WINONA – The Winona Board of Aldermen voted to purchase more decorative street signs as well as iron trash cans to be installed in downtown Winona. The purchase is the latest in an effort by the City of Winona to improve the city’s curb appeal.
The board of aldermen voted to spend $20,647.74 to purchase additional street signs for the city. This is the second round of signs purchased. Initially, the city purchased street signs from Summit Street (from Highway 51 to Front Street) to Jones Street to the north and from Summit Street to Campbell Street to the south. The additional signs will include complete the city’s commercial corrodors -- Highway 51 from the city limits to the north and city limits to the south; Highway 407 to the city limits, and Middleton Road.
“Mainly, they are going where people come into town,” Mayor Jerry Flowers said.
According to Sue Stidham, director of Winona Main Street, street signs will be purchased as funds become available from the city’s two percent tourism tax on prepared food and beverage. Funds collected through this special tax can only be used to promote tourism, which includes beautification efforts, and improve and expand the city’s park department.
“Our future plans are to continue to move out from where we are right now, north and south, then east and west, until we get the entire city,” Flowers said.
The board also voted to purchase five iron, decorative trash cans at a cost of $2,684 to be installed on Summit Street and Front Street to help combat litter downtown.
The board also approved spending $3,750 to pay for landscaping in eight planters running down the center of Front Street.
Matt Bennett, a downtown business owner, initiated the downtown beautification project, and asked the Winona Rotary Club and the Winona Garden Club for assistance on the project. The Winona Rotary Club donated $1,000 and the Winona Garden Club donated $500 to the landscaping of four planters on the north side of Front Street. Work on these planters have already been complete, and Winona landscaper Joby Jackson was contracted to do the work.
Bennett asked the board to fund landscaping in the remaining eight planters, and the board voted unanimously to fund the remaining work on the project.
In other board business:
• Winona Montgomery Public Library Librarian Wendy Rushing presented the board with a quarterly update of happenings at the library. In addition, she submitted the library’s annual budget request.
• The board voted to renew its healthcare insurance through Mississippi Group Marketing.
• Winona Mayor Jerry Flowers announced that the USDA has requested a full grant application on a proposal the city submitted to add a water tower near the Winona Recreational Park.
• The board accepted the resignation of Keith Harris as a part-time employee at the Winona Recreational Park. The board voted to advertise for part-time employment opportunities at the park.
• Winona Park Director Mike Narmour announced that fall soccer signups are just around the corner.
