Indianola Mayor Ken Featherstone is off to a fast start in his first term, both figuratively and literally.
The mayor and board of aldermen usually meet every other Monday, but due to Mississippi Municipal League training scheduled for this week, the board met last Thursday, just two days after the city government’s swearing-in ceremony.
The meeting, with over a dozen items listed on its agenda, lasted all but 1 hour and 22 minutes.
There was little crosstalk between the mayor and board members, and there were no interruptions from the slim audience.
Prior to the meeting, Featherstone stated that when former Mayor Steve Rosenthal would admonish the crowd not to interrupt during meetings, he was correct to do so.
“Technically and legally, he was right,” Featherstone said. “He may have gotten his point across a little maybe abrasive at times, but he was absolutely right. We’re going to ask that you refrain any of your comments.”
Featherstone said the he would like to set aside time on a night other than the board’s regular night to meet to address citizens’ concerns.
“What we’re going to try to do is create time, a space for citizens, probably in the format of a town hall meeting on nights other than the night for city meetings where citizens can address their concerns,” he said. “Stay tuned for that.”
Featherstone asked the board and those in attendance for patience while he learns the job and gets more acquainted with the office.
“We’re going to spend a lot of time together,” he said of the board. “I definitely want to create a cohesive bond with the board. I want for us to be that beacon, that shining light for the Delta in all that we do and all that we say, treating each other with mutual respect.”
