Tuesday, the Poplarville Board of Aldermen heard from Bennie Sellers of Sellers, Shows, Dearman and Waits Engineering and Darrell Fuller with the Poplarville-Pearl River County Airport regarding funding for improvements.
Several years ago, it became a requirement for all airports to upgrade their fencing, Sellers said.
“Basically what they require is that you have a 6-foot high fence,” he said. “The way that things work, Federal Aviation Administration provides 90 percent, the Mississippi Department of Transportation provides five percent and five percent for the local share.”
That five percent is divided equally between the city of Poplarville and Pearl River County, Sellers said.
The total cost for fencing and drainage improvements is $227,597. The city’s share would be $5,689.
“That will be the only thing we will have this year,” Sellers said. “We will applying for things next year because we would like to build additional hangars out there, because that is the revenue producing thing.”
Fuller told the Board he has been asked many times when additional hangars will be constructed at the airport.
The hangars there now were the first ones built after Hurricane Katrina, Fuller said.
“We didn’t have the funds then so we leased the land to folks who were willing to build hangars,” he said. “You folks plus the county own these hangars and those are the revenue generators.”
He also added that he is hoping enough revenue is generated that they won’t have come to the city and request funds.
In other action the Board:
• Scheduled a hearing on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. for the property located at 1410 Shivers St. to determine if the property is a menace to the public’s health and safety. The property contains a swimming pool that attracts insects. Poplarville Attorney Nick Thompson said anyone can testify and provide evidence regarding the condition of the property. If the board declares it a menace, the owner will 14 days to clean it up before the city assumes responsibility for clean up and charges it the owner, Thompson added.
• Approved Fire Chief Jonathan Head and Police Chief Butch Raby to attend public information officers course in Wiggins from Sept. 14 – 15. The course is sponsored by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and provides training regarding the Incident Command System. There is no cost associated with the course, but the Board approved payment for two meals for Head and Raby for both days.
• Public Works Director Sam Hale told the Board he believes they can complete the repair of Beers Street and the culvert project on Church Street for about $75,000 and suggested they bid the projects again. City Engineer Jason Lamb’s base bid estimate for the Beers Street repair was $38,000, Hale said. The lowest bid was about $60,000. Lamb’s cost estimate for Church Street is $28,000, Hale said. Poplarville City Clerk Jane O’Neal suggested they add a $25,000 contingency amount to the budget. The engineering estimate on Church Street has yet to be completed by Lamb, Hale said. O’Neal suggested the Board add the amount to the budget and make a decision about when to engage Lamb after October 1 when more detailed information becomes available.
See Thursday’s Item for more coverage of the Board of Aldermen meeting.