Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The Jasper City Council met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16. The meeting began with the approval of the agenda, and the council then called for public comments; however, there were no responses. The council continued by approving its consent items, which included the minutes from the December meeting, checks from December, and minutes from a special meeting held in December. City Manager Mark Meyers was absent due to a scheduling conflict but left a note announcing a Code Compliance Workshop to be held on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 5:30 p.m. in Jasper City Hall. City Attorney Rhett Bullard provided a brief reminder on how ordinance advertisements work before the council heard department head reports. The finance department reported that an update to impact fees would be likely by the next meeting and that the operating account had a balance of $3 million. They also indicated that the city was beginning its audit process. The public works department reported that 90 percent of hurricane debris had been cleared. The fire department reported receiving a total of 14 calls for service, including three fire calls. It was also announced that gear obtained through the 50/50 grant is now fully funded by the state. Finally, the police department reported 465 calls for service and 16 arrests. During council comments, Jennifer Gisonni provided a late public comment to introduce the community clean-up crew. This group has been working throughout the city to assist with clean-up efforts, including moving debris and chopping down trees. The team, consisting of 13 members, has collaborated with city government officials and spent two days assisting at the home of City Clerk Loretta Taylor to clear debris. Gisonni announced that the crew would next head to Jennings and then White Springs. The meeting concluded after this discussion. The next Jasper City Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. in Jasper City Hall, located at 208 Hatley St. W.