Mansfield council approves fall festival, adopts 2024 millage rollback

Mansfield Mayor Blair H. Northen called the July 8 council meeting to order and the council voted unanimously to approve a request from the Mansfield Masonic Lodge to use the city center for its annual fall festival on Sept. 21, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jonathan Fuqua, representing the lodge, asked that 1st Avenue from Beaver to Blackwell Street be closed for the event; the council approved the closure after a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Fred X.J. Purvis and a second from Council member Helen Robertson.

The council also approved a motion to adopt the 2024 millage rollback. Mayor Northen said the current millage is 2.591 and that the rollback rate would be 2.476; Purvis moved to take the rollback and Council member Brandon Hays seconded. The motion passed unanimously, setting the millage at 2.476 for 2024.

Mayor Northen said he will continue soliciting bids for landscaping work at city hall and the city center and reported that electrical switches and insulators have been installed following a recent outage; no council action was required on those items.

On personnel, Mayor Northen told the council he had received "15 or more" applications for the city clerk position and invited council members to participate in interviews. He also noted the public works position remains open.

During citizen comments, resident Jefferson Riley asked the council to review a paving patch at Sewell and Highway 213 for safety and to have the center line re-striped over the patched area. Jonathan Fuqua thanked staff for a quick electric outage response at his residence earlier in the week and said he is concerned about speeding in his neighborhood, suggesting speed bumps as a possible solution.

The meeting adjourned at 7:17 p.m. after a motion by Helen Robertson and a second from Purvis.