The Town of Duck Hill’s gas system isn’t for sale, and won’t be anytime soon.
Mayor Joey Cooley said he spoke with someone from Atmos, about the company’s inquiry about purchasing the system.
“I told him that with it being an election this year, this isn’t the right time to have this discussion,” he said.
Cooley said that Atmos has approached the town before about purchasing the system but were unsuccessful in their attempt.
He said he also told Senator Lydia Chassaniol that he didn’t think it was the right time to have the discussion.
“I don’t know who’s going to be here,” Cooley said to his alderwomen. “It may be all of you, it may be all of us, I don’t know. But, I do know that this isn’t the right time.”
He said the matter may come up down the road, but it won’t be handled right now.
In another matter, Engineer Joe Sutherland told Cooley and the Board of Aldermen his plans to rebuild portions of North Main Street. Sutherland said the town originally applied for $750,000 for the project but wasn’t awarded. He said the town then applied for $150,000 through the Small Municipalities Grant and only received $100,000.
“Our plan was to rebuild all of North Main Street, but we can only work with what we got,” Sutherland said. “And I can only do so much.”
“Basically, you’re saying we’re $650,000 short,” Cooley said.
“There you go, Mayor, now y’all are catching on,” he said, adding that only portions of the road will be able to be completed at this time.
“Maybe we’ll be able to get the rest of the money and complete it somehow,” Sutherland said.
He said that the portion of North Main going toward Highway 404 will be completed, along with a portion of about 300 to 400 feet down that has what’s called “alligator cracking.”
“It’s all cracked up, and it looks like the back of an alligator,” he said.
Sutherland also said his plans include rebuilding the intersection of North Main Street at Martin L. King, Jr and by the former Duck Hill High School.
“I want to rebuild that whole intersection,” he said.
Sutherland also said he wants to redo the pipe there and build on it because it’s “so shallow right now.”
Alderwoman Lula Brown asked about the greenspace the Duck Hill Creek Rangers placed at the intersection.
“I want to pave right up to the curb to make it pleasing to the appearance,” Sutherland said. “But, we don’t have any money for striping so I may have to find someone just to strip it so people won’t run over the curb.”
Also, the Town of Duck Hill has lifted its mask ordinance. At their board meeting Monday night, Cooley said he is under the impression that people are able to decide for themselves if they want to wear masks or not. He said that if businesses wanted to continue to have patrons wear masks, they could, but the Town of Duck Hill won’t mandate it.
“People can decide if they want to wear them or if they don’t want to wear them,” Cooley said.
“They’ve been doing that anyway,” Brown said.
Alderwoman Shernell Everett asked if people would be able to come in city hall or if they would have to come one at a time.
Board Attorney Adam Kirk said that if City Clerk LaSonja Sizemore wanted people to wear masks, then that could happen but reiterated that it’s not something the town would mandate.
“How do you feel about that?” Cooley asked Sizemore.
“I don’t care. If they do, they do; if they don’t, they don’t. It doesn’t matter to me,” she said.
Also, the board:
Approved for Gas Superintendent Frank Faulkner to attend gas school.
Approved for … to hold a Juneteenth celebration for the community.
