Council approves consent agenda, reappoints airport authority member and hires Stennis Institute for employee handbook review

The Meridian City Council approved a set of routine orders at its meeting, including confirming the mayor’s reappointment of Robert Calicoat to the Meridian Airport Authority, accepting several procurement and payment items, adopting a fiscal year 2025 budget amendment and authorizing the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development to perform an independent review and update of the city employee handbook and pay bands.

Council members and the appointee discussed the airport’s planned terminal project and the handbook review’s scope. Robert Calicoat, who the mayor reappointed and who has served on the airport authority for five years, described the airport work as an economic-development priority and said the new terminal project is “approximately $20,500,000,” adding that the money will come “mostly [from] grants, state and federal money” and “none out of our local taxpayer pockets.” Tom (last name not specified on the record) was named by speakers as someone who could provide further detail about airport funding and operations.

On personnel policy, the council removed the item from the consent list for discussion before approving it. Council members asked what new work the John C. Stennis Institute would perform beyond prior pay-band reviews. A staff speaker said the institute will “review the handbook that HR and other sections of the city, Stacy Thompson and my office have been working on,” provide suggestions to improve flow and governance language, and address legal and enforcement questions that arise under newer federal laws. During discussion council members raised specific examples of problematic or unenforceable provisions in the draft handbook, citing a tattoo policy and clothing rules as areas that “need work” and may not be legally enforceable as written.

Votes at a glance (all items approved unless otherwise noted): - Confirmed mayor’s reappointment of Robert Calicoat to the Meridian Airport Authority (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). Council asked the appointee to speak about planned improvements. The appointee cited terminal construction and air service recruitment as priorities. - Authorized a letter of support for proposed signage naming a portion of highway as "Miss Polly Hatterberg Boulevard" (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Accepted bid/award to Ingram Equipment Company for a 4-wheel-drive crew truck with service body and crane for $213,250 (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Accepted a contract to ChemPro Services Inc. for herbicide treatment of Sewachee Creek for $17,388.80 (amount as read into the record; motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Approved final payment of $52,399.39 to the Meridian Art Association for the 20 Sixth Avenue underpass mural (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Authorized a settlement/payment to Trade B Environmental Service for waste transport (party name as read in the record; motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Granted two tax-exemption requests (labeled A and B in the agenda) covering Magnolia Steel Company, Inc., and Meridian Community College (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Approved a fiscal year 2025 budget amendment that decreased finance and record supplies and expense by $200,000 and increased legislative transfers and other charges by $200,000 (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). A staff explanation said the amendment restores the special projects/transfers line to a positive number after earlier adjustments made it negative. - Approved the claims docket, payroll and operational items as presented (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). - Authorized the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development to perform an independent review and update of the employee handbook and pay bands (the item was discussed after being removed from the consent list; motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). Council members asked for clarification on scope and noted concerns about specific policies in the draft handbook.

Council also read a public advertisement list for upcoming bids (Main Street Alley project; two fleet trucks for street division; security services for community development, parks and recreation; thermoplastic striping). Those were described as legal notification and informational.

The council meeting record shows routine unanimous voice votes on the listed orders; individual roll-call tallies were not read into the public record for each item. The items approved will proceed to contracting, payment or implementation steps described in the agenda materials.

Plans for the airport terminal and for the handbook review were the most substantive items discussed beyond routine procurement and payments; council members requested additional detail on funding sources for the terminal and on legal enforceability of handbook provisions as the Stennis review proceeds.