New Albany Board of Aldermen March 1, 2016 meeting

Possibly opening a hospitality facility for the Tanglefoot Trail was the only new business at the March 1, 2016, meeting of the New Albany Board of Aldermen.

Alderman-at-Large Scott Dunnam started the discussion saying the board had for some time been considering opening and operating a welcome center for visitors to the Tanglefoot Trail. Dunnam said he thought the board should explore opening its Tanglefoot welcome center at the Union County Public Library, which sits immediately adjacent to the Tanglefoot Trail, and within sight of the trailhead at Bankhead Street.

Lynn West, attending the meeting as usual in his capacity as editor of the New Albany Gazette, is also chairman of the library system’s governing board. West indicated that the library board might well be interested in such an arrangement. West said the library board has had preliminary contact with an architect about the library facilities’ needs, and that the welcome center might be a good fit. No action was taken on the matter, but it is expected to be discussed further in the future.

Other than the Tanglefoot Trail welcome center/library discussion, the rest of the meeting was routine.

The board approved the minutes of the prior month’s meeting and authorized payment of the city’s bills. Otherwise:

–Bill Mattox, manager of New Albany Lights, Gas, and Water (NALGW)  asked and received authority to purchase a 1/2-ton pickup and a larger truck rated up to two-tons on the state of Mississippi purchasing contract. Mattox was also authorized to sell surplus NALGW equipment, including two small bucket trucks and two smaller trucks at an auction in which the city would pay 7% of the selling price to the auctioneer.

–New Albany Chief of Police Chris Robertson requested and received acceptance of bids for the sale of six motor vehicles confiscated in drug enforcement operations.

–The Fire Department was authorized to promote Fireman Jonathan Pitts to driver/operator of a pumper truck.

–The Parks and Recreation Department was authorized to hire Mathew Perry and Alvie Parks.

As is its custom, the city board went into an “executive session” at the end of the public meeting. No announcement has been made as to what was discussed during the closed meeting. The city aldermen did not emulate the example given Monday by the Union County Board of Supervisors which, for the first time in memory, went into executive session following the ritual required by the Mississippi Open Meetings Act.

For more details on the Union Co. Library: Citizens and government voice support for library