During Tuesday’s Picayune City Council meeting, motions were approved to accept a lot near City Hall, and accept a donation to conduct improvements to sidewalks near Crosby Commons.

Additionally, attendees of the meeting found a printout placed on each seat within the Council chambers detailing expenditures made at each city park since 2010.

In relation to the property near City Hall, the Council approved a motion to acknowledge receipt of a quitclaim deed for a lot located at 201 Williams Ave., and provide a $500 payment for the lien release. Mayor Ed Pinero said the lot was accepted by the city with the long-term intention of using it as either parking or for future expansion to City Hall. However, no concrete plans for the lot are in place.

The Council also approved a motion to accept a $6,000 donation from Craig Griffing that will be combined with $2,940 worth of city funds to conduct sidewalk improvements in the area of Crosby Commons, including down Sixth Avenue to Williams Avenue, and in the area of Griffin lane. Public Works Director Eric Morris said the improvements will also make the sidewalks ADA complaint.

In regard to the list of expenditures to city parks, Councilor Wayne Gouguet said that list was shared with the public to counter claims made by Councilor Larry Breland that spending at city parks is unevenly distributed according to precincts.

According to the information on the sheets, over the course of the past eight years, more funding has been spent on Snyder Park, with a total funding of $72,426, all of which came from the category “cash”, than any other park in the city.

In comparison, $48,957 was spent at Friendship Park, the park Breland consistently says gets all of the city funding. Spending at Ben Taylor Park, totaled $19,384, most of which was grant funding from the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation, Leola Jordan Park received $31,155 in mostly LPRVF funding, while J.P. Johnson Park received $52,026 in funding, also primarily from LPRVF grants.

“That’s what is bizarre to me is he said we never do anything for those parks,” Gouguet said.

Gouguet went on to say that the reason he voted against the fence Breland requested at the Eighth Street cemetery, was only because he disagreed with spending money needlessly.

“I’m a fiscal conservative, even if spending is brought up within my precinct, if it makes no sense I’m against it,” Gouguet said.

The sheet was never discussed during the meeting, so no action was taken.

The next Council meeting will be held Nov. 21 at 5 p.m.