Elba City Council takes care of business
During my first week of Living Democracy in Elba, I attended the Elba City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 29.
Attending this meeting gave me an understanding of how the Council conducts its meetings and how the city operates as a local government. I saw the passion these elected officials have for their city as they addressed issues from branding concerns to checking the structures of the bridges and levees.
The meeting began with Mayor Mickey Murdock calling the meeting into session. Council members include Rolanda Jones, Gappa Wise, Jane Brunson, Tom Maddox and A.R. Wilson.
Chief of Police Eddy Hanchey then gave a report, noting that a new patrol car would soon be on the streets. He also shared that overall crime activity has gone down in the past few weeks.
Next up on the agenda was a report from City Clerk James Kelly. The first issue of concern was a report covering heavy rains that came to town from a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico.
The city clerk reported that sandbags were delivered to people’s homes for precautionary reasons as heavy rains approached. Luckily, they were not needed because the water level did not rise as high as predicted. The weather did cause a few power outages, but crews worked hard to fix those outages quickly.
Council members heard a report on the structural soundness of the levee surrounding Elba and bridges that found the city passed on all of its inspections, with only one part of the levee needing updating.
He also shared good news on the highly anticipated construction of a new splash pad expected to open this month. The pad will be a central feature of a new park across from the Elba City Hall, providing a cool place for the community to gather.
After the city clerk’s report, Mayor Murdock gave a budget report. This is clearly a strong suit for Mayor Murdock, as he seems to be on top of the city’s financial situation.
Next up for the Council is continued discussion of rebranding some of the city’s welcome signs. Some members suggested that the slogans need to be updated. To follow up, citizen input on the branding will be sought.
It was great to see the passion that each city official brought to the table. This meeting showed me how much care goes into the decision-making process.
Tags: Elba
