By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

The White Hall Town Council explained rules for meeting participation, took care of an organizational banking matter and town council mail security, as well as heard from a resident concerning support from the council for electronic bingo at its first meeting of 2013 held Thursday night.

Mayor James Walker explained that meeting attendees with opinions to express should arrange to get on the council agenda with the town clerk prior to meetings.

He asked that residents with complaints put them in writing and give them to him.

“Once we get together, we will look at your complaint and try to work with you on that complaint as best we can,” Walker said.

Walker said expression of opinions at town meetings would be limited.

“You know, everybody has opinions. So, we’re going to limit that opinion to a couple of minutes,” Walker said.

After unanimously approving the minutes of the Thursday, Dec. 6 meeting, the council also unanimously approved a resolution to change personnel on the town’s bank account to include the mayor, Mayor Pro Tem Moses A. Bandy and Clerk Bertha White.

The council also unanimously approved a change in town council mail delivery from a postal route mailbox to a medium sized post office box at the Lowndesboro Post Office at a cost of $56 for one year.

“The town’s mail is so confidential, it shouldn’t be exposed to anybody that passes the road pickup that could look in the box and see whose mail is in the box,” Walker said.

He said there is a lot of information that comes to the town containing people’s Social Security numbers and other information.

“I think it is a good practice that we secure the mail by going to the post office and not having it on the route,” he said.

The mayor said an individual or himself would be designated to pickup the mail.

Resident Pat Young asked the council about support for electronic bingo, which was voted upon by the people.

Walker said the council did support WHEAT Charity, but had no comment on the electronic bingo.

Council member Audrey Peterson suggested that information should be provided to the mayor and council on the situation.

Police Chief Tony Bufford said the month of December was “slow”, which was “good in the police arena.”

He reported that Police Department had its annual event with Jackson-Steele Elementary where students with the highest grade point average per grade received a bicycle purchased with donations.

Bufford said it was “good public relations” to let the students know though hard work and dedication midway through the school year they could receive a gift.

He said the Police Department received eight calls in December including three accidents, one funeral escort and four alarm calls.

Bufford also thanked Rodney Hardy for getting a police vehicle back on the road.

Resident Jean Harris offered help to mayor and council to raise money to get police vehicles back on the road.

Peterson thanked the town, mayor and council for a dinner held for senior citizens.

“It was a beautiful affair,” Peterson said. “I personally like to see our seniors getting to come together particularly at holiday time.”

She also thanked White and Cynthia Moorer for their work on the Christmas Parade.