Mayor Chuck Espy said Monday people will not stand in the rain at the Care Station waiting to be fed.
Espy and city commissioners were told by Milton Gardner that people were cold and standing in the rain this week waiting for their regular free meal at Care Station in downtown Clarksdale.
Gardner said the Care Station recently received thousands of dollars from the county and some of that money should be spent on getting the homeless and hungry out of the weather.
Gardner’s report seemed to shake Espy.
“I’ll be damned if people stand in the rain for food in this city,” said Espy. “That will change tomorrow.”
Ward 2 Commissioner Jimmy Harris said the Care Station has a covered drive-thru that people can get under if it rains or if the Sun is hot. Harris also pointed out there have been problems with people at the Care Station at meal time and doors are locked until the food is served.
The downtown Care Station is run mostly by female volunteers and cooks and security is an issue in all of Clarksdale.
Care Station was serving about 30 walk-ups prior to COVID but that number has risen to about 70 recently. There is not room for more than 30 people to eat inside the Care Station.
In addition to walk-ups, the Care Station delivers more than 200 meals to the elderly and home-bound in Clarksdale three days a week and provides those people with a weekend sack of canned and dried food. The Care Station mobile pantry distributed more than four tons of food to the hungry who came in cars to Expo Center on Tuesday for the monthly food give-away.
Feeding the hungry became a burden to people and churches in Clarksdale years ago and the Care Station was formed.
The city gives Care Station $10,000 annually. Espy said the city has a surplus of $6 million at Monday’s meeting.
The Clarksdale Press Register was told this week that volunteers will be sought to build some kind of patio if necessary to keep everybody happy and food going to those who need it.
In Other Business:
• The city paid the following bills: Chuck Espy, December mileage, $294.75; Cornerstone, $5,589; Sandra Johnson, $2,870.94; Lamar Christian Plumbing, $800; Belinda Stewart Architects, $1,885.16; Granicus, $1,844.36; First National Bank, $1,940; Smith & Weiland $4,250; SouthGroup Insurance, $2,291; Slaughter & Associates; $6,451.72.
• Commissioners approved Change Order #2 for the Sasse/Bloom Street Stormwater Drainage project that dropped the original project contract of $1,127,047. This change order saw a savings of $119,950.50. Xcavator’s Inc., of Falkner, is the contractor for this project. A description of what was deleted or changed was not given.
• The city authorized a letter of support for Cultivating Clarksdale's DRA Grant. Details and amount were not given.
• The city approved seeking a lease agreement to lease 25-acres at the MAP Easton site for farmland on an annual basis.
• Mayor Espy asked for a Resolution of Memoriam for Cornelius Orlando "Big Red" Paden, who passed away last week.
• Georgia Antici requested to have fireworks at her daughter's wedding reception on Saturday, Feb. 24.
While fireworks and gunfire are prohibited in the city limits of Clarksdale, city fathers and police have been unable to stop either. On a motion by Ward 1 Commissioner Bo Plunk the matter was tabled until the next meeting.
• Crystal Hardmon reported that shootings have occurred in her neighborhood, her house and vehicle windows have been shot out, there are no street lights or SkyCop camera on her street and CPU wants to charge to have streetlights put on her street.
• The city made its fourth payment for the Carnegie Library roof repair for $12,991.25. Contractors have been paid $134,567.50 on the project. The city is splitting the cost of repairs with the county.
• The city paid a $15.99 nonrefundable service fee for a hotel cancellation.
• The city raised it mileage reimbursement rate to .67-cents per mile.
• The city approved Accounts Payable for the month of December in the amount of $68,878.29.
• Commissioners voted to reimburse the Incidental Expense account for the month of December in the amount of $2,348.68. Details of this expense were not given.
• Commissioners approved dispatcher Muriel Canada to attend Legal Concepts Training this month in Hernando.
• Police purchased batteries from Integrated Communications for handheld radios for $4,565.
• The city acknowledged the retirement of Martin Robinson in the Fire Department effective Dec. 31.
• The city approved the following status changes: Muriel Canada received a 2% longevity increase; Policeman Greg Young completed his introductory period; Albert Nickson in public worked competed his introductory period.
• The city voted to recess until its next meeting at noon Thursday, Jan. 18 at City Hall. All meeting are open to the public.
