Wiggins Board of Aldermen Recap | August 4, 2026
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 · 5:00 p.m. · City Hall
At this meeting: The board accepted a bid through Butler Snow, voted to keep the senior center running through October 1 under interim staffing while a longer-term plan is worked out, opened a public hearing and adopted a demolition-or-repair resolution on a dilapidated property, approved a $49,518.75 pay request for water tank work, and handled a run of personnel actions — two resignations, two promotions, and a street department hire.
I–III. Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance
The meeting was called to order; an invocation was offered and the Pledge of Allegiance recited.
IV. Approval of Agenda
The agenda was amended to add a Christmas parade date/route item and to reorder several items (Chief Hill’s item, the Butler Snow bid item, payroll, and the SMPDD senior center item), then approved as amended. Passed 5-0
V. Minutes — July 21, 2026 Regular Meeting
Approved. Passed
VI. Docket of Claims
Claims 19396–19557 approved. Passed
VII. Payroll
Payroll for July 24 and July 31 approved. Passed
VIII. Citizens’ Comments
No citizens came forward to speak.
IX. Old Business / Tabled Issues
a. Detention Pond — Hall Street
The item failed to move forward without a motion.
b. Jenny Baker — Relocation & Attorney Fees
The board addressed relocation and attorney-fee costs tied to the bus barn property acquisition, including relocation, mobilization costs, and facility changes. The attorney, Tom Matthews, is handling closing. Passed
X. New Business
a. Mississippi Rural Water Association — Lead Service Line Inventory
MSRWA presented on the lead and copper service line inventory: survey work has identified galvanized lines, with principal-forgiveness funding available to resolve them. GIS mapping of meters and valves, staff training, and Diamond Map software (a paid mapping subscription plus a GIS subscription, the latter free for the first year) were discussed. EPA requires verification of pipe material on both sides of each valve. A representative is meeting with the mayor on Wednesday, August 5. This was an informational presentation; no board vote was taken.
b. Dillon Pitts — Butler Snow — Bid Resolution
The board adopted a resolution awarding the bid discussed by Dillon Pitts of Butler Snow, on a recommendation to accept following a good-faith review. The good-faith deposit is $48,000. Passed
c. SMPDD — Senior Center
Tanya Kolar of SMPDD (South Mississippi Planning and Development District) presented on Older Americans Act funding and meal-program options for the senior center, including congregate meals and transportation support, and referenced other counties’ senior centers as models. The board discussed the cost of interim staffing following Crown Care’s departure (approximately $3,700/month) against the risk of an operational gap. The board moved to continue senior center operations through October 1, authorizing the mayor to hire as needed to keep the center open and directing that costs not exceed the prior Crown Care rate. Passed
Christmas Parade — Date and Route
Jake Fletcher, representing the Stone County Business Collective, requested the Christmas Parade be held Friday, December 5, in the evening, using the same parade route as prior years, to secure the date and route. Passed
XI. Departments
a.i. Land Code — Seymour Engineering
Discussion covered sidewalk requirements (incremental vs. full installation, direction to accept development at 2024 code standards with case-by-case exclusions where justified — state standard on sprinklers was cited as a floor); bore-permit liability for utility work; whether the city needs a stormwater ordinance, with a preference voiced for developers handling detention across projects rather than the city assuming ownership of ponds; the AT&T Mobile-to-Hattiesburg fiber project; and the land development code’s update timeline (last substantively reviewed 2003/2006; newer building code standards were noted as a significant change). Discussion only; no vote was taken.
a.ii. Land Code — Donovan Scruggs — Public Hearing
The board opened a public hearing on a dilapidated structure [property address and owner name not confirmed from the record]. Notice had been sent to the property owner previously and again on May 26; the owner’s son was present. Staff noted the roof had been removed since notice was posted. The board found the property a threat to public health and safety and adopted a resolution giving the owner 30/60/90 days to show progress, with the matter continuing or extending if progress is made and moving to demolition if not; cost of any city action would be borne by the owner. The public hearing was closed. Passed (both the finding/resolution and the hearing close)
b. Police Department
The scheduled grants presentation did not take place. Discussion instead covered school-zone traffic: MDOT-related signage changes near the high school, school zone speed signs, school board concerns about congestion, bus routing (Central Avenue to Highway 49 to Woodland), manual signal timing, and a push for lower speed limit signage.
c. Fire Department
The department’s Junior Fire program concluded with 81 kids participating, drawing families from outside the immediate area. Window work on the Safe Haven baby box begins Tuesday. A donated generator was hooked up.
d.i. Public Works — Archie Gray — Water & Sewer
The board approved submitting the appropriate documents for an interlocal agreement with MDOT to allow the city to purchase vehicles/equipment through the state program. Passed
d.ii. Public Works — Cassandra Arrington — Street Department
The board approved the hiring of Jacobh Thompson. Passed
e. Municipal Court
No items.
f. City Engineer
The city engineer’s office reported wind damage to the water tank (anchor and shroud affected; power was shut off as a precaution). The board approved G&L Tank Sandblasting and Coatings LLC’s Pay Request #1 in the amount of $49,518.75. Passed
g. City Clerk
The city clerk’s office discussed proposed payroll policy changes: eliminating lag time for sick leave, removing a fallover provision, moving the workweek back to a Sunday start for overtime purposes, and allowing Monday–Thursday flexibility for payroll problems while still meeting payroll deadlines. No board vote was needed.
XII. Aldermen / Mayor
a. Website & Live Streaming — Rachel Bonney
Alderwoman Bonney raised the city website and live-streaming project, recommending a projector purchase (approximately $100) to support livestreaming board meetings to YouTube and Facebook. Passed
Personnel — Resignations and Promotions
The board accepted the resignation of dispatcher Rebecca Hughes. Passed
The board accepted the resignation of Joshua Hines, following performance issues over a roughly two-year tenure including multiple write-ups. Passed
The board approved promoting Candace Stewart to Sergeant and Ethan Hughes to Corporal. Passed (both)
The police chief noted the position’s pay is not adequate and that the department has had few candidates for open positions.
Sidewalk Project — Authority to Advertise
The board approved advertising a sidewalk project. Passed
Planning Board Appointment
The board appointed Miles Alison to the planning board. Passed
Road Paving Discussion
The board discussed paving and drainage on Miles Avenue, a road repair needed again in front of the Ruth Forest House, and citywide paving priorities generally, including a truck route on West Pine that needs attention. An SMPDD paving study was raised, with a preference to scope by county road mileage. No formal action was taken; a paving-focused workshop was discussed as a next step.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. Per the agenda, the board adjourns until Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., the next regular scheduled meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
These minutes were prepared by WigginsMS.com from the printed agenda and contemporaneous handwritten notes, and reviewed against Sundee Williams’s notes on August 12, 2026.