James Burnett and Tommy Rawlings have been selected by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen to fill unexpired terms on the planning and zoning commission.

Lonnie Boykin resigned from the commission recently due to health reasons, said Mayor Laurence Leyens, while Jack Burrell is moving from Vicksburg and was also forced to resign. Burnett will fill Boykin’s seat through Oct. 30, 2009, at which point it was set to expire. Rawlings will replace Burrell through his term’s expiration on Oct. 30.

Earlier this week, the board said Betty Bullard was expected to take one of the spots on the commission. However, Leyens said, she decided not to take the position due to a foreseen conflict of interest.

“She bought some land and is doing some town homes there, so she didn’t want to serve until after she doesn’t have a matter coming before the board,” Leyens said. “We’re going to give her the next slot.”

Commission members are appointed by the board, and anyone may request consideration. Leyens said the members play a tough, but necessary role in the community.

“It’s a thankless job. These people are in charge of regulating their neighbors when it comes to our zoning ordinances and historical preservation,” he said. “They’re going to have a lot on them because of the new zoning proposals that will be coming along next year.”

The city is working on a comprehensive zoning plan for the next 30 years that Leyens said will produce neighborhood meetings after the first of the year.

“We’re going to build custom zoning in the whole city, so we want to go out to every neighborhood and ask the residents who live there what they’d like to see kept in their neighborhoods in the next 30 years and what they’d like to see removed,” he said.  

Other members on the commission are Tim Fagerburg, Fred Katzenmeyer, Casey Fisher, Mark Corum and Warren Jones.

On the agenda

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen: Proclaimed the existence of a local emergency in preparation of Hurricane Gustav. Adopted an ordinance to close and vacate a portion of Klein Street from the west right-of-way of Pearl Street on the east side of the railroad tracks to the east right-of-way line of Pearl Street on the west side of the railroad tracks in order to eliminate an at-grade crossing known as the Klein Street crossing. Authorized the mayor to execute a frequency reconfiguration agreement with Southern Communications and Nextel South Corp. Approved the following as it relates to the collection of garbage, recyclables and disposal of rubbish: selected and authorized contract negotiations with Waste Management for the collection of garbage and rubbish; accepted proposals from Warren County Waste Control Inc. and Buford Construction Company for the disposal of rubbish and entered into contract negotiations with each firm; and postponed the decision concerning proposals for recycling for a period of at least six months. Approved a requisition in the amount of $3,337.59 written to Covington Sales & Service Inc. for a silencer for a Vac-Con Sewer Cleaner. Approved the following additions to the employee driving list — Anna Booth with the strategic planning department and Anne Doyle with the fire department. Approved budget amendments in preparation of the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, including the following: capital fund decreases of $10,000 from administration, $2,912 from TV23, $2,000 from accounting, $4,000 from human resources, $1,330 from planning, $39,366 from police, $12,203 from fire, $2,142 from public works, $21 from street, $3,046 from cemetery, $14,050 from animal control, $7,600 mosquito control, $1,681 park and maintenance and a $4 capital fund increase to community services; payroll increases of $8,400 to administration, $54,300 to city court, $41,600 to TV23, $14,100 to city clerk, $21,300 to accounting, $1,750 to safety, $33,800 to information technology, $217,000 to police, $500 to traffic, $297,500 to emergency management services, $375,500 to fire, $16,000 to inspection, $18,400 to public works, $11,000 to street, $1,500 community services, $12,500 to right of way, $33,900 to cemetery, $29,800 landscaping, $6,900 animal control, $2,300 to senior citizens, $28,400 to recreation maintenance, $1,800 to Main Street and decreases of $34,000 from legal, $35,900 from human resources, $104,000 from planning, $15,000 from building maintenance, $500 from purchasing and $22,900 from recreation; general fund decreases in the supply category of $24,625 from administration, $7,750 from legal, $6,000 from TV23, $700 from city clerk, $4,000 from human resources, $2,010 from safety and risk management, $3,800 from planning, $5,400 from information services, $9,000 from public building maintenance, $5,700 from traffic, $58,250 from ambulance, $94,410 from fire, $1,100 from public works administration, $27,460 from street, $2,000 from community services, $7,800 from cemetery, $14,400 from landscaping, $9,250 from animal control, $24,350 from mosquito control, $13,550 from recreation, $19,850 from park and recreation maintenance, $1,700 from riverfront park and increases of $88,023 to police, $2,700 to inspection and $3,900 to right of way; service budget decreases of $303,470 from administration, $3,000 from legal, $1,000 from city clerk, $4,580 from accounting, $2,640 from human resources, $15,200 from planning, $4,000 from public building maintenance, $1,250 from purchasing, $8,100 from traffic, $9,600 from street, $1,100 from community services, $24,700 from cemetery, $19,690 from landscaping, $3,000 from senior citizens, $5,000 from Main Street and increases of $6,600 to TV23, $800 to safety and risk management, $36,000 to information services, $1,400 to ambulance, $14,030 to fire, $15,500 to inspection, $2,300 to public works administration, $6,300 to right of way, $38,000 to recreation, $2,500 to parks and recreation maintenance and $800 to Riverfront Park; and general fund increases of $390,000 from retail sales tax, $1.1 million from year end annual adjustments and $120,000 from county road tax. In executive session, the board: Approved a new hire in the legal department. The board will meet next at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the City Hall Annex, 1415 Walnut St.