Hattiesburg City Council members are keeping open the possibility of returning in June to City Hall for meetings, rather than the current Jackie Dole Sherrill Community Center location being used for a bigger space during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During Tuesday’s meeting, council members voted to adopt a resolution setting a public hearing for 4 p.m. June 16 to determine if certain properties are in such a state of uncleanliness as to be a menace to the health and safety of the community. If city or state orders do not permit that, however, council will continue to use the community center for the time being.
“If anything, we would like to be over there (at city hall),” said Samantha McCain, who serves as chief communications officer for the City of Hattiesburg. “I know the governor increased outdoor activity, versus just the 10, but who knows what he’s going to do for May 11 (when the current order expires).”
The June 16 public hearing will take into consideration 11 properties around the city to determine those structures’ safety.
Normally, the council meets four times a month – on the first and third Monday and Tuesday of every month – but April’s and May’s meetings were moved to the community center and cut down to only twice a month. Council members are expected to re-evaluate the situation at the end of May to determine where to conduct the June meetings. Meetings are limited to 10 people, and every attendee is required to wear a mask.
When the meeting started, council president Carter Carroll asked all members of the audience - including the media and those attending for citizens forum - to leave the meeting room and wait in the hallway of the community center because more than 10 people were present.
In addition to the five council members, council clerk Ronda Cole, deputy council clerk Lisa Luu, city attorney Randy Pope, Mayor Toby Barker and city clerk Kermas Eaton were present.
