New Year, New Board

The first meeting of the Board of Mayor and Alderman after the fall elections

Before the January meeting even began, the newly elected officials were sworn in to office. The first person sworn in was reelected city judge Joseph Zanger. In front of a packed room, he then swore in Mayor John Corbitt. Corbitt then swore in Alderman Matthews, and Spicer. Jana Spicer made White House history being the first woman to hold elected office in the city.

Once the newly elected officials took their places on the board, the meeting was called to order. Assistant Police Chief Jim Ring prayed for the meeting, the pledge was said and roll call taken. Alderman Hutson was absent, and Mayor Corbitt’s alderman seat is currently empty. The board, consisting of three members, adopted the agenda, approved the minutes from last month, and welcomed the visitors.

9. Public Hearings a. Ordinance 22-28: An ordinance to amend the Zoning Map from Robertson County R-20, Low Density Residential, to C-2, General Commercial, at 2811 Highway 31 W.- No one spoke

10. Communication from Mayor, Aldermen, City Attorney, and City Administrator Only Administrator Herman had updates. Progress has been made on the 31W Sage/McCurdy Road intersection. They need final asphalt, which is difficult in cold weather. The curbs are going in. The tennis courts are also receiving curbs in the parking lot. The courts are divided and done. They are locked until the project is complete. The pavilion area is cemented. The tennis courts are also waiting on final asphalt and landscaping. The new water treatment plant’s lab is still under construction. The exterior is almost finished. The bio reactors are in as is the new clarifier. The project was slated to be finished in April, but due to supply chain issues, it is looking like completion will be at the end of the calendar year. At the splash pad, the parks department had intended to install a pumping building. At this point, the tank is leaking. They will need to shrink the size of the building or fix the tank before the building can be put in place. Construction on the rec center also hit a snag. They discovered a sewer line, and it was broken. That line has to be rerouted. There are also lines under the current parking lot. It was the intention to leave the parking lot as the old gym is still in use. Currently the ground is too wet to be worked. They construction company is looking at building a temporary driveway in order to continue construction.

11. Acknowledge Reports- Passed

12. Consideration of the Following Resolutions: a. None

13. Consideration of the Following Ordinances:

a. Ordinance 22-28: An ordinance to amend the Zoning Map from Robertson County R-20, Low Density Residential, to C-2, General Commercial, at 2811 Highway 31 W. Second Reading. This was discussed at the previous meeting. This property is on 31W and is NOT currently for sale. The owner has requested a zoning change to make a sale easier. This was the second reading and required a public hearing. No one spoke. Passed

b. Ordinance 23-01: An ordinance to amend the Municipal Code Title 1, Chapter 1 Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Sections 1-104 and 1-108. First Reading. This is one of the items that Mayor Corbitt ran on in his campaign. In previous years, Corbitt had tried to amend the Municipal code to include public comment at BOMA meetings quarterly. That failed. This change would allow for public comments at all meetings. Passed

c. Ordinance 23-02: An ordinance to amend the Municipal Code Title 2, Chapter 1 Leisure Services Board, Section 2-101. First Reading. One of the board members on the Leisure Services Board has moved out of the city limits, but would like to continue on that board. The Leisure Services Board deals with parks and rec issues. Many people that live out of city limits still participate in city rec programs. Alderman Matthews stated that he thinks the board should be limited to those who live in city limits. With the population in White House increasing, there is no reason to allow those outside of city limits on the board. Alderman Spicer disagreed. We need people outside of city limits to maintain our recreational programs. A good percentage of the participants live outside city limits. Mayor Corbitt stated that this allowance is for this particular member, and can be changed later if necessary. Administrator Herman pointed out that the language of the code is “shall be.” That leaves the door open for one member to live outside city limits. Passed

14. Purchasing: a. To approve or reject the purchase of a Marathon RJ225 Stationary Compactor off the Sourcewell Cooperative Contract #040621-MEC in the amount of $26,199.50. The Public Services Director recommends approval. This compactor will be located at the public works building. Currently they are having to haul trash frequently and what they have on site will fill with water. This compactor will cut down on hauling costs for the department. Passed

15. Other Business: a. To approve or reject subdivision infrastructures and street acceptance for Cambria Phase 3A. The Planning and Codes Director recommends approval. The sidewalks and street lights are finally finished. The city is now responsible for the streets in this subdivision. All is up to standard and has been checked. Passed

b. To approve or reject subdivision infrastructures and street acceptance for the Settlers Ridge subdivision. The Planning and Codes Director recommends approval. Settlers Ridge was also found to be up to standard and the street is now the responsibility of the city. Passed

c. To approve or reject entering into an agreement with Valerie Webb and Associates to provide services as the City Attorney. Herman noted that Webb and her associates know the system and the workings of the city. Webb attends all of the city meetings and is involved with all of the legal updates. Matthews brought up that this is the only contract that the city goes into without taking bids. Not that Webb and Associates are not qualified, but the city may want to look around at competitors for fiscal reasons. As a government we should be looking at spending the people’s money as responsibly as our own. Passed

Meeting adjourned.

On Thursday January 26th at 7pm there will be a question session for the applicants looking to replace Mayor Corbitt as alderman. There are eleven applicants for the position in Ward 3. This will be held at City Hall.

If you would like to look at the meeting agenda or packet, that can be found here.

As always, your support is valued. If you want to send me a cup of coffee, it would be appreciated. Venmo @Nicole-Taylor-262