[0:20] May August 25th Jasper City Council
[0:22] meeting, I will now call this meeting to
[0:25] order.
[0:27] For everyone will rise for the
[0:29] invocation led by Chief Poe and pledge
[0:32] of allegiance by Chief Upton.
[0:35] >> Bow our heads, please.
[0:37] Heavenly Father, thank you for this
[0:38] beautiful day you've given us and thank
[0:41] you for this city that we live in and
[0:43] thank you for the leaders and we ask for
[0:45] your guidance and wisdom to be bestowed
[0:48] upon them, Lord Jesus and just thank you
[0:50] for all the employees and keep them
[0:52] safe, Father. These things I ask in your
[0:54] precious name. Amen.
[1:00] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[1:03] United States of America
[1:05] and to the republic for which it stands,
[1:08] one nation under God, indivisible, with
[1:11] liberty and justice for all.
[1:20] » All right, item two, consider approving
[1:22] minutes of the regular meeting held
[1:24] August 4th, 2026. Do you have a motion?
[1:28] >> I'll make that motion.
[1:30] >> I'll second.
[1:31] >> All right.
[1:33] >> Yes.
[1:39] All right, item three,
[1:41] consider amendments to the agenda.
[1:46] Okay,
[1:47] thank you.
[1:49] All right, with no amendments, I will
[1:52] consider approval of the agenda, the
[1:54] final agenda.
[1:56] >> I'll make that motion.
[1:57] >> I'll second.
[1:58] >> Yes.
[1:59] >> in favor?
[2:00] >> Yes.
[2:02] >> And yes.
[2:04] Okay.
[2:07] Item five, parade permits.
[2:11] Event permits.
[2:14] Kelly?
[2:14] >> Good morning, [clears throat] Council.
[2:15] >> Good morning.
[2:17] >> And this morning I'm seeking your
[2:18] approval to permit the 2026 Foothills 5K
[2:23] requested by Jasper High School's track
[2:25] and field team
[2:27] to be held on Saturday morning,
[2:29] September 12th.
[2:30] Uh registration will be in the front
[2:32] parking lot of the JCC at 7:00 a.m. with
[2:36] the run starting at 8:00, ending by
[2:38] 10:00 a.m.
[2:39] Uh with no requested [snorts] blockages.
[2:42] Uh participant information, course
[2:44] directions, and a route map were
[2:46] provided with the application, and which
[2:48] we did receive approval from our PD,
[2:51] fire, and street departments.
[2:53] >> All right.
[2:55] >> [clears throat]
[2:55] >> There are no questions. [snorts]
[3:00] Do I have a nomination?
[3:04] » I make that motion.
[3:05] >> Motion.
[3:06] >> I second.
[3:07] >> All in favor?
[3:07] >> Yes.
[3:09] >> And yes.
[3:10] >> Thank you.
[3:14] » All right. Item six, conduct a public
[3:18] hearing, restaurant retail liquor
[3:20] license. Lieutenant Lay?
[3:23] >> Good morning, Council.
[3:24] >> Good morning. [snorts and clears throat]
[3:25] >> This morning I'm here for an application
[3:27] for E-Food Mart and Bayou Fresh. They're
[3:30] located at 200 Highway 78 East, and they
[3:33] have applied for a restaurant retail
[3:35] liquor license for on-premise
[3:37] consumption only.
[3:39] They've met all the requirements of
[3:40] state law, city ordinances, and the
[3:42] police department does not have any
[3:43] [snorts] objections to this application.
[3:46] >> All right.
[3:47] And this is a public hearing, so if
[3:49] there's anyone that would like to speak
[3:51] for or against, now is the time.
[3:57] Seeing none, I will close that.
[4:00] And do I have a motion?
[4:02] >> I'll make the motion that we accept the
[4:03] request.
[4:05] >> Second.
[4:06] >> Motion is second. All in favor?
[4:08] >> Yes.
[4:09] >> And yes.
[4:14] All right, item seven.
[4:17] Pothole patcher.
[4:19] Mayor Gates.
[4:20] >> Good morning, Council. Um we have become
[4:23] aware of um some needs to enhance our
[4:25] ability to patch potholes around town.
[4:28] Um
[4:29] something and tools that would require
[4:30] less man hours and also be able to list
[4:32] a patch throughout the year and not um
[4:34] have to factor in weather, you know,
[4:36] temperature and things like that. Um so
[4:38] this pothole patcher fills that void.
[4:40] It's a tremendous tool in our arsenal.
[4:43] Um the cost for this is 110,000 and I'm
[4:45] requesting funding uh to make that
[4:47] purchase.
[4:51] » You know you're a council member when
[4:53] you deep dive into the pothole patcher
[4:56] and you're so excited. So this is great
[5:00] on that.
[5:03] Do I have a
[5:05] Who's Who's Who's excited about the
[5:07] pothole patcher?
[5:08] >> I'll make a motion.
[5:10] >> I'll second.
[5:11] >> And a second. All in favor?
[5:12] >> Yes.
[5:13] >> And yes. Thank you.
[5:20] Oh, you wanted us to do that by
[5:22] unanimous unanimous consent. Yes.
[5:26] >> All right.
[5:28] >> We should have just named it pothole
[5:29] something.
[5:29] >> No, I don't have to do that one.
[5:31] Perfect. It's only 14. Okay.
[5:35] All right, item eight.
[5:37] >> All right, continuing on uh in uh the
[5:40] spirit of addressing our our streets and
[5:42] wanting to maintain those as well as we
[5:44] possibly can. Um there's uh we've
[5:47] developed a strategic transportation
[5:48] infrastructure management plan. And part
[5:50] of this is is software that will really
[5:52] guide and inform our decisions of what
[5:54] we pave, when we pave it, pave it,
[5:56] keeping a record of, um,
[5:58] just the age and condition of the
[6:00] streets citywide. Um, and so this, um,
[6:04] product, um, by Capstone Geo, I'm
[6:06] requesting authorization, uh, to enter
[6:07] into a consulting and advisory agreement
[6:09] with this this company.
[6:11] Um, the total is $59,700.
[6:15] $45,000 of that is for the initial
[6:17] [snorts]
[6:17] citywide, um, evaluation and smart
[6:20] analysis, which will direct our efforts,
[6:22] um, related to paving.
[6:24] Um, and then a $7,500
[6:27] charge for a citywide, again, citywide,
[6:30] um, traffic study. We haven't [snorts]
[6:31] had one of those, um,
[6:34] conducted in quite a while, so having
[6:35] just an updated analysis of of where we
[6:38] stand with things is critically
[6:39] important. And then
[6:41] the only ongoing fee after the initial
[6:43] payment will be a $600 monthly fee, uh,
[6:45] just to maintain the software. So, today
[6:48] I'm requesting, uh, authorization to
[6:49] again enter into this service agreement
[6:51] with Capstone Geo.
[6:54] >> All right, you've heard the [snorts] mayor's recommendation.
[6:57] >> I'll make that motion.
[6:59] >> I'll second.
[7:00] >> A motion and a second. All in favor?
[7:02] >> Yes.
[7:03] >> And yes. Thank you. Moving on.
[7:07] Nine.
[7:07] >> All right. Me again. Um, this is a more
[7:10] of a procedural matter, um, but I do
[7:11] need the council's approval, uh, to
[7:13] provide my um,
[7:15] approval of this request. The, um,
[7:18] Parish Housing Authority
[7:20] um, is requesting merging with the
[7:22] Jasper Housing Authority. So, the Jasper
[7:24] Housing Authority will be absorbing, um,
[7:26] the Parish Housing Authority units and
[7:28] operations. And the Department of
[7:30] Housing and Urban Development requires
[7:32] mayors that are impacted in local
[7:34] municipalities to sign off on that. Uh,
[7:36] and I'm happy to do so, but I need your
[7:37] approval to
[7:39] sign off on that.
[7:41] >> That's wonderful.
[7:42] >> All right, members. You've heard the
[7:43] mayors.
[7:45] As delivered.
[7:46] >> Make a motion.
[7:48] >> And I'll second.
[7:48] >> And a second. All in favor?
[7:50] >> Yes.
[7:52] >> And yes.
[7:54] >> Thank you.
[7:56] » All right. Adam Tien,
[7:59] public hearing.
[8:01] Cathy Chambliss.
[8:02] >> And council members, we have three cost
[8:05] hearings to conduct this morning. The
[8:08] first piece of property will be at
[8:10] William Street, and it's property that
[8:13] would belong to Worship Life
[8:15] International. The city removed
[8:18] overgrown grass and weeds for a total
[8:21] cost of $1,000, and this is to the
[8:23] public hearing.
[8:26] Uh and I'll go through all three of
[8:27] them, and then if anyone is here, then
[8:31] um
[8:32] if you would ask that they come forward.
[8:35] So, the next piece of property is at
[8:37] 1608 Barker Street. It's property that
[8:40] belongs to Judy Bland, District 5.
[8:44] The total cost is $837.50,
[8:49] removal of overgrown grass and weeds.
[8:53] The next piece of property is at
[8:55] Clarence Street, property belonging to
[8:58] Charlene Boshell, in care of James
[9:01] Boshell, District 4.
[9:03] Removal of overgrown grass and weeds,
[9:06] $837.50.
[9:11] » Will you repeat how much that one was
[9:12] again?
[9:13] >> Um this was um
[9:16] property belonging to the Boshells,
[9:18] $837.50.
[9:22] » Okay.
[9:27] All right. And this is a public hearing.
[9:30] So, if we have anyone that would like to
[9:32] speak,
[9:33] um please come to the podium, state your
[9:35] name and
[9:37] your address.
[9:42] Going once, going twice.
[9:45] All right.
[9:48] I will close
[9:49] that and do I have a motion?
[9:53] >> I'll make that motion.
[9:55] >> I'll second.
[9:56] >> All in favor?
[9:58] >> Yes.
[10:04] All right. Adam 11.
[10:07] Adam Bolton.
[10:11] » Good morning, Council.
[10:12] >> Good morning.
[10:13] >> [snorts]
[10:14] >> We have uh
[10:15] accumulation, unsafe structures, and
[10:17] grass and weeds to go over. We'll go
[10:19] over the accumulation first.
[10:21] The first is in District 1. It's 401
[10:24] Crest Circle.
[10:26] The second
[10:28] No, excuse me. That's the only
[10:29] accumulation that we have.
[10:37] The second uh
[10:38] or the first grass and weeds is 2708
[10:42] Gamble Avenue,
[10:43] 2800 Gamble Avenue,
[10:48] and 2804 Calumet Road.
[10:56] And if we can, we'll vote on those and
[10:59] then we'll do the unsafe structures
[11:01] separately.
[11:03] >> Okay, cuz the unsafe just popped up
[11:05] there. So, we're not on that.
[11:06] >> Not voting on that yet. We'll do that
[11:08] next. [clears throat]
[11:09] >> We're just going to do
[11:11] accumulation and grass and weeds.
[11:13] >> Accumulation and grass and weeds.
[11:14] >> All right. Do I have a motion?
[11:17] >> I'll make that motion.
[11:19] >> Motion?
[11:20] >> I'll second.
[11:21] >> And a second. All in favor?
[11:23] >> Yes.
[11:24] >> And yes.
[11:26] All right. I will now commission uh
[11:28] >> The unsafe structure District 1 is 305
[11:32] Crest Circle.
[11:35] District 5
[11:38] is parcel number 64-1705-3-000-002.
[11:50] 000
[11:54] There's also three 1321
[11:58] Vineland [snorts] Drive.
[12:01] And then there's 2804 Calumet Road.
[12:05] And those are all unsafe structures.
[12:14] » All right.
[12:16] Do I have a motion for the unsafe
[12:17] structures?
[12:18] >> I'll make that motion.
[12:20] >> Motion?
[12:20] >> I'll second.
[12:21] >> And a second. All in favor?
[12:23] >> Yes.
[12:24] >> And yes.
[12:25] >> Thank you.
[12:29] All right. Item 14, there's my unanimous
[12:32] consent. Mayor?
[12:35] >> Hello again Council. Uh this is a
[12:36] follow-up from our last Council meeting
[12:38] where you approved me
[12:40] entering into a memorandum of
[12:42] understanding with Walker County
[12:43] Economic and Industrial Development
[12:45] Authority for professional services. Um
[12:47] today I'm bringing you a request to
[12:49] amend our lodging tax which we currently
[12:51] direct a portion of to the Jasper
[12:54] Industrial Development Authority. And
[12:56] asking you to amend the ordinance
[12:58] sufficient to cover the $200,000
[13:01] agreement we have
[13:02] to fund the MOU with the County
[13:04] Development Authority.
[13:08] To clarify,
[13:09] we're currently funding the JIDB about
[13:13] 70% of our lodging tax. And so we're
[13:15] going to reduce that number to cover
[13:18] the new agreement we have with the
[13:19] County Development Authority.
[13:21] Um the JIDB is no longer funding the
[13:24] role of executive director and we're
[13:25] using the county amongst many other
[13:27] things to fill those services. So we're
[13:30] just we're just we're shuffling the same
[13:31] funding for the same outcomes, but very
[13:34] pleased with the effort we're getting
[13:35] from the the two different entities
[13:37] working together right now.
[13:40] » All right. See if we can
[13:44] Here goes.
[13:44] >> And this will be for consideration by
[13:46] unanimous consent, sorry.
[13:48] >> Yes.
[13:50] I will entertain a motion in a second
[13:52] that the rules be suspended and
[13:54] unanimous consent be given for immediate
[13:57] consideration
[13:58] of an action on lodging tax ordinance.
[14:06] Need a motion.
[14:07] >> I'll be making that motion.
[14:10] >> I have a motion.
[14:11] >> I'll second.
[14:12] >> All in favor?
[14:13] >> Yes.
[14:15] >> And yes. The motion for unanimous
[14:18] consent for immediate consideration of
[14:20] an action
[14:22] on the said ordinance has unanimously
[14:24] carried.
[14:26] I will now entertain a motion in a
[14:28] second that the ordinance be finally
[14:30] approved.
[14:31] >> I'll make that motion.
[14:32] >> I have a motion.
[14:33] >> I'll second.
[14:34] >> And a second. All in favor?
[14:36] >> Yes.
[14:37] >> And yes. The motion for approval of the
[14:40] said ordinance has been unanimously
[14:42] carried and the ordinance has been
[14:45] approved.
[14:48] » Thank you.
[14:50] >> Item 15, rezoning. Michelle.
[14:54] >> All right.
[14:55] Um items 15 and 16 on the agenda are an
[14:58] introduction for one rezoning. These are
[15:01] the two parcels in the Tate Road area
[15:03] that the council annexed into the city a
[15:05] few weeks ago. Both parcels are in
[15:07] district two. For item 15, the planning
[15:10] commission would like to recommend a
[15:11] rezoning of an approximately four acre
[15:13] parcel at 2700 Tate Road from its
[15:16] [snorts] temporary zone of MR to a
[15:18] permanent zone of AG. The surrounding
[15:21] properties in this area are zoned R-1
[15:23] and AG and the owner requested to be
[15:25] zoned AG.
[15:29] » All right, and that's an introduction
[15:31] and so 16.
[15:33] >> Go ahead and do 16. Um the count the
[15:35] commission also recommends rezoning an
[15:37] approximately 4.4 acre parcel identified
[15:40] as parcel number
[15:41] 64-10-06-24-0-0-0-018.000
[15:50] from its temporary zone of MR to a
[15:52] permanent zone of AG.
[15:55] » All right, and that as well is an
[15:57] introduction.
[15:59] >> Okay.
[15:59] >> Thank you.
[16:03] » Okay, item 17.
[16:06] Receive comments from the audience.
[16:10] If you'll please step to the podium and
[16:13] give us your name.
[16:24] >> Good morning.
[16:25] >> My name is Wanda Howard and I'm trying
[16:28] to get update on some property that I
[16:30] came down a couple of weeks and talked
[16:32] about.
[16:34] Overgrown property.
[16:38] » Can you give us the address?
[16:40] >> Uh 604 27th Street West
[16:44] and the other one is
[16:45] 2604 Martin Luther King Drive.
[16:58] Yeah, I'm trying to get some update on
[16:59] the overgrown property that I talked to
[17:01] you about before.
[17:03] >> Tell me the address again.
[17:04] >> 604 27th Street West and 2604 Martin
[17:08] Luther King Drive.
[17:09] >> I'll make sure I can get that down for
[17:11] two years.
[17:14] » Okay.
[17:18] » All right.
[17:19] >> Thank you.
[17:22] » Okay, so you've y'all spoke and we're
[17:27] Anyone else?
[17:29] Thank you, Ms. Howard.
[17:33] All right, we will receive comments from
[17:35] the mayor.
[17:36] >> All right.
[17:37] I want to highlight a few things this
[17:39] morning. Um good morning again, Council.
[17:41] Good morning, everyone. Uh one of the
[17:43] biggest privileges of of being in this
[17:45] role is getting to interact uh with our
[17:47] city employees and actually seeing what
[17:48] goes on behind the scenes to make our
[17:51] city function. And I assure you guys
[17:52] very little to do with me. Um so, today
[17:55] we've got some officers with us from the
[17:56] Jasper Police Department. I want to
[17:58] recognize that uh recently um
[18:00] been promoted. Uh so, we got Officer
[18:02] Ryan Brewer, um Jeremiah Alexander, and
[18:05] Octavius Dockery. If you guys will come
[18:06] up here, please.
[18:12] Officer Brewer and and Dockery are just
[18:14] recently promoted to sergeant and then
[18:16] now Captain Alexander. Um very
[18:18] privileged to to work with these
[18:20] gentlemen. They represent our city
[18:21] incredibly well and and are very
[18:23] consistent and dependable and and
[18:25] couldn't be prouder. So, just wanted to
[18:26] let you all see uh some of these
[18:28] officers and celebrate their uh
[18:30] promotions with us today.
[18:33] >> Oh, man.
[18:35] Sorry, Captain Alexander.
[18:38] Thank you, Chief.
[18:46] Thank you, gentlemen.
[18:49] >> [applause]
[18:51] » Great job, Chief.
[18:55] Also, I don't know if you've noticed
[18:56] around town we have a bit of a blitz
[18:59] going on. We're really focused on just
[19:00] the aesthetic features of our city,
[19:02] making sure we're representing it well
[19:03] to our citizens and also to people who
[19:05] are visiting our city. We have a lot
[19:07] going on and we want to make a great
[19:08] first impression.
[19:09] Um and there's several members of our
[19:11] street department, One specific crew
[19:13] that's really been going above and
[19:14] beyond recently just laboring throughout
[19:16] the day
[19:17] in in this heat in this weather and
[19:19] really working everything from
[19:21] crosswalks to rights of way to all kind
[19:23] of different things around our city and
[19:24] I would like to call them up if you guys
[19:26] will come up. We've got Hope Kilgore,
[19:28] Joshua Dotson, and Kent Hall.
[19:33] I don't know if you guys have a team
[19:34] name or not, but this is a stellar group
[19:36] of people and just want you guys to see
[19:39] who's responsible for a lot of the
[19:40] efforts you're seeing a lot of good work
[19:41] around the city. [music] So
[19:52] Thank you all very much for all you do
[19:53] for us.
[20:00] Let's do it again.
[20:05] Excellent.
[20:06] That's all I have. Thank you.
[20:08] >> That's awesome. Thank you.
[20:10] All right. Um, comments from council
[20:12] members?
[20:15] >> I just like to make one announcement on
[20:17] September 24th we'll be having a
[20:19] district five citizens meeting here at
[20:22] 5:00 here at city hall.
[20:24] September 24th.
[20:27] » All right. And then also need to point
[20:29] out
[20:30] our next council meeting will actually
[20:33] fall on September 8th.
[20:35] So making that aware so we'll have a
[20:39] council meeting on September 8th and
[20:44] Do you have anything? And go bikes.
[20:47] Yeah. All right.
[20:51] I
[20:52] That's it.
[20:53] Do I have a motion to adjourn?
[20:54] >> I'll make that motion.
[20:56] >> Second.
[20:57] >> All in favor?
[20:58] >> Yes.
[21:00] This meeting is adjourned.
[21:03] This too.