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Aldermen discussing new hires
Published Saturday, October 10, 2009
NATCHEZ — In the aftermath of five recent city employee terminations, Mayor Jake Middleton and the Natchez Board of Aldermen can only do one thing — move on.
Tuesday’s board meeting will be the first of many in which Middleton and the aldermen will likely discuss the consolidation of city departments and additional hires, Middleton said.
According to the City of Natchez personnel code, employees are hired for an indefinite term at the will and pleaure of “the City.” City Clerk Donnie Holloway, enforcer of the code, said the term “the City” is interpreted as the mayor and the aldermen.
The code also states the city maintains exclusive discretion to dismiss and discipline employees, and to determine the composition and size of the work force.
It appears the city’s most pressing hire is to secure a city planner. Middleton said the city is advertising for the position in newspapers and industry magazines outside of Natchez.
“There’s no doubt about it in my mind we need a (city planner),” Middleton said. “If the board of aldermen don’t agree with that, I think they’re wrong.”
Middleton also hopes to replace City Grants Coordinator Brett Brinegar, who submitted her resignation last week. However, in an effort to cut costs, Middleton is considering hiring a grant consultant on a case-by-case basis instead of a full-time grant writer.
“We have to figure out the best way to move our city forward,” Middleton said.
At least three of the six aldermen agree with Middleton’s stance on hiring a city planner.
Aldermen Mark Fortenbery, Bob Pollard and James “Ricky” Gray all say a city planner is needed.
“We can’t operate without a city planner, but I think we should have a work session and discuss it,” Gray said.
Fortenbery said some of the terminated positions will be replaced while others will be dissolved indefinitely.
“We’ve got a little work to do on some situations, but we’ll get there,” Fortenbery said.
Alderman Dan Dillard declined comment.
Attempts to reach Alderman Ernest “Tony” Fields and Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis were unsuccessful.
The city is also advertising to hire a public works supervisor in City Hall. The deadline for city employees to apply for the position was Friday.
Middleton said the terminations of City Planner John “Rusty” Lewis, Land Use Planner Walter Huston, Planning Specialist Dawn Williams, Public Works Director Eric Smith and Assistant Public Works Director Francis Ransom Jr. were based on either job performance or budget concerns. Middleton would not disclose which employees were fired based on merit.
The job cuts leave an extra $184,000 in the city’s fiscal year 2010 budget.
The Natchez Board of Aldermen meeting is at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the City Council Chambers on Pearl Street.
Comments
Posted by eawprops (anonymous) on October 10, 2009 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
While they're at it hire a new person to run the Natchez visitor center. The hateful woman that runs it now needs to be replaced by someone who knows the real meaning of the word hospitiality. I have never been treated to badly and rudely as I was by the current person in charge. When you go to talk with this woman and she asks "what do you want?" it pretty much tells you she is nasty and doesn't know how to be hospitable.
Hire someone with a good personality for this job!
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on October 10, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It doesn't seem to have taken Dillard very long to develop a pompous attitude towards the general public. We're not worth even a short comment in our local paper? And this costs us how much per year?
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on October 10, 2009 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Is anyone keeping count of how many times the names Arceneau-Mathis and Fields are in the same sentence? One needs the other to survive?
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on October 10, 2009 at 12:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gives new meaning to B&B, doesn't it!
Posted by Idefinitelymight (Tom Scarborough) on October 10, 2009 at 3:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems like we had a pretty good planner and grants coordinator until the BOA went berserk. I expect we will lose out on a lot of grant money using a part-time pinch hitter in lieu of Brett. And if we hire a twenty-something year old planner for $25K a year, it won't be long before the planning code and preservation ordinances will go by the wayside and Natchez will begin systematically ruining the very thing that differentiates us. Why is the BOA even bothering at all with the pretense that it cares about careful preservation and intelligent planning?
Posted by pbl1978 (anonymous) on October 10, 2009 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Not surprise of not able to contact Tony Fields. Never around when he need to be. But that's the mistake made when the register voter, voted him in. Maybe we voted for the wrong reason for him, not knowing he's not capable of this position. Sometimes sympathy vote isn't the right vote. Donnell Newsome, should have had this position the last 4 years, but we all learn from our mistakes.
Posted by rearviewmirror (anonymous) on October 10, 2009 at 5:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that Mr. Lewis should sue the pants off the "City Of Natchez" for age discrimination and lets throw in defamation of character while we're at it. I'm sure that there are several decent attorneys in town who would be willing to represent him. If for no other reason than to set a precedent that this sort of shameful behavior on behalf of the mayor and board of alderman will not be tolerated.
Posted by pbl1978 (anonymous) on October 10, 2009 at 10:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rearviewmirror: A Change need has to come: You nailed it straight to the point rearviewmirror. I agree with you 100 %.
Posted by lowrider (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 1:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
well we have an ignorant "city", if that is the true definition.
Posted by muleman (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 4:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Please, give the mayor and BOA a break. They are trying to keep the city of Natchez from bankruptcy. We all know a public institution can go bankrupt because, NRMC just did. The city of Natchez can go bankrupt also if the people in control are not careful.
Posted by lowrider (anonymous) on October 11, 2009 at 11:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If they would not have screwed up to begin with. Ok, maybe they are not responsible for all of it, but why try to stop it from happening now. This should have been looked at when they first got into office.
Posted by Idefinitelymight (Tom Scarborough) on October 12, 2009 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
muleman--These cuts were not really about the budget. Lewis and Brinegar were political casualties. Ms. A-Mathis wanted them gone, and she got her wish. If the termination of these two very competent and effective department heads really was to save the city money, then why are the mayor and BOA now talking about hiring people to replace them? Instead, they should look at their own salaries and start the cutting process there. The mayor's salary is in line with what other mayors are making in cities of comparable size, but even after the 10% voluntary cut the BOA levied on itself, their salaries are still way out of line with what aldermen in comparable cities are making.
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