A resolution giving the administration authority to advertise for bids for constructing the Central Avenue at 5th Avenue Roundabout Project was approved during Tuesday's Laurel City Council meeting.
According to city documents, the project will redesign and realign the roundabout at the intersection of Central Avenue at 5th Avenue and the 500 Block of Central Avenue.
"The project would not take long," said Laurel Mayor Johnny Magee. "It would probably take about six months to do and would totally redo Central Avenue's [roundabout]. The project would remove the flagpole and allow for the construction of something similar to a stage for events like Loblolly, where they could perform on this platform.
"Central Avenue would go to a two-way [street], different from how it is now."
The City of Laurel applied for and was awarded funding for the project through the Mississippi Department of Transportation's (MDOT's) Transportation Alternative Project (TAP) program.
MDOT awarded the City of Laurel $868,740 in funding for the construction of the project.
Tuesday's approval of the resolution allows for bidding of the construction project.
“The (city's) Administration is authorized to advertise for construction of the Central Avenue at 5th Avenue Roundabout Project contingent upon receiving final approval and authorization from the Mississippi Department of Transportation to advertise for construction of said project,” as stated in the resolution.
“We should get started around November,” added Magee. “We would also fix the sidewalks on Central Avenue. It’s going to be great for the people of Laurel.
“The current roundabout is not centered in its current location,” Magee said. “The new project would move the new roundabout slightly to the left of the flagpole that’s there now.”
In other business, the Laurel City Council adopted orders requesting approval to advertise, and in some cases, re-advertise bids for repairing Plant #1 that was damaged by tornadoes in December of 2019.
Other Orders approved are as follows: an Interlocal Agreement with Jones County for collection of ad valorem taxes, an Order rescinding the Order from February 18, 2020, and adopting an order consider authorizing application to the Mississippi State Department of Health for the Office Against Interpersonal Violence (OAIV) STOP Violence Against Women Grant, an Order to approve inventory items as surplus property, an Order for publishing a bid for surplus property, and an Order to approve certain budget amendments to FY 2020 budget to name a few.
The city council also went into Executive Session to discuss several issues, including land, acquisitions, and industrial expansions. However, no actions were taken on the topics discussed.
To conclude the meeting, Ward 4 Supervisor George Carmichael asked Captain Earl Reeves of the Laurel Police Department about city’s atmosphere as it relates to what's going on in other places around the country with protest and riots.
“We’re almost back to full staff,” stated Reeves. “We do what we have to do in a professional way so that thing won’t get out of hand.”
Carmichael followed up by commending the Laurel Police Department for all that they do.
"As I go into the communities, I see a lot of police presence, and I don't see a lot of what's going on all over the country in our town," added Carmichael. "I appreciate the job [our police department] is doing here.
Ward 3 Supervisor Tony Thaxton followed by saying the Laurel Police Department has the Laurel City Council's full support.
"We support y'all 100 percent in what you do," said Thaxton. "We know y'all are protecting our community, and we thank y'all for what you do."
Note:
The Laurel City Recreation Department agreed to clean several properties (property located at 723 Garden Dr., belonging to Oak Field LLC, and property located at 2721 Woodland Dr, belonging to Debra Woodfork EST) that were noted as “a state of uncleanliness so to be a menace to the public health and safety of the community.”