The proposed plans for redrawing boundary lines of the city’s wards was a topic of discussion of the recent meeting of the Mendenhall Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
David Wade with Central MS Planning and Development District explained that this was needed to get the city in compliance with state guidelines.
He said that CMPDD used the recent census numbers to establish the proposed plans. Wade said the numbers were delayed, and he questioned the accuracy of the recent census due to the pandemic. Wade believed the census numbers were low, but this is the data that the city has to work with.
Wade and his team at CMPDD looked at election districts and compared them to the census numbers. He explained that his organization is required to overlay the numbers on the current ward lines and make sure each ward has the same number of people. He estimated that each ward should contain approximately 550 people. The state allows a top to bottom deviation from that number of residents not to exceed 10 percent, and the existing ward lines are over 33 percent.
Wade said Ward 1 was 50 people over, Ward 2 was 56 people low, and Ward 3 was approximately 80 people lower than the goal number.
Wade presented a proposed map with lines drawn to get the city into compliance. The board reviewed the map and took it under advisement. Wade offered to sit with any of the aldermen and take all considerations into account.
The board plans to adopt new district boundaries by July 1 to allow time for voter rolls to be updated before next year’s election.
Pat Brown, director of the Simpson County Development Foundation, updated the board on upgrades planned for D’Lo Waterpark. Brown said over $50,000 will be spent on a portable stage, pickle ball courts, disc golf, glamping, walking trail, and additional kayaks at D’Lo Waterpark. The upgrades will coincide with the July 4 celebration that will include fireworks and a live band.
Brown said, “D’Lo Waterpark is a hidden gem and is not being utilized to its full potential.”
He asked the board to consider partnering with SCDF on the portable stage. Brown said the stage can be moved to Mendenhall and used for Mendenhall in May and any other events that the city may have.
Mayor Todd Booth questioned the permanent residents that have been in the park, and Brown said they have since moved. The Board took the proposal under advisement.
The board a proposal for grant money for smaller towns to assist with property cleanup that the state legislature is now considering.
The board discussed property cleanup procedures in February and revisited the topic during this meeting. Example letters with changes to be sent to residents were presented to the board that amended the current policy. The new policy will include a first letter notifying the property owners of cleanup infractions and giving them a set time to correct those. If not corrected in the specified time frame, a second letter will be sent summoning the property owner to the next board meeting. The new letters will not take the place of going to court. Both letters were approved.
Booth discussed purchasing a new high service pump for the water system and explained that a lot of repairs needed for the system have been related to the high service pumps. He said the pumps were repaired before he took office. However, the pumps installed into the system were cheaper and smaller than the system requires. He presented the board with proposals on going back to the original design of pumps for the system. The board approved the purchase of two new high service pumps and having a rebuilt pump on standby for emergencies.
The board discussed damaged carpet at the Mendenhall Public Library. The carpet was damaged when water backed up into the library during a past freeze that damaged the building’s pipes. The board explored quotes to install plank vinyl to replace the carpet and decided to have the building inspector check for mold. If mold is present the situation will be declared an emergency. If not, they plan to move forward with repairs no later than the next budget year.
The board entered executive session to discuss personnel before adjourning the meeting.
