Jackson Free Press

The City of Jackson is still out of compliance with the Mississippi Department of Health requirements for a study of corrosion control as of the March 22 meeting of the City Council, as the Public Works Department explores introducing new chemicals to the water to control corrosion in the pipes.

Public Works Director Keisha Powell addressed the issue directly.

"Mississippi Department of Health is having just about daily discussions with EPA and CDC and as more action levels are triggered across the United States, and as they continue to look at this issue their position is changing almost daily about what has to be done to enforce the lead and copper rule," Powell told the Jackson City Council.

The council members took turns addressing concerns they had with the current state of the compliance plan, which requires the City to hire an engineer to study the system. Ward 2 City Councilman Ashby Foote mentioned that he would prefer to have an engineer within the department, which Powell said has been an ongoing search but with great difficulty. She said that is why the administration put Trilogy Engineering and its president in front of the council for approval two weeks ago.

"We identified Phillip Gibson because of his experience with the facilities and his knowledge of water treatment and these systems," Powell said.

"It was actually him that brought it to ours and MSDH attention that what MSDH thought could be an interim measure to change from a hydrated lime to a liquid lime feed system would actually not achieve the pH and alkalinity that they were requiring in the plan."

"So it is going to take some additional study and more than likely a different chemical," Powell said. "So it is not a simple fix, and it is going to take some effort."

Gibson, present at the March 22 council meeting at Tougaloo College along with the other members of Trilogy Engineering, quickly moved to the microphone from the back of the room.

"I saw that in the paper. I have never given that recommendation," Gibson said. "To anyone. I am not sure where that information came from, but I have not given a recommendation to anybody about installing a liquid lime system. I have been in discussions with Cynthia Hill about that being an option, but that is the only discussion I have had with anybody." The Jackson Free Press has not interviewed Gibson, but has attempted to several times. He was interviewed by The Clarion-Ledger, however.

Powell said it was a matter "where we were misquoted," and that it would be the reason her department would be asking for all questions in writing, a situation that would not allow a reporter the chance to ask further questions. It is the policy of the Jackson Free Press, and other reputable media outlets, not to provide questions to sources in advance but to factcheck after interviews.

As more deadlines loom, with no engineer hired, two questions remain: how long will the city stay out of compliance, and how much information will they refuse to share with the public?

Orange Cone (Almost) Operational

The years-long repaving effort of some of the city's worst roads, dubbed "Operation Orange Cone," continues, but which roads will be included in the next round of work has yet to be determined.

The committee that oversees the project, with Mayor Tony Yarber at the helm, met last week and authorized the Public Works Department to begin the process of assigning contractors to begin repairs, even as the list of streets used at the meeting was outdated, causing confusion about which roads would go first. Engineers and work crews still need to perform "windshield tests" to visually assess which streets need repairs.

A separate amount of $5 million was authorized for renovations to five major thoroughfares, but in a similar situation, the committee is still deciding which roads will be repaired. Though the committee voted unanimously to authorize the process for this year to begin, they will continue internal discussions as they re-rate the roads without preventing the project moving forward.

"It doesn't preclude work from happening," Yarber said at the meeting.

The project was funded out of the 1 percent sales tax commission funds and has a deadline of November. Operation Orange Cone will involve a more intensive resurfacing schedule that will also address potholes, but it is not the only focus. It is important to differentiate as well between this project and the efforts to address potholes.

Yarber said during a March 21 City Council work session that the City will also release an app that would enable residents to track the work, including which contractors were working on which roads and their progression.

Email city reporter Tim Summers, Jr. at [email protected] See more local news at jfp.ms/localnews.