City to spend more than $5M in paving city streets

Published 7:11 pm Monday, October 23, 2017

More than $5 million for paving city streets and parking lots is included in a $9.39 million capital improvements bond issue approved by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday.

The money is the second draw from an $18 million capital improvements bond issue approved by the board in 2015. The board drew the first $9 million, which also included money for paving, in late 2015.

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A breakdown of proposed projects under the second draw includes $5.15 million for paving, with $4 million — $2 million each for the North and South wards — for street paving.

Aldermen Michael Mayfield and Alex Monsour said they plan to meet with public works director Garnet Van Norman to discuss the streets in their wards and set priorities, although Mayfield said he wants to start with several streets that recently underwent sewer and waterline repairs.

“I want to do the worst ones first,” North Ward Alderman Mayfield said. “The worst ones are going to be the ones where we did all the infrastructure repair on Sky Farm, Wabash, Farmer. These are sections, not entire roads. Also South (street) and part of Washington Street from First East back to Grove. Those are the areas I’m looking at up front.

“We’re trying to pick areas where we did most of our infrastructure work.”

The remaining $1.15 million will be allocated to realigning the entrance to Riverfront Park, paving in Cedar Hill Cemetery, the parking lot by LD’s near Catfish Row and the parking lot at the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Depot on Levee Street.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said in September the realignment of the entrance to Riverfront Park will improve the flow of traffic in and out of the park and eliminate a blind spot at the entrance at Washington Street.

Other proposed projects outlined in the draw include:

• $1 million for the Kings community.

Flaggs at his inauguration in July promised to allocate $1 million toward improving Kings. A committee of residents from Kings, Ford Subdivision, Chickasaw and Waltersville have prepared a list of recommendations for the money, but no action has been taken by the board. Flaggs said earlier this month many of the committee’s recommendations can be resolved by routine maintenance.

• Parks and recreation, $2.21 million.

Key projects included under parks and recreation are a farmers’ market pavilion for $450,000, $500,000 for improve lighting at Halls Ferry Road Park, $700,000 for the tennis pro shop at Halls Ferry Park and $300,000 for waterfront improvements and a floating dock.

The farmers’ market pavilion was included in the first $9 million of the bond issue, but was pushed back after money was needed for another project.

Flaggs said the lights at the ballparks at Halls Ferry are old and dated and need to be updated with LED lighting. The city under the last bond issue upgraded lighting on the girls softball fields at Bazinsky. The goal of the project, Flaggs said, is to make certain the city improves Halls Ferry at the same time it builds the sports complex.

The pro shop expansion includes the expansion of the pavilion at the tennis courts.

• Improvements to municipal buildings, $800,000.

Work on the municipal buildings was planned under the first $9 million draw, but was delayed.

The board allocated $300,000 of the bond money to replace the carpet and tile in the Vicksburg Community Center, which is part of an overall plan to improve and upgrade the center. Previous projects have included a new roof and new windows for the building.

Also included is $150,000 for additional security cameras for city property and $50,000 to expand and improve the city’s animal shelter.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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