Alexander Mayor keeps council from voting with wild claim

City of Alexander Mayor Michelle Hobbs allowed a special meeting to continue but kept council members present from voting by claiming only a "quorum" was present. She told the aldermen business could be discussed but a "majority" was needed for any votes to take place.

Of the eight-member city council five were present; aldermen Juanita Wilson, Andrea Bearden, Sam Gregory, Lonnie Chapman, and Faye McKeon. Absent were aldermen Farren Wadley, Ceola Bailey, Brad Scott, and Recorder Sharon Bankhead. Bearden voluntarily filled-in for Bankhead.

According to information provided in an on-line pamphlet by the Arkansas Municipal League, "[A] majority of the entire council is required to pass any bylaw, ordinance, resolution or order (ACA § 14-55-203). A majority is whatever number it takes to have more than half." In this case a majority of eight is five.

That same pamphlet says a quorum is needed to take a vote, which "[C]onsists of a majority of the whole number of the council." Again five.

The special meeting held Monday, June 2 was scheduled during the regular May meeting because the agenda was not complete and the minutes from two previous meetings were given to the aldermen that night. Since items that should have been on the agenda were left off and the aldermen hadn't proofread the minutes they decided to reschedule the meeting for June 2. The only other business conducted that night was the acceptance of City Attorney Carla Miller's resignation, "Effective immediately."

The mayor made no objections when a motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. All aldermen voted aye.

Items discussed

In response to Alderman Sam Gregory's question about the streets Mayor Hobbs said she now has three bids and they will be in the meeting packets for the June 16 regular meeting. At the April meeting Hobbs provided only one bid and was told by the council to advertise in order to get more bids as required under state law.

Later the mayor reported the city has been approved for a $250,000 street repair grant from the state highway department. She said they will evaluate the condition of the streets and decide which ones will be renovated doing, "The worst first." The project is scheduled for 2015. When asked Hobbs assured Alderman Andrea Bearden this funding was only for city approved streets, referring to an issue the city is having as to who is responsible for St. Joseph's Glen's streets.

Shortly before the resignation of City Attorney Carla Miller she presented an ordinance to the council that will accept all of St. Joseph's Glen's streets into the city. Alderman Faye McKeon said, "it needs to be looked at" and it, "was going to get this city in trouble."

The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, June 16 at city hall. The public is invited to attend.