With a shorter than normal agenda, the Monticello City Council met Tuesday night to hear regular reports from department heads and approve a resolution to appoint a new City Clerk.
Dr. Jess Hylton resigned from her position as City Clerk earlier this month and moved out of state. Her term was not over until December 31, 2022. Kirstin Garrison, an administrative employee in City Hall was appointed unanimously to fill the remainder of the term.
At the close of the meeting, Mayor Chase addressed the crowd with a statement about recent communications at City Hall.
“I have been made aware that a mayoral candidate has been calling [City] employees asking leading questions. It has been reported that questions such as ‘ How do you get along with “a city employee’s name” and ‘I heard we owe “vendor name” a lot of money’. Some of the questions are reasonable and about city business, some are not. I am offering a standing invitation to all mayoral candidates to come to City Council meetings and ask their questions in a public setting so everyone may hear their questions and the answers. If the questions are so important and worrisome to the candidate, then the candidate should make sure that everyone is aware of the issues. I am happy and absolutely willing to answer any business questions any candidate has about the City at any time. I responded directly to this candidate and was called “honey” and “sweetheart”. For the record, I have only been called these terms of endearment by family members and my husband. These terms were used to insult, condescend and demean, not because this candidate cares for me personally. My concern is for our city, no matter who wins the election. I will help any candidate make Monticello an even better place to live, work, and play. Please pay attention to who you elect, you will be choosing a future for your children and grandchildren.”
In new business, the council approved permission to bid for a second HVAC unit for City Hall and a HVAC unit for the Senior Citizen Center.
During the finance committee meeting, the bid from Denali for sludge removal was discussed heavily. Denali has added in excess of $200,000 to the original amount of their bid for sludge removal which came in approximately two years ago. Because of Covid-19 and inflation, Denali no longer will perform the duties that were bid for their original estimate. No contract was signed when the bid was accepted due to the lengthy permitting process.
Mayor Chase and the council members discussed various options with City Attorney Whit Barton. A motion was made to continue moving forward with Denali. All council members voted in favor of the motion except for Clarissa Pace. Cedric Leonard was absent.
Police Chief Jason Akers presented 36 months worth of analytics from the Police Department. They have been tracking various statistics over the course of three years and the findings were given to council members. The report included felony charges, misdemeanor charges, citizen assists and much more.
Public Works Supervisor Charlie Hammock stated that his department had fixed 26 leaks during the month of July.
Fire Chief Eric Chisom reported there were 18 calls last month, permits were staying around 40 issued per month and there are five volunteer fire fighter positions open.
