Ward 1 Alderman Dorsey Cameron and Ward 6 Alderwoman Shelley Harrigill recently asked the full board for lighting for a strip of North Brignall Road that splits their wards.

Harrigill said residents there have complained to her and Cameron about the lack of street lighting since they both were elected to office two years ago. The residents are upset because water and sewer connections were not offered on their stretch of road, and streetlights in the area from the Brookhaven Country Club to the city limits might be a good consolation.

“It’s the part that looks like the country but is the city. They just want lighting,” Harrigill said.

Mayor Joe Cox suggested inviting Entergy Customer Accounts Manager Bill Howard to the next meeting to discuss options.

“I think if they get a light up there it would help a lot,” Cameron said.

Harrigill said she and Cameron have the same concerns for Brignall Road and want to be part of the conversation with Howard.

“They’re not going to blame just you. They’re going to blame both of us,” Cameron said.

Retroactive pay raise

The board recently approved a resolution to pay money owed for a raise for Lt. Dustin Porter with the Brookhaven Fire Department that he never received. The city owes Porter $8,066.77 less taxes and retirement for a raise from 2012 he didn’t receive.

City attorney Joe Fernald said an administrative error from a previous board created the inaccurate pay raise, which was not corrected until December 18, 2018. The board voted to approve Porter’s raise in February 2012, but only a portion was applied.

Alderman Shannon Moore asked why Porter didn’t report it earlier.

City Clerk Samantha Melancon said Porter received an increase in pay, but he didn’t realize it was for an incorrect amount.

Road donation

Aldermen approved a request by Southway Baptist Church for a piece of property that is adjacent to the end of South Whitworth Road to be donated to the church. The 16-foot-by-95-foot strip of road was platted, or mapped, but never opened. “Nobody is going to be affected adversely,” Fernald said.

The church wants to square up its property to build a family life center and the portion of road is not usable for municipal purposes.

“The road will never be opened because it doesn’t go anywhere at that point,” Fernald said. “The road would actually go into the railroad tracks if it was open and you’d have to take property from all the other homeowners and we’d have to go to court to do that. So it’s not something that will be used. The city has no intention of using it.”

A hearing is not needed since no other property owners are affected, Fernald said.

“This whole road goes through their property,” Cox said.