PW 05-22-12 SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE -
May 22, 2012
Members & Staff Present: Councilor Ramona Taylor, Chairman
Councilor Lorraine Robinson
Councilor James Pulliaum
Phillip Sorrell, City Engineer
Leroy Turner, Sanitation Superintendent
Odell Slaughter, Street Superintendent
Rhonda Standridge, Administrative Assistant
Members & Staff Absent: Councilor James Holt
Councilor Herman Coleman
Mayor William H. Johnson
Guests: Ralph Hardin - Evening Times
Chief Donald Oakes -West Memphis Police Department
Paul Luker- Planning and Development
Cindy Greenwood - City Clerk's Office
BUSINESS
The Public Works Committee has brought all the stakeholders together in meeting to discuss the
need for a more ,• • essive code -;label:pent approach. A list was presented to the stakeholders on
bode enforcement needs for several departments in City Hall.
Sanitation Department- Phillip Sorrell - There are issues with Illegal dumping. The sanitation has
already spent over $7,000 this year on picking up illegally dumped tires. Constr_u •rt,debris is also
an ongoing dumping problem. The Sanitation department also has problems with dumping of
appliances and other household items and problems with tree limbs being cut anctleft on curb by
unlicensed tree trimmers.
Street Department- Phillip Sorrell-There are issues with stormwater management ioiations. A
violation such as dumping.leaves and grass_clioings_i to stormwatertos and there are on
occasion situations where we have citizens dumping hazardous waste into drains or in ditches.
Planning and Development- Paul Luker- Issues in his department are_abandoned cars, grass
cutting and cleaning of lots. His department has already used $20,000 of its $29,000 budget in
cutting gra_n_and cleaning lotz.this_year. His department has also used $29,000 of its $31,0g0
budget in tearing down abandoned houses. MKTifkii'laidliaVilig-a-code enforcement offiCer may
increase his demand; however, he did state that when having a code enforcement officer in the past it
has been helpfiR in getting people to comply without the City having to expend funds.
City Clerk's Office - Cindy Greenwood- Her main concern is people working without a business
license and hurting the businesses that we have in town that are complying with our ordinances and
iFer—ising. She thinks that is it imperative to have an officer that can be sent right away when we hear
of someone who is working illegally. ,
It was asked if it were possible to increase fees on grass cutting and tree hauling in order to offset the
salary for a code enforcement officer.
Chief Oakes stated that he did not have in his existing staff someone who could be pulled away in
order to do code enforcement without taking away from public safety. He says it will take funding.a
position in order to fulfill this code enforcement officer request. He believes having an officir7vir
increase citations and money inflow that will help to offset expenses. He said funding a position
would be around $50,000 per year that includes salary, benefits and insurance. He also mentioned
thattwice a_year Wirofficers-haikin-servicq training arld_it.would be_benefipial if Phillip Sorrell could
come and PartidiPite-for an hour or two in the spring or fall and inform the ofiicers ofwhat iöi5K for
when comes to illegal d j5Ii He thinks this would be a great opportunity to reach all of the officers
with our concerns.
Councilor Taylor would like to bring this issue back to the regular public works committee to discuss
and would like to discuss the issue with the Mayor. In the meantime if each department could
compile any savings or increase they will see as a result of having a code enforcement officer that
would help in looking at the whole picture.
There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 12:50 p.m.