The closing announcement for the BOC (Board of Commissioners) tonight (5.3.18) became a war of words between the Mayor and one of the Commissioners about who missed how many meetings, when and why.
Mayor Wyatt Bunker missed the special 4 p.m. meeting to discuss the Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget and was late to the 5:30 p.m. work session, arriving about 6:15 p.m. He said something came up at his job at the last minute. He is director of security at Baptist Memorial Health Care.
Although Commissioner Clark Plunk was late to the special meeting, he made several comments during the work session that the Mayor and Vice Mayor were missing from both meetings. Vice Mayor Josh Roman was unable to attend both meetings and no reason was provided.
The contention started as Jessica Millspaugh, Lakeland finance director and city recorder, CMFO, CMC, gave an overview of the proposed Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget. This was a recap from the 4 p.m. special meeting on the budget.
Mrs. Millspaugh explained the budget proposal was based on anticipated general fund revenue of $9.7 million with expenses of $11 million and a deficit of $1.3 million. The deficit, she said, is related to start-up costs for Lakeland fire services, set to begin in July 2019.
The capital outlay for fire services is expected to be $1,072,300. This money should be recouped by the City with fire fees to Lakeland once the City takes fire services from the Shelby County Fire Department. Thus, said Mrs. Millspaugh, without fire services expenses, the budget would show $155,000 in the black.
Mr. Plunk questioned how the budget was assembled. He asked if BOC members were involved. He said the budget will have to be passed to see what’s in it. And he noted, the Mayor and Vice Mayor were not in attendance, suggesting that the budget is already decided.
Jim Atkinson, city manager, said tonight was a work session with no voting. “We present a draft including your interests and priorities,” he said. “We have to start somewhere. But we don’t want you to rubber stamp, adopt the budget,” he added.
Commissioner Wesley Wright said, “This is not an invention out of nowhere.”
Commissioner Plunk said, “It tells me a lot that the Mayor and Vice Mayor are not here.”
Commissioner Matt Wright said he and Commissioner Wesley Wright debated before Commissioner Plunk’s late arrival whether to have the special meeting. But both decided it made sense to start preliminary reviews of the budget. “There are still plenty of opportunities to go through the budget,” he said.
Mr. Plunk continued his concern by saying it seemed to him the budget was already passed.
Commissioner Matt Wright reminded Commissioner Plunk that last year, at the 11th hour, $500K was cut from the budget, so it’s never too late to make adjustments to the budget.
The retort by the Mayor to Commissioner Plunk came as the meeting was ending. He said, “My attendance is stellar and I am noted for being here on time. I work in the emergency services industry. If they call, I’ve got to be there.” He noted that his absence doesn’t happen often but he has seen Mr. Clark’s seat empty.
Mr. Plunk was formerly liaison to the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) but was recently replaced by Commissioner Wesley Wright. Mayor Bunker said he talked with the chair of the MPC about the number of times Commissioner Plunk missed those meetings. “I am surprised you are throwing rocks at glass buildings,” he said to Mr. Plunk. “This shows the result of being pulled from the MPC.”
Mr. Plunk countered by saying he could not hear at the meetings. The Mayor said Mr. Plunk couldn’t understand what was happening at the meetings.
The Mayor went on to say that Mr. Plunk has done “an about face” on schools, talked erratically about issues on social media and made verbal attacks to BOC members. “You’re ranting,” said the Mayor. “Let’s make sure we are clear about his motivations.”
Commissioner Plunk answered by saying that anyone who comes before the Mayor is beaten to the ground.
The evening meeting was adjourned at 7:19 p.m. and the back and forth continued for several more minutes.
And now, for the rest of the business
Link to the proposed budget ordinance: https://lakelandtn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7103
Link to the line-by-line proposed budget: https://lakelandtn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7104
Mrs. Millspaugh highlighted the various funds listed in the proposed budget. On page five, the bonded or other indebtedness is listed. Included are loans dating from 2004 (fire station #1, 100 acres on Memphis Arlington Road and part of the Canada Road project); 2008 (I-40 interchange); 2011 (Beverle Rivera Drive); 2014 (Shelby County Schools settlement); and two debts for the Lakeland School System (LSS) (2017) where the City leases computer equipment for LSS and the System pays back the City.
She also said the proposed budget shows healthy reserves of $6.7 million after fire services expenses.
Mr. Atkinson said the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce has requested $6,000 in additional funds and they have been asked to come to BOC meetings for quarterly reports.
City staff has requested five new staff members but Mr. Atkinson said he is only considering a staff engineer to work under City Engineer Emily Harrell. He said as City growth occurs, other staff members will be considered.
SCSO
Lt. Kathy Crowder from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) presented the monthly report, saying there were only two thefts from motor vehicles last month, a decrease by seven from March. One vehicle was unlocked, she said, and a Smith and Wesson weapon was stolen from the other vehicle. She praised residents for bringing the numbers down.
She said there were four residential burglaries with suspect information on one. One theft of a vehicle was reported from Enterprise Rent-a-Car and that was a customer who refused to bring the vehicle back, she said. In total, there were 34 incidents including seven assault, four drug-related and seven vandalism.
City Manager’s report
Mr. Atkinson said the study on whether to move City Hall to The Lake District (a planned urban village at I-40 and Canada Road) is still in progress. He asked BOC members if they would consider a vote on continuing to review the relocation proposal next week (at the regular Board meeting May 10).
Commissioner Plunk said he is definitely against City Hall being moved. It is too expensive, he said. It will cost millions of dollars. “This is the center of the City,” he said of the current City Hall location. He said moving would not be a smart decision.
Commissioner Matt Wright said he thought a vote next week would be appropriate. He said it would only be a vote to investigate the possibility of moving. He agreed the City has a “long list of irons in the fire” including the 2020 Vision Plan and schools.
There are some changes for the residential development at Estates of Chambers Chapel, said Mr. Atkinson, including the removal some internal trails to the neighborhood.
Commissioner Matt Wright asked about the status of MLGW work on Beverle Rivera Drive. Mrs. Harrell said they are removing old water lines and the completion date is now the end of May.
Municipal Court, judge candidates
Several of the candidates attended the work session. Commissioner Matt Wright explained there would be no vote taken but noted, “They are seeing how the sausage is made.”
In discussing the new Court, Commissioner Plunk said he would like for the City to have two code officers to handle issues on the weekends. In late January and early February, a gas station and private residential development removed or drastically pruned mature trees in weekend activity.
Winstead Farms
Cory Brady, planning director, presented slides on an amendment to lot A of Winstead Farms planned mixed use development. Also on hand was Donnie Culver from Renaissance Development Co. in Eads.
Rainbow Child Care Center
The City has been asked to execute a development contract regarding the Center to be built alongside St. Paul United Methodist Church on U. S. Highway 64.
Mayor Bunker said the City needs a plan. “We are developing this whole City with non-profit properties,” he said. These are non-sales-tax producing properties, he added. Likening Highway 64 to Germantown Parkway, he said the City is approving storage lots, child care, churches, Waffle House, Krystal, McDonald’s. “There is no overall plan for the area. Where are we going to get sales tax?
“My point is, we are developing a square at a time. I need the MPC to take hold of these things for good development for our City.”
He said it is a hodge podge and more and more of the road frontage is being given away with no overall plan. “It’s not what we are about.”
Mr. Brady said he needs direction from Board members. Mr. Bunker said the first thing would be to remove the zoning and change it back to agricultural use.
Lakeland by Design
Commissioner Wesley Wright presented slides and discussion on where Lakeland is and where it can go architecturally. See Google album for some of the slides.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/72sr3wwCYehUfo3G7
Link to work session agenda: https://tn-lakeland.civicplus.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/768
Link to special meeting: https://tn-lakeland.civicplus.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/767
Link to livestream City video of work session: https://livestream.com/lakeland/events/8189070
… Photos by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents.
