Poplarville Mayor Brad Necaise presided over his last regularly scheduled Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night as heavy rains fell on the area.
Alderman Byron Wells was absent from the meeting. All of the Aldermen-elect were present at the meeting.
Before discussing routine matters, the Board honored Kimra Torrence and the Torrence Family Schoolhouse 4H Community Club for receiving the Good Deed Award from the American Legion Auxiliary.
Necaise read a letter from the organization that commended the group for their service and acts of selflessness in the community.
In other matters, the Board discussed estimates to repair erosion damage on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
City Engineer Jason Lamb presented the Board with two estimates—one from Holliday Construction for $37,344 and a second from HRL for $40,463.
Lamb said those bids exceeded his estimate of $18,000 to $22,000 for the project due to material costs and the scope of the repairs.
The repairs are only expected to fix the problem for five to 10 years, Lamb said, and would certainly require more expensive work in the near future.
He also said he had “no doubt” the pipes in that culvert would fail within 10 years, creating an even larger problem.
Lamb said he couldn’t even make a recommendation about a temporary fix for similar problems in the city due to their severity.
Due to the high-ticket price and the temporary nature of the project, the Board voted to table the matter until the special meeting scheduled for June 27 at 2 p.m.
In other public works matters, Public Works Superintendent Sam Hale said the county applied for a grant to make repairs on South Haynes Street, which is partially closed to traffic due to severe erosion.
If the grant were approved, the city would split the 80/20 matching grant with the county, Hale said.
Necaise also discussed a drainage issue at the splash pad at City Park.
He said water has been pooling around the area.
Hale said he would investigate the problem which is likely caused by the recent rains, and consider installing a new drainage line on the north side.
As Tropical Storm Cindy made its way through the Gulf of Mexico, Poplarville Fire Chief said the department will supplement staffing in case an emergency arises.
Head said emergency crews responded to several downed trees Friday night as storms rolled through the area of Larkin Smith Road and Main Street.
In code enforcement matters, the Board discussed a community complaint that several cats have spurred a flea problem in a neighborhood located behind a local restaurant on South Main Street.
The Board said that because it was an animal control matter, complaints had to be filed through the Poplarville Police Department.
After some discussion and confusion, the Board ultimately said that the best number to reach the department, due to the secretary moving to City Hall, is through the Pearl River County dispatch at 601-337-5905.