Thursday, July 28, 2022

New Airport Commissioner a No-Show

JMAA Commissioner Dr. Geraldine Chaney did not appear Monday at the monthly meeting of the Board of Commissioners.  It is not known if the devil made her do it. Her absence left the Board with a quorum of only three commissioners but the meeting abruptly ended after only a few minutes when a commissioner suddenly left. 

Commissioners Ricky Jones, Lucius Wright, and Robert Martin formed a quorum.  CEO Paul Brown resigned in May but agreed to remain for 90 days.  However, he did not appear at the Board meeting.  

The Board meeting began on time at 4:30 PM.  Upon completion of the opening prayer, the Commissioners - all three of them - went into executive session to "discuss litigation" for every bit of two hours.  

Once the executive session ended, Chairman Paul Martin read out the agenda and moved on to the claims docket.  Commissioner Jones asked if the Board could vote on the claims docket even though a quorum was present.  The commissioners debated the matter for a few minutes and decided they could indeed vote as only two votes were required to approve the claims docket.  Mr. Jones said he had not had enough time to review the claims docket so a vote on the matter was postponed.  

The Chairman directed a JMAA employee (Name unknown) to provide a summary of the capital projects. After a few minutes, Commissioner Jones got up and walked out of the meeting, thus depriving the Board of a quorum. (18:00)  Commissioner Martin said the meeting was adjourned although he did not make a motion to adjourn.  JMAA attorney Regina Quinn recommended declaring a recess, which Commissioner Wright did although yet again he failed to make a motion.  The non-executive portion of the meeting lasted less than twenty minutes.  

Some observations and notes from the meeting. 

* An employee told me no cameras were allowed in the board room.  I politely said bring the attorney because the Ethics Commission said cameras are allowed at public meetings. 

*. It's no surprise the Board moved the executive session and forced me and WLBT's C.J. LeMasters to wait two hours.  It's not the first time that stunt has been pulled at a government meeting and it won't be the last.  Thankfully I have an iPad and can watch Netflix if worst comes to worst. 

However, a group of employees were forced to sit there for two hours doing absolutely nothing after the end of the workday.  Someone needs to teach the Commissioners how to treat their employees.  Mr. Wright was once a Lieutenant Colonel in the military and should know something about taking care of the troops unless he was an officer of the REMF variety.  

* The Board packet.  There were quite a few things missing from the board packet that were on the agenda: 

June claims docket

Minutes to be approved

Contract for Yolanda McElroy

Contract for Trey Daniels 

Income statement & balance sheet. 

It was quite clear the Commissioners had these items in front of them even though they were not in the packet provided to me and Mr. LeMasters.  

* About those two contracts.  Mr. Martin did not refer to the vendors by name but instead said they had to approve a personal services contract (Mrs. McElroy) and a lobbying contract (Mr. Daniels.).  Why was he so vague?  Why were the contracts not included in the board packet (posted below).  

* This was the most poorly run board meeting this correspondent has witnessed, including Pelahatchie.  

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Them Robert Rules say we gotta have minutes for the meeting, right?

Anonymous said...

I'd expect nothing less.

Clowns. Running a major Mississippi "asset".

Anonymous said...

Probably took off to get a selfie by the newest sinkhole.

Anonymous said...

Circus full of clowns.

Anonymous said...

Jones and Chaney had to catch a flight to Paris (in first class of course), right?

Anonymous said...

When they intentionally make you wait, use that time to write lots of nasty stuff about them, and publish it.

Anonymous said...

And that's all she wrote (Dear John)
I've sent your saddle home!

Anonymous said...

Every single one of these people are morons
All loved to be referred to as Mr and Mrs or DR… it’s too funny and telling they lack qualifications to run a lemonade stand
No one can take these people serious!!! I would be so embarrassed to associate with any of them. My goodness. Talk about mindless idiots. I live in NE Jackson and I hope the state or metro area can take over the airport soon. These people are the bottom of the barrel of qualified to do a thing

Anonymous said...

I doubt a single one of you mediocre seething white males earns even a fraction of what these people earn.

Anonymous said...

Isn’t this airport worthy of the state trying to take it over? WTF

Anonymous said...

Sadly, there appears to be no consequence for incompetence or even for blatant obstruction.

Anonymous said...

Did they announce in public meeting what the topics were in executive session?

and 11:49, are you being facetious about what they "earn"?

Anonymous said...

My flying days are less and less and coming to a close...grateful for that with these incompetents in charge!

Anonymous said...

Lets all agree not to feed 11:49 please.

Anonymous said...

A branch of the Jackson city council no doubt!

Anonymous said...

I flew last week from “The Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport”. I got so tired of his honor the mayor Blaring out a “Welcome to the bold new city”, every 20 minutes.

Anonymous said...

@ 11:49
White male here… I live in NE Jackson and I make pretty good money I lease cell towers on my land. I make in a month more than the average surgeon earns in a yr. just curious what you think these incompetent morons earn on our taxes. We do pay there salary after all. Honestly none of them could make it anyplace but this airport. All are dumb. They obtain a higher education degree from places that hand them out like candy. It’s the equivalent of a worker at Burger King claiming to be a trained chef. Then they want to be called Dr or mr and Mrs. Hell, I find it all too comical

Kingfish said...

The commissioners are not paid.

Anonymous said...

Does the Jackson airport have a coffee shop yet?

Anonymous said...

Incompetence knows no race, color, or sex. There are plenty in each group.

Anonymous said...

@12:32
Please go visit the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and correct your bigotry.

Nobody is impressed by your inherited passive income likely derived from the wealth that was likely generated by exploitation.

Anonymous said...

"The commissioners are not paid." and that is still too much.

Anonymous said...

12:37, they had nothing but an off brand Hudson News, open during limited hours, as of late May.

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge said...

"The commissioners are not paid." Sure, they are very civic minded folks who volunteer their time without any direct or indirect compensation, and trips to Paris flying "first class" and 5* hotels don't count. Well, at least they don't receive insider-trading tips, right? No palm greasing, right?

Anonymous said...

Yeah hearing choke over and over at the airport is annoying.

Anonymous said...

11:35 AND 11:53 are spot on.. anything associated with Chockalok is a failure.

Anonymous said...

@ 11:49, I don’t think you realize this but, the remaining “white” people that you don’t think earn what those 3 morons earn actually carry the city of Jackson on their shoulders. And I’m speaking of N E Jackson, Or have you not been told? Without those people your city, the one that you have taken an oath to destroy would be bankrupt and full of garbage on the curbs, sewer in the streets and..oooops. Well, let me say this. What is left of the once great city is what they financially carry the burden of while your little boy mayor enjoys his frequent flier miles. Inform yourself before you troll for your brethren a blog that informs much better than your local media.

Anonymous said...

12:47...you can get coffee in the small convenient store but that is it...no restaurants are open in the place...the airport is run just like Jackson and hinds county and 11:49 would not have any clue as he has already proven!

Anonymous said...

How many times do they meet per month, and what is the amount of their per meeting stipend?

Anonymous said...

Dr. Chaney is a good person. If anything, she's guilty of being too busy, not incompetent.

Anonymous said...

Some crop duster air strips in the Delta have nicer facilities than
"Jackson International".

Hell, even some of the saddest/poorest third world countries in Africa have nicer airports.

It's long past time for State intervention.

A new airport would be the best option, but the most pragmatic solution would be a State takeover along with a complete renovation of that embarrassing "international" airport off Lakeland Drive.






Anonymous said...

I don't know Cheney, so she may well indeed be a good hearted person.

She also clearly has no time management skills, because over extending one's self to the detriment of one's responsibilities is not indicative of a successful professional.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they are meeting in Paris and no everyone got the word.

Anonymous said...

I flew to Dallas last month. I slipped into the bathroom by the gate just before the ticket attendant was about to shut the doors to the hallway. Apparently the janitor had thought everyone had already boarded because he was in the bathroom smoking weed out of a pipe. He was very startled when I walked in and quickly shoved it in his cart. I told him that I would be high like he was as soon as the plane hit cruising altitude.

Anonymous said...

So get this, arrive 1.5 hours late from Houston on Southwest…. There’s another plane at gate 19, so we sit for 10 minutes while they push the gated plane out of the way so we can pull in…. Like a plane probably comes every day and with 19 gates we can’t use another one? I dunno maybe 16, oh wait there’s no gate 16 or 5-14, so there’s actually only 8… but 15 & 18 didn’t have a plane. I’m sure the working folks are doing the best they can but with the shit show running the airport there’s only so much they can do. Oh and I nearly vomited in my mouth when Mayor Choke-a-chicken came on the PA lying about all the great stuff you can do in Jackson.

Anonymous said...

It's crazy to get to the airport and have NOWHERE to get a cup of coffee or a basic meal. We have to arrive so early before flights now, that it would be nice to at least have a grab-n-go meal to take on the flight.

Anonymous said...

@12:55
This is 12:32
I can to this country from a place called Slovenia… I came on scholarship to private university called the university of Miami… in Florida
I had no money. My family at home worked multiple jobs as it was a communist country and we had no car. People in the USA in the poorest neighborhoods have it way better than I did growing up so screw off and enlighten your own self you self assuming bigot. Piss off and yes I make loads of money but I worked for it and my wife is from Korea and worked her tail off when she came here also.

Anonymous said...

And.... travelled from a southern airport in a city smaller than Jackson. Very nice & clean open and sunny. Many gates & planes, lots of people, several restaurants, bar in the middle of the concourse with friendly bartender serving strong drinks. Get to Jackson, dark, dirty, no amenities, ceiling leaking with tiles removed.... Few people around, going and coming back. What a shit hole.

Anonymous said...

Flew out of Memphis last month. They have rebuilt their airport, very nice facility, including coffee shops. Inconvenient to drive that far, but.....

Anonymous said...

More comments (and some answers) on this are in the airport tries to hold a board meeting post.



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Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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