Councilors for the city of Picayune appointed two members to the Picayune Housing Authority and accepted the donation of playground equipment worth $15,000.

Terry Givens was appointed to complete an unexpired term due to the passing of a previous member and J.P Burns was reappointed to the Authority by the Council.

The Council also accepted the donation of the last of the benches for Crosby Commons from community members in remembrance or honor of loved ones. Public Works Director Eric Morris said that while all slots for benches have been filled, there are still a few elm trees and a lot of crepe myrtles available.

Donation of playground equipment valued at $15,000 by Kids Clubhouse, LLC was also accepted by the Council during Tuesday’s meeting. Morris said the equipment could be placed at Mildred Mitchell Park.

Repair of leaking gas lines along Telly Road was also discussed. Morris said that the work will entail replacement of 3,000 feet of natural gas line on Telly Road and Bales Avenue. The line in question is made of steel and does not have cathodic protection, which involves providing a low voltage direct current. As a result, the lines have been corroding and substantial leakage has been noted through ground testing.

“It’s prudent we get out there and get the problem taken care of,” Morris said.

He estimates it will cost about $150,000 to replace the corroded lines. Work is expected to start this weekend.

The Council also approved a motion to enter into an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Transportation for the installation of lighting along Highway 11. Jonathan Hickman with Dungan Engineering said that the lighting will be similar to the kind installed along Highway 43 and once it’s installed during the upcoming widening work, the lights will be turned over to the city for maintenance. The lights will be installed along the concrete medians within the project area, which is from the intersections of Lakeshore Drive to Cayten Street.

During the Miscellaneous Councilor Business portion of the meeting, Councilor Wayne Gouguet asked City Manager Jim Luke to form a facade ordinance that can be used to upgrade the look of businesses along Highway 11.

With the upcoming Highway 11 widening project, he said it would be an ideal time to implement such an ordinance.