City acts on street repair, resuming youth sports and regulating public gatherings

The City of New Albany has begun street repairs and officials are allowing ball games to resume at BNA Bank Park. Aldermen have also passed an ordinance governing parades, public assemblies and special events on an emergency basis.

Mayor Tim Kent said at the June aldermen’s meeting that some repairs were made to a bridge approach on Oxford Road this week. Now that the city has a small milling machine, repairs will be made to Highland Avenue next week.

Highland had been traversed by a number of cuts making for a bumpy ride for several years after the street had to be cut for water lines.

About $1 million is available for street repairs, much of it coming from a designated tax levy this past year. Officials are trying to divide the money as evenly as possible among the five aldermen, who were to submit the streets in their wards they thought needed improvement most.

Another factor in the decision is an extensive street survey done more than a year ago rating every street according to use and need.

One major street to be improved is Moss Hill Drive.

While the street department will do some preliminary work, digging out bad spots and patching smaller areas, an outside contractor will be scheduled to perform major resurfacing using a process called cape seal, which covers chips with a smooth micro-surface.

Sports are being allowed by the governor again and the New Albany park and rec department is kicking things off with a heavy schedule.

Park director Johnny Epting said the sportsplex will be host to both the Cotton States League games and a Grand Slam tournament that, at times, will have every field in the facility in play simultaneously.

“We’ve moved all the bleachers out, trying to add space, trying to be safe,” he said. “It was our understanding that they weren’t supposed to be sitting in bleachers so we just decided to take them down rather than roping them off.”

“There will be one way in and one way out. We are using packs for condiments (at the concession stands),” he added.

Epting said there will be 32 teams in the tournament alone.

“Saturday, we’re going to be playing on every field we’ve got,” Epting said. Playing will only occur on four fields Friday night.

Spectators will be allowed to bring chairs or blankets and are being asked to observe social distancing but Mayor Kent said he is afraid people still will be crowded together. Those who had been to other recent tournaments said that seemed to be a problem.

“We have a tournament this week and are supposed to have another tournament next week so maybe we will learn a lot,” he said.

The bleachers can be set up again when it is deemed safe.

“There’s going to be a lot of people, I anticipate,” Epting said. “Other than that it will be business as usual.”

The public event ordinance came partly because Mayor Kent said he has received calls from people wanting to hold gatherings likely related to other protests and demonstrations across the country.

But another reason is that the city previously had no regulations covering such events. “We all thought we had something but then when we started looking we couldn’t find anything,” he said.

The mayor did not indicate that he thought the requests were present problems but officials decided that some uniform regulation is needed for the future.

The 14-page ordinance basically states that no parade or public assembly will be allowed without obtaining a permit from the chief of police. An application must be filed at least 30 days and not more than 180 days before the event, but the time requirement can be waived in some circumstances.

The application must include information about the nature of the event, time, place, anticipated number of participants and spectators, signs and equipment to be used and what effect it might have on the surrounding area.

The fee for a permit is $25.

The chief of police will determine whether additional police protection is needed (the nature of the speech within the event cannot be a factor) beyond normal patrol officers and it will be up to the event holder to employ the needed extra security.

Permits will not be issued for events primarily to advertise some product or for private profit. Also, no two permits will be issued for the same time, to avoid overtaxing law enforcement and other resources, and a permit will not be issued for the same time any other event is being held that requires police resources.

If the chief of police denies a permit, he may suggest an alternate time, place, route or date in a timely manner. A denial can be appealed to the board of aldermen and if they also deny the permit it can be appealed to the next higher court.

Anyone who obtains a parade or gathering permit may be assessed the cost of placing and removing traffic control devices, extra security and cleanup beyond normal maintenance expenses.

The ordinance regulates the type of signs that may be used as well as sound levels and prohibits participants from having certain other items that could be a danger.

It is specifically illegal to cross any crowd control device during an event and it is illegal to conceal all or part of one’s identity if the intent is for some negative purpose.

Also, it is illegal for anyone to interfere with or impede a parade or properly permitted gathering or to have signs or items potentially causing a danger within 500 feet of a permitted event.

The ordinance takes effect immediately and more information for anyone interested in obtaining a permit can be found at City Hall.

In department business, acting fire chief Mark Whiteside reported that the state fire rating bureau has been here and took away about 50 pages of information following their inspection. He said the bureau visits and examines the department every five years but this time it is possible that the city may receive a lower fire rating, which will decrease fire insurance costs for homeowners and businesses. “We will know more next week,” he said.

Whiteside also noted that the department has submitted grant applications for some needed equipment.

Building inspector and zoning administrator Eric Thomas asked for and received permission to extend a moratorium on new water and sewer systems in the city through the end of the year. The old moratorium expired this past week and is connected with plans to update city ordinances as part of a new comprehensive plan.

Thomas also reported the planning and zoning board met and approved two requests. Union Lumber Company asked for a variance in siding requirements and Joe Davis asked that 110 N. Railroad Ave. be permitted to have an apartment upstairs.

Community Development Director Billye Jean Stroud told aldermen she has cancelled the Freedom Celebration as far as music and vendors are concerned, due to health concerns. “We will have fireworks,” she said. “People can stay in their cars.” The event will be June 27 and will include the Pedaling for Hope fundraiser that morning.

Routine requests for 10-year tax exemptions were approved for Metal Impact, Diversity Vuteq and Cooper Electric. The exemptions are usually given as incentives for industry and must also be approved by the state before returning for final approval locally.

Finally, aldermen approved applying for a grant from the Mississippi Development Authority through Three Rivers Planning and Development District. The grant would be used to complete the section of Munsford Drive that goes past Diversity Vuteq and will provide access to the new Enhance Mississippi shell structure.

In other business, an ordinance to regulate food trucks was offered for consideration and will be voted on at the next meeting.