WM Councilman challenges fellow aldermen to make more meetings in 2017

WM Councilman challenges fellow aldermen to make more meetings in 2017

Pulliaum: ‘ If we are not meeting that means we are not fulfilling our obligations’

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West Memphis senior Councilman James Pulliaum flexed his tenure and leadership, exhorting city council members to attend committee and commission meetings in the city. The smaller panels hear updates and propose changes for the city. Pulliaum’s message was simple. In order for the city to improve, city council participation must improve.

Ward 3 Councilman Taz Tyrone opted not to run for re-election because business concerns kept him from regular meeting attendance. The ten City Councilors make $9,600 per year each and have an option for the city subsidized group health insurance benefits.

Full city council session generally take less than two hours a month.

Now Pulliaum used the end of the first meeting of the year to go on record in front of the city cable access camera and called the 2017 city council to take committee and commission assignments seriously.

“This 2017 city council really needs to make those sub-committee meetings,” said Pulliaum, “because our job is to come back from those meetings and recommend the changes that need to be done. If we are not meeting that means we are not fulfilling our obligations.”

Pulliaum pointed to new staff and assignments at city hall and said now was the time to capitalize on the new enthusiasm to put improvements through. A retirement and a promotion in the City Planning office and the appointment of a new Economic Development Director should spark improvements according to Pulliaum.

“We have two new people in City Planning,” said Pulliaum. “There are a lot of things needing to be done and I think we need to come up with a comprehensive plan.” Pulliaum went from general to specific listing the improvements on his mind. 65,000 tourists have used the Big River Crossing connecting the Gateway City to the Bluff City via a deck on the north side of the Harahan Bridge.

“We need to deal with the east end of Broadway with the bike crossing we have now,” said Pulliaum.

“There a lot of things that need to be done. But we have to start meeting with our sub committees to get the stuff done and make some recommendations.

“As far as cleaning our city, Mayor Johnson and I talked about some things, but it is going to take committees coming together. I am hoping to make 2017 be a little different. The only way is for committees to meet and make recommendations.”

Poor attendance marked most of the 2016 committee meetings while city council representatives generally take commission meeting much more seriously. The mayor appoints one city councilor from each ward to each committee. With five councilors assigned to the committee three must attend to pull a quorum and make recommendations for new ordinances and expenditures.

That inertia in city business is maintained through lack of participation and vision by many city councilors is evident in committee meetings.

The public works committee almost always has a quorum but failed to muster enough council members for a quorum this month.

The A& P Commission is required by ordinance to meet monthly but moved the December meeting onto the upcoming January agenda. City Councilmen made three 2016 appearances in the Utility Commission monthly meetings set by ordinance but Commissioners got council participation by scheduling needed special joint meetings. Parks and Recreation Committee didn’t have a councilor show all 2016 and undertook no neighbor- hood park improvement projects already budgeted in the last two years. Improvement recommendations for the neighborhood center, shuttered two years ago with a promise to repurpose and reopen, were left to one city council member and languishes not been heard in any city sub committee since. The airport commission saw city council represented in the summer meetings. City Councilors clamored for changes in boys and girls club revenue distribution two years ago, had the city attorney draft an ordinance, and still has no kind of meaningful club accountability to the city according to the treasurer.

City Councilman Marco McClendon immediately responded to Pulliaum’s plea. McClendon made no committee meeting last year and was reelected from Ward 4 in November to a third term.

“Mr. Mayor, I guess I need to find out when my meetings are,” said McClendon.

“How do I do that?”

By John Rech