The Mayor and the Eutaw City Council met for their first regular meeting since being installed and holding their organizational meeting, to consider regular business of the city. All Council members were present except for Carrie Logan, who was attending a training session for new council members.
The Council heard from Jimmie Moore of Meridian Waste Company, which has the contract for garbage collection and disposal in Eutaw and some surrounding jurisdictions. Moore explained the cost per customer has increased by a small account. The Eutaw City Council approved the contract with Meridian Waste and will absorb the increase within the current monthly charge for residents and businesses in the city.
The Council approved the creation of a new position of Administrative Assistant to the Mayor and City Council of Eutaw, which is Ordinance 2025-6. This Ordinance also names Joe Powell to the position of Administrative Assistant. His duties and responsibilities will be to assist the City Clerk in her administrative duties; also, to assist the Mayor and Council in preparing meeting agendas, notices, and correspondence; assist with public record and resident inquiries; and otherwise assist the Mayor and Council in other tasks as assigned. His rate of pay will be $16 per hour and benefits.
The Council approved the salary of Kendrick Howell as Chief of Police at $60,000 annually, which is $5,000 less that the previous Chief Tommy Johnson was being paid. The Council also agreed to a $3.00 an hour increase for SheKelvia Spencer, City Clerk.
An approval of the 2025-26 Annual Budget was tabled, to give the new Mayor and his staff a chance to review and perhaps change some of the staffing, expenses and revenues projected for the year that started on October 1, 2025, and running through September 30, 2026. A Council Work Session on the budget was scheduled for November 18, 2025. A request to purchase a new 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicle was also tabled pending the budget review.
In other business, the Eutaw City Council:
• Approved a request from Mayor Cockrell to enter an agreement with Diversified Computer Software to purchase trackers for all city vehicles and equipment.
• Approved travel, registration and per diem for staff to attend training.
• Approved for Mayor Cockrell to hold a Thanksgiving Dinner for staff and residents.
• Approved reimbursements to staff for necessary small purchases to continue operations.
• Approved Resolution No. 2025-27 for “Use of Social Media” by staff to carry out work requirements.
• Approved rental of city property at $150 a day for K & S Southern Midways to hold a fair in the city at the park adjoining the Robert H. Young Community Center in Eutaw on November 14-17, 2025.
• Approved payment of bills for the city.
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Corey Cockrell said he had received a report from the Water Department Clerk that over $300,000 in late and unpaid water accounts were in the records. The Mayor said, “All residents and businesses in the city must get their water bills in order and paid, including city staff and council members. We should not have to carry so many late and overdue accounts, if we want to improve our city – streets, water and other infrastructure.”
Tag: Chief Kendrick Howell
-
Eutaw City Council meets on Nov. 12 handles routine business
-
Eutaw City Council appoints board and committee members, reviews water system issues, E-911 and pays bills
Shown L to R: Eutaw Police Officer Tyler Johnson, Asst, Chief Kendrick Howell, Chief Tommy Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem LaJeffery Carpenter, Officers Robert Geter and William Smith displaying their new uniform. Chief Johnson stated he has an open door policy. Look professional and act professional. We are here to help our citizens.
At its regular meeting on January 26,2021, the Eutaw City Council
dealt with several outstanding issues including naming people to city committees and boards, reviewing continuing problems with the water system, support for E-911, reviewing an agreement for joint work with the County Commission and Industrial Board, setting lease rates for space at the Carver School Community Center and paying bills.
The Mayor and City Council appointed members of the following boards and committees:
• Eutaw Zoning Board: John Zippert, Broderick Fulghum, Cynthia Cooper, Corey Cockrell, and Shirley Eubanks
• Eutaw Housing Authority Board: James Powell, Jonathan Lewis, Jacqueline Allen, and Isaac N. Atkins
• Eutaw Medical Clinic Board: Judy Jarvis, John Zippert and Joyce Cotton
• Eutaw Historical Commission: Evelyn Davis, Gilda Jowers, Diane Liverman, Carol P. Zippert, Sharon Trammell, Johnnie Mae Knott, Sandra Walker, Judy Jarvis
• Eutaw Cemetery Board: Nicolas Wilson, Joseph Fritz, Suzette Powell, Sharon Trammell, and Connie Tyree
The Council took up the issue of setting a rental payment for use of rooms at the Carver School Community Center. The CRFD, a non-profit agency has had a space for a year and Liberty Tax, a business. is requesting a space. Councilwoman Tracey Hunter raised the concern that the monthly charge includes utilities. Mayor Johnson said it was a community center not a business, so the city was not likely to recover all costs for the facility, but needed to charge a fair rate for non-profits and others. Hunter then moved to table the issue until more research and information was available.
The Engineers of the South (EOS), the consulting firm that is currently contracted to monitor the operations and quality of the Eutaw Water System was present and stated their interest in supporting efforts to improve the system. The spokesperson for EOS said that they would provide a proposal to increase time on monitoring the system, help in auditing and correcting faulty meters and replacing meters that could not be repaired. EOS is also answering an ADEM complaint about the water system, which was sent to the past Mayor but never answered.
The City also has a proposal from Kathie Horne of Water Management Associates for improving and repairing problems with the water system. Her agreement is for three years and charges $6 per meter, per month. Mayor Johnson said the city has 1,400 water meters, which means that Horne’s contract is for $8,400 a month or more. Johnson said she wasn’t sure if the city could afford this contract and welcomed other proposals, like one from EOS. The Mayor said this would be discussed in more detail at a Council Work Session on Tuesday, February 2nd.
The next agenda item was a pledge by the City since 2004, to provide $30,000 a year for the operation of the E-911 emergency assistance and dispatching services, which has never been paid. Johnny Isaac, Chair of the E-911 Board was present and said, “In 2004, I was the Sheriff and Reginald Spencer was Eutaw Chief of Police, we agreed to transfer dispatching services to E-911. This is saving the city between $200,000 and $300,000 a year. We hope you can support us with $30,000 that was pledged but never paid. The monies we get from the phone bill tax of $1.86 per customer is not sufficient to operate E-911”
Mayor Johnson said the City should pay $30,000 a year to support E-911, from bingo funds. The Council agreed and supported this expense.
The Council reviewed an agreement between the City, County Commission and Industrial Development Authority for development of the Interstate 59/20 Exit 40, especially the location of a motel and other projects to improve the county. The Council tabled this issue for further discussion at the upcoming work session.
The Council received a listing of outstanding bills for the months of November, December and January, which they approved for payment.