Construction of restrooms at parks in Picayune is expected to start soon. Parks and Recreation Director Trevor Adam informed the Council that the construction company will start marking out the areas where the restrooms will be built after arriving in the city within the next week. The first restroom to be constructed will be the facility that will house restrooms and a concession stand near the T-ball field at Friendship Park.

Adam also updated the Council about the efforts to construct a new playground at Friendship Park. He said that progress is moving forward quickly. Adam also said when it’s complete he expects to see a number of people coming from surrounding areas to bring their children to the playground based on social medial posts.

Plans are also being drawn up to hold ground breaking ceremonies for the restrooms planned for construction at Leola Jordan and J.P. Johnson Parks.

Public Works Director Eric Morris said lights at the new playground at Friendship Park will first be comprised of old lighting at the tennis court, but there will soon be the option to upgrade the fixtures to house LED bulbs through Mississippi Power Company.

Work to upgrade the electrical panels at Crosby Commons was conducted to make the facility more accessible to organizers of larger events, Morris said.

Morris also updated the Council on the need to dispose of extra wood chips left over from the removal of storm debris left behind by Hurricane Ida. He said he has used as much of the wood chips in landscaping throughout the city as he can, and unless the city secured proper permitting, the rest had to be disposed at Central Landfill in Millard. To ensure the city receives reimbursement from FEMA, the city had to employ the services of Debris Tech once again to monitor that disposal. The Council approved a motion to dispose of those remnants and employ the monitoring service.

The Council also approved a motion to sell a portion of city property to Formby Realty, which is located near Adcox Road near the fire station.

City attorney Nathan Farmer said the piece of property is about .07 of an acre that abuts the road to the fire station, most of which is in the parking lot to the real estate agency. Since the city does not need it to access the fire station property, Farmer said there is no reason for the city to keep it. Two appraisals will be required to determine the value of the property. Farmer said the city will only have to pay for half of the cost to have the property appraised, with the purchaser covering the other half.

The Council approved selling the property.