While Clarksdale was experiencing one of its worst days for violence in years, the Clarksdale Board of Mayor and Commissioners met and asked what they could do to help stop crime in the community.
Crime was the top item discussed by the city at their 4 p.m. meeting Monday, with commissioners asking Police Chief Robbie Linley what his department was doing and what it needed to combat crime.
The Clarksdale Police Department has shrunk from more than 40 officers roughly four years ago to 23 as of Tuesday morning.
“We’ve had a lot of shootings and young people dying,” said Ward 1 Commissioner Bo Plunk. “Is it domestic violence, gang violence, are their actions you can take to curb or slow it down?”
Mayor Chuck Espy then reminded Linley to “preface your comments without revealing anything.”
Linley said he would be glad to talk to Plunk or any commissioner in private and MBI (Mississippi Bureau of Investigation) and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) were active in Clarksdale and investigations were underway.
Espy pointed out crime is up across America and it is not just Clarkdale but Greenwood, Greenville and Oxford, too.
In giving the Clarksdale Police report, Linley said there were 461 calls to the department from Sept. 27 to Oct. 10 with 344 of those calls resulting in incident reports and 26 of those resulting in arrests with 16 classified at misdemeanors and seven as felonies.
In other business:
• The board was approached by Curtis Boschert, General Manager of CPU, explaining why electric bills were going up. Boschert pointed out there had not been a rate increase by CPU but rather an increase in the utilities fuel fee and transmission costs.
• The board was approached by Nikki Williams who said her house at 319 Adams had been torn down by the city without her knowledge or notification.
Mayor Chuck Espy said later this was the second time the city had done this.
City Attorney Melvin Miller said all protocol was followed and complaints had been leveled against the property.
Espy asked Miller to look into details and report back to the board at their next meeting or possibly schedule a special meeting.
• Coahoma County Deputy Mike Harris spoke at the request of Milton Gardner about gun violence in the city and said he witnessed an incident on Mississippi Avenue where shots were fired and the shooting at Double Quick on MLK while off duty.
Harris said he was concerned about response times. Chief Linley was asked to look into the facts of those two calls.
• Melvie Woodall addressed mental health issues among the homeless and said he can only assist and treat those who ask for help and agree to stay in the program.
• Ward 3 Commissioner Willie Turner requested a hearing be set to enforce cleaning up the old compress between 12th and 13th streets.
• The city rejected bids for a track hoe despite being told by Public Works Director Todd Jones, one was desperately needed. Bids obtained by reverse auction came in high and Espy asked specs be re-drawn and re-advertised.
• Espy said young people need to be found to serve on the following committee:
- Crime Stoppers
- Beautification
- Cleanup
- Christmas Decorations downtown.
The board was told the Christmas committee will meet Wednesday to open boxes and start assembling decorations for downtown with the Christmas Parade tentatively set for Nov. 11 in conjunction with Downtown Open House.
• City Clerk Cathy Clark asked to pay the following claims: Neel-Schaffer $8,787.25, Altec Ind. $881.61, Chuck Espy (Sept.) $413.62, Vector Solutions $5,348.52 and Cornerstone Services $2,250.
• The city voted to reimburse Incidental Expense Account for $3,700 for the month of September.
• The board voted to pay September Accounts Payable invoices in the amount of $166,803.53 in which $143,744.60 is General Fund
• The city voted to approve office expenditures for Bo Plunk for fiscal year 2021-22 in an amount not to exceed $11,050 with the understanding that a copy of his office expenditures that are filed with his taxes must be filed with the City Clerk.
• The city voted to approve office expenditures for Ed Seals for fiscal year 2021-22 in an amount not to exceed $15,182.72 with the understanding that a copy of his office expenditures that are filed with his taxes must be filed with the City Clerk
• The city voted to accept the lowest quote received from Oxford Fence Company in the amount of $5,710.18 for fencing around the park in Riverton; said expense will come from Commissioner Turner’s allocation.
• The city voted for the Mayor to execute the engineering agreement with Neel-Schaffer for the Sasse/Bloom Street stormwater drainage project.
• The city voted to accept the lowest quote received from Jubilee Decor for Christmas decorations in the downtown area. No amount was made public.
• Espy appointed Mary Williams to the Blues Museum Board to fill a spot vacated by Paul Williams and Plunk reappointed George Miller to the Public Utility Board.
• The Police Department acknowledged receipt of a donation from Cato Corporation in the amount of $100.
• The city approved Chief Linley to attend the 2021 MACP Winter Education Conference in Jackson, Dec. 14-17.
• The city approved Investigator Bradley Hillhouse and Investigator Johnny Jones to be sworn under oath for Deputy Municipal Court Clerk for affidavits
• The board discussed placing stop signs at Friars Point Road and McGuire Cove to slow traffic. Ward 2 Alderman Ken Murphey had left the meeting and Turner suggested police just write tickets and not allow Commissioner to “Fix” them for violators. The board voted to carry the issue over until the next meeting.
• The city approved public parking spaces on the west side of the 200 block of Sharkey at the Post Office building on city right-of-way.
• The Fire Department will send Hunter Rybolt, Travis Haggan and Willie Williams to a training certification class in Oxford, Oct. 27-29.
• The city voted to set hearing on the following properties for possible demolition: 615 Baird, 438 Pecan, 415 Florida, 1604 Sixth, 1112 May, 628-630 Paul Edwards, 860 Desoto, 503 School, 325 Cypress and 906 Lincoln.
•The city approved waiver of cleanup on property located at 823 Cherry.
• The city voted to purchase a lawnmower under state contract with funds from the 2019 bond issue.
• The city approved a salary increase for Takendria Rice for satisfactory completion of one year.
• The city approved a salary increase for Jaylan Benson for completion of probation period and two years.
• The city approved offering employment to Deon Ross and Ryan Self as Laborer in the Public Works Department.
• The city approved the transfer of Arzella Monix from full time Dispatcher to part-time Dispatcher in the Police Department.
• The city approved a posting for full time Dispatcher
• The city approved terminate and stop paying the student litter crews. These 12 students were paid for two hours of work through the summer by Lillian Houston’s work program.
• The city acknowledged receipt of Notice of Claim filed by Rosemon Law Firm on behalf of Lashea Moore.
• The city recessed until noon Thursday, Oct. 21 at City Hall.
