At the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting, the Picayune City Council took a moment to recognize the Picayune Hot Shots youth softball team for winning the 10U Mississippi State Championship.
After presenting each coach and player with a certificate of recognition, the team posed for pictures.
Next, the Council approved a motion to proclaim Picayune as a Purple Heart City. The Purple Heart is a medal awarded to military service men and women who are wounded or killed in the line of duty.
In a separate matter, the Council approved a motion to appoint Mary Boldin to the Picayune Housing Authority. The motion was made by Councilor Larry Breland and seconded by Councilor Lynn Bogan Bumpers.
The Council also approved a motion to approve a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Pearl River Valley Opportunity. City Clerk Amber Hinton said the agreement allows the PRVO to help citizens pay their gas bill during difficult financial times.
“It’s a worthwhile organization,” Breland said.
Application of a grant to purchase additional 700 MHz radios capable of operating on the Mississippi Wireless Integrated Network was also approved by the Council. Grants Administrator Christy Goss said the grant, which comes from the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, will be paid 100 percent if approved and purchase additional handheld radios for the police and fire departments for use when needed.
Code Enforcement Officer Tom Milar had good news for the Council. After the they approved a motion to assess tax liens with the Pearl River County Tax Assessor’s Office for cleanups and demolitions, he told the Council that a team effort between his office and the Public Works Department has saved the city about $21,000 when compared to the previous year.
Milar said that in 2015 the city spent about $45,000 in property cleanup efforts. This year that figure has been reduced to $23,000 in spite of the city conducting more work in that arena.
“I talked to Eric (Morris) about it and we are pretty excited we were able to save $21,000,” Milar said.
When a municipality cleans a property, that expense is levied against the property owner in the form of a lien on their taxes.
During the end of the meeting, Mark Gibson addressed the Council about negative comments being made concerning a development he plans to construct on Stevenson Street. The concerns addressed at the last meeting by residents of the area centered on the land being filled in, which is in or near a flood zone, and the possibility of bringing in less than desirable neighbors.
Gibson presented the Council with a letter stating he is proposing to build a single story facility focused on providing senior citizens with high-class housing. The letter states the facility will be constructed without governmental assistance allowing them to choose their clientele who will be required to provide references.
“We welcome any color, as long as they are 65 and have impeccable references,” the letter states.
In another matter, efforts to help citizens affected by the flooding in Louisiana were announced. Councilor Tammy Valente said Resurrection Life is accepting donations of toiletries, baby supplies and soap today until 4 p.m. Those supplies will be brought with volunteers who will assist with rebuilding efforts. Valente said the church is also looking for volunteers to help in the gutting of flooded homes. Prospective volunteers should bring tools capable of assisting in that effort.
Picayune Fire Department Training Officer Barry Lee said he is also planning to help with the rebuilding effort and anyone interested in helping can contact him.
The next Council meeting will be held Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. The Council will also hold a budget workshop in City Hall on Aug. 18 starting at 8:30 a.m.