By Myra Bean

Como’s Mayor and Board of Aldermen had a relatively short board meeting last Tuesday night.

Board attorney Ravonda Griffin gave a report on an issue she was asked to research on the nuisance property issue of a mobile home business in town.

She advised the board to follow Mississippi Code 21-19-11, clean up statue. That gives the board the right to clean up the property and the notice will go to the land owner as taxes will be levied against the owner for cleanup.

There was some discussion on whether the  business owner was leasing or owned the property off Frontage Road. The board voted to send out a letter to the owner about the property.

In the police report, Chief Earl Burdette had two issues of people refusing to comply with city codes. One lady refuses to put her dog up. Burdette observed the dog going to the park while children were there. “The dog has the potential to bite. Business owners think the law does not apply to them,” Burdette said.

Burdette and Alderman Melvin Crockett disagreed on Burdette’s approach to a pastor who parks in a no-parking zone.

When Crockett asked the man to move, he complied. He would not comply when Burdette told him. “The difference is I asked and you told,” Crockett said.

“It is a racial issue,” Burdette said. “I’m the police. I don’t have to ask.”

“This is a simple misunderstanding that got turned into something big,” Crockett said.

Burdette warned he will give both lawbreakers tickets if they break the rules again.

In other issues before the board:

•Laura Faulkner asked to put a modular home on 109 East Conference, Como. She did not have the designs and was told to bring them to City Hall so the board will know what the building will look like.

•Groovy’s Garage will have its annual car show on Saturday, March 2. He asked permission to bring the trailer down the wrong side of the road that morning around 4:30 or 5 in order to  nose and back in the truck. They also asked to use the garbage can from the fire department.

Any vendor who wants to set up at the car show may call 934-0029 or  934-2352.

•During the fire department report, Chief Aaron Coleman said they had five fire calls, 11 EMR and three motor vehicle calls in January.

•Mayor Everett Hill said in his report he went to Washington and met with Senator Roger Wicker. Everything is moving along on the water and sewer project. He did not get to meet with the other Mississippi contingent as they were preparing for the President’s State of the Union address.

•The board approved the claims docket of $34,569.44.