This week employees with the city of Picayune conducted some maintenance work on a drainage feature to improve the quality of life for surrounding residents.
Public Works Director Eric Morris said the work entailed removing the vegetation in the base of ditch and some oak trees along the Monroe Branch, which is a drainage ditch just off of South Monroe Avenue.
Morris said the ditch has been holding water, creating a breeding ground for mosquitos. To fix that problem with the ditch, city employees brought in sand, which will not only displace the standing water, but also enable them to increase the slope and therefore the feature’s drainage efficiency.
The work took place this week, beginning in the area of Cecile Street and South Green Avenue, Morris said.
Before the sand was installed, the vegetation growing along the bottom of the ditch was removed, and mature oaks in the area were cut down. City employees handled the bulk of the work, while contract workers took care of removing the oaks, saving the city money, Morris said. The cost to remove the oaks is estimated to be $1,700.
“It’s a definite improvement to the efficiency of the ditch and providing better quality of life to those around it,” Morris said.
Morris said that the city has received complaints about the ditch from residents and business owners in the area. So, in response, the city did what they could with the budget they had on hand.
Councilor Lynn Bogan Bumpers said the city employees did a wonderful job with the work to address the concerns of the citizens in the area.