By John Howell
Batesville aldermen voted unanimously to deny Mississippi Transport’s request to erect a 120-foot tower on city right-of-way.
“MML sent out a notice about that group; they’re showing up all over the state and it’s not exactly what they purport,” assistant City Attorney Colmon Mitchell told the mayor and aldermen.
“They rent or let other people use their services and make a ton of money and try to avoid paying the local government anything. My suggestion would be to officially tell them you don’t want it in city right-of-way and let me write them a letter,” Mitchell said.
“I think they’ve asked for one out by  the hospital, too. I don’t recall whether if that’s in city right-of-way or not, but if they want to pursue that and it’s not in city right-of-way, it’s got a process to come through with the planning commission.”
The rejection of the antenna request came during the May 17 meeting of the mayor and aldermen. Other matters included:
• A discussion about how to sell surplus city vehicles through a locally-owned auction company;
• Payment of $16,808.33 to Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association for installing underground electric lines to power the pump at the city’s recently completed well off the Pine Lodge connector road;
• Approval of City Clerk Susan Berryhill’s recommendation that part-time employee Jessi Massey be moved to full time;
• Appointment of a voting delegate and first and second alternate for the Mississippi Municipal League;
• A vote to remove 11 former part-time city employees who no longer come to work or whose supervisors no longer need them.