewis Johnson said Wednesday morning on the Zoom call. “If we use it, our hands will be tied.”
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Earlier, Councilman Johnson made a motion to table actions during a special-called meeting Tuesday afternoon – the first of two so far this week – following 49 minutes of discussions regarding increasing funds for both services that proved productive and laid out plans for finalizing cleanup. Ward 1 Councilman Warren B. Cox seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.
The decision to table matters Tuesday was made due to debris removal being the lone item of discussion listed on the agenda with the understanding that another special-called meeting to list both items for potential approval would quickly be scheduled. According to state law, only listed agenda items can be approved during special-called meetings and motions to add to the agenda are prohibited.
“With a called meeting, you can’t add anything,” Mayor Charles H. Latham said. “So, we’re going to have another meeting.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, discussions included increasing the debris pickup contract with Dynamic Group out of Baton Rouge, La., $700,000, as well as increasing monitoring services with Debris Tech out of Picayune $140,000. The Council initially approved a cap of $300,000 for debris removal to Dynamic during an earlier emergency meeting and quickly increased it to $500,000 a few days later during another emergency meeting. A $60,000 cap for monitoring to Debris Tech was first approved and it was not increased when the cap for debris removal was increased. Both companies are near or have exhausted funds based on the current caps.
City Clerk Angela Edwards was also on Tuesday’s Zoom call, informing the Council that funding for the entire storm cleanup project, which would total $1.4 million, is available in the city’s coffers. She stated that an unexpected additional $1.5 million over the budgeted $6.8 million has been received from real and personal property tax payments.
Mayor Latham’s initial goal was to hold a second special-called meeting later Tuesday evening after required notice was provided in hopes to have cleanup work reinstated Wednesday morning. However, Council availability and conflicts forced Wednesday’s meeting.
However, despite being reminded by Mayor Latham that Edwards said additional funds are available and City Manager Dr. Trina George expressing that she “wants to continue debris pickup,” Councilman Johnson once again balked on the issues. He proceeded to make two consecutive motions tabling increasing funds for both contract caps – each listed on the agenda – until the monthly March Council meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, March 9.
“I know sometimes I seem overprotective, but I want to have all of my information first,” Councilman Johnson said, who expressed earlier that he had been in discussions with officials regarding state and federal reimbursement guidelines.
Councilman Cox once again seconded both motions, which Ward 2 Councilman Fredreick “Pete Wilson and Ward 5 Councilman Eric Harris voted in favor of. Ward 6 Councilwoman Lori Chavis voted against both motions. Ward 4 Councilman Michael D. Smith and Ward 7 Councilman Ronald J. Merriman were not in attendance. All councilmembers were present during Tuesday’s special-called meeting.
Representatives with Dynamic Group and Debris Tech were at City Hall Tuesday with Mayor Latham to participate in the call and reminded councilmembers of reimbursement terms. FEMA will reimburse the city 75 percent of funds used for properly monitored debris removal and MEMA will split the remaining 25 percent with the city at 12.5 percent each. The initial contracts expire in 11 days.
For more on this story, see next Wednesday’s edition of The Grenada Star.
