The future of a city-owned house on Calhoun Avenue was brought to the table again for discussion in the last two Board of Mayor and Aldermen meetings.
Alderwoman Elizabeth Thomas has been very vocal about her recommendation that the city-owned home, located at 107 Calhoun Ave., be converted into a shelter. The building currently houses the city’s building inspector and code enforcement operations.
But the idea of possibly converting the annex buildings at the former Webster Street Elementary School also remains on the table with the city council.
During the city council meeting on Feb. 12, Thomas revisited her suggestion that the Calhoun Avenue property be converted into a shelter.
“This is something that can be utilized to help people when they get burned out or in inclement weather,” Thomas said. “This is something that needs to be addressed. I have heard bits and pieces of something on Webster Street, but nothing has been put on the table. I want to continue this discussion.”
Mayor David Starling said he has been in talks with the administration of the Mississippi Achievement School District about the usage of a portion of the former Webster Street school. He also reminded the city board that he extended an invitation to tour the former school facility. He added that he understood that people have busy schedules, but Alderman Jammie McCoy was the only board member who joined him at the school site.
“We went by and looked at the building,” McCoy said. “It’s the annex part, separate from the school, and it already had heat, air and separate bathroom. It has plenty of rooms with classrooms where men and women can be put in separate rooms. It also has a room with an office for possible security to be with cameras and monitors. I thought it would be ideal.”
Starling said the idea would strictly cover the building’s annex section, which is about 20 feet away from the former school’s main building.
“I am not trying to be facetious, but I guess until you see it in writing from them (MASD), you won’t believe me,” Starling said. “It was just a formality of them having a board meeting. After that board meeting, they would have put it in writing for us to sign.”
During the Feb. 12 meeting, Alderman Charlie Jenkins made the motion to table the matter for more detailed discussion.
However, during last Monday’s meeting, Jenkins suggested another idea for the Calhoun Avenue property.
“We have talked about it becoming an emergency shelter, but I came today to ask that we reconsider that,” Jenkins said. “We could allow that to become the living quarters of the police chief. I feel that if we could get the police chief closer to the precinct, it would do us better justice. It would help us out a lot. He would be able to go over there and tend to things a little bit better.”
Jenkins said he hoped that it wouldn’t happen, but if Police Chief Terry Gann decided to resign from his post, a residence would be more attractive in recruitment.
“We need our chief to be accessible and on location as much as we can,” Jenkins said. “Chief Gann may not decide to move in, but it would be accessible for the next chief. I think that we need to move a little further than we are. No offense to everyone, but we need to be heading in a direction that if Gann was to retire tomorrow, we need to be accessible to a wider range of people to reach. Most times, we can find someone good, and we can’t hire them because they can’t meet the qualifications and move here.”
Starling said renovations would be required to make the Calhoun Avenue property a livable residence.
“Right now, the bathrooms do not have a facility that would be adequate for hygiene,” Starling said. “There is no tub. There is no shower. And in the kitchen, none of those appliances are working. Let us continue to discuss this. But I think that this is something that Chief Gann definitely needs to be a part of.”
Jenkins asked that the matter be included on a work session agenda.
Thomas asked if the Calhoun Avenue property was considered “the garden house” within the city budget, which was confirmed.
“Well, it has $1.26 million for renovations,” she said. “It’s right here in the budget. This budget was done by Mrs. Williams (City Clerk Kaneilia Williams).”
“Yeah, I think we could put a bathroom in there with that,” Jenkins said, with a laugh.
Williams said she would review the budget to make sure that line item was correct.
