Several topics that have been keeping Quitman residents on the edge of their seats were officially voted on Thursday evening.

The council unanimously passed the previously discussed motion to install a fiber-optic internet connection throughout the entire city. Fiber optic internet can be up to three times faster than normal broadband internet.

A Peoples Telephone representative said that the company would “start immediately” on implementation of the project, which was approved up to the amount of $125,000. Installation will be done in four phases, and the project is expected to be completed between 6-18 months from start to finish.

The council also unanimously voted to approve Jayesh Gheewala’s application for a special use permit to sell “beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages” at his Quitman business, The Hitching Post.

The approval came after much discussion from community members, some of whom were concerned about the Hitching Post being roughly 225 feet away from Quitman Elementary school and not the full 300 as required by state law.

However, all of the community members who attended the meeting made passionate pleas for the approval of the permit.

“Mr. Jay is in a competitive environment,” said James Rasco, who presented the board with a petition signed by 373 people to ask for the approval. “I think that it really would be a justice for Mr. Jay to be allowed to sell alcohol, to compete in this economy (where) it is very difficult for small businesses already.”

Helen Davis, a friend of the Gheewalas, also spoke on the subject.

“The children at the school, they’re not allowed to leave the campus at any time during the day,” she said. “There’s also a 4-lane highway and a chain link fence separating the school from the Hitching Post. So I don’t think there should be any impact on the children if alcohol were sold at the store.”

Ultimately, because over 20% of the oppositional letters sent to the board were from community members living within a 200-foot radius of the Hitching Post, the board needed a supermajority vote to pass the approval. They passed it unanimously. 

QCC also voted to appoint Judge Michael King as Quitman’s associate municipal judge. Although Quitman already has a municipal judge, City Administrator James Attaway pointed out that “I think it is important to have a well-qualified, competent associate municipal judge on deck if needed.”

King made the room feel a bit brighter even in the few moments he spoke.

“I was a police officer for twenty eight and a half years with the San Antonion Police Department, I actually went to law school in the last ten years of my career, and then I double dipped, I was a policeman and an attorney. Couldn’t live with myself for about two and a half years,” he said with a smile. 

Attaway proceeded to do the swearing-in ceremony with King during the meeting.

King will serve a two-year term.

Mayor Randy Dunn also announced that presiding Mayor Pro Tem David Dobbs has asked to be removed from his position due to a changing personal schedule. The next mayor pro tem will be selected at the next council meeting. 

The May 4 council election was canceled as no one ran against the incumbents, Steve Glenn, Todd Wright and Jack Robinson, who will serve for two more years.

Chris Kirklin asked during the portion of the meeting dedicated to citizen’s comments that the council start the ball rolling on taking down a fence located next to Towner Apartments.

Kirklin said that he was “not in favor” of the fence, which he says is a “terrible eyesore.” Kirklin told the board that he was told that “it won’t be up very long,” but that it’s been up for “471 days.” 

Dunn responded, “We’ve taken steps recently, so hopefully that’s fixing to be done. But I’m sorry y’all have had to deal with it.”

The city Building Standards Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the property at 511 N. Winnsboro St., as well as for another unrelated property at 222 Clark St. for Thursday, April 4 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 401 E. Goode St.

The council also named Matt Taylor, the chief wastewater technician, as the employee of the month.

He has been working for the city for over 26 years.