These kids have some ideas for a park on Sasse Street and they want the city to partner with them.
Josephine Rhymes brought a group of students to the Clarksdale Board of Mayor and Commissioners meeting this week to present their ideas for a park that would include a walking trail, phone charging stations, skating rink, playground equipment, garden space, grills and picnic tables and put the crowning touch on it with a request for an indoor pool.
The Tri-County Workforce Alliance, the Aaron E. Henry Community Health Center and Children’s Fund of New York are working together to make the project happen and students asked the city to do their part.
While city fathers agreed with the idea, they asked about funding.
“We don’t have it in this year’s budget and it would be next September before we could put it in a budget,” said Ward 1 Commissioner Bo Plunk. “It’s a good idea, but I want you to know it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Rhymes said she felt the money could be found and the group was there to get the city to partner with them and commit to doing their part.
The federal Build Back Better stimulus package that was passed in Washington this past week has funds for projects like this. A key part of the legislation is these projects cannot be part of a regular plan of a municipality and the ability to obtain private and local government funds to leverage federal dollars makes getting those grants easier
Ward 2 Commissioner Ken Murphy said he was 100 percent committed to the project and was impressed with the initiate of the group.
Ward 3 Commissioner Willie Turner commended the group and said the city would look for ways to help.
Ward 4 Commissioner Ed Seals said there is a need to improve parks all over Clarksdale and felt giving kids a safe place to gather might cut down on crime.
Mayor Chuck Espy said he met with the group this summer and helped them turn their ideas into a plan.
Espy led the charge to try and bring a massive $39 million convention center, shopping area, water-park and hotel to property south of Sasse Street more than three years ago, but the funding and development never materialized.
That project was announced in January 2019 with talk of a Piggly Wiggly grocery store anchoring the project. The city rezoned property near the site for residential development in September.
The project was active as late as March 2019 with developers again saying the proposed public-private economic partnership would include a grocery store, 50-home subdivision, hotel, convention center, athletic fields and water park off of Highway 49 in the city limits of Clarksdale.
On a motion by Commissioner Murphey and a second by Commissioner Turner, the city voted to accept the plan from students and look for ways to implement it.
In other business:
• The city accepted the minutes of its Oct. 25, Nov. 4 meetings.
• The board voted to give the mayor permission to execute agreement of understanding of the disclosure by underwriter regarding the Special Obligation Bond Series 2021
• Commissioners approved Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays as approved by the Governor. The city also acknowledged resolution of Great Respect for Sister Kay Burton and acknowledged a resolution of Memoriam for CJ Dontrae Brown, Jr.
• The city voted to formally release a lien on 314 Leflore since the cleanup fee has been paid
• Authorized to reimburse Incidental Expense Account for $2,993.49 for October.
• The city paid invoices in the amount of $104,683.86 of which $80,903.34 was General Fund.
• The city voted to pay the following miscellaneous claims: Cornerstone Services $2,668.02; Daniel Young, $250; Samantha Craft, $250; Jameel Wallace; $250; Chuck Espy, $390.10; Dobbs Peterbilt, $23,783.50; Tiffany Delaney, $100; Brocato Construction, $32,909.56; JEG, $400.
• Acknowledged the status report from Mike Slaughter regarding the Comprehensive Plan
• The city voted to execute its agreement with Mike Slaughter to begin the Redistricting of Elections Districts.
• The board voted to allow the City Clerk to attend the IIMC International meeting in Little Rock, Ark.
• The city approved a request from Griot Arts to close a portion of Third Street on Friday, Dec. 31 from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. to host a fundraiser as a New Year’s Event to celebrate all they have accomplished as an organization and a community
• The board is seeking appointments to the Planning Commission, Blues Museum, Library Board, Park Commission and Airport Board. The city is also seeking volunteers for the following committees, Crime Stoppers, Beautification Clean-up and the Christmas Committee.
• The city voted to allow Chief Robbie Linley to execute an agreement with Equature for its annual maintenance professional service contract.
• Commissioner voted to allow Assistant Chief Norman Starks to attend the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police orientation on Jan. 10 in Jackson.
• Commissioner approved salary increases for the following: Marquon Lee, DeJuan Watts and Mercedes Moore.
• The city voted to advertise for architectural services for EDA tourism grant for Civic Auditorium upgrades.
• The city voted to renew its curfew ordinance. Linley said this is a routine process that must be done every four years. He said for police to enforce laws and ordinances, they must be reviewed and updated regularly.
• The city voted to go into Executive Session to discussion potential litigation following the city tearing down a house belonging to Nikki Williams as part of the city’s neighborhood cleanup program.
• The city voted to recess until its regular noon meeting Thursday, Nov. 18 at City Hall.
