Jonesboro to Borrow $1.8 Million on Gate City Sewer Project, Despite Unpaid Federal Taxes

The Town of Jonesboro’s Board of Aldermen last night committed to borrow $1.8 million – that is supposed to be repaid by a Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) grant – for a project to provide sewerage service for Gate City, an unincorporated neighborhood of about two dozen homes between Jonesboro and Hodge. The project would also rehabilitate Jonesboro’s north-side sewer treatment plant and lagoon.

The action came in an unanimous 4-0 vote by the town’s board of aldermen (District B’s Renee Stringer was absent) despite yesterday’s news that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had filed a lien against the town for unpaid taxes.

No mention of the IRS lien was made at last night’s meeting.

The proposal was only presented to the board as the meeting began.

Normally, a packet of agenda items is distributed to each aldermen prior to the meeting so they can be familiar with issues to be voted upon. The town’s controversial mayor Leslie Thompson told the board that action on the proposal had to be taken immediately in order to meet deadlines, and that it was finalized only earlier in the day.

According to town attorney Douglas Stokes, the bonds would be bought by the State of Louisiana, and would be redeemed as the grant money was dispensed and the project progressed.

“Every dollar they give you, they going to forgive a dollar of your bond issue,” said Stokes.

Stoke cautioned about two areas of concern, cost overruns that the town would be responsible for, and unauthorized expenditures.

“If there’s not enough dollars to complete the project, then of course you have to pay the additional money to complete the project,” Stokes said.

He added, “If you spend money that is not covered by the grant, then they won’t reimburse you for that.”

District A’s Sam Lamkin spoke up about “person or persons” who he said were trying to stop the sewer project. Lamkin said the funding was necessary to correct the town’s northside sewer lagoon issues, and that this project provided that opportunity.

“If you know this ‘person or persons’ that is trying to get this stopped, please tell them that this for the betterment of Jonesboro and Gate City,” Lamkin said.

Mayor Thompson added that the minister of the Pentecostal Church in Gate City had been talking with him for years trying to correct the sewer issue.

Alderman Attempt JPD Takeover

An issue that began at the 12/14/2011 meeting of the town’s aldermen – the status of Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) Officer Hezekiah Perry – has escalated into a full-blown confrontation between Chief Wesley Horton and the board.

The issue began when District D’s Devin Flowers attempted to interfere with Horton’s authority to operate the department and wanted Perry assigned to another shift. Horton said he assigned officers as needs dictate and town attorney Stokes backed him up.

“The Chief of Police – he has the authority,” said Stokes.

Last night Horton recommended that Perry – who is now on unpaid suspension – be dismissed from the force for insubordination. It turned out that Perry was not certified by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), which is required for employment as a commissioned police officer. When Horton tried to schedule Perry for training, Perry refused to submit his application and associated paperwork as directed. Horton also noted that Perry’s weapons qualification had also expired.

After a discussion on whether the issue should be in executive session (a motion to do so by Flowers died for lack of a second), the aldermen proceeded to question Horton on what alternative training sessions were available to Perry.

Horton emphasized his recommendation for termination no longer concerned training schedules for Perry, but his refusal to complete his application paperwork as directed.

The aldermen argued that the written order only gave him one day to complete his application, to which Horton replied that he had verbally told Perry a week earlier what was required.

Horton refused to be intimidated by the council, saying “If y’all want to order me to commit malfeasance, well, y’all get after it, because I’m going to refuse to do it, and that’s where we’re going to stand.”

The board deferred the issue until a special called meeting to be held Friday, 1/13, at 4:00 PM. More research was needed on the issue, the aldermen decided.

In other business, the board tabled adoption of a budget ordinance and a parade permit ordinance. The board also adopted two two written policies, gas/diesel usage and utilities billing procedures.

An audio tape of last nights meeting is available here.