Milligville City Council approves contract for fire station renovation, extends moratorium on convenience-store permits; hears complaints about water leaks and

Milligville — The Milligville City Council on Jan. 27 authorized a professional-services contract with Project Management Solutions to provide project management services for the planned renovation of Fire & Rescue Station No. 3, extended a moratorium on permitting convenience stores, food marts and vape shops for an additional four months, and adopted a council pledge to practice and promote civility.

The contract authorization (Resolution R-2601-2) passed after a roll-call vote; council members Dr. Lee, Miss M., Miss Pendergast and Dr. Wills voted to approve and Council member Miss Shinholster abstained, citing a personal relationship with an employee of Project Management Solutions and a relative employed by a subsidiary of the firm. The council declared the motion adopted and directed staff to complete the mayor’s execution of the professional-services agreement.

The council also approved Resolution R-2601-04, extending a temporary moratorium on permitting convenience stores, food marts and vape shops for four months while staff and the planning department consider zoning and regulation changes. The measure passed on a unanimous roll call of the members present. The council adopted Resolution R-2601-05, a civic-praxis pledge to practice and promote civility in city business, by unanimous vote.

During the public-comment period, Beverly L. Hill, founder of Lineage Preservation, told the council she has worked for three years producing historical banners and said she will be creating banners honoring 33 Black elected officials from 1868 for display in February and in the state Capitol. “We’re going to have them posted,” Hill said, noting the banner project aims to increase public awareness of local Black history and that donations are welcome.

Adam Shields, speaking as a homeowners association board member for the Greystone Arbor neighborhood, urged the council to coordinate water-line repairs with upcoming county road resurfacing work. “I spotted 14 places where there’s a leak between the main line that runs along the road up to people’s meter,” Shields said, and asked the city to address recurring leaks before the county repaves roads to avoid repeated cutting and repairs.

On land-use matters, the clerk read Ordinance 02601-01 on first reading, announcing an application to rezone property at 133 Shop Road from Office/Institutional to Light Industrial to permit a meat-processing facility with associated coal storage, packaging and wholesale distribution. The item was presented as a first reading and referred to the planning and zoning department for further review; no final action or zoning vote was taken at the Jan. 27 meeting.

Mayor Mary Parm Copelan used the meeting to proclaim February 2026 as Career, Technical and Agricultural Education Month and to introduce newly staffed finance-office appointees — Jere Wilson as finance director and Adisia Dunlap as accounting manager — and to announce committee appointments, including an ex officio appointment to the downtown development authority for Dr. Wills. The council confirmed Carrie Allen as municipal court prosecutor and approved two council members to serve on the pension committee.

The meeting adjourned after the council voted to enter closed session. Planning staff and other departments now have direction to implement the approved contract and to proceed with the planning and zoning review for the rezoning request; the moratorium extension gives the city additional time to consider zoning changes affecting small retail and vape-shop permitting.

Votes at a glance • R-2601-2 (authorize professional-services contract with Project Management Solutions for Fire & Rescue Station No. 3 renovation): Passed; roll call recorded yes — Dr. Lee, Miss M., Miss Pendergast, Dr. Wills; abstain — Miss Shinholster (conflict of interest). Tally: yes 4, abstain 1. • R-2601-04 (extend moratorium on permits for convenience stores/food marts/vape shops by four months): Passed unanimously (tally: yes 5). • R-2601-05 (pledge to practice and promote civility): Passed unanimously (tally: yes 5).

What’s next The rezoning request for 133 Shop Road will go to planning and zoning for review and any public hearings; procurement and project teams will proceed with contract implementation for the fire station renovation consistent with the approved professional-services agreement. The council will revisit land-use rules governing small retail and vape shops after the moratorium period and pending staff recommendations.