In advance of this fiscal year’s upcoming budget, Hattiesburg City Council members heard Monday evening from three department heads regarding budget items and requests.
During the work session, directors from the Urban Development Department, Hattiesburg Fire Department, and Parks and Recreation Department gave presentations, which council members will review and decide on before the new budget is proposed.
“What we did today was a continuation of looking at the budget,” Council President Carter Carroll said. “They presented their budgets and what increases they would like to see, what equipment they need, what improvements we can do in each of these departments.
“Then we’ll start working on the full budget, because we have to pass the budget by September 15.”
Urban Development
Andrew Ellard, director of the Urban Development Department, said the department has taken steps to streamline over the past year, including eliminating some vacant positions that were absorbed into other areas.
That entailed the elimination of a vacant permit tech position and shifting the community development division manager to be completely under the community development umbrella, as that position was formerly split between the general fund and community development.
Department officials have also begun addressing salary issues regarding lower-paid employees.
“Those positions tend to be the ones with the most citizen contact and the most customer interaction,” Ellard told council members. “What I heard coming in here was that a lot of our focus needs to be on customer interaction and productivity.
“With this budget, we hope to continue that effort.”
Ellard is requesting $200,000 in the upcoming budget for code enforcement to help fund property cleanup, including demolition, debris pickup and lot cleaning.
Fire department
After a recent examination by the Mississippi State Rating Bureau, Hattiesburg Fire Department officials were able to maintain the city’s Class 4 fire rating and have aspirations to improve that rating to a Class 3 in the future. Fire Chief Sherrocko Stewart said he also is implementing a new administrative structure, which will save the department almost $100,000 and will consist of two recommendations from the MSRB.
Given those money-saving measures, Stewart is requesting some funds to help renovations and repair for Station No. 5 on East Hardy Street, as well as equipment he said is necessary for the fire department to continue functioning at a high level.
“(We need) emergency kits for fire department vehicles,” he said. “Today I was out and saw a car wreck and I stopped.
“It would be good if I had my own bag and jumper cables, because when people see a fire department truck – even when it’s an administrative truck – they’re looking for help, and it’s my responsibility as fire chief and a member of this community to stop and give assistance. And we need a generator for our administrative buildings – if a storm goes knocks out the power, I won’t be able to operate if we don’t have any power.”
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation director Chris McGee told council members he is asking for a 10 percent decrease in the department’s grounds and maintenance budget.
“But if you look at the capital improvements, we’re looking to pave walking trails at Friendship Park and Oseola (McCarty) Walking Trail,” he said. “We’re looking at the Tatum (Park) soccer fields, to add drainage and lights.
“That is much needed – we’re bringing in large tournaments, and we don’t have enough lighted fields where they can play in the evening. So we’d like to see about getting that, and that might bring more revenue and more teams.”
McGee also brought up the importance of maintenance at some of the city’s community centers, including kitchen renovations at C.E Roy Community Center.
“Those appliances are old – some of them work and some of them don’t – but that kitchen is going to have to be renovated to continue to be of use to our citizens,” he said. “We finished doing things at Jackie Dole (Sherrill) Community Center, but the roof is going to have to be redone, so we’re looking to do some things along that line.
“The Train Depot, we’re not asking for any increase there in our operational budget, but there are some things we must do in our capital layout. We’re going to have to paint it and some of that metal underneath is going to have to be treated, so there’s a lot of things that need to be done at the depot to keep it the premier facility that it is.”
