JONESTOWN — David Russell, a Jonestown native and Oxford resident, will be able to purchase a 119-acre lease on the Swan Lake property to open a duck club with some conditions.
Russell appeared before the Jonestown City Council at a special meeting Dec. 13, 2018 requesting to lease the property. The council members present let Russell know he must provide proper paperwork and documentation for them to lease him the property.
At the Monday, Jan. 7 regular meeting, Russell still had not provided any information. However, the council voted for him to be able to lease the land on the condition he provides the necessary paperwork. How much Russell would pay the city for the lease has not been determined.
The vote was 2-1 with alderman Gregory Neely Sr. and alderwoman Brenda D. Green in support of the measure. Alderman Unta Wiley opposed.
“I vote nay,” said Wiley as discussion began.
Mayor Kenny Lester said Russell would allow other people to fish on the property, but they would not be permitted to hunt. He noted he called the Environmental Protection Agency and the Mississippi Game & Fish Commission and was told leasing the property would not be a problem.
“He (Russell) was supposed to be bringing the information back,” said Neely, adding Russell should also bring the deed, is possible.
“He was supposed to have been giving us his intentions in writing of what he wanted to do, according to the lease.”
Lester was in favor of leasing the property.
“I think it’s a great thing for the town for him to have a duck club,” he said. “Right now, we’re not making any money off of it.”
Following much discussion, Neely suggested leasing the land pending proper paperwork and documentation from Russell.
“I’m going to vote for him to lease the land, but if he doesn’t bring that information back (then I won’t),” he said.
Lester asked Wiley why he was against leasing the land.
“We can keep going. It’s two against one,” replied Wiley.
Discussion about leasing the land on Swan Lake property continued as the issue of Jonestown not having a city attorney arose.
Lester said an ad for a city attorney has been run in the Press Register.
Local attorney Chris Finn attended the November meeting expressing interest in the position.
Lester said attorney James Valley from Helena-West Helena, Ark., has also expressed interest in being the city attorney.
“All the people that’s inquiring about the vacancy of a town lawyer, when we are we as board members actually going to get a chance to sit down and talk to these people?” Green said.
Lester said he would be in touch with the attorneys and the search would continue.
When citizens had the opportunity to make comments later in the meeting, Evelyn Veasley said having a city attorney would be beneficial when leasing the duck club.
“That’s one of the reasons why we need a city attorney to review these leases to protect,” she said. “If we’ve got leases out there we’re (possibly) signing something that’s going to be detrimental to the town. That’s why it’s always good to have a city attorney in place to review any type of legal document that you guys are signing.”
“That’s why it’s good to say no sometimes,” replied Wiley.
Lester clarified Russell would pay the legal fees and the city could choose its own lawyer just to review the lease.
In other business:
* Jonestown resident Billy Bryant submitted a $425 bill for fixing the city maintenance truck, which was approved with all the other claims.
The bill came up when the council discussed unpaid claims and it was the first time Lester heard about the truck bring fixed.
Lester said he did not put any money into fixing the truck because Neely and Wiley told him not to, but the truck had not been working for a year.
“If he’s done the work, he gets paid,” Lester said. “I’m not saying that. I’m just saying I’d like to know about it before I get a bill.”
“I think everybody knows the truck is down,” Neely replied. “It was no secret.”
“That’s not the problem,” Lester replied back. “The problem is I like to know about something getting done before I get a bill for about it. I’m not saying nothing about getting it fixed. That’s not the issue. The issue is if we’re paying for a bill, I like to know why we’re paying for a bill.”
Lester said, in the future, he would like to be told before anything is fixed.
Wiley said expenditures could be approved without the board making the decision.
Lester said only he could spend $425 without board approval, but city employees must check with him first.
“If you was managing the office, this wouldn’t be happening,” Neely said.
Lester said employees feel like they are able to do whatever they want to and run to Neely when they have an issue.
“You all need to quit intervening in day-by-day operations,” Lester said.
“We never intervened in that,” Neely replied.
Wiley agreed with Neely.
* The council discussed vacation days for water department head Lewarn “Killer” Flowers.
Flowers, who has said he would not come to meetings with Lester in office, was not present. He requested vacation days Jan. 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30.
After much discussion, the council unanimously to grant Flowers all of those vacation days except Jan. 8 and 9 if all the leaks in the ground were fixed.
Flowers is responsible for picking up inmates to do work in Jonestown.
“I’m not planning on picking up inmates,” said Larry Wiley, who also works for the water departments.
Lester was not sure what how he would handle the situation.
“We have to figure out something,” he said. “Right now, we probably won’t have them.”
* Lester let the community know signs for streets with new names were recently put up and that caused some confusion.
Someone called 9-1-1 saying the issue was on Arthur Robinson Street when it was on Arthur Allen Street within the past few weeks.
* Shana Johnson’s request to have a tax office at 218 Martin Luther King Street was approved.
