Byram aldermen approve consultant contract for Swinging Bridge Festival after debate over timeline and contract terms

The Byram Board of Aldermen voted to contract Coretta Frazier of Professional Management Solutions to provide event‑planning services for this year’s Swinging Bridge Festival, approving a flat $7,650 agreement intended to cover 90 days of consulting aimed at delivering a single‑day festival.

Frazier told the board her analysis of recent festival budgets showed a feasible one‑day event in the $50,000–$67,000 range and urged the city to use sponsorship and targeted marketing to rebuild attendance. “This festival builds community pride,” Frazier said, describing her plan to document attendance, vendor and sponsor data so the city can make longer‑term decisions.

Board members questioned whether the city’s volunteer base and staff already had the capacity to deliver the event without a paid consultant, whether the $7,650 fee and proposed timeline were appropriate, and whether the contract properly incorporated the detailed terms in Frazier’s written proposal. Legal counsel warned that many of the proposal’s operational terms were not currently in the contract and recommended that those terms be added before final execution: “If there are any changes to the terms of the contract, then you would have to get a new contract,” the city’s staff/legal representative said, urging insertion of enforceable provisions.

Council members pressed Frazier about how the fee would be spent and whether vendor commitments were guaranteed; Frazier said her existing vendor relationships and documentation would reduce risk and increase the likelihood of sponsorship and revenue. She said better recordkeeping and a short community survey would help target programming and marketing.

The board discussed dates and a compressed planning window; staff and the consultant identified June 20 as the target date if the project could be completed in 90 days. Under the motion as discussed, the contract would begin once signed and require a 50% deposit to secure services.

When the board moved the contract for approval, members debated adding explicit termination and amendment language to ensure the city could enforce the proposal’s requirements. The motion carried. On the record during the vote, aldermen recorded as voting yes included Miss Mack, Miss Gibson and Miss Allen; Miss Johnson and the mayor stated they would vote no. Following the vote staff and legal counsel said they would work with Frazier to insert the proposal’s terms into the contract before final signature and will schedule the initial deposit and timeline steps if both parties agree.

What’s next: staff and the city attorney will finalize contract language and confirm the start date and payment schedule; if the contract remains for a 90‑day sprint, the board and consultant indicated they will target a June 20 event date, subject to logistics and vendor confirmations.