The Selmer Board of Aldermen meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Selmer City Hall.  The board meets in working session at 4:30 p.m. on the Monday before the Tuesday meeting, and the meeting is open to the public.

Selmer’s mayor is David Robinson, whose four-year term runs until 2009.

Selmer has five aldermen who serve four year terms.  Their elections are staggered. The current aldermen, with the year they come up for reelection, are:

    John Smith (645-6640)                 2009
    John Finlayson (645-3044)           2009
    Paul Simpson (645-3528)             2011
    Lloyd Tennyson (646-0012)         2011
    Edward Smith (645-6835)            2011

The Town of Selmer maintains an excellent Web site at: www.selmer-tn.com.

"This may be a very quick meeting tonight," Mayor David Robinson said at the beginning of Selmer's April Town Board meeting, "I found out that there's five up here that want to go watch a ballgame or something.  Apparently there's a game on tonight.  I don't know."  [There was, and as Bruce Pearl will tell you, he and Pat Summitt now hold eight national championships between them.]

After the minutes and the department reports were approved without discussion or vote, and the financial report was unanimously approved on a motion by Paul Simpson, seconded by Edward Smith, Mayor Robinson called on Parks and Recreation Director Sybil Dancer.

Dancer informed the board that "we have a couple of members that have failed to attend several meetings, and one of them even, when he was contacted, he asked to be removed from the board, and so I've got a couple that I'd like to recommend be put on the park and recreation board.  Both of them will be serving a two-year term, and they will be replacing Tommy Robinson and Danny Roberts, Jr.  And who I would like to recommend is Karen Simmons and Harold Knight."  Simpson moved that the recommendation be accepted, and his motion, seconded by Lloyd Tennyson, passed unanimously.

Mayor Robinson then presented a framed diploma to Fire Chief David Dillingham for completing the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer on 11 January.

Robinson then introduced Anthony Knight.

"As you know," Knight began, "back in June of last year, the sixteenth, we had an accident in Selmer resulting in six deaths and sixteen injuries.  Shortly after that accident there was a board set up to disburse funds from a relief fund that had been taken up by donations and stuff.  The board consisted of myself, Sybil Dancer, Greg Gaddis, Terry McDonald, Jack Cheshire, and Dick Brown and Darrell Goodrum.  We have disbursed most of those funds.  There's still a little in there.  We were approached about a memorial in the park.  Some of them really didn't want to get involved with a memorial, that were on this board, and they kind of let it fall by the wayside for a few weeks.  And some of the families have spoke to me, and spoke to John Smith and Sybil, and asked that we look into a memorial.  And we got serious about it.  We have gotten so serious that we have went as far as to talk the airport authority out of a big fountain.  I guess what I'm here to ask you for tonight is permission to put a memorial in the park.  We've already looked at a place, myself, Sybil and John.  We're going to do this 100% on donations.  We're not asking for any money.  I briefly explained to the mayor where we had in mind putting it.  John went out with us yesterday and looked at it, and I'm sure there's going to be some other people that want to be involved in that.  It's going to be, I guess you'd say, on the northwest side of the gazebo, and we have intentions for everything to stay the same motif that's out there, with the concrete and everything.  We want something to look as nice as what we've got out there.  But what I'm here to ask for is your permission to start the process of putting a memorial in the park to honor the people that were killed or injured in that accident."

Paul Simpson made "a motion that we give the committee the authority to erect a memorial," and his motion, seconded by Edward Smith, passed unanimously.

Robinson then turned to the only item of old business.  "The first item is the second reading of an ordinance to amend Title 9, Chapter 9 of the Selmer Municipal Code regulating yard sales in the Town of Selmer.  This is an ordinance that eliminates the $5 fee, the hours of operation, requires that signage be taken down after the sale, not during, and allows citizens to either come in person or phone in for a permit."  The second reading passed unanimously, on a motion by John Smith, seconded by Simpson.

The mayor then proceeded briskly with "our new business, the first item is an approval of a resolution adopting a resolution adopting a schedule of fees pertaining to Title 10, Chapter 10, of the Selmer Municipal Code.  This is the fee schedule for the Corinth-Alcorn County Humane Society that we tabled last month that I brought back up.  So I'll entertain a motion to approve that."  That motion was made by Edward Smith, seconded by John Finlayson, and passed unanimously.

"The next item," Robinson continued, "is the first reading of an ordinance to amend Title 10, Chapter 10, Section 10-205 of the Selmer Municipal Code.  This is the animal control, and basically it clarifies the issuance of a citation pertaining to noisy dogs.  Basically what it is, the first time we'll go out and warn, and the second time we'll probably issue a ticket.  I would entertain a motion to approve that on first reading."  Simpson supplied the motion, which passed unanimously after being seconded by Edward Smith.

"The next item," Robinson continued, "is the first reading of an ordinance to amend Title 10, Chapter 10, Section 10-204 of the Selmer Municipal Code pertaining to the keeping of pit bulls within the corporate limits of the Town of Selmer, Tennessee.  This—and Paul, you might want to expound on this—this ordinance basically prohibits the keeping of pit bulls, and they're defined in here by several different classifications, within the town of Selmer, and when this ordinance passes you'll have 90 days to eliminate the animal.  Is that good enough?"

"I so move," Simpson replied.  "Let me explain.  What we're saying," he then reads from the proposed ordinance: "'other municipalities have found that pit bulls are so dangerous to humans and other animals that special legislation restricting or prohibiting their ownership has been enacted,' and 'the mere possession of [a] pit bull[] poses a significant threat to the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of Selmer,' so we ask—  And it gives the definition of pit bull dogs, and then, 'It shall be unlawful to keep, harbor, own, or in any way possess a pit bull dog within the corporate limits of the Town of Selmer.  Any persons owning such dogs at the time this ordinance is adopted shall have ninety days to comply with the provisions of this ordinance.'  Now this is the first reading, and there has to be two readings, and there has to be two readings on that, so the ninety days will start at the May meeting.  So I so move that, first reading."  His motion, seconded by Edward Smith, passed unanimously.

Robinson moved on.  "The next item of business is approval of a resolution to amend the Town of Selmer, Tennessee, personnel policy.  This is the section that addresses sick pay in the personnel policy.  Paul, you want to expound on that at all?  Did you want to expound on that at all?  Basically what it does is cap the use of sick leave at twelve weeks for immediate family members, as described in there now, and then if there are extraordinary circumstances, then you can bring it before the board for further consideration, for longer use of it."

"The only other," Simpson replied, "there're are only two things, I guess.  It takes out of the definition of sick leave, and it says 'When you are sick or disabled.  When you, your child or spouse'—and this is the change—'When you, your child or spouse has an appointment with a doctor or a dentist,' and 'When you are restricted to your home because of quarantine.'  And it takes out the serious illness that was in the other thing and it adds that.  And also, the twelve weeks an employee can take for family medical leave act under the federal thing, it says that you have twelve weeks built up, you're an employee and you take family medical leave, and they accept twelve weeks, usually unpaid, but if you have sick pay or vacation built up, you can use, you can get paid those twelve weeks under your sick pay."

There was a long pause after Simpson restated his motion, and then a second was finally provided by Lloyd Tennyson and the motion passed unanimously.

"The next item is the approval of the TEAC management agreement.  I think I spoke last month.  This is basically the same boilerplate management agreement that we have with TEAC currently.  It just, instead of doing it annually, we do it every three years, now.  So I would ask for approval to sign that."  Finlayson made the motion, which was seconded by John Smith and passed unanimously.

Robinson then addressed City Recorder Ann Hudson. "Ann, in the minutes I want to read in the appointment of Jason Speth and Wes Harrison to the Municipal-Regional Planning Commission.  If you'll remember, I think we increased, last month, the membership to seven, which was in compliance with state law that says if you have a municipal-regional planning commission you have to, if you have five members you have to have one of them within the urban growth boundary area, if you have seven you have to have two.  So both of these satisfy those requirements for living in the urban growth boundary area."

The mayor then asked the board to approve an agreement with Williams, Jerrolds, Godwin and Nichols to perform the city audit for 2007-2008.  A motion to that effect was made by Simpson, seconded by Finlayson, and passed unanimously.

That being the last item of business, Robinson asked if anyone in the audience wished to addressed the board.

City employee Jim Walker spoke up. "I'd like to address the board about the part about changing the policy, that before the next time that you have a meeting that you consider getting with some of the department heads to discuss the way it has been and maybe work out a compromise on this thing for the best interests of the employees and for the city of Selmer, instead of just changing it to one basic thing.  You know, have a discussion, maybe at the work session, have the department heads or whatever, and discuss it.  I think there's more to benefit the city and the employees if you will do that on this rather than just saying 'We're going to change the sick leave policy where you can only have the twelve weeks,' and for what you can use it for, whatever.  I foresee more absenteeism and different things that's going to happen when we do that.  It's something I'd like you to consider before the next meeting before you pass that."

When Walker concluded, Mayor Robinson recognized Debbie Morrow, another city employee, who asked, "What are y'all calling your immediate family.  Like, if my mother gets deathly sick, can I take my sick days?"

"It's basically," Robinson replied, "immediate family is your parents, step-parents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, children, step-children—that didn't change.  The immediate family definition remains exactly the same as it is in there right now."

"Does anybody else have anything besides that?" Robinson asked.

"What about the dog board?" Johnny Hollis asked.  "Does that include dogs that have been running loose?"

"As a matter of fact, Mr. Hollis, what we have now been able to do, with the approval of the fee schedule, we now have a mechanism that we can in fact enforce that leash law.  Before, we quite frankly didn't have that, but now we do.  So, yeah."

"Well," Hollis asked, "what do you do?  If you have a complaint, who do you call.  Do you call Paul?"

"No," Robinson responded, "you call the police department.  Tell them there's a dog running at large.  And, quite frankly, the process is, if the dog has a collar we're certainly going to try to find the owner.  If not, then we will catch the dog and we will transport it to the Corinth Humane Society.

"Yes, sir?" Robinson then said, acknowledging Homer Watson, who had offered the prayer to open the meeting.

"What about cats?" Watson asked, to considerable laughter.

"Homer," Robinson said, "I'm going to leave cats up to you."

Watson persisted. "I'm just saying, you know, you got stray cats running around—"

"I hear you," Robinson said, seriously.  "Well, they'll take cats, too."

Paul Simpson then produced more laughter when he said to Watson, "Well, let me tell you how to build a cat house," and then proceeded to do so.

When the laughter subsided, Watson tried again. "But I'm just saying, if I've got a complaint with a cat, I just call—"

"Well," Robinson replied, unhelpfully, "we're trying to get one thing at a time, Homer."

"But I'm just saying," Watson tried one more time, "a stray animal is a stray animal, and you know I've got a bunch of stray cats running in my neighborhood—"

"Well," Robinson said, "quite frankly, if you can catch them, they will take them."

As the crowd began to disperse after one of the shortest meetings in living memory, Richard Ashe recommended that all future meetings of the town board be scheduled on nights when big basketball games were being played. 

The comity and cooperation promised at the February meeting of the Selmer Town Board was shown at the March meeting to be nothing but hot air.  Although the mayor and aldermen refrained from any obviously hostile verbal exchanges, the familiar lack of cooperation was evidenced by the tabling of two items proposed by Mayor David Robinson and the death of a third item from lack of a second.

* * * 

After the initial formalities, Mayor Robinson read aloud a letter which Parks and Recreation Director Sybil Dancer had received from Mark Cummins, Director of the state Department of Environment and Conservation: 

"'Dear Ms Dancer.  It is my honor and pleasure to announce that you have successfully completed the tier one level of the Tennessee Parks and Recreation benchmarking program as part of the Department of Economic and Community Development Three Star Program.  You can be proud of your parks and recreation department and the goals that they have met in order to complete this visionary component of the Three Star Program.  Completing this recreation assessment at the tier one level has allowed you to create a benchmarking system to measure your participation in parks and recreation services against other departments in Tennessee and enable you to provide services and facilities to the citizens of Selmer.  Sincerely, Mark Cummins, Director."

Mayor Robinson then added his congratulations, before mentioning another parks and recreation related development.  "And one other thing that we've been working on, is it tomorrow at noon?  Tomorrow at noon, if everything goes correctly, the city park will be a wireless hot spot.  So you can go out there with your laptops and your wireless communications and sit in the park and enjoy it and communicate with the world."

The mayor then called on Police Chief Neal Burks, who brought Patrolmen Chris Reynolds and Robert Hitchborn into the meeting room with him.  "Mr. Mayor, Board," Burks began, "on February 14 of this year, at approximately 2:43 a.m., Patrolman Reynolds and Patrolman Hitchborn responded to a possible fire at the Economy Inn, apartment number 115.  They checked and found that there were no signs of a fire at that time, but Patrolman Hitchborn went to the rear of the building and did locate smoke.  Both officers then entered the room and discovered a lifeless body on the floor.  Both officers pulled this gentleman from the room, then Patrolman Reynolds pulled him about fifty feet across the parking lot and checked for a pulse, which was negative.  Patrolman Reynolds then began to perform CPR, chest compressions, and after a short time the victim began to respond.  Both officers went above and beyond their duties in saving a life.  The Selmer Police Department and the City of Selmer should be proud to have officers of this caliber working for us.  It gives me great pride to present each officer with a certificate of heroism for exemplary bravery."

The presentation was greeted with applause and further congratulations from the mayor and board members.

* * * 

Robinson then called on "Mr. Ted Moore, who is the Director of Economic and Community Development, newly appointed, I think January 1, to kind of give us a little update of his assessment of where we are and where we're going."

Moore obliged and spent a dozen minutes reviewing the state of economic development in McNairy County.

"First of all," he began, "I appreciate this opportunity.  This is the first time I've got to talk to this group.  After being in banking for many years, and having done this once before in another life in another county, and having a new gentleman at the bank that's learned the ropes and everything, it gave me the opportunity to apply for this position, and I appreciate the Economic Development Commission selecting me to do this.  It's something that I dearly love.  It's something, even though I was in the banking business after being an economic developer in Humphreys County many years ago, I've still stayed active with economic development.  I continue to be a member of the state organization.  I continue to be an active member of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway organization.  So, when the opportunity came around to think about applying it really didn't take me long to make that decision.

"This is a new opportunity for us, too, locally, in putting the economic development and the Chamber of Commerce together.  In the past, having served on the board and as president of the Chamber for two years in the past, the Chamber of Commerce was in a position where they had to spend a lot of time just raising money to exist, and now, under the new organization, with funding in place, it gives the Chamber part of our organization time to be out and doing things that a Chamber of Commerce needs to be doing.  And we're in the process now, we've advertised for a Director of Chamber Programs, and also an administrative assistant.  So we're in the process of doing that.  As we continue to go forward to put the organization together to make it a functioning organization that I think that everybody can be proud of and one that we can be successful at.

"We spent a lot of time, this first couple of months, trying to do a lot of positive things.  As we know, we had sort of a bad year last year, unfortunately, in the national news, and I'd like to say thanks to Russell [Ingle] and the newspaper in helping us trying to turn the corner on attitude in this community.   I think we've done that, and we're ready now, I think, to take some other steps.  We've had one prospect that I was hoping last week we'd be able to turn over a key to him, to the Shefenacker Building.  Unfortunately, that has been delayed, due to somebody taking several thousands of dollars worth of copper wire and so forth from the building from the first time we went in it and looked at the building.  So we're trying to get through that issue.  He will be back in a couple of weeks.  He's still in the fold—" 

"Ted," Mayor Robinson interjected, "I believe he indicated, though, that we'll get through that issue."

"He's still in the fold," Moore agreed, "still moving forward, and I hope in a couple of weeks he will be back.  Moving from California, moving his business, and he's going to bring some things in-house that he out-sourced in California, so I think we'll be looking at probably 80 or 90 jobs that he will be providing our community.  So we are excited about that possibility.  We'll have a ribbon cutting, originally scheduled for March 29, or the last part of this month, for L.E. Johnson Transport.  It's now at the airport.  They've hired about 17 or 18 people, and hopefully, with their business plan, in a couple of years or three, will be a major player in our community also.

"I would commend the airport manager.  He has gone out and recruited another company for another hanger out there, and things are moving forward with that, and hopefully we could see in the near future maybe 40 or 50 jobs at the airport.  There for a while, it was sort of dead on the vine, but it's making a comeback, and that's good.

"We're also, been working on a, just recently with a company that is in a situation which is completely confidential, and that's one of the things that, working together in the future, that this board and also the county commission and the board over at Adamsville specifically, we'll have to learn, I guess, to work with each other, because there are going to be times when I'll be working, hopefully, with a company that's looking at our community that I cannot talk about the name or who they are, and sometimes I won't know the name.  It will be a project that will have a code name.  The last really big one we had was Project Force.  Project Force had a connection to Toyota.  They wanted to start out with about 200,000 square feet and be able to add up to 400,000 square feet to their building in the future.  We made the first cut on that, and Jana Hellums, my predecessor, did a great job with that.  Unfortunately, we got to that point and the company did not get the contract with Toyota.  But those things happen, but you have to go forward every time you get that opportunity to try to make it happen.

"We had another opportunity way back in July with a company that originally announced that they were going to Henderson.  Unfortunately, that company wanted what we call 'shovel-ready' land, and we do not have shovel-ready land.  We do have an industrial park.  It needs some work, and I've got a meeting scheduled for this week with a gentleman from the state.  When Midwest Woodwork started building their building, it took some $550,000 or $575,000 to bring 17 acres of shovel-ready.  Most of that money came from the state of Tennessee, and they have a fund that once you have a, what's called bird in the hand, then they will help you with infrastructure and so forth.  But now they have a new program, and we were the first to be advised of it, that if we're doing things that we need to be doing in the community, then they'll come in before we have a bird in the hand and help us.  And we've got a gentleman coming this week that I hope we get through a meeting with him, and he's a good friend, we've known each other for a long time, that we'll again be able to get money from the state, a 93% grant to bring about thirty acres to shovel-ready in the industrial park.  TLM Engineering in Jackson is working on the application as we speak, and hopefully, if everything comes together, that application will be ready by month's end, and we'll be ready to move forward with that.  And the gentleman that's coming, again, this week will be the one who will decide whether or not we should go forward with that application.  So, I think we've got an excellent chance to make that happen. 

"I have a small company that we'll meet with tomorrow that's looking for just three or four acres to move their small operation that would add about six or seven jobs.  But six or seven jobs is six or seven jobs, and we do have a spot in the industrial park that we can utilize for that. 

"We have plans, later on this month, to have an expert come in and talk about what we call pilot programs.  If we had— My concern is, if we had somebody, a large manufacturer come in and ask for a tax abatement, or, as we call it a pilot, so forth, we've had changes on the Selmer/McNairy County Industrial Board and they've had some, reorganized at Adamsville, and I'd be concerned that we might not be ready to give the answer that we need to give, and be [inaudible word—Russell coughs—may be presented or prevented] and would have to go back and make a change, and that would not be good when you're talking to an industry.  So, we have an expert that's going to come in and sit down with the two industrial boards and go over what an industrial board's all about, and what we can do and can't do, and how we should be organized, and also what pilots are all about, and I think that would be a good next move, because once we get that prospect we don't need for anything to go astray as we move forward. 

"And also, mark your calendar for April 10, in afternoon.  We will have a planning session to talk about where we are, where we're going, how we're going to get there together, so that we can have a county-wide comprehensive economic development plan that we can go forward with, and all of us understand what it is and what we're trying to do, and all of us work together." 

"Ted," Mayor Robinson asked, "where are you going to hold that?  UT Martin?" 

"UT," Moore confirmed.  "If there are any questions, I'll try to answer them." 

"Sounds like you're pretty busy," Robinson said.

"It's fun, Moore replied.  "I'm enjoying it very much.  We had some good success when we did it before, and I look forward for us to have success again.  Again, we've got to have the land, and be prepared, and that's what—" 

"You're working on that now, aren't you?" Robinson asked.  "You might mention the, uh, the trade fair that you're going to.  Is it next week?" 

"The state called," Moore said, "and offered to help pay my expenses to go to Detroit next month to the Society of Automobile Engineers Congress, which everybody that makes an automobile part will be there.  There'll be 700 exhibitors.  So I'll be working the Tennessee both for two mornings, and then in the afternoon I'll be working the Toyota booth, [chuckles] hardly, visiting it.  But it's a good opportunity for us, and I appreciate the state inviting us to do that.  And again, another reason to do this job, is the stars started lining up, and a friend of mine that is now working down in Tupelo, he's with TVA.  They sort of threatened him if he came us here and helped us, but we may sneak him in some night when nobody's watching.  And also, I will say for those that don't know, Jana Hellums that did such a good job for us is now going to be the person working for the state of Tennessee that will be bringing us prospects.  So that's another, I hope, another plus for us."

* * *

The next two agenda items were disposed of briskly.  The second reading of an ordinance amending the number of members of the Municipal-Regional Planning Commission from five to seven passed unanimously and without discussion on a motion by John Smith, seconded by John Finlayson, and the first reading of an Ordinance to amend Title 9, Chapter 9 of the Selmer Municipal Code regulating yard sales in the Town of Selmer likewise passed unanimously and without discussion (on a motion by Finlayson, seconded by Lloyd Tennyson), after Mayor Robinson briefly related its provisions: "What this ordinance does, eliminates the $5 fee, it eliminates the hours of operation, it requires signage to be taken down only after the sale, you can still put it up two days earlier, and you can also call in for a permit, as opposed to showing up in person." 

The mayor's next proposal did not fare as well. "As y'all remember," he began, "last month we sought approval to seek bids for the city hall renovation, and we did.  We only got one bid, and that bid was for $17,825 from Jimmy Hawkins.  Primarily, what it covers is removing, certainly, all the paneling here and replacing it with raised paneling, including behind and under the windows there, all the way around, the dais here.  Of course, they attach it to the block wall.  And what we found out, there's a six-inch drop from this corner [in the back of the room] to that corner [at the front of the room], so it will, they'll have to work that in to make it look proper.  This area up here [where the board members sit] will be completely redone.  This area here.  This does not include painting.  There will be sheetrock above the wainscoating, including back here on the back.  It will dress the area up pretty good.  I have got money in the budget for this, and, certainly, it completes what we started last year and the year before in renovating city hall.  It's forty years old, and it's time, it needs just a little lipstick and paint, so I would request that you approve this." 

"I make a motion we table this," Paul Simpson said, abruptly. 

Finlayson said, after a pause, "I think we should also include the flooring, too.  Everything together, all in one bid and get enough that we can pick the best one.  I think that's going to be the best thing to do." 

Simpson's motion to table the proposal was seconded simultaneously by John Smith and Lloyd Tennyson and passed without further discussion by a unanimous roll call vote. 

"Okay," Robinson said, "the next item, and we discussed this last night in the board meeting, not board meeting, the working session.  We have an animal control ordinance that requires us to adopt a fee schedule, and there's a resolution in front of you that basically pertains to the fees, based with the Corinth/Alcorn County Humane Society.  It amends Title 10, Chapter 10 of the Selmer Municipal Code, Section 10-107 and Section 10-207, and all this does is just approve a fee schedule.  It has nothing to do with the operation of the ordinance and how we do, how we enforce that with, certainly, Paul, I think you had made a motion last night, a recommendation that we get with the chief and kind of work that through.  This just establishes the fees that have to be done.  So I would ask for that to be approved.  I need a motion on that." 

"I again make a motion that that be tabled," Simpson said, "because as I, as we discussed last night, I think we need to sit down with Chief Burks, who gets most of the complaints, and come up with a comprehensive ordinance so we'll know exactly what we have." 

"Well," Robinson pointed out, "we have an ordinance, Paul, on the books as we speak.  As a matter of fact, it's Title 10, under Animal Control, and it's quite extensive.  It's in your Municipal Code now.  What this resolution simply does, it simply says, it fulfils the requirement that, 'in accordance with a schedule approved by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen,' is all it says.  It has nothing to do with the operations.  It just, it's a fee schedule with the Corinth Humane Society.  And it won't effect you speaking with Neal or anyone else regarding our ordinance.  But the ordinance is already on the books." 

Simpson was undeterred. "I again make the motion we table the amendment." 

"Second," John Smith said, predictably, and then, leaning in toward the mayor, beside whom he sits at these meetings, he added this stunning non sequitur: "And the reason why I second it is if you go back to that ordinance it says every dog in the city will be leashed or caged." 

"You're exactly right," Robinson said, refraining from adding that what he was right about was irrelevant to the question of setting fees for people who don't keep their pets penned or leashed.  "So you're going to change the ordinance, is that what you guys want to do?" 

"I seconded to table," Smith responded, petulantly. 

Edward Smith then said, "I think that it would be good if we maybe hold on to this until next month and let the chief meet with us at the working session, and I'd like to know how big a problem it is.  I'm not saying we don't need to do it, but I think it would be good if we get to where we know what we're actually doing, how much is involved, how many complaints we're having, and exactly what we're going to do.  If a neighbor's dog barks, we're going to go pick it up?  Or what are we going to do?  You know, even if it's in a pen, it may bark." 

"And I don't disagree with that," Robinson said, before adding that "This resolution does not address any of that.  It simply addresses the fee schedule with the Corinth Humane Society.  That's all it does." 

"I think there's a few little things we need to talk about before we actually do it, Edward Smith persisted.  "And I'm thinking we probably need to do it, but I think we really need to talk about it and make sure we know exactly what we're covering." 

When put to a vote, the motion to table passed unanimously.

* * * 

Robinson pushed on.  "Okay, the next item is an approval for Chief Dillingham to pursue a Homeland Security Grant to replace, basically, to buy a fire engine to replace engine number four.  David, why don't you kind of fill us in here a little bit." 

"Okay, the next item is an approval for Chief Dillingham to pursue a Homeland Security Grant to replace, basically, to buy a fire engine to replace engine number four.  David, why don't you kind of fill us in here a little bit."  

"Thank you," Dillingham began, "and good evening Mayor and members of the board.  Basically, other than just reading the memorandum that I gave you, this year they've opened up the Assistance in Firefighting Grants again for all departments throughout the country.  And they started, it opens up on the third of March and will close on April the fourth.  And when this program first started back in 2001, they said if you've got a fire truck that's not thirty years old, don't even apply for a truck.  Well, a few years ago they said, well, if you've got a fire truck that's not over twenty years old, don't apply for it.  Now, they've got it all the way down to something like thirteen years.  So we're in the running for one of our front-line pumpers to replace.  And the reason why we need to totally replace this truck, if we are lucky to get the grant—this isn't a guarantee that we're going to get a grant—if we're lucky to get this grant we need to completely do away and sell this truck, because the federal registry, what I understand from the seminars that I've attended for grant writing, is that if you put in your grant writing, in your proposal, that you're planning on retaining the truck, you've got a very low ability for getting this thing through the system.  If you say you're going to get rid of this truck, then you get almost maximum points in that area of what the truck needs to be used for.  And the engine I'm requesting to do is engine four.  It's twenty-three years old.  I've got a little statistics for you that I did up.  Even with the replacement of the engine that we did just a couple of months ago, it's cost the city to run yearly, without counting routine maintenance like oil change and stuff, about $4,500 a year for the twenty-three years that we've had it.  If we're lucky and get this new fire truck, which could cost up to $250,000, it's only going to cost us $750 a year for the next twenty years." 

"What's that at?" Robinson asked.  "Five percent?" 

"Five percent, yes, sir.  All I'm asking for the board tonight is your approval to let me go ahead and pursue this.  And if we get this then I will be coming back to the board and asking you to fund our five percent." 

"Any questions for David?" Robinson said to the board. 

"I had a question, but you've answered it," John Smith said.  "The only question that we talked about yesterday was, and you answered it by, if you're going to get rid of it you're more likely to get the grant.  We were just wondering, since we did just spend $12,000 on it, maybe was there a possibility to keep it.  But I understand that—" 

"There is creative ways of getting rid of it," Dilliingham said, "and I would like to not go into it until we get the grant, but, yes, we had to fix the engine on that truck, because it is a truck we need for fire control for the city of Selmer.  And there's no guarantee if I get it this year, and there's no guarantee I get the grant the next year of the next.  So, John, that's basically.  We need to get rid of the truck, because if they come down, if we get the grant, and we said in our grant narrative that we were going to sell the fire truck and get it completely out of the fleet, and then when they come down and find it in the fleet still, then we could end up paying back the full grant.  You've got a fire truck, you've just got to pay for it." 

"David," the mayor asked, "what is the grant cycle?" 

"It ends April 4, and it could take up 'til next March before we get notified.  They are trying to let everybody know, starting in the first of October, which is the federal government's cycle, calendar, their fiscal year, they're trying to let everybody know by the end of December." 

Mayor: "Whether they will get the grant or not?" 

Dillingham: "That's correct." 

"In the event that we are awarded the grant," Robinson continued, "what is the time frame of—" 

Dillingham: "One year." 

Mayor: "A year?  So we're basically looking at two years using engine number four now—" 

Dillingham: "Pretty close, yes, sir." 

"Okay," Robinson said, "so we'll get our use out of that." 

"How would this help us any more than what we have now, getting a new truck?" Simpson asked. 

Dillingham: "Oh, I appreciate you asking that, Paul.  Here are the biggest reasons I went to this type of truck, than basically the one we've been buying.  Number one, it's got more capacity to carry more water, double the water load.  It basically will give us three minutes for full, maximum fire fighting effort on a home of 2,500 square feet or smaller.  It also helps out the problems with going into the county and other places within the city where the water pressure is low.  We've got 2,000 gallons right there to use immediately upon the attack of a fire.  That's the biggest.  And the second biggest was that it's a newer fire truck, and it will be replacing one that's twenty-three years of age. 

Dillingham added that "It would give us an ability to attack a fire for three minutes.  Right now we've only got a thousand gallons, it only gives a minute and a half, of fighting a fire at a 2,500 square foot home.  But this will give us almost three full minutes.  With the tanker we've got and the fire truck, it's an unrealistic goal, but my goal is to fight a fire with one truck.  Have everything you need.  It's unrealistic, but that's a goal I would love to challenge, or challenge to get to do." 

"I make a motion we approve this to allow the chief to bid on this," Simpson said, and his motion, seconded by Edward Smith, passed by a unanimous roll call vote. 

"Mr. Mayor," Dillingham said, "before I leave—and thank you, I appreciate it—I will be going down the 28th of this month and picking up the rescue truck, and so it will be here at the next board meeting to let you look over it, and—" 

Mayor: "You're going to bring it so we can inspect it?" 

Dillingham: "It's going to be parked right out front."

* * *  

Robinson then moved to the final item on the agenda, and the miasma of non-cooperation settled once again upon the chamber.  "The next item of business is an approval of a resolution to assume full responsibility for the upkeep and safety of display items donated by the U.S. Army to the Town of Selmer.  A little background on this one.  As you all know, Mr. Paul Fisher has generously reached in his pocket and provided our gazebo area out as you come in at the major intersection.  As part of his finishing touches, he has requested that we seek some type of military surplus equipment to place out there.  And in order to do that you have to go through a division in the U.S. Army.  As part of that requirement, they require a resolution by the governing board that assumes transportation costs, demilitarization of the equipment, site preparation where it will go, safety transportation.  We, this resolution limits that exposure to the city to $6,000, of which we've had some private citizens generously agree to help participate in that.  So that's what this resolution is about, and I would ask for a motion to approve it." 

"So moved," Finlayson said.  And then silence. 

"Anybody going to second?" the mayor finally asked. "I guess not.  I guess the motion dies for the lack of a second." 

Though not on the agenda, Mayor Robinson mentioned one last item.  "Richard Ashe and I went to a Tennessee Energy Acquisition Corporation board meeting this morning, and we came back with a, basically a renewal of our management agreement.  It's just like the one we have signed in the past.  Those were one years, these are three years, and basically what it requires is board approval, if you approve this.  We can do it tonight, we can do it next board meeting if you guys want to take some time to read this, but it's pretty much boiler-plate stuff that they handle for us." 

"Time's not of the essence, then?" Simpson asked.  "I mean, we can do it next time?" 

"We can do it next time, yeah—" Robinson began. 

Simpson interrupted. "I make a motion that we table it so we can look at it." 

"Look at it," Robinson repeated.  "Okay." 

And so the meeting ended.