Mayor breaks tie to privatize grass cuttingBy Cassandra Mickens (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat
Published Wednesday, December 9, 2009NATCHEZ — The Natchez Board of Aldermen Tuesday voted 3-3 on whether to privatize grass cutting, forcing Mayor Jake Middleton to cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the motion.
Aldermen Bob Pollard, Mark Fortenbery and Dan Dillard voted in favor of privatized grass cutting. Aldermen Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, James “Ricky” Gray and Ernest “Tony” Fields voted against the motion.
Recreation Director Ralph Tedder recommended the aldermen accept the lowest bids for individual grass cutting jobs at Duncan Park, city neighborhood parks and ball field complexes.
Both the Duncan Park and neighborhood parks bids were awarded to Jeffery Ross of Ferriday. Ross quoted $32,000 per year for Duncan Park and $10,800 per year for neighborhood parks.
The ball field bid was awarded to Gasquet Clean Cuts of Natchez. Gasquet quoted $15,000 per year for its services.
The contractors are expected to begin work March 1.
As a result of the board’s decision, four employees in the recreation department will either be laid off or transferred to the public works department, Tedder said.
Tedder estimates privatized grass cutting will save the city $119,556. The amount includes the salaries of the four employees — $20,000 per year including benefits — and equipment and maintenance costs.
While the motion was under discussion, Gray said the aldermen must evaluate savings incurred from prior employee terminations and other cost-cutting measures before considering layoffs.
“It’s bad to be laying off employees when we haven’t really gotten the numbers for savings,” Gray said.
Arceneaux-Mathis agreed with Gray, saying the city has yet to restructure since the aldermen voted to terminate five employees in September.
Arceneaux-Mathis also said she was wary of privatization, and explained the city will exercise less control over grass cutting than ever before.
“You don’t get the same service unless you have more control over it,” Arceneaux-Mathis said. “I don’t deal with privatization well, and I’m not for the privatization of grass cutters at all.”
Fields said he is in favor of reassigning the affected employees to other departments, and Middleton said he will “look and see where the employees might go.”
Dillard said the city has taken a very careful and straightforward approach to privatized grass cutting, and the city has identified where it could utilize savings.
Dillard said the recreation department outspent its budget by more than $90,000 last year, and the department cannot afford to do the same this year.
“We cannot spend more than you take in,” Dillard said. “You have to start taking corrective actions.”
Once Middleton cast the tie-breaking vote, Arceneaux-Mathis immediately introduced a motion asking the mayor and the aldermen to meet to review budget savings.
“I still don’t feel we’ve realigned government,” Arceneaux-Mathis said. “I have asked for this meeting since the terminations and we have not met.
“I’m tired of us getting out here and trying to figure out where we are at the last minute.”
The aldermen unanimously agreed to meet at a later date.
Chris Streetman, one of the four employees who could be laid off, wishes the aldermen would meet with the staff instead.
“Why didn’t they come up there and talk to us before this all started? That would’ve been the thing to do,” Streetman said. “Come talk to your men.
“For some of these guys, this job is all they got.”
For the complete story, in its original context, visit the article page: http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2009/dec/09/mayor-breaks-tie-approve-privatizing-grass-cutting/
