Despite Damage, Downtown Building Not In Danger Of Falling

City workers cleaned up in front of 428 North Main Street after the building’s roof fell in throwing glass across the sidewalk and into the street. The workers used a backhoe to push debris back through the window and reattached plastic lattice. – Photo by Jack Gurner

Mayor Larry Hart describes the area of town still in the flood plain.

By Jack Gurner
Reporter

WATER VALLEY – A downtown building is not in danger of collapsing even though the roof has fallen in, Mayor Larry Hart said.

Hart told Aldermen at their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, July 6, that Building Inspector Billy Humphreys had examined the structure, located at 428 North Main.

“Billy thinks its safe,” Hart said. “He checked it out and, in his opinion, it is in no danger of collapsing at this time.”

A portion of the roof fell during the first week of June shattering the front window and throwing glass across the sidewalk and into the street. City workers cleaned up the glass and put up yellow tape to block off the walkway.

Around the first of July, much of the remainder of the roof fell pushing more debris onto the sidewalk and into the street.

“In consultation with our legal counsel, I deemed that a danger and an emergency situation,” Hart said. “So, we sent the crews up there with the backhoe.”

The Street Department crew cleaned up and used the backhoe to push the remaining debris back into the building. They also put plastic lattice over the open window.

The Mayor said he had talked with the building’s owner, Bobby Suratt. “He has assured me he is going to get some workers in there and straighten that building up.”

Hart told Aldermen he would keep them informed. “I wanted you to know that we are definitely aware of the situation and we’ve done work up there to clean it up.”

Mickey Howley, Water Valley Main Street Director, offered the resources of his organization. “We’ve got low interest loans, façade grants, we can put people in touch with specialists on state tax credits for historical buildings. We’d like to help.”

Among other actions at the first Tuesday meeting, the Board of Aldermen:

• Authorized advertising for a new brush truck.

• Reappointed John Crow as Attorney for the Board.

• Removed $ 22,510.98 in delinquent accounts from the Electric Department books.

“We do remove them, but we continue to try to collect,” Hart said. “It would be in order, as we do each year, to write these off.”

The Mayor explained that it is difficult to prosecute these cases, each costing about $90 to $100 just to get to court. “By the time you spend that you still don’t have a good address on the person because they have moved and left you holding the bag.”

• Agreed to advertise for a contractor to paint the City water tank near BorgWarner.

• Heard from the Mayor that he had participated in a meeting with Yalobusha County Supervisors regarding the flood plain ordinance.

“A while back they checked our town and ruled that we are ‘in the banks’ of the creek,” Hart said. “So, we really have very little flood plain to be concerned about for the vast area of our city.”

The Mayor added that after listening to the presentation by Flood Plain Management Specialist Stacey Ricks of MEMA, there were some areas of the City’s ordinance that needed tweaking. The new version has been submitted to MEMA for approval.

• Entered a five minute executive session at 6:44 to discuss a personnel issue.

• Hired Onia Sims to work in the Electric Department office at City Hall.

• Recessed at 6:49 until July 12 at 10 a.m. at which time bids will be opened for overlay work at the Municipal Airport.