2016! Wow, what a year it has been.
When we began the year we knew we had big challenges ahead of us. We also knew we had a good team, a plan, a vision and an awesome Mayor and City Council supporting our efforts. In this article I want to update the community on current projects.
We are excited about the future completion of the Crosby Commons Park.
We anticipate receiving approval from the Mississippi Department of Transportation to advertise in the next couple of weeks for construction of the outdoor stage and one-third mile, 10 foot wide, lighted walking track. We hope to receive bids in middle to late July and depending on bids, construction should begin around the October time frame. Upon completion of the stage and walking track, we will begin installing history plaques for our Museum in the Park. This fall we will also begin taking orders for trees or benches people may purchase in honor or memory of someone.
I have had many phone calls in reference to road construction on Highland Parkway. I am pleased to announce we anticipate receiving bids in September and once again, depending on bids, construction should begin around October/November.
As many folks are aware of in the Woods Subdivision after a recent storm, the city had to replace a large culvert on Angler Drive, which resulted in its closure. I want to personally thank residents in the Woods Subdivision for their patience while the road was closed. We expect to close Angler Drive again for two to three days for asphalting the replacement culvert area about mid-June.
The “Sixth Avenue Safe Route To School” new sidewalk construction project was completed recently, which has made it safer for our children to walk to school.
We are pleased to announce that the recent completion of the cast iron gas project has greatly reduced the previous annual unaccounted for from 32% in 2014 to 8.8% thus far in 2016. This reduction has resulted in a savings to our natural gas customers over the last three years. The city is currently engineering the upgrade of our northern gas system formerly known as GEO resources, with the remaining cast iron project funds. It is possible a further reduction of un-accounted gas could be experienced with this upgrade.

By Jim Luke