Jackson Free Press

At last Tuesday's meeting of the Jackson City Council, a measure was brought before the council to pump an additional $151,066 into the Fortification Street renovation project. Apparently, when the folks over at public city works (who are working with the Mississippi Department of Transportation to revamp one of Jackson's main arteries) started digging up the street, they discovered some unexpected items that are going to require extra work.

A sewer pipe that was scheduled for removal turned out to be sealed, by concrete, to a water pipe that was scheduled to stay put. Workers also found storm drains so clogged the city will have to hire a contractor to clear them. City Works Director Dan Gaillet testified that the city also needed to build a fence along the worksite to protect people from falling into the 8-foot-deep ditches on either side of the street during construction.

The motion failed because two of the four members of the city council who showed up for work Tuesday voted against it. One was LaRita Cooper-Stokes, Ward 3, who voted against the proposal without comment, and DeKeither Stamps, Ward 4, who said he voted against it because the city shouldn't pay for the extra work.

It's important to note that even with the additional funds, the Fortification Street project is under budget, and the project can still go forward, although it will not be completed fully and correctly, without that extra money.

City Council President Charles Tillman, Ward 5, called for a motion to reconsider the measure, and the city explained the ramifications of their decision to the council, but both council members decided not to change their vote.

It's misguided to take a principled stand when a vital $10 million project needs an additional $151,066, but that's not the issue. If Margaret Barrett-Simon, Ward 7, and Quentin Whitwell, Ward 1, both long-time proponents of the project, had been there, the motion would have passed. Former council President Tony Yarber, Ward 6, was also absent Tuesday.

The same proposal will be brought before city council again at the next meeting, and it will likely pass, so this is not the end of the Fortification Street project. What Tuesday's vote should serve as is a warning of what can happen if the right mix of council members don't show up at any one particular meeting.

The average Jacksonian can't take off from work without a good excuse and permission from their boss, and the same principle should apply to the council members who represent them.

New members Melvin Priester Jr., Ward 2, and Stamps have been at every meeting since their inauguration, and that is commendable. We hope the rest of the council will follow their example.