Published: February 27, 2008 12:28 pm         

Regarding Chimney Square and building codes

Editor:

I have followed the reports given by the Picayune Item about the controversy surrounding the rebuilding of the Chimney Square Building that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina almost three years ago. I was very pleased to see that according to the Sunday, February 10, 2008, edition of the Picayune Item that cooler heads surfaced among the board to move forward without further delay to provide a facility to house county services for the convenience of our citizens. As a resident of Beat II, I was very glad to see my Supervisor, Mr. Culpepper, speak up as he did.

I am a native of Picayune and a former Picayune City Manager. I have always worked to improve our city and county when possible. Along with Mr. Ted Lemonyan, who is now deceased, I was instrumental in luring the Bell Avon company to establish its facility here in Picayune some years back. Many good jobs have been available with Bell Avon for a number of our people since that time.

While serving as Picayune City Manager, I met many times on cooperative endeavors with the former Board of Supervisors. I attended many of the night meetings of the county’s Strategic Planning Committee to keep the city active in that most important work. I find it very hard to believe that all the work associated with the planning to rebuild Chimney Square done by the former Board of Supervisors, FEMA, MEMA, J.H. & H Architects, and the various agencies needs to be cast aside and start over. Many tax dollars have been spent on the salaries of all the planning participants to get the project to the point we have it today.

The board, if only three members, really needs to move forward with the original plans you have. The three story building will accommodate the growth and our needs for some time to come. A lesson of the past of inadequate facilities to keep in mind is the old county jail that was built outside of Poplarville.

The fact that the building codes committee resigned indicates there are some deep seated problems within the Board of Supervisors. For former supervisor Charles Ray Perry to resign indicates a bad situation. Mr. Perry devoted much of his time after the normal workday to help the county get on a good path of planning and development. Gentlemen, modify fees where reasonable, but please don’t demolish our planning and development infrastructure.

I think Mrs. Wilkes’s recent letter to the letter of the Picayune Item expresses the rising frustrations of the silent majority of our area. I still get calls from people asking questions about our city and county government, even though I am retired. Recent disgruntled callers were talking about recall efforts, and even forming a new county from McNeill south. We need none of these distractions.

In closing, I invite all voters that read this letter and agree with me to give your Supervisor a call to express your feelings. This is a very important decision for the future of county services for a large percentage of county citizens for both now, and many years to come. There needs to be no divisiveness to deal with the major issues facing our growing county. I think dissenting votes without divisive remarks can be accepted by everyone.

J.P. Burns, Jr.