Tupelo City Council dealt with a variety of business at its second August meeting

The Tupelo City Council heard from a citizen requesting help for his neighborhood association and conducted routine business at it’s August 17 meeting.

Mayor Todd Jordan told the council at the beginning of the meeting that, “Sales tax collections are up about 5% over the same time last year.”

Following this welcome news, the board heard from Austin Marshall, a resident of Tupelo’s near west side, north of Todd’s Big Star on West Main Street. “Our neighborhood association is not getting anything done,” said Marshall. He said Ward 3 Councilman Travis Beard regularly attended the neighborhood association meeting but often very few others attend.

“We’re losing steam,” said Marshall. He asked the council for stronger code enforcement and more attention to his neighborhood by the city police department.

The council routinely voted to pay the city’s bills and approved the minutes of prior meeting.

The council unanimously approved Mayor Jordan’s re-appointment of Alex Farned as the city’s Parks and Recreation Director.

Enforcement of city codes regarding upkeep of residential buildings, required moving, etc. were discussed including the city policy of ordering the condemnation and demolition of structures in flagrant violation of the city building code.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Rosie Jones asked how much time building owners were given to correct building code violations before the city took strong enforcement action.

City Attorney Ben Hogan told her 30 days were allowed before the city moved forward with demolition orders. Hogan explained that the cost of demolition was assessed against the property owner and that collection was often achieved by placing a lien on the property so the demolition expenses could be collected whenever the property was sold.

The next meeting of the Tupelo City Council will be on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.