By JASON PATTERSON
Editor & Publisher
Even though construction has already started, Walmart plans to have an official groundbreaking ceremony in Yazoo City soon.
The only problem is getting the weather to cooperate.
City Engineer Wayne Morrison told the Yazoo Mayor and Board of Aldermen Monday that Walmart hopes to formally recognize the beginning of work for the new store soon.
“They’re trying to fit it into a good day, and that’s been hard to do, especially if it’s going to be a dry day,” Morrison said.
Morrison said construction on the Willie Morris Parkway made significant progress last week.
“It was an incredibly productive week,” he said.
Morrison said he expects the parkway to be completed in late May.
In other business during Monday’s meeting:
* Ward 4 Alderman Aubry Brent Jr. said the street department needs to focus on potholes in the city.
“Eleventh Street is terrible,” Brent said. “You have to drive three miles per hour just to get past the potholes without tearing up your vehicle. No citizen should have to ride over the number of potholes on some of our city streets.”
Brent said the bus ramp at Webster Elementary also needs immediate attention.
“We need someone driving the roads and looking for potholes to fix,” Brent said. “They don’t need to be waiting for one of us to tell them to do it.”
Mayor Diane Delaware said that these issues should be resolved when the city hires a new director for the street department.
* Brent complained that garbage collection services continue to have problems in the city.
“I put my trash out last night at 10 p.m. because I expected it to be picked up early in the morning,” Brent said. “It’s still out there. Our citizens expect their garbage to be picked up on time.”
Delaware said the city is working to solve those problems.
* Delaware said that she is looking for someone to serve as her appointment for a three-year term to the Triangle Board.
The mayor also said the city needs to get the Examining Board back to serving its intended purpose.
“It is now defunct,” Delaware said.
* Ward 2 Alderman Dr. Jack Varner made a motion to that anytime a city owned vehicle is involved in an accident, the board will receive a report at the following meeting. Safety Administrator Danny Miller will inspect the site of any accident before the vehicle is moved, and Miller will give the report to the city.
* In honor of this administration’s 730th day in office, Delaware presented the board with a chart that included habits of successful people and habits of unsuccessful people. She also read them a poem that she said inspired her to achieve early in life.
* The board voted to give the Yazoo Arts and Cultural Alliance $1,000 to advertise the resources of the City of Yazoo during the Antique Days Festival.
