The Laurel City Council recognized four police officers and approved several matters concerning ongoing projects in the city of Laurel.
With little discussion the council on a 6-0 vote, with Councilman Stacy Comegys absent, agreed to approve changes to projects, authorized payments relating to the city’s housing grant and the council agreed to make a donation of equipment to Laurel High School.
The council with a 6-0 vote adopted an order authorizing the city clerk to release checks related to the Housing Preservation Grant.
According to city documents, the City of Laurel was awarded a housing preservation grant and now the city has been presented with six invoices to be paid out of the USDA Housing Grant Bank Account, which will require a transfer from the Master Checking Account.
During this week’s meeting, the mayor and the city council ordered that the city clerk is authorized to release checks related to the Housing Preservation Grant and make the necessary transfer from the master account to the USDA Housing Grant Bank Account.
In a separate matter, the council approved an order to purchase numerous AmeriCorps items for Laurel Plays use within the program. The council also agreed to approve an order allowing the donation of surplus equipment to Laurel High School from the City of Laurel’s Recreation Department. City officials said the surplus equipment has been replaced with newer, more efficient models and the equipment is no longer of use or value to the city and is in need of disposal.
The council agreed to the donation at no cost to the school.
In other business, the council set January 5, 2021, as the public hearing date for a piece of property of Etheland Wiley Hardison Jr. at 16 Carney Drive in the city to determine whether or not the properties are in such a state of uncleanliness so as to be a menace to the public health and safety of the community.
The council conducted public hearings for the property at 207 West 15th Street belonging to Casa Porca LLC, in Ward Four; 1112 North 13th Avenue in Ward Six belonging to Merritt Inc.; and 515 Van Buren Street,
belonging to Long Land Investments. The property is in Ward Six. The council voted to clean both properties and assess the cost to the property
Also, the council had a hearing for the vacant Property between North 8th Avenue and North 9th Avenue, belonging to Mitchell Asmar Jr. in Ward Two. Asmar appeared before the council and said he planned to donate the property to the American Legion and needed time for the group to get their paperwork together. The council approved the cleanup but gave them a 30-day extension to get their paperwork done. If after 30 days something has not been done, the city will clean the property and assess the cost to the property.
In a separate matter on Tuesday, the council authorized the execution of a letter agreement with Neel-Schaffer for professional services for the GPS location of water values.
According to a resolution approved by the council, the City of Laurel requested that Neel-Schaffer continue to improve the GIS System by providing GPS locations for the water valves in the system. The water valve data will benefit the water department, engineering department, public works, and fire department, even potentially helping to lower the fire rating,” according to city documents.
“Neel-Schaffer has submitted a letter agreement for professional services for the collection of the water valve data and updates to the GIS System.”
Because of this, the administration authorized the letter agreement with Neel-Schaffer in the not-to-exceed amount of $90,000 to GPS locate water valves with the city.
In other business, the council adopted an order authorizing the mayor to sign a custody agreement with Trustmark National Bank, adopted an order to accept the Pine Belt Regional Solid Waste Management Authority Audit Report for Fiscal 2020; adopted an order recognizing December 31, 2020, as a paid holiday for full-time city employees just as Governor Tate Reeves has proclaimed this date a legal holiday for state employees.
The council approved lot cleaning assessments, adopted a resolution approving annual bids effective January 1, 2021 – December 31, 20221 and semi-annual bids effective January 1, 20201 – June 30, 2021; adopted an order accepting the Municipal Compliance Questionnaire for FY 2020 and accepted bids on surplus property.