JONESTOWN — David Russell, a Jonestown native and Oxford resident, is looking to purchase a 119-acre lease on a Swan Lake property to open a duck club.
The property is on Claremont Road on lake property outside of Jonestown and questions arose as to who actually owns the land when the city council came together Dec. 13 for a special meeting.
Mayor Kenny Lester had called a meeting on Dec. 10, but there was not a quorum as Brenda D. Green was the only council member present.
The meeting was rescheduled for Dec. 13 where aldermen Green, Gregory Neely Sr., Unta Wiley and Yvonne Williams-Brooks were present.
The council had several questions about the issue that needed to be answered before entering a deal.
Russell is a general contractor and his family farms right outside of Jonestown.
“I actually go every single year, every December and January in Jonestown since I was 10 years old,” Russell said.
“It helps me out because it’s public land technically and me renting the land helps Jonestown because they get some income. It helps me because I have a place to take my son and friends hunting.”
Russell said the extra money would benefit Jonestown, which is a town without much income.
Lester agreed the duck club would benefit Jonestown financially and be an asset to Coahoma County as a whole.
“We’re trying to get our revenue up, our economy up,” he said. “Our economy is down and revenue is down, so we’re trying to do something to bring in more revenue.
“I’m sure he’s going to bring in people from other places, so it will bring notoriety to it.”
Russell said when the Jonestown lagoon was purchased, the land he is looking to lease came with it.
Jonestown currently does not have a city attorney and council members did not want to make a decision on something they learned about for a first time.
“We don’t know the land belongs to us,” Neely said. “We haven’t been shown no deed.”
“This is my first time ever hearing it,” Wiley said in agreement.
Wiley also raised issues of accessibility to the land.
“Have you spoken with the oil mill?” Wiley asked Russell. “Sometimes they have their property right around here where the gate is closed.”
Russell said he has not, but individuals may access the land closer to the Indian mound. He added the land will mainly be for duck hunting, but people can also fish.
Neely asked why Russell needed a lease.
“You don’t, but as soon as people start hunting there, there’s probably going to be a swarm of people,” said Russell, adding a “no hunting” sign would be posted.
Russell said he could have a lease drawn up with either his attorney or one of the council’s choosing.
Looking online, Russell said he believed the maximum lease would be 20 years. He mentioned possibly paying $1,500 a year for the lease.
“We want it to be beneficial to us,” Neely said.
Russell said the duck club would be strictly for him and he would not charge others to get in.
“It’s not an overnight thing that we can just come up with right now,” Wiley said.
The other issue that was discussed Thursday was the indefinite suspension with pay of water department head Lewarn “Killer” Flowers for insubordination.
This is the third time in recent months Flowers has been suspended.
The council spent approximately one hour in executive session and voices were raised to the point where yelling was heard outside city hall.
Lester said he suspended Flowers on Tuesday, Dec. 4 for the way he talked to him during the Monday, Dec. 3 council meeting.
The board agreed to bring Flowers back to work on Monday, Dec. 17.
“The board made the decision and I stick with the board’s decision,” said Lester after the Dec. 13 meeting.
Lester declined to comment when asked if he agreed with the board’s decision.
The issue started during the Dec. 3 meeting when Lester proposed to suspend overtime pay for employees, claiming Flowers was working 50 hours per week.
Flowers said during the meeting he makes approximately $23,000 per year. Lester said, with overtime, Flowers is scheduled to make more than $40,000 a year.
Lester claimed after the Dec. 13 meeting that Flowers received overtime with his suspension, as he did in previous suspensions.
He added he showed the board Flowers’ pay stub during executive session.
Flowers was not at the Dec. 13 meeting, but at the Dec. 3 meeting, discussions of his responsibilities ranged from opening buildings to starting the day early to get inmates to do work in town.
Lester said, at one point, he instructed Flowers to work just six hours per day.
“You started that six hours a day when I started dealing with you,” said Flowers on Dec. 3.
Lester said, if it was up to him, Flowers would not be employed with the city of Jonestown.
“You all expect me to keep paying a man that has no respect for me, period,” Lester said.
As the discussion progressed on Dec. 3, alderwoman Josephine Brown-Cosby attempted to calm things down.
“Mr. Flowers, will you please change your attitude?” said Brown-Cosby, who was not at the Dec. 13 meeting.
Flowers said, until Lester was removed from office, he would probably not be back at a meeting.
“Mr. Flowers, excuse yourself and we’ll see you later,” said Brown-Cosby and Flowers did leave the meeting.
