Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Dispatch from Pelahatchie (Special Edition)

It was a throwdown tonight in Pelahatchie. The Board of Aldermen called a special meeting for tonight and well, let's just say it was memorable.
  Watch it below, thanks to the Pelahatchie News.  

The Board took the following actions:

*Voted to dip into a line of credit for $9,000 to make payroll. 

*Hired former Town Clerk Bettye Massey to train the new town clerks.  She is retained on a part-time basis at $40 per hour. She retired in January.  One can see the surprised expression on the Mayor's face when her name was announced.

*A contractor notified the Board he may sue the town for payment of an invoice.  He built a retaining wall at a ballfield at Milltown Park.  The invoice is for $8,876.  The Board rescinded approval for the payment at an earlier meeting after the Town Attorney said the work was ordered without seeking other quotes as required by law.

The Board discussed pursuing a collection against the Mayor Ryshonda Beechem's bond but took no vote.

*The Board accepted the resignation of Police Chief Kevin Poole and several police officers.  It was not discussed in the meeting but Aldermen have been looking at several options ranging from replacing the officers who resigned to disbanding the police department and turning over law enforcement duties to the Rankin County Sheriff. 

Just because the meeting was over when the Board adjourned doesn't mean the action stopped at City Hall.  Mayor Beechem and an Alderman's daughter had a confrontation in the Town Hall.  Both women called the Sheriff's office and filed reports against the other. 








Agenda posted below.


39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like all the employees of Pelahatchie should be looking for a job.

Anonymous said...

they might fire the mayor. in their opinion problem solved

Anonymous said...

THE kingfish needs to investigate what happened after the meeting tonight. I heard the mayor was cussing some of the aldermen. I believe she said " I am going to f--k that group up". now if you want some real news there it is.

Anonymous said...

Wait. So legally since she didn’t get quotes/bids for the lawn service work can they split the bill like that?

Antard said...

I got another case of popcorn being delivered.

Anonymous said...

What's goin' on in Bolton these days?

Anonymous said...

Police chief quits. Leaves Door open for appointment of a Jackson reject

Anonymous said...

This town was on the rise and good thngs were happening.Sure it was run by a handful of insiders but they did a good job.It just goes to show you _______________________________________.

lovermangenuis said...

There are more people at Malco on a Friday night than live in this town. Why the hell is so much time spent on this tiny group of people? We get it. They're a bunch of numbskulls who hate each other and have let their petty positions go to their heads and love to spar in public. Got it. Now let's move on.

Anonymous said...

8:16. . .I think there is more to it than just a tiny town with internal problems and financial issues. At the end of all of this, it will be interesting to see what legal action may be brought against a number of people (including members of the former "administration"). Either way, it does show how bad things can get in city council meetings, and how too many times petty differences blow up into huge problems.

Si Amigo... said...

I think Kingfish should rent an old white van for his nightly travels to Pelahatchie to see if the Brandon Gestapo will blue-light him on 20.

Anonymous said...

@ July 11, 2018 at 7:43 AM. It goes to show you what? Don't speak in code man. Tell us what you really think.

Anonymous said...

816 please inform us what great city you call home

Anonymous said...


They better get some of these people away from each other before somebody gets hurt.

Anonymous said...

the mayors last three compadres resigned last night. And they hired her archnemesis to do contract labor for the city. Legal action is around the corner for the illegal expenditures on the wall at milltown. But her followers on Facebook praise as if she is Gods chosen one who does no wrong. Wake up people she has disobeyed the aldermens orders, did not take bids on the wall, did not get pre-approval for the expenditure. Therefore she has broken the LAW. If convicted you must be removed from office immediately. (...she can't even manage her own bills and she is a so called accountant "her water was cut off just a few days ago" haha must be spending to much on mr Bellinder

Kingfish said...

Problem is the archnemesis is barely competent to do her own job.

For each side, its become more about beating or nuking the other side than it is about running the town.

My assessment? I think its a weak Board of Aldermen. They were happy to let Ross and Massey run the town for years and rubber stamped everything they wanted to do. That Board has served for decades. Now they are at odds with a Mayor and at times they don't know what to do. They've thrown their share of tantrums and vote against common sense measures such as changing the locks or implementing Robert's Rules of Order. I mean, spitting in the faces of the citizens by refusing to accept a $400 donation for the locks. Really?

Then there is the Mayor. She makes her share of rookie mistakes, takes out her frustrations on Facebook. During the meetings she lets her emotions get the best of her at times and here we go. The splitting of the invoices is troubling and is probably not going to end well for her. Both sides are guilty of torpedoing themselves even when they are right.


Meanwhile there is little police force. The town is dipping into a line of credit just to pay bills, and almost open warfare has broken out between the Mayor and the Board.

Anonymous said...

The splitting of the invoice is illegal. The board was correct to refuse to participate in the fraud. The invoice for work conducted in violation of the bid law is NOT A LEGAL OBLIGATION OF THE TOWN. The contractor who conducted the work has NO RECOURSE against the Town. The contractor needs to sue the person who requested the work and hope that person has the means to pay or perhaps a bond that will cover stupidity in office. Illegally splitting the invoice to try and cover one's ass is a total chump move by an incompetent fool. Putting it on a meeting agenda as a split invoice ... in black and white ... for all the world and the State Auditor's Office to see ... is Hugh Freeze level brazenness and subterfuge. It's the action of someone who is given to corruption. Also, note to the Town's new legal counsel (assuming he has not already quit by the time of this posting): characterizing the payment of the problematic park wall invoice as "settlement of a pending legal claim" presumes that the claim is a legal obligation of the Town. There would be no consideration for the release where the claim has no merit. You can't fix the illegality of the invoice by re-characterizing it as a claim settlement. It can't be fixed at this point. Ryan Murphy just needs to sue her stupid ass and hope the bonding company pays up.

Anonymous said...

KF I totally agree with 1036 comment other than the locks. Let's say your father told you not to throw away that piece of trash you just picked up but you threw it away anyway. Now yes you did a service that was needed but you disrespected your father by not doing what he said. Don't throw it away.....

Kingfish said...

That's fair. In fact, I did write in an earlier post that in terms of statutory interpretation, specific trumps general language.

Policy wise she was probably right. Do you want ex employees running around with keys? Probably not. However, the Board decreed don't do it.

However, at this point, would it have hurt to accept that check? Probably not.

Anonymous said...

You can't turn over law enforcement to the county unless you dissolve the town charter.

Anonymous said...

Hey, 1:49, you mean like D'Iberville did after Katrina by contracting with Harrison County SO to provide LE services? Because I'm pretty damn sure D'Iberville didn't "dissolve its charter." Get outta here with that shit.

Anonymous said...

Betty Massey has forgotten more municipal government than this board or mayor combined know. Good to see her back part time. She will help the clerks get caught up from January. I would love to see KF and miss Massey sit down for a question and answer about municipal activities, and the how too's. I'm afraid kF would change his opening statement in the 1036 comment. KF might just get exposed if that were to happen. Might just find out how incompetent KF really is. Choose your battles wisely, I'm afraid the QUEEN would lay the law down on the king f

Meanwhile, North-West of Pelahatchie said...

Kingfish posts: "My assessment? I think its a weak Board of Aldermen. They were happy to let Ross and Massey run the town for years and rubber stamped everything they wanted to do. That Board has served for decades."

Maybe not decades and there's no Ross and Massey, but this sounds exactly like Madison, The City...the one that's not for sale. For decades the mayor has surrounded herself by people will do her bidding, vote the way she wants them to and none of whom ever has an original thought or contradictory opinion.

It would be rare, if not non-existent, to ever hear the words, "I totally disagree" spoken in a Madison Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting following a comment or suggestion by the mayor. To their credit, though, none of them wear baseball caps to meetings.

And look no further than John Crosby to see what happens when you displease her. She ran him for Supervisor, got him elected, he pissed her off, she turned on him and did a General Sherman on him. Now he's a pillar of salt in the wilderness.

But.....back to Pelahatchie.

Anonymous said...

3:33

So.... your saying she's kinda like a 'female' version of TRUMP, right?

She's been 'gettin-it-done' while all other area communities are floundering and/or barely catching up. She maintains the highest percentage of voters every election... far beyond other mayors around here. Also, can you think of any other who has kept the role longer.

Yep, the town's pretty happy with her... and TRUMP!!

Anonymous said...

Ryshonda, you broke the State of Mississippi purchasing law twice now, pay up or your gonna be with Chris Epps. It is your personal bill now.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the "fix me dinner, bitch" crowd figured out how to get a hot spot at the trailer park.

Anonymous said...


@ 10:57....

Thanks for your post.

Answered a lot of questions for me. Especially, about the Murphy's landscaping bill.

I do still wonder if the Board could remove the Mayor for this violation of bid law?

Anonymous said...

I mean this is great coverage, but what about the Tate Reeves/MDOT story KF??? Why no coverage of that?? Not big enough story?? Odd the biggest story around the metro area is absent from KF’s blog

Anonymous said...

What about the MDOT-Lakeland Dr-Tate Reeves story?

Anonymous said...

You're right, 4:25...but you can't deny what is posted at 3:33.

Anonymous said...

If the police department is disbanded, what happens to drug forfeiture account? Current town clerk sure seems to want to get to those funds.

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't the preacher just pay the locksmith directly?

Anonymous said...

So the fact that as she attempted to secure a valid security risk with keys in unknown individuals possession is a problem with the board. For what reason. Because the board is stubborn and does not understand basic security principle. Least privileged. Google it.

Secondly, after the first thing she wanted done went over with a ton a back lash, I am not shocked that once again, THIS SAME BOARD, is mad because things are being done that they do not approve of. MIND YOU, THIS SAME BOARD SAID YES TO TONS OF ILLEGAL THINGS IN THE PAST THAT HAS THE FORMER CLERK AND FORMER MAYOR IN PROVEN LEGAL TROUBLE.

So how do they return the favor, they try to push the issue of getting her back. How ass backwards is that. A TON. This is plain as day political dog house crud. The fact that they are simply allowed to re hire someone on a contract basis without executing a search for someone else who could do the job OTHER THAN THE PERSON WHO HAD HANDS IN STARTING THIS MESS ALL TOGETHER IS RIDICULOUS. How can they be so sure she will do her job properly. $40 dollars an hour. HOW CAN YOU AGREE TO PAY THIS WHEN YOU HAVE A 9k payroll bill.

Simply put, the board is trying to RUN a show, it doesn't even fully understand. And at the end of the day, the city and citizens will pay for their in house quarrel. It is VERY clear, that some of the people contained on this board are simply people who want things done their way. and the proof of doing things their way has them in a legal payback battle that they are not ashamed to continue. They are purposely attempting to sink the boat. THIS IS WHAT THE people of 2018 are giving you.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Ryshonda at 10:28. What up, girl? I bet Ryan Murphy would work out a payment plan on that $8,600 you now owe him. Or, better than that, here's an idea: See if you can sneak you an agenda item on the next meeting agenda to hire Murphy's Lawn and Landscape to service the Town's lawn/right-of-way maintenance on a no-bid deal. You can break it down into multiple service items such as "clipping," "trimming," "edging," "cutting," "gathering," and "hauling away." Under your way of thinking, as long as he keeps each service item under $5,000, we gucci!!!!

Anonymous said...

@712 can you please inform us on how the new town clerk is wanting to dip into the drug fund. I will be waiting with my popcorn to read that post. Be sure to change your font to black. I don't like reading blank spaces

Anonymous said...

@1028 are you mr Beecham or mr Bellinder you have fallen off the deep end. The mayor is sinking the ship just as planned before running. When they nail her ass with violations, I guess you will say it's all the boards fault and the mayor did no wrong. This town will prosper when she gets canned from the job. But oh she is the mighty accountant that forgot to budget her water bill ( got cutoff two weeks ago)and the one that kept saying the town had plenty of money. Go back and watch the videos KF posted. Even kF will tell you she has said this town is not in a crunch. That's a lie, she's a lie......

Anonymous said...

Yes, please watch the videos. They have no money.

Anonymous said...

July 11, Hurricane Katrina was an emergency and a declaration was ordered for temporary relief. Although Pelahatchie may seem to be an emergency to some, the police service CAN'T be handed over to another agency without dissolving their charter. Do some research before you pop off. This conversation occurs more than one thinks in this state.

Anonymous said...

I would love to hear about what happened at the August 2018 meeting. That little town is going downhill fast with the current Mayor!



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