Major Zoning Updates Considered In The City
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Employees and commissioners with the Water Valley Utilities Commission met Thursday, May 7, with John Pettit (left), owner of Hometown Grid, during a work session focused on expanding the city’s online interactive utility mapping system.
The commission is working to incorporate water and garbage infrastructure into the platform, allowing customers to interact more directly with utility services. In addition to reporting power outages, customers will eventually be able to report missed garbage pickup, water leaks and other service-related issues through the system.
WATER VALLEY — Water Valley officials are preparing to take a major step toward reshaping how the city handles future growth and development, including a possible overhaul of zoning regulations that have remained largely unchanged for two decades.
During Tuesday night’s meeting of the Water Valley Board of Aldermen, the board authorized the Water Valley Planning Commission to begin exploring consultants and possible funding sources for a long-range growth and development study.
Planning Commission Chairman James McCormick told city officials the effort would focus on preparing Water Valley for anticipated growth over the next five to 10 years and longer while also updating the city’s aging zoning ordinance.
“What we are asking for is permission to find consultants to help us with a five year, 10 year study,” McCormick said. “To help us plan for things. We are poised to grow rapidly.”
McCormick noted the city is currently operating under a zoning ordinance originally adopted in 2006, more than 20 years ago.
The discussion comes as Water Valley continues to experience visible residential and commercial growth, including multiple homes under construction across the city and the first major development activity on the Highway 7 bypass in decades.
Mayor Tommy Reynolds emphasized Tuesday’s action does not appropriate money for the project, but instead authorizes the Planning Commission to begin researching options and potential funding opportunities.
“What I would envision is that we could authorize the Planning Commission to begin this process,” Reynolds said. “We are not appropriating money. First off, we have to make sure we have it before we appropriate it. But also, we can look at some alternative funding sources.”
The board voted unanimously to allow the Planning Commission to move forward with the process.
McCormick also stressed the effort would involve both city officials and the public before any long-term planning decisions are finalized.
“Please understand that this process will require aldermen input and public input,” McCormick said.
The planning commission report was among multiple reports from city commissions Tuesday night including:
• Members of the Water Valley Parks and Civic Commission told aldermen Tuesday night they continue to face growing maintenance demands at city facilities, while also trying to build long-term stability for both Crawford Sports Complex and The Civic.
Parks Commission Chairman Robert Maze said the commission has been heavily focused on park operations at Crawford Sports Complex during the start of youth baseball and softball season. Maze credited volunteers, parents, coaches and the Magnolia Youth League Board for helping get the complex ready for opening day, including hours of cleanup work in bathrooms and around the facility.
The effort followed the loss of the city-employed parks director, who resigned earlier this year.
Maze also told city officials the commission has selected a candidate to fill the vacant parks director position, a recommendation later approved by aldermen during executive session at the close of the meeting.
Commissioner Jessie Gurner then shifted the discussion toward The Civic, which reopened in July 2025 after sitting closed for approximately six years prior to a major renovation effort. Gurner said the facility has quickly become heavily used but still does not have a dedicated operating budget.
Gurner said The Civic is scheduled to host 14 events this month alone and warned that continued use without dedicated funding could create long-term problems.
“We are going to have to have some kind of budget for it,” Gurner said. “For nothing else, toilet tissue and cleaning with the number of people using it each month.”
Mayor Tommy Reynolds agreed the city needs to ensure the building does not fall back into disrepair and told aldermen he would like to see a portion of rental revenue directed back into upkeep and maintenance.
“We need to never let The Civic fall into the shape it did before,” Reynolds said.
Ward One Alderman Joe Magnuson suggested the city formally dedicate revenue generated by The Civic toward maintaining the facility.
“Why not just say that funds generated by The Civic be used for The Civic,” Magnuson asked.
His recommendation was approved unanimously.
“This way, we will know how much money it is generating,” Gurner added.
• Utilities Commission Chairman Brandon Presley outlined several ongoing projects and operational changes in the commission that handles garbage, sewage, water and electricity service in the city.
Presley said the commission is close to securing a lease agreement for the old county jail property, which is expected to become the commission’s headquarters.
“I just spoke with the statewide director of USDA for grants or grant-loan match for this project. We think there are some good opportunities there,” Presley said.
Presley said the Yalobusha County Board of Supervisors is expected to finalize the agreement later this month.
The commission has also started cleanup work around the old city-owned powerhouse property on Blount Street.
“We started cleaning up around that. That has made a major, major impact,” Presley said.
According to Presley, crews have already hauled away piles of scrap metal and debris from the property. Old equipment is being staged on property near Jack’s, with plans for an online auction through Taylor Auction.
Presley also updated aldermen on the city’s ongoing pole inspection and maintenance program through Power Pole Management. The project includes inspecting poles, applying treatments, identifying poles that need replacement and tagging poles for integration into the city’s Hometown Grid mapping and inventory system.
Presley said the current tally includes approximately 130 poles identified for replacement.
“We will start replacing poles annually as part of ongoing maintenance,” Presley said. “That is going very well.”
The commission is also preparing to seek bids for automated water meter upgrades throughout the city.
“We are going out for bids on automated water meters,” Presley said. “Right now we manually read every water meter.”
Presley said the city has already discovered multiple malfunctioning meters that were creating revenue losses.
“We found a number of water meters that aren’t working. That is a revenue loss for the city,” Presley said.
The proposed system is expected to fully integrate with the city’s existing software and allow customers to better monitor usage and leaks.
“The automation will help the homeowners,” Presley said. “It will help with leak detection and alert the customer if there is a steady flow for several hours.”
In sanitation updates, Presley said the commission plans to reduce the monthly fee for a second garbage can to encourage more residents to use sealed containers for trash disposal.
Under the proposal, a second garbage can would cost $9.50 per month, while the first can remains $18.80 monthly.
“We really want to do this to reduce the garbage that blows away if trash is not in the bag,” Presley said. “It also makes it easier for the garbage crews.”
The city recently received 50 additional garbage cans, with some being reserved for major community events including the Casey Jones Music Festival and the Watermelon Carnival.
“We are trying to help clean the city up,” Presley said.
Presley said the commission is also reviewing utility line extension policies tied to new construction and development.
The goal, according to Presley, is to create policies that are fair both to the city and private developers while making expectations clearer for future projects.
