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Tupelo council approves routine contracts, change orders and tables Target reimbursement agreement
Summary
At its meeting, the Tupelo City Council approved multiple routine items including change orders, a fire station construction contract and a new TIF bank account, and voted to table a development/reimbursement agreement with Target pending receipt of documents.
The Tupelo City Council approved a series of routine contracts, change orders and financial housekeeping items and moved to table a development and reimbursement agreement with Target Corporation, the council said.
The actions included approval of minutes from the March 18, 2025, meeting; payment of presented bills; acceptance of a new bank account for tax increment financing (TIF) bonds; rejection of a public-works bid; approval of change orders for multiple water, sewer and street projects; approval of a contract for construction of a new fire station; and authorization of surplus assets for an upcoming auction. The council voted to table ratification of a development and reimbursement agreement with Target Corporation because council members had not received the documents referenced in the agenda.
Why it matters: The votes authorize near-term construction and maintenance work, move forward a planned fire station in Ward 3, and preserve a council decision point on a developer reimbursement agreement until supporting documents are available.
Most significant votes and council directions
• Approval of minutes from the March 18, 2025, meeting — passed.
• Payment of bills — passed; bills listed as paid by Travis Bill, Buddy Palmer and Janet Gaston on the agenda.
• Acceptance of a new bank account for TIF bonds — passed.
• Rejection of bid number 2025009 PW (Coley Road curb and McCullough Boulevard to Ridgeway Drive) — motion to reject carried.
• Approval of change order (summary change) for McCullough Boulevard improvement, bid number 2024007PW — passed.
• Approval of contract for bid number 2024-071 (construction of Fire Station No. 5, South Green Street, Ward 3) — passed. Council discussion included a question about whether the station cost pushed the project above $4 million; the meeting record did not include a clear dollar total in the transcript.
• Approval of surplus fixed assets for an auction in May 2025 — passed.
• Approval of change order No. 1 for Tupelo Water and Light Department (Verona, LSGSL and Feaster Lake replacement), bid number 2024-046WL — passed. Staff explained the order grants a 60-day extension because a control panel for the project was back-ordered.
• Approval of change order No. 2 for a Tupelo sewer project (high-pressure sewer line), bid number 2024-036WLARPA — passed. Staff said the change order covers the contractor’s repair to an unmarked 4-inch pressure line that serves Toyota’s sewer system on New Highway 6.
• Ratification of a development and reimbursement agreement between the city and Target Corporation — tabled after a council member said the documents on which the item relies had not been received.
Council procedure and next steps
Council members moved several study items up on the agenda for discussion at a later time and opened then closed the public-hearing portion of the meeting for two planning-related items (see separate article). There was no executive-session business reported.
The tabling of the Target reimbursement agreement leaves that item pending until the city receives and reviews the referenced documents. Other approved change orders and contracts proceed subject to the usual administrative and procurement controls and any subcontractor or supplier contingencies noted (for example, the control-panel back order cited by staff).
