By Rupert Howell
Sardis city officials voted Tuesday to maintain a “farmers’ market” only on the town’s property near the railroad.  The site had been used previously by vendors as a flea market.

The farmer’s market status does not require the city to record and collect sales tax on items sold at the facility as produce or vegetables are exempt from sales tax.

The issue came about several months ago when a State Tax Commission representative told city officials about a requirement to record and collect sales and taxes if city property was used for a flea market.

After tabling the matter for a couple of months Alderman Tommy Rayburn’s motion to make it a farmer’s market-for produce only passed 3-0-1 with Alderman Clarence “Boo Boo” Jones abstaining.

Alderman-at-large Roy Scallorn presided at Tuesday’s monthly meeting in the absence of Mayor Billy Russell.

C Spire fiber

The board tentatively approved application for C-Spire to bore under and around city streets where they are installing pipes, one with fiber optic cable.

Dale Hart (not to be confused with the local Dale Hart of Sardis) with SDT contractors told the Sardis board that his crew was laying the “backbone to the one-gigabyte fiber to home” project that C-Spire will offer in the future to several areas in Panola County.

The line is coming up 51 Highway and has already been laid in Batesville and Como.

Alderman Rayburn asked that the line be put “seven to ten” feet deep to avoid hitting other known or unknown utilities or obstructions.

The board agreed to approve the permit pending wording in the application being  approved by both attorney Tommy Shuler and Public Works Director Bubba McDowell.

Cleanup hearings
Hearings for owners of property that needed to be cleaned or maintained were not held. Both properties listed had been attended to by owners. Charges and assessments were issued against property belonging to Nathan Webb in the amount of $625 for clearing, cutting and cleaning.

City Clerk Mary McDowell’s request for a software upgrade for budgeting was approved as was a $10,000 Highway Safety Grant that is used to pay overtime for police officers.

Executive session
Aldermen went into executive session to discuss applications for hiring  in the maintenance and police departments, closing doors to everyone other than the board, clerk and department heads.

A lengthy written complaint from Letha Wiley concerning the treatment by the Police Department of herself  and her daughter was not discussed during the open meeting.

Among other issues, Wiley sought repayment of a towing fee that she felt was unnecessary.
“I feel that the police department is picking at the people of color for no reason,” Wiley alleged.