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Personnel talks still ongoing
Published Tuesday, November 17, 2009
NATCHEZ — Mayor Jake Middleton and the Natchez Board of Aldermen reconvened from a recess Monday, and immediately passed a motion to go into executive session to discuss personnel and contracts.
Before the motion was made, Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis peppered Middleton and City Clerk Donnie Holloway with questions about the hiring of new public works supervisor Robbie Dollar. Mathis said she was unaware Dollar had been hired.
“Who decided that the city would hire a public works supervisor? How was this hiring handled?” Arceneaux-Mathis said. “(The hiring) was not board approved as we have a hiring freeze.”
Arceneaux-Mathis also inquired about when the position was posted, how many people applied and the salary.
“Who set the salary for the position as it was not part of the original department?” Arceneaux-Mathis said.
Middleton answered two of Arceneaux-Mathis’ six questions, saying two people applied for the position, which was posted on a bulletin board in Natchez City Hall last month.
“I’m going to take those questions and try to find the answers,” Middleton said.
Arceneaux-Mathis also asked Holloway to provide salary and benefit figures for recent retiree Darlene Williams, former personnel director Pat Gibson, former city grants coordinator Brett Brinegar and seven employees who were terminated in September.
“If you want to cut down and consolidate, there has to be savings,” Arceneaux-Mathis said.
In other news:
4The board voted unanimously to lease space behind the National Association for the Preservation of African American Culture Museum to Concordia Bank, which plans to open a branch adjacent to the museum. The space will be used for parking.
4The next board meeting is at 6 p.m. Nov. 24 at the City Council Chambers on Pearl Street.
Comments
Posted by stateofnatchez (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 1:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Open mouth, insert foot.
The questions of Arceneaux-Mathis should go along way to establish her current participation on the board.
If she did more than just show up for scheduled meetings she might actually learn something.
Posted by rib (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 4:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ahh, concordia bank bought and renovated a building downtown and forgot about parking... are they gonna need an extension cord from the new generator too?
Posted by rib (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 4:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
by the way, is "robbie dollar" someone's name or just a new name for an old face?
Posted by rib (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 4:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2009...
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 5:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Concerning --> "I’m going to take those questions and try to find the answers,” Middleton said
I think the mayor has proven that he is clueless to what is going on around him. I'm sure the following executive session was to shield him from further public embarrassment.
Posted by treeclimber (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 6:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
She is asking valid questions this time. I would like to know the following: What is the salary? Why wasn't it posted in the Natchez Democrat? Why wasn't the Board of Alderman involved? If the mayor cannot answer four of her six questions, who can? Who is in charge? (This is nothing personal against Mr. Dollar as I do not know him.) We were told layoffs were due to cost cutting and now someone has been hired - I would like to know the salary of Eric Smith and now the salary of this position.
Posted by Idefinitelymight (Tom Scarborough) on November 17, 2009 at 6:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Though I'm usually critical of her, Ms. Mathis is quite right to demand answers to these questions. I don't think this is how the hiring process is supposed to work. Props to her for holding the mayor's feet to the fire.
Now, Joyce, if you are serious about cutting down and consolidating, I will look forward to the passage of your motion to reduce the salaries of the BOA to $12K a year or less. And the position of Community Development director and its $38K salary should also be eliminated.
Posted by treeclimber (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
In my comment, I should have said "why wasn't the job opening posted in the Natchez Democrat so that more people could apply". I don't understand why job openings are not posted in the newspaper and at the Employment Office.
Posted by treeclimber (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My comment should have read "Why wasn't the job opening posted in the Natchez Democrat". I don't understand why job openings at City Hall are not posted in the Democrat and at the Employment Office.
Posted by treeclimber (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 7:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oops - I thought my comment didn't post so I did it again!
Posted by NatchezBooster (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Use your brains people--I'm quite sure that the salaries of Darlene Williams (retired), Pat Gibson (resigned), Bret Brinager (resigned) and 7terminated employees -- that's 10--TEN--positions--equals a hell of a lot more than one salary for one public works supervisor.
I strongly disagree with the boa on this one. You need someone to manage day to day issues in departments. I'll agree that the position needed better and wider advertising, but we still need supervision in the few city departments that are left.
David Gardner cannot be at public works 24/7 to make sure everything's running the way its supposed to. The reason Mathis is mad is because this is the only decision in a long time that SHE didn't get to make.
People need to wake up and realize that someone who was elected ONLY by one single ward is running this entire city. And she cares only about one small segment of it.
I said this on another blog, but watch closely Natchez, David Gardiner and Engineering are next on the harassment and hit-list.
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Democracy in inaction. Wonderful.
Posted by natsanus (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 11:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like some under the table dealings going on in the city government.
Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yep. these are just the people i'd put in charge of $5.5 million bucks.
Posted by NatchezBooster (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
you said it niderbip
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on November 17, 2009 at 6:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, I agree treeclinber, Joyce is asking VERY important questions.
Posted by sideline (anonymous) on November 18, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jake In '08
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