The Columbus city council breezed through its agenda Tuesday in a meeting marked by little discussion and unanimous votes on all proposals brought before it.
The agenda featured little in the way of controversy. All of the items presented to the board were procedural matters that required little discussion.
Of the items approved during the meeting, one sought to make amends for an error that prevented the city from obtaining a grant earlier this year.
The council voted unanimously to submit a HOME grant application. In March, the city learned that its HOME grant application was denied because the city failed to adhere to a grant deadline.
The grant, administered through the Mississippi Development Authority, provides financial assistance for qualified low income residents to assist in repairing or rebuilding their homes.
At the time, three residents had qualified for that assistance, but the city’s application was rejected because the city failed to meet the guidelines requiring the city to advertise its intent to seek the grant no more than 20 days before holding a public hearing on the plan.
The city had placed an advertisement in The Dispatch on Jan. 8 for the Feb. 4 public hearing, six days too early to meet the MDA requirements.
Tuesday, the council voted to again apply for the grant, but did not set a timetable for the public hearing on the subject. The city is seeking a grant of $448,000.
In other business, three of four new police officers were sworn in. The addition of the officers — three males and one female — gives the city 58 officers.
The council also approved the hiring of one entry-level firefighter.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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