By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
The Cabot City Council on Monday night waived advertising for requests for qualifications from certified public accountants and voted to hire Cal Aldridge to go over city books to get ready for the turnover that is coming in less than six months at city hall.
At the beginning of 2011, both the mayor and city clerk-treasurer will be new.
Although the council agenda called for discussion of a resolution asking for qualifications to hire a CPA, Aldridge was already on the job, and a resolution waiving the requirement had also been prepared for the meeting.
Mayor Eddie Joe Williams has been paying Aldridge with the salary that had gone to Karen Davis, the city’s director of operations. Davis resigned at the end of June for a position with the school district and her old job is being filled by an employee who was already working for the city.
The city needs someone to go over city books, correct problems and be available for the transition coming in January, the mayor said. He called the prospect of having new people in both offices “scary.”
“He’s more than qualified,” Williams said of Aldridge. “We’ve used him more than once in Parks and rec and A&P (the advertising and promotion commission) has used him too.”
Alderman Ed Long agreed.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea. I think it’s what the city needs,” Long said.
Alderman Eddie Cook, a candidate for mayor, has been supportive of Aldridge going over city books since he started a few weeks ago. Cook, who also serves on A&P, said Aldridge was “more than professional.”
In addition to Cook, former Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh and Bill Cypert, secretary and spokesman for the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, also are running for mayor.
So far, Norma Naquin, who runs the office at Cabot Public Works, has formally announced for clerk-treasurer. And Tammy Yocom, deputy city treasurer and office manager for the clerk-treasurer office, has said she will announce soon.
The resolution on the agenda said the city needed “an audit of the city clerk’s financial records.”
Clerk Marva-Verkler, speaking away from the microphone and in low tones, told the mayor that the resolution took her by surprise and that if her books need to be audited, the books at other departments such as fire and police also should be.
“It’s not just the city clerk’s books that need auditing,” she told Williams.
Williams assured her it wasn’t what it sounded like.
“He’s not performing a full-blown audit. We’re hiring him to make the transition,” the mayor said.
The books have always had glitches that have caused problems, he said, and Aldridge has already found and fixed a couple of them.
Besides, the mayor said, if Aldridge was allowed to conduct a full audit, the city would not be eligible for the free audit provided by the state.
Alderman Patrick Hutton was the only council member who voiced any concern over hiring Aldridge. Hutton wanted to know how much Aldridge would be paid and whether the amount would be more than the mayor’s $20,000 limit.
Williams responded that Aldridge is paid by the hour and that he wouldn’t allow the amount to exceed his spending limit.
In other business, the council passed a new sign ordinance and an ordinance banning hunting on city property. The ordinances become city law in 30 days.
The biggest change in the city sign law is with banners. Under the provisions of the new sign ordinance no business will be allowed more than one banner at a time.
The ordinance also bans some common signs like those on wire stakes that are stuck into the ground. It also bans handmade signs or banners attached to shrubbery, light poles and the like and signs attached to or painted on vehicles that are parked in the same spot for more than 48 hours.
Tattered banners were a leading contributor to the city aldermen deciding to overhaul the sign ordinance. Alderman Rick Prentice, chairman of the council subcommittee that worked on the new ordinance, said during a subcommittee meeting that all it took was a tour of the city to realize that something needed to be done.
Police Chief Jackie Davis asked in March for the ordinance banning hunting on city property. He told the council’s fire and police committee at that time that the new ordinance is needed because the city has no law against shooting bows and arrows and the 200-acre city park where the BMX track is located is full of deer and turkey. Hunting in the park is common but it hasn’t been a big problem, he said. However, the walking trails are now open and hunters could place walkers at risk.
Last year the committee considered an ordinance to ban shooting bows and arrows but didn’t pass it.
The new ordinance doesn’t include private property, so bow-hunting is still legal in Cabot except on city property. The fine for bowhunting on city property is $250.
