City Officials Extend Local Emergency For Power Grid
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City officials first declared a local state of emergency for the electric grid last November, a decision that was partially triggered by a small fire at the rear of Mid Town Auto Parts when a wire pulled loose. Water Valley Fire Chief Mark McGavock told aldermen that the entire row of buildings could have burned if the electrical fire has started at night and went unnoticed until it grew larger.
WATER VALLEY – The Water Valley Board of Aldermen extended the local emergency for the city’s power grid for another 30 days. The declaration for a local state of emergency was first approved in November, 2024, and has been extended each month since after the Board of Aldermen determined that ongoing problems with the city’s electric grid could be perilous to the safety of people and property.
The latest extension was made with a unanimous vote during a special meeting on May 13 at city hall. Mayor Tommy Reynolds reminded alderpersons that the grid has hundreds of aging utility poles.
“It is an electrical emergency when you have 400 poles that are greatly defective, some of them almost rotten,” the mayor explained.
Reynolds also noted that work continues to replace many of the poles.
“We are in the process of dealing with it, Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association (TVEPA) is in the process of replacing the poles as we speak. They are all over town and it doesn’t happen in one day, but it will happen over time by September,” Reynolds added.
The poles TVEPA are replacing comes as part of a deal with the City of Water Valley for the buildout of 35 miles of mainline fiber optic lines to provide high speed internet in the city. The internet service will be offered by TVEPA’s subsidiary company, TVIfiber.
Other activity in the meeting special meeting on May 13 and regular meeting on May 5 includes:
• Approved a request from Mayor Reynolds to apply for up $1.5 million from the Department of Transportation to repair or install new sidewalks. If awarded, the city would be required to provide 20 percent of matching funds, or $300,000 if $1.5 million is awarded.
Reynolds said the deadline to apply for the federal funding is in June.
“So we have to act on that immediately,” the mayor continued. “We have them going back to nature, people want good sidewalks and it would be a good thing for this town.”
• Reappointed Barron Caulfield to serve another five-year term on the Water Valley Housing Authority Board of Directors.
• Listened to an update from Water Valley Fire Chief Mark McGavock about purchasing a new fire truck in 2027. The fire chief explained that the city is required by the Mississippi State Rating Bureau to be able to pump 3,000 gallons per minute.
“That equals two trucks that pump 1,500 gallons per minute each,” McGavock added.
The chief also explained that the rating bureau requires that the trucks be replaced when they are 15 years old.
“That means we are going to be due for our second truck in 2027,” he added.
McGavock said the estimated cost for a basic pumper/tanker is $587,000, almost double what the city paid for Big Blue, the city’s newest tanker/pumper, that was purchased in 2022.
“I am putting this out there, this is coming in the near future,” McGavock added about replacing the truck.
• Approved a request from Jamie Scott and James McCormick to paint a UFO on North Court Street. The UFO would be the newest addition for the city’s space walk that starts on the northwest corner of City Park at the sun and extends east on North Court Street to Davidson Elementary School. The Space Walk features seven murals and interactive signs of planets spaced to scale the orbital distance of the solar system. One foot in the cosmic space walks equals 1,388,059.7 miles.
They also reported the next space walk event, a star gazing evening, is scheduled July 20, and marks the 56th anniversary since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.
• Approved a request from Ben Ifshin and Robert Maze with the Yalobusha Greenways Alliance (YGA) to install bollards and signs on the first leg of the 1.5 mile rail-trail in Water Valley. Ifshin reported the group is working to get the trail ready for the grand opening scheduled to coincide with the National Trails Day celebration on June 7.
Ifshin explained the bollards will block ATVS and motorized vehicles from accessing the rail-trail, but are removable to allow access for maintenance and upkeep.
Ifshin also reported that work continues on the long-term vision to extend the trail along with former railroad through Taylor and connect at Oxford.
“We have had some really interesting meetings with folks in Oxford and Taylor during the last couple of months,” Ifshin said.
• Heard a request from Street Department Superintendent Michael Scroggins to cut a dead tree located on an old city alley along Panola Street. Scroggins said the tree is about 70 feet tall and is dead.
“People in that area are worrying about it,” Scroggins explained.
City attorney Daniel Martin cautioned that the city may not longer own the property.
“It is not showing up on this map as an (city) alley,” Martin explained.
Aldermen instructed Martin to research the property to determine if the city owns it.
Scroggins also reported that road work is scheduled on Calhoun Street, Hwy. 7 south and Central Street. He said Calhoun will be overlaid with asphalt while Hwy. 7 and Central Street will be mat and seal, meaning placing tar on the surface and pouring rocks on top of the tar for a new surface.
Scroggins next reported that he needed to order 50 more garbage carts for the city.
“We have people moving in here so much. We ordered the last 100 a year and a half ago,” Scroggins added.
