During its Monday work session, the Selma City Council heard from City Attorney Woodruff Jones and Selma and Dallas County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Wayne Vardaman regarding a new operation looking to set up shop in the Queen City.

Hicks Property is planning to purchase property near InShape Fitness to run a pallette-building business, which comes with the possibility of up to 20 new jobs.

Jones and Vardaman urged the council to support a move to help the business owner get up and running by waiving 10 years worth of taxes, which would amount to roughly $15,000 but not affect money reserved for education.

Council members took turns thanking the pair for recruiting new business to the area.

“I am just deliriously happy,” said Selma Councilwoman Susan Youngblood. “I am thrilled to see this.”

Youngblood noted the move shows that Selma is “open for business.”

A vote to approve the tax waiver will come before the council during Tuesday’s meeting.

The council also heard from Kirsten Perry, owner of KD Bridal and Prom regarding parking difficulties in front of her Broad Street location.

Perry stated that she placed parking signs in front of her establishment and was confronted by a city Building Inspector who informed her she would have to bring the issue before the council.

Benjamin opined that the likely reason for the meeting with the inspector was due to recent accounts of a city official posing as a police officer and nearly causing “physical” trouble.

The council is poised to approve a request from Perry to allow her to post two parking signs in front of her store at Tuesday’s meeting.

Quentin Bell updated the council on plans for the upcoming Pride Day celebration, which will take place May 3 through May 5 and feature art shows, live performances and more.

Selma Councilwoman Miah Jackson was unable to update the council on financial issues, as the reports from March have not yet been submitted.

Jackson further lamented the new requirement that council members must file and information request to access documents at city hall.

Jackson said she will likely propose a resolution tomorrow that would require documents to be handed over to council members within 48 hours of a request.

Elsewhere during the meeting, Councilwoman Angela Benjamin and Councilwoman Jannie Thomas sought information regarding the city’s Code Enforcement Department, which seems to be without firm leadership.

Mike Goings, who was announced as head of the department during a Public Safety Committee meeting, seemed to have no knowledge of his appointment, according to Benjamin, and Acting Director of Code Enforcement, Sean VanDiver, was unavailable to address issues of raw sewage seeping into a resident’s apartment over the weekend.

Council President Corey Bowie emphasized the importance of the 2020 Census, stating that the city gets roughly $1,500 in federal funding for each person who contributes a census form.

“It’s very important that we get an accurate head county,” Bowie said. “It has a direct impact on federal dollars.”

Thomas also discussed the condition of the city’s cemeteries, as well as a recent memorandum from Selma Cemetery Department Superintendent Michael Pettaway that undermines a city ordinance.

The letter from Pettaway was addressed to all funeral directors and limited burial days to Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, despite a city ordinance that states burials can take place daily between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Jackson noted that department heads should be made aware that the proper procedure for changing ordinances is to bring them before the council.

“This is our lane and we need to travel through it gracefully,” Jackson said.

Thomas also noted a recent burglary at Knox Elementary School, which ended the theft of countless laptop computers and other supplies.

Thomas noted that the suspect was able to stay in the building for more than three hours with the alarms sounding without being interrupted by local police officers.