Why are there so many potholes?
When will more street signs be replaced?
Will the lines on city streets ever be repainted?
Is there any hope of the city ever collecting garbage in a timely manner again?
These were questions that dominated the conversation during the Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting Monday.
Everyone present agreed that the problems are real, but where the blame lies for those problems persisting was another matter.
GARBAGE
On the topic of trash collection, Walter Williams, Yazoo City’s Public Works director, said the holiday made the problem worse this week.
“I’m well aware that we have a garbage problem,” Williams said. “I”m well aware that we have an equipment problem. Whenever you have a holiday, you have an increase in waste, which means the trucks will fill up faster and have to go to the landfill more than normal. That is an additional delay for pickup. You have to go to Canton more than one time – more times than before.”
Williams, took issue with some statements recently made by Mayor Diane Delaware about his performance. He said he has tried to get the Mayor and Board of Aldermen to purchase the equipment he needs to do his job, but the board has failed to take action.
“The RFPs that were issued for equipment are already in your hands,” Williams said. “You know the numbers, and you can decide whether you’re going to purchase equipment or not. I’ve already recommended what I think should be purchased so it’s up to the board to decide if you’re going to purchase those items. I recommend, I don’t buy them. That’s the board’s decision.”
Williams said recent comments that he hasn’t provided what the board needs to make a decision are inaccurate.
“It was stated in the paper that I’m not giving the board what they ask for, but the board asked me to present options on the equipment that was needed,” Williams said. “I did that in August. I stated that we needed two garbage trucks – side loaders. I also stated that we needed a knuckle boom. I recommended that we get a backhoe. I also recommended that we get a dump truck.”
Williams also took issue with the suggestion that he isn’t communicating with equipment dealers.
“It was stated in the paper that I needed to communicate more with vendors, but I brought in two demos from two different vendors and some of the aldermen and the mayor witnessed some of those demos,” he said. “I have communicated with vendors.”
Williams also explained the reason he wasn’t present for the last two meetings.
“I missed the meeting because the mayor recommended that I go to a training, and the board approved it,” Williams said. “I went to the training, and much was said about me while I was gone. I was sick during the last meeting, but in the paper one statement made it appear as if I’m not here when I’m needed at certain times during these meetings. I’m here now so I want to address it. The board is aware of all the equipment we need, and so is the mayor. What you do with it is up to you.”
Williams said he is still short on manpower as well.
“You can’t cut grass with two weedeaters in this big city,” he said. “You can not pick up all the litter with two people picking it up. Everyone is assigned to their various duties so we need additional workers to make sure the job gets done. I don’t think we should slave-drive two workers and make them do all this work.”
He said perhaps other departments could lend a hand until the problems are solved.
“We need all the help we can get,” Williams said. “As far as being a team player, my department has the biggest need, above and over the police department and the fire department. We can certainly use manpower for picking up garbage from the police department and fire department if they desire to help as a team.”
STREET SIGNS
Mayor Diane Delaware requested an update on the replacement of faded street signs.
“The replacement of streets signs is an area of importance in the city of Yazoo City,” Delaware said.
Delaware said that she was told street signs would be replaced from November to February because grass cutting is not required during the winter months.
“I would just like to note that in order to replace street signs, street signs have to be ordered,” Delaware said. “November has passed, and I don’t know of any street signs being replaced. Maybe they were, but there is no report here on it. I would like to make note of that.”
Delaware asked Williams what street signs have been ordered and if any street signs have been replaced during the month of November.
“Some have changed out as of last week,” Williams said. “Because it was last week I didn’t have time to get it in this report. We will continue to make changes as far as our signs go. We do have to order more signs, but we have some more signs already that we need to get out. I will be ordering more signs.”
“What we would like is a report on what signs have been changed and what you plan to change,” Delaware said. “This is how management works. We manage to a goal or to a target. If can tell us what you plan to change and how you go about it we can show the citizens that the work is being done, and they can see it as well. There are many, many street signs that have not been changed.”
TECHNICAL
DIFFICULTIES
“When I first got here I bought as many signs as the budget would allow, and then there was a budget freeze because of the close of the fiscal year,” Williams said. “Since we’ve opened the new budget in October, we still have glitches in the new budget. When we try to submit requisitions, it’s not showing any money in the line items. I’m going to ask you and our clerk to fix that for me so that I can utilize the budget that has been approved for my use. When we get that fixed, I can proceed.”
City Clerk Mario Edwards said that Marshall Conico, a CPA contracted by the city, said he is going to resolve the issues that are causing problems with the purchase orders.
“Now hold on a minute, what does the CPA have to with purchase orders,” Varner asked.
Edwards said the problem is that when a request for a purchase is made, the computer program is incorrectly showing that there is no money in the budget. He said this has been a problem since the new fiscal year began in October.
“We told Marshall about this problem, and we should not be experiencing the problem,” Edwards said. “He said he will get it fixed once he gets in the office and gets everything changed.”
“Did he say when he was going to get to the office,” Robertson asked.
“He is supposed to be here this week,” Edwards replied.
“I don’t see that as a major concern,” Delaware said. “That’s only two months, maybe three, and I believe that there have certainly been some purchase orders for other departments that have gone through. We’ve gotten purchase orders.”
Edwards said requisitions for equipment including a tractor and a mower were on his printer Monday morning.
“So you got the requisitions we approved two weeks ago when,” Delaware asked.
“I got them off the printer this morning,” Edwards said.
“We made an attempt to get those requisitions through, and we were not able to because of the budget,” Williams said. “Mario has been out of the office for a couple of weeks, and that’s the reason why there was a delay.”
“I don’t buy that,” Delaware said, laughing.
STRIPING
Delaware said striping on the streets is another area of need that needs attention, and it is the responsibility of the street department.
“You may have to go out and get a contract to get it done because you may or may not have the resources inside your organization to do the work, but we (the board) don’t go out and decide what streets to stripe or which holes to fill. We expect you to come to us and tell us which streets need to be striped and how much it will cost. You will have to prioritize them because we don’t have enough money to stripe every street.”
“Striping is also a part of the financial budget,” Williams said, adding that he is unable to make purchases due to the problems with the system he mentioned before. “It is difficult to get a P.O. (purchase order). It’s taking a long time to do it. When the budget is fixed so that I can get what I need immediately, we won’t have any delays, and I can get the job done much faster.”
POTHOLE REPAIRS
Delaware said that some of the repairs to holes in the street are unacceptable.
“In regard to the asphalt that is being put on the street, we don’t generally and have never in the history of Yazoo City to my knowledge, put gray rock on our streets permanently,” Delaware said. “Ask any citizen who has lived here. Ask any alderman. We don’t use that. If you are wishing to change to these gray rock patches, I think you’re going to have to speak to the board so we can agree that we are OK with it.”
Williams said that the pothole patcher he has requested would allow for the appropriate repairs.
“Before I would be willing to invest in any kind of patcher, I would want to see the kind of work that it can do,” Delaware said.
“We have seen it,” Varner said.
“I have not seen it,” Delaware responded.’
“Well, you just weren’t there,” Varner said.
“I wasn’t invited to be there,” Delaware said.
“You were invited, and you couldn’t make it,” Varner said.
Robertson said he appreciates the county’s assistance with patching potholes.
“Some of what we see is the county’s work, and it seems to hold better,” Robertson said. “A lot of the gray (repairs) that you see is the county’s work.”
“That’s right,” Williams said. “And the rocks with no mixture is something that Public Service put out there. People see that and think that we put it out, but we did not.”
“The rock that I’m talking about was not put there by the county,” Delaware said.
Ward 4 Alderman Aubry Brent Jr. said that until the city gets the right equipment and manpower, it’s still important to get the job done.
“Mr. Joe and Mrs. Joe Blow public don’t want to hear about all the labor pains; they just want to see the baby,” Brent said. “The fault is not only on you. It’s on you and the board because we’re the ones who have been put in place to solve these problems.”
Brent said it is his understanding that Williams is working daily with the mayor. Delaware shook her head to indicate that wasn’t the case.
“I’m willing to vote to get you what you need, but it has to come before us,” Brent said. “You got a brand new vehicle. I guess I’m just old school, but I want to see you riding these neighborhoods with a notepad and pencil, seeing where the trash is and going back to the barn and putting a plan together. This can’t be done on just one occasion, it has to be done on a daily basis. I wish you could stop people from littering, but you cannot. It is incumbent upon us to make sure we have the cleanest city possible. I understand what you’re saying, but at the same time people don’t want to hear excuses. We as a city, and you as a public works director, have got to get it done.”
Brent said the street department must look for new solutions.
“I would like to see you think outside the box,” Brent said. “You know that garbage is going to increase during the holidays. Get with the mayor and find out if you can pick up the garbage early. We have a big city to clean up. I’m sure all of the garbage won’t get picked up today, and we have cans that have been sitting out there for five days now.”
“I’m pregnant with the baby,” Williams said. “You’re the doctor so you deliver the baby. I need two garbage trucks, and then we can have three garbage trucks running instead of two. If I can get garbage trucks we can do a better job. I am notifying the board of what I need. We need garbage trucks, a dump truck and a pothole patcher. You already have that information. We need all of that to do the job.”
Ward 2 Alderman Dr. Jack Varner said he thinks it’s ridiculous that the board has not yet ordered equipment.
“Why are we waiting month after month to buy the patcher and buy the garbage trucks,” Varner asked. “They’re not here today, and they weren’t here last time. They won’t be here next time.”
At one point in the meeting, Ward 3 Alderman Rev. Gregory Robertson attempted to make a motion to proceed with hiring a private company to collect the city’s garbage, but he did not receive a second.
