Monday July 27, 2015 Regular Board Meeting

Monday, July 27, 2015, the Board held its regular scheduled meeting… What started out to be not much of a meeting turned in to a full meal deal with a BIGGIE size drink…   Oh How I Have Missed Blogging…  All Board Members were present along with Board Attorney, Jeff Jernigan

There was a short agenda presented however, every Board member stated that they had additional items that they wished to discuss..  WOW… I am really disappointed at how the topics that the Board members wanted added to the agenda were not submitted ahead of time and listed as part of the Official agenda…  Reason I say this is that if there is no motion on the topic they speak on then there is no record of the issue ever being discussed… 

First topic was presented by Board Attorney Jeff Jernigan which is the issue of how Mississippi will handle Eyebrow Threading.  It appears that Texas attempted to make Eyebrow Threaders enroll in school and take a 750 hour estheticians course which the Texas Supreme Court struck down since there currently is no Threading techniques taught in the course nor testing in the State Board Examination…..   Something we might need to be thinking about!!!

Executive Director David Derrick had  one of his staff to present to the Board an idea to allow the Agency the capability to take the pictures for individuals who come by the Board office to renew their licenses.   The Board embraced the idea and passed a motion allowing the agency to pursue this capability…  Hopefully we will soon be moving in the direction that you can go by the agency, renew, and receive your licenses on the SPOT…..

The Cosmetology Board has been on and off with paying annual dues for membership of NIC.. “National Interstate Council of State Boards“… In the past when the Board was testing students, the Board was a member of NIC and used an NIC developed written examination… However, once the Board quit testing students they decided to drop their NIC membership…  Well during the  Reign of the Three Amigos  the Board re-instated its membership…  At todays meeting the Board unanimously voted NOT to renew its membership with NIC.. 

Board Member Darlene Smith expressed to the Board based upon her observance while helping out at the Agency that there needs to be a person assigned to the front desk at all times….  Once again the person who is responsible for getting the licenses out is having to stop all through the day to assist the walking in traffic… Board member Dorothy Ennis made a motion that was passed for the Agency to request a Temp to be employed to work the front desk and any other duties deemed necessary until such time the office has been adequately staffed…  However, on Monday August 3, 2015 the agency did have 5 new hires start…  3 inspectors, a school clerk, and an administrative assistant/receptionist….   Yes.. can you believe that the agency has been running 5 staff SHORT for nearly 5 months now….  It’s a wonder that anything has gotten out of that office…  MY HAT, MY SHOES, and SOCKS OFF TO THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED TIREDLESSLY KEEPING IT TOGETHER!!!!

The Position of Director 5, School Coordinator, has been relisted today Tuesday August 4th through Friday  August 7th…  So if you or if you know of any instructors interested in the position, applications are being taken now through Friday…  Applications are rejected if there are not COMPLETE…

Ms. Onetta Whitley with the Attorney Generals office arrived around 10:30am…  From what I understood the Board signs and annual contract with the Attorney Generals office for the Legal Services they provide to the Board… This contract expired on 7/1/2015 and the renewal contract had not been signed so Ms. Whitley was on a mission to see why the Board had not renewed its contract with the Attorney General Office….  It appears to have been some behind the scene talk about possible replacing the Attorney Generals office with a Private Sector Attorney but that talk was quickly dismissed and the Board passed a motion to renew the contract with the Attorney Generals office….

It appears that there was an earlier pre-scheduled Board meeting in the month of July that was canceled by Board President Waylon Garrett..  Board Members Darlene Smith, Glenda Honeycutt and Dorothy Ennis seemed to be upset that this meeting was canceled.  Dorothy Ennis asked Attorney Ms. Whitley if the Board President could cancel a scheduled Board meeting.  Ms. Whitley responded that NO ONE person can cancel a Board meeting.. That would be up the Board as a whole to decide…..

Several Board members raised concerns with the amount of time that employees were missing from work.  There was further concerns as to how the office kept up with absentee  and comp time since all the agency employees were salaried employees.  It was discussed that the agency had 2 time clocks at the other office and but no one knows what happened to those time clocks…  A motion was passed for Executive Director David Derrick to explore and report back to the Board on possible options for time management….

Several Board members also raised concerns as to why the Agency did not have a set of office rules and regulations…  Just some good basic house keeping rules…  Do’s and Don’ts for office employees….Like no eating at your desk…..So On and So Forth….

There was also discussion if there was some reports that could be supplied during the monthly Board meetings which could keep the Board informed of the flow of work being process through the agency.. Examples…  How many licenses are printed… How many permits issued… How many new salon applications….   All very valid things that the Board should be knowledgeable of….  Board President Waylon Garrett seemed very defensive of these questions being asked….  He stated that WE AGREED to not get involved in the DAY to DAY operations of the Agency…. However, Board member Darlene Smith expressed how important it is for them ALL of them to work together as a WHOLE…..

We Do Have A Good Board and THEY, along with our new Executive Director, Mr. Derrick and all the agency staff are working hard to make things better…. You can’t fix 4 years of SCREW up in six months…