Aldermen tap Waldrop as new city judge

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen named Tommy Waldrop as the city’s new municipal judge during a called meeting Monday night.

Waldrop, a retired school administrator with several years of experience in Shamrock schools, began his duties on Tuesday morning and will soon set hours for his office inside City Hall.

Waldrop succeeds Municipal Judge Bob Watson who resigned last month due to health reasons.

Also Monday night, city leaders tapped new Alderman Abby Patten to serve as Clarendon’s Mayor Pro-tem, which is a one-year appointment.

The board also approved a resolution declaring sidewalks along Kearney Street downtown as being out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and hazardous as part of a grant application for a downtown revitalization grant.

Aldermen voted 3-2 to authorize KSA Engineers to prepare CAD drawings of streets to be improved under a bond election approved by voters last month. City Administrator Lambert Little said he expects that work will cost a maximum of $4,000.

In other city news, during the board’s regular meeting last Tuesday, June 12, aldermen rescinded a motion from the previous meeting to hold regular meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month and instead approved Ordinance 402 calling for regular meetings to be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays. Alderman Terry Noble said didn’t see the need for two regular meetings per month now that the city has an administrator, but Alderman Tommy Hill said he felt two meetings would let the board keep up with city business better. Ordinance 402 was approved, 3-1.

Resolutions were approved to apply for two separate grants that would provide funds for additional sewer line replacements and for downtown sidewalk improvements.

The board accepted Alderman Noble’s resignation from the Clarendon Economic Development Board and named Alderman Patten to serve the remainder of his term.

The board approved $3,500 from the Hotel Occupancy Tax for the Clarendon Arts Festival as requested by Les Beaux Arts Club.