Indianola has a new city prosecutor.
The Board of Alderman voted Monday night to hire Greenville Attorney Tonya Franklin to the post.
Franklin and Pritsy Ross, who serves as a prosecutor for several other municipalities, have been serving as special prosecutor for the city on a monthly rotation, and both were in consideration for the position.
Franklin said she was very pleased to have the opportunity to serve the city and that she is going to seek justice and serve with integrity. She formerly served as prosecutor for the City of Greenville.
The aldermen also appointed citizen Liz Johnson to the Ward 3 City Administrative Personnel Commission at the request of Alderman Ruben Woods.
Responding to a request from a citizen to clarify the duties of the position, Rosenthal explained that in the event of an employee’s request for an appeal due to a work-related reprimand, the commission - made up of a department head and or supervisor and one person from each alderman’s ward - will hear both sides and present a recommendation to the aldermen.
After deliberation, the aldermen would then decide on a course of action.
The representatives from the five wards rotate and only three are called upon per hearing. Their appointment is done on an annual basis, but will automatically renew if the aldermen do not select new people.
The board also heard and approved departmental reports from the parks and recreation, cemetery, public works and fire departments.
Alderman Sam Brock again questioned Chief Eugene Snipes about the lack of written investigative reports and results on the causes of the fires in dwellings. Brock had asked Snipes back in January to start including the information in his monthly reports, but Snipes did not have that information at this week’s meeting.
The mayor and board also questioned Snipes and Assistant Fire Chief Johnny Hughes about not showing up for a recent joint training that was supposed to have taken place with the volunteer firefighters.
The fire department heads were cautioned to work together with the county’s volunteers.
The city also approved the purchase of a new control panel for the Academy Drive lift station.
The board heard information on issues raised by Brock regarding a blind spot safety hazard on the corner of Coolidge Street and First Avenue.
He said there are trees and hedges blocking a clear line of site to persons attempting to navigate that corner. Brock said that although some of the obstruction was on private property, the city has allowed some on its easement to become overgrown.
Brock was pointed when questioning Public Works Director Jimmy Strong and field Operations Supervisor Robert Spurlock.
“Are you waiting on somebody to be killed, somebody has already been robbed, are we waiting on an accident that could fall back on the city?” he asked.
Strong suggested the matter needed to be addressed with the homeowner.
After a discussion, the city officials decided to research the ordinances concerning vegetation and notify the homeowner accordingly.
Brock also raised issue with the seemingly lack of attention to several burned and dilapidated properties in his ward.
Brock said he has noticed over 15 properties that were uninhabitable with more than half of those caused by fire.
City Inspector Elvis Pernell addressed Brock’s concerns and introduced him to the ordinance enacted by the previous aldermen that addresses the procedures for handling the adjudication process on those properties.
“This board, at term, has given people time and time again to repair them or come up with an option to not get them (torn) down,” Pernell said. “We try to work with the citizens and the house owners because if the city tears it down we charge them a flat rate.”
Rosenthal told Brock that if he was interested in altering the time constraints on the current ordinance the board could look at it and possibly make changes.
“Ordinances can be changed,” he said.
After returning from an executive session the board also voted to suspend one police officer for undisclosed reasons.
