Tag Archives: Tommy Johnson

Eutaw City Council meets Jan. 9th, hears from CPA, engineers, and others

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The Eutaw City Council held its first meeting of the new year on January 9, 2024. The mayor and all council members, including newly appointed District 2 member, Jonathan Woodruff were in attendance.

The Eutaw City Council heard a report from Rick Harbin, its Certified Public Accountant on the status of the audit for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. Harbin passed out and read from a draft report and collected the reports after his presentation.

Harbin said he was still refining the numbers and would have a full report with an opinion on the city finances by the end of the month. He went over the major findings including that the city had total assets of $12.9 million dollars. Complete details will be available when the official report is released. Harbin said some of the delay was caused by the city switching to a new accounting system and some was based on personal family emergencies that required his attention.

Harbin said once the 2022 fiscal year audit was issued, he planned to move ahead with the 2023 fiscal year report, which will go more smoothly.
Mayor Latasha Johnson said the audits were needed to apply for grants to assist and improve the city facilities. Angela Henline, the city’s engineer for the water and sewer project supported this saying she needed to report to ADEM, when the audit would be ready to be able to apply for continuing grants on the city water and sewer improvement projects that she is supervising.

The Council approved a Proclamation naming January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the city. The proclamation highlights the importance of citizen awareness of the problem in helping to resolve it.

The Council approved an agreement with the Sixth Day Saddle Club for using parts of the Lock 7 City Park for horse rides, trail rides and horse shows.

At the request of City Police Chief, Tommy Johnson, the Council approve purchase of a police dog for the city for $23,000. The Chief has raised $20,000 for the dog from the public and was asking the Council for the additional $3,000 needed to acquire the dog. The dog will be able to do search and rescue operations for people lost around the city, as well as drug enforcement during traffic stops or when asked by the school system or others to investigate for drugs.

The Council chose Tracey Hunter, District 3 Councilmember, to be Mayor  Pro Temp, to assume the duties of the mayor, in the case of  her absence.  Hunter was unopposed for the position.

Assistant Clerk, Joe Powell opened bids for the sale of the city owned, but inoperable, Greyhound bus, which is parked behind the National Guard Armory. LA Transportation offered $2,500 and Cliff Taylor offered $2,700 for the bus. The council awarded the bid to Taylor.

The Council agreed to a Work Session on January 22 at 4:00 PM to review and discuss a property rental policy for city facilities, like the Robert H. Young Community Center and the National Guard Armory. The council agreed to rescind charges for using exercise equipment that had been donated to the city for use by residents to improve their health and wellbeing.

The Council approved a plan for the Rebuild Alabama Funds that it receives for road and bridge improvement. There is not enough money to do all the needed projects but the plan lists and prioritizes work on the most needed project.

Angela Henline, engineer for the city’s water and sewer improvement project made a report on current work underway and requested approval for the next set of projects, which was approved by the council. This included awarding of contracts for pump station improvements and upgrading the Lower Gainesville Road Force Main.

Mr. Ralph Liverman, City Financial Advisor gave the Council five reports on financial issues and bank balances, one of the reports on the lack of income from rental of city owned properties will be discussed at the upcoming work session.

The Council approved liquor licenses for the sale of beer and wine at Eutaw Station Inc. (formerly One Stop) on Highway 43 and or a new Dollar General Market, that is being built on Highway 43.

The Council approved paying of bills and tabled a $500 claim for damage, by the Eutaw Fire Department, to a mailbox and basketball goal for ReShonda Daniels.

District 5 Council member, Jacqueline Stewart, who works at the Love’s Travel Center said they were interested in stronger security on weekends and wanted help from the Eutaw Police Department. The Mayor and the Chief agreed to meet with Love’s and see what could be worked out, similar to efforts made with Rock Tenn.

In the public comments, Siegfried Williams, Pastor of the Freedom Rock Church, renewed his request to purchase five acres from the city as a site for the church and community center. The city is conducting an appraisal of its properties to determine a fair market price.

Eutaw has first homicide of year on Christmas day

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Eutaw Chief of Police, Tommy Johnson, held a press conference this morning to announce the death of Jaylen Carter (age 21) in a shooting, near 201 Howard Irvin Circle in Branch Heights, at 6:55 PM on Christmas Day. This was the first homicide of the year in the city.

Brandon Powell (28) was arrested and charged with capital murder and is currently in the Greene County jail.

Chief Johnson said, “Our investigation suggests that this death occurred as a result of a dispute over a lost firearm. Powell lost the 9mm handgun about two months ago at a fight at a club. Carter recovered the gun. The dispute on Christmas night started as a discussion between the two over this gun.”

“We must get these guns off our streets and get our children back in church. On Christmas day, we should be at with our families celebrating Christ’s birthday, not shooting and killing other people. There was a better way to solve this problem without violence and murder. Our people need to learn how to talk out our problems do not resort to shooting,” said Chief Johnson.

Yesterday, some persons connected with the Carter family called Eutaw City Hall, because two members of the Powell family work there, and made threats against those people, which is a crime.

Chief Johnson said he talked the situation over with Eutaw Mayor Latasha Johnson and agreed to close City Hall until after lunch on Wednesday, to give police time to check on the ‘alleged terrorist threats’ and arrest the responsible party or parties.

Chief Johnson said that he wanted to thank the Demopolis Police Department, 17th Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force, and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation for their help in investigating the homicide.

Eutaw City Council agrees to purchase E-911 building

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Mayor Latasha Johnson presents Juneteenth proclamation to Luther ‘Nat’ Winn, Greenetrack CEO

 

The Eutaw City Council met for its second Tuesday regular meeting on
June 14, 2022. All council members and the mayor were present for the meeting.

The Council agreed to purchase the building on Prairie Avenue, diagonally across the street from the Eutaw City Hall, currently occupied by the E-911 emergency dispatching service. The building will be purchased for $45.000 in four payments of $11,250 over the coming year from Addigene G. Harbor, the current owner. The building will be used for additional office and meeting space for the city, when E-911 moves to its new office on Highway 43.

The Eutaw City Council voted to approve a one-time longevity bonus for retirees from the city which requires a small additional contribution from the city to the State Retirement Agency.

The City Council approved an $1,100 work order for city engineers to do the required annual safety inspection of bridges in the city limits.

The City Council approved requests from Chief of Police, Tommy Johnson for purchase of two Four-Wheeler to use for police work in case of floods, like the recent storms in Branch Heights and to search missing persons in wooded areas; and approved holding the 2nd Annual First Responders Parade on June 30, 2022.

Also approved by the Council was purchasing a new John Deere Backhoe Loader-4WD, for the approximate cost of $100,000, in the next year’s budget; approved payment of bills and claims; and authorized a contract to Pastor Construction company for less than $50,000, to repair the culvert under Springfield Avenue, rip-rap the creek bank and repair the curbing, at a site behind City Hall.

The Eutaw City Council voted to approve a proclamation honoring Juneteenth and approved celebrating the national holiday, commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. in Galveston, Texas in 1865. Mayor Johnson presented the proclamation to Luther “Nat” Winn, CEO of Greenetrack that is holding several events to honor Juneteenth.

In her remarks, Mayor Latasha Johnson said that ADEM has stopped the City of Eutaw from burning trash collected from city streets like tree limbs, old furniture, mattresses and other materials. “We do not have a city landfill to dispose of large garbage items. We have several dumpsters behind City Hall but it is expensive to get them emptied and serviced. We also do not have a dump truck to transport excess materials to a landfill. We may need to consider adding $2 or $3 as a fee, added to our water bills, to handle the trash that people take out of their houses and set on the streets.”

The Mayor said the city was considering purchasing a heavy-duty chipper to chip up tree limbs and similar waste left in the city.

Chief Tommy Johnson reported that the body of Officer Croom was driven through the city on its way from Meridian, Mississippi, where he was killed to his final resting place in his hometown of Tuscaloosa. Croom served for a short time as a member of the Eutaw Police Force. Other council members commented on road and street problems as well as burned out houses that the city needs to condemn.

City of Eutaw receives $309,083 payment from American Rescue Plan for coronavirus needs and infrastructure improvements

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Police Chief Tommy Johnson and Mayor Latasha Johnson award Certificate of Appreciation to 7-year-old Draylon Davis at the June 8, 2021 City Council meeting for his courage, bravery and presence of mind to call for help for his mother, Marquita Davis, who was having a medical emergency. “His calm response in contacting help probably saved his mother’s life,” said the Chief.

 

During last night’s City Council meeting, Mayor Latasha Johnson announced that the city had received a payment of $309,083.08 from the American Rescue Plan Act federal funds for states and cities to cover coronavirus expenses and invest in infrastructure improvements to improve the city for the future. This is the first half of the funding the City expects to get from the ARPA funds. The Council approved a $2,500 one-time loyalty payment to all city employees who continued to work and provide essential services during the pandemic. “These funds will go to our 40 employees who willingly gave their support and services during a difficult time. They enabled us to keep City Hall open and continue to provide basic services like water, sewer, streets and garbage collection,” said Mayor Johnson. The Council also approved a salary increase to $1,500 a month for City Judge Joshua J. Swords. A $500 increase was approved for City Attorney Zane Willingham. The Mayor said the rest of the funds will be allocated to improvements in the City’s infrastructure, like street repairs, a telemetry system for the Water Department and other projects which will help the long-term development of the City. Mayor Johnson also reported that with the help of the City’s financial adviser, Ralph Liverman and its CPA, the City reached an agreement with IRS to pay $19,715 in tax liabilities for 2015. Records and payments for tax years 2019 and 2020 were accepted. The City was required to file IRS 941 Quarterly Tax Reports for 2018 and the IRS would calculate the taxes due. Mayor Johnson said, “Once we submit all the requested information, the IRS will be able to determine our tax liability for that year. We feel it will be less that the $230,000 previously discussed since some of the taxes for this period have already been paid. Once we reach an agreement on 2018 then IRS will lift the lien against the City of Eutaw.” In other business, at the June 8 and 22 meetings, the Eutaw City Council:

• Approved the Water Department Identity Theft Prevention and Response Plan, since the city is accepting credit card payments on line, this will help protect people’s confidential information.

• Approved contract leasing the city’s farmer’s market space for ten years to the Greene and Sumter Farmer’s Market Cooperative for a nominal amount.

• Approved a contract between the City of Eutaw and the West Alabama Food Bank for the distribution of food to people in need.

• Set a meeting date of June 29 at 4:00 PM for a meeting of the City Council with the City Zoning Board to discuss the location of “modular homes” in the City, based on the ordinances and making more spaces available for mobile homes.

• Ended the City’s mandatory mask mandate for the prevention of the coronavirus but left the decision of wearing masks up to the individual’s discretion.

• Approved rental agreements for Brielle’s Boutique and HUGS A LOT Daycare for spaces at the Robert H. Young Community Center (old Carver Middle School); also approved business licenses for Christ Temple Church for a coffee shop, furniture store and theater; also, a business license for Paula Calligan’s Adjusted Crowns Hair Salon at 322 Brown Avenue.

• Agreed to change signatures on the Citizens Trust Bank bank accounts; and pay bills for the month of June. Mayor Johnson complimented the Chief of Police, Tommy Johnson, on the Police and First Responders Parade held in Eutaw last Thursday, June 17th. Chief Johnson announced that he will be holding a Coffee and Donuts Public Meeting on the second Thursday of each month at City Hall, beginning on July 8, 2021 at 10:00 AM. The public meeting will be a chance for people to raise comments, complaints and suggestions with the Chief of Police and his staff.

Eutaw City Council moves forward, secures help with finances and operating water system

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Tommy Johnson take oath of office as new Police Chief of Eutaw on Nov. 2, from Judge Josh Swords; his wife holds Bible.

By John Zippert,
Co-Publisher
The new Mayor and City Council of Eutaw met for its first regular meeting on November 10, 2020 at the Carver School Community Center gymnasium. The City Council held an Organizational Meeting on November 2nd after they were sworn-in to handle procedures and appointments.
Mayor Latasha Johnson said that she had spent most of the past week learning about the operation of the City’s water system and securing a needed permit from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which had expired in the Spring of the year.
Mayor Johnson indicated that she had received help from Kathie Horne of Rural Water Management, a consulting firm, that the previous mayor had barred from working at the City Hall. “We worked most of last week and weekend with ADEM to secure the permit to operate our water system. We were about to incur fines of $10,000 a day for being out of compliance but we have resolved this issue,” said Johnson.
Johnson, City Clerk Kathy Bir and Assistant Clerk Joe Lee Powell have worked with Rural Water Management, the computer softwear company that handles the water billing and others to begin to unravel the billing and water loss problems of the Eutaw Water System.
Powell said, “By January 2021, we should have a pretty good handle on the water meters, billing and revenues; in November, we billed for over $90,000 water, sewer and garbage bills. We are also enforcing a “no cash policy” which means residents must pay their bills with checks or money orders.”
Johnson presented a proposal from former City Council member, attorney and financial management consultant to York and Livingston, Ralph Liverman, to provide financial management services to the Eutaw City Council including preparing a budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, monthly financial reports, a four-year capital and infrastructure improvement plan and budget. Council approved this agreement with Liverman, which will cost no more than $1,500 a month.
The Council appointed Mayor Latasha Johnson as “City Water Superintendent” for a compensation of $800 month in addition to her salary as Mayor. When asked, how the City was going to pay for all these expenses, Mayor Johnson said, “We have found and deposited over $30,000 in checks and cash this week, that was casually lying around in the office, in drawers and cabinets. Also, we are expecting better revenues from the Water Department, as we straighten it out and there are some positions we discontinued and will not fill, until we are sure we can afford them.”
In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:
• Received a proclamation from Alabama Governor Kay Ivy extending the state “Safer at Home” health order, which includes mandatory mask wearing, from November 8, 2020 to January 7, 2021. Councilwoman Tracie Hunter suggested that the City check with local businesses and urge them to enforce the mask mandate because some are not requiring mask wearing.
• Agreed to advertise available city positions for 3 weeks in both local newspapers. The positions include: Utility Clerk, Assistant Utility Clerk, UCR Clerk and Assistant Clerk, Water/Sewer Workers and Street/Garbage Workers.
• Approved a new City employee pay scale which will raise wages for most employees.
• Approved purchase of an overnight deposit bag for Merchants and Farmers Bank.
• Agreed to celebrate Veterans Day (November 11) as a paid holiday for city employees.
Chief of Police, Tommy Johnson introduced has staff of new officers and said all would wear unforms rather than other forms of dress.
Mayor Johnson asked Council members with resident’s complaints about streets, drainage and other concerns, to put them in writing and submit them, so she and the city staff can be sure to respond and correct any problems.
Councilwoman Jacqueline Stewart asked that the City Council members be informed between meetings of any new hires for city positions so that they would know before their constituents questioned them about new people.
Councilwoman Valerie Watkins asked for a training in Robert’s Rules of Order, so they would know the proper way to make motions and conduct city business.
Councilwoman Tracie Hunter asked the audience “To pray with us and for us and be patient as we learn how to be a good City Council.”

Eutaw City Council approves proclamation honoring E-911

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Mayor Steele and Eutaw City Council members present proclamation to E911 staff and officials and new officer’s : Tommy Johnson, Jr. and Christopher Gregory

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the Eutaw City Council paid its March bills and claims, approved Good Friday as a holiday for the staff and approved a proclamation honoring the E-911 staff for National Public Safety Communications Week.
After taking these positive steps, the City Council and the Mayor began arguing about past issues and discussions.

The issue that precipitated the arguments was a motion by Councilwoman LaTasha Johnson to advertise in the newspaper for four weeks, the contents of a bill to be introduced in the State Legislature to change the selection process for members of the Board of Directors of the Eutaw Housing Authority to give the Council a role with the Mayor in appointing these board members.The Eutaw City Council, the Mayor and the city and county housing authority boards have been in an uproar for the past several months over who was properly appointed to the Eutaw Housing Authority Board and how to proceed with the merger of the city and county housing authorities.
Mayor Raymond Steele strenuously opposed the motion to advertise changes in the Alabama statute on the selection of members to a city housing authority. He said, “You are trying to take away powers given to me by the law, I am not trying to take away your powers as the City Council.”
Latasha Johnson replied that the purpose of her amendment was, “To share your role in appointing housing authority board members not to take away your authority.” She went on to say, “ In a way we are married for four years, the Council and you the Mayor and we need to learn how to work together.”
Councilman Joe Lee Powell said he was concerned that the mayor seemed to want to have “a dictatorship over the City Council.” Powell indicated that he was still concerned that the Mayor would not accept documents that he provided showing that Veronica James was incorrectly removed from the Eutaw Housing Authority Board and should be reinstated.
Mayor Steele complained that the City Council was retaliating against him by proposing to change the legislation to share the power of appointing the Eutaw Housing Authority Board. The Council then voted 4 to 2 to approve advertisement of the bill proposed by Latosha Johnson. The Mayor and Councilman Bennie Abrams voted against the motion.
Mayor Steele raised the issue of revisiting the rules and procedures for community groups to use the National Guard Armory for meetings, social events and fundraisers. The mayor said that he would like to discuss his concerns about improving and maintaining the facility at the next City Council work-session scheduled for next Tuesday, April 18. Councilman Powell reminded him that community groups charging admission or raising funds at activities using the National Guard Armory needed to come before the City Council if they were seeking a waiver of the rental fees.
Mayor Steele said the air conditioning and heating system in the building needed to be updated and other improvements made to the building. The Council agreed that a community group that had reserved the Armory for a music concert on April 15 could proceed with their event.
Council members said that they approved payment of the bills and claims but wanted a better reporting of funds and a budget against which to approve expenditures in future meetings.
Councilwoman Sheila Smith asked about the status of enforcement of the vicious dogs ordinance. Mayor Steele said the Eutaw police were issuing summonses for people to register their animals and to see if sufficient space was available to keep the animals in the city. If the owners were not complying with the ordinance then the police were taking action to correct the problems with stray and vicious dogs.
Valerie Watkins, a resident in whose house there was a sewage back up asked when the City was going to make the repairs to her home. Mayor Steele said that he was working on the claims with the City’s insurance agent and would be able to respond soon.
In the public comment sessions, several citizens rose and spook to urge the Mayor and City Council to work more closely together.
David Spencer distributed a written letter to the Mayor and City Council members concerning his allegations of voter fraud in the October 2016 Municipal Election Runoff.