By John Howell Sr.

Recycling containers placed on the city’s Van Voris Street lot for use by Panola County residents are being well-used, County Administrator Kelley Magee said Tuesday.

McGee and solid waste manager Jennifer Jackson spoke to Batesville city officials at their third Tuesday meeting, seeking permission for additional signage including temporary banners placed in several locations.

“We think it’s going pretty good; we’ve carried about eight bins to Oxford so far,” Magee said.
The county officials said that additional signs placed on the containers would help users better sort their recyclables into the proper bins.

“We’ve had a little bit of problem with the plastics; they’re still putting them in garbage bags and putting them in the containers; we need them loose,” Magee said. “We’re trying to get some signs to put up there to say stuff not to put in the recycling bins and then to put it in there loosely,” she said.

Banners would be temporarily placed in high traffic locations around the community to further inform the public about the recycling bins’ location, she said.

Aldermen unanimously approved the request for signs and banners.

Streambank erosion
threatens home
Billy and Alma Pund asked for city help to stabilize streambank erosion eating away at the yard at 115 Shadow Lane.

“Our problem is we’re losing our yard, and I hope we don’t lose our house,” Alma Pund said. “As you know, we’ve had tremendous rainfall this year. The land just keeps caving away, washing away.”  She requested fill dirt and rip rap from the city to stabilize the stream bank.
The street is located in the Keating Grove subdivision. The lot backs up to an unnamed creek with headwaters east of I-55 at Tri-Lakes Medical Center and is a major tributary of Sand Creek.  
Mayor Jerry Autrey said that he and Street Superintendent Teddy Austin would inspect the erosion.

“Sometimes we get concrete that is broken up from construction,” the mayor said, for use in bank stabilization.

Before leaving, Alma Pund commended the recycling program.

“It’s working great; anybody that had anything to do with that, I compliment you,” she said.

Code office expects
new construction
Code administrator Pam Comer said that the permit has been issued for Phase One of Tri-Lakes Medical Center’s Medical Building to be constructed on property purchased earlier this year from the city.

“It’s pre-fab; it’s built in Georgia; Affinity Building Systems is constructing it; they will come in here and dig footings, lay the foundations, then they will set the buildings,” Comer said, responding to a question from Alderman Stan Harrison about the building’s modular construction. “The buildings will come in here in three pieces; they will set the buildings with a huge crane,” she continued. The buildings will be ready for a certificate of occupancy within 90 days of their arrival, she said.

The code office will soon issue a permit for construction of Okun’s new building near Wal-Mart and plans for the construction of the Raceway store at Covenant Crossing are under review, she said.

“We’ve got a lot going on; you’re not seeing it happen yet. It’s probably going to start all at the same time,” Comer said.

Planning Commission meets Monday
The Batesville Planning Commission on Monday afternoon will consider a conditional use permit request for 301 and 303 East Street, a sign variance request for the Ray Poole State Farm building and family subdivision lot request.
The planning commission’s regular meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Monday, August 26 at City Hall.

Construction under way
on RV pads at BCC
Civic Center Director Roy Hyde said that construction of 20 RV pads could be completed by mid-October. The concrete pads will offer full service hookups — electricity, water and sewerage — for rent on Civic Center property south of the building.

“It’s going to open a new revenue stream for the city and provide a service that a lot of our visitors have asked about,” Hyde said.

The pads will be available for rent anytime, Hyde said.

Natural gas for city vehicles?
City officials expressed considerable interest in fueling city-owned vehicles with natural gas following Batesville Gas Superintendent William Wilson’s notification during Tuesday’s meeting that a Natural Gas Fuel Expo is scheduled in Tupelo and in Hattiesburg during the fall.

“Pontotoc is converting part of their vehicles to natural gas,” Alderman Eddie Nabors said. Pontotoc has received interest free loans from the state to convert the vehicles and to build a natural gas filling station, he said. Nabors said that he had also visited a concrete manufacturer in Flowood who had converted his truck fleet to natural gas.
“That’s gaining a lot of ground these days,” City Engineer Blake Mendrop said.
“We might want to all go over there,” Mayor Jerry Autrey said, referring to the expos.

Connector road construction  begins
Construction on a new road to connect Medical Center Drive and Pine Lodge Road will begin in segments about 1,500 feet at a time, starting on the north end, city engineer Mendrop said. A memo of understanding has been signed between the city and county for the cooperative venture to create an alternative route to the hospital and Walmart shopping area. Mendrop said that he, county engineer Larry Britt and county road manager Lygunnah Bean had met earlier that day to work out details.

Mendrop said that clearing the roadway in segments would minimize erosion that might lead to environmental violations.
well,’ Batesville board told