WINONA – A group of downtown business and civic leaders, in partnership with the City of Winona, are joining together to help beautify Front Street.
Matt Bennett, who operates a business on Front Street, came before the Winona Board of Aldermen Tuesday night to ask if the board would partner with downtown businesses to pay half the cost to pressure wash the median on Front Street. The cost of the project is $865, and the city agreed to pay half, $432.
Bennett said his company, Modern Woodmen of America, will put up matching funds to assist in downtown beautification, as part of the My Winona initiative, and the Winona Garden Club and the Winona Rotary Club have agreed to assist in the project.
“The first phase is to power wash the median, the second phase is to plant trees and flowers in the planters, and the third phase is to restripe Front Street,” Bennett told the board.
Bennett said business owners and volunteers will assist contract workers with the project, but city street crews might be needed to remove dirt from around the median.
Mayor Jerry Flowers thanked Bennett and members of the Winona Garden Club who attended the meeting for their efforts to beautify the city.
“I want to thank y’all for your efforts,” Flowers said. “This is what My Winona is all about.”
In other city business:
• Winona Main Street Director Sue Stidham showed the board the new decorative street signs recently purchased with the proceeds of the two percent tourism tax on prepared food and beverage in the city. The signs will be installed in the downtown area in various phases, rotating out from Summit Street. Stidham said eventually, the entire historic district will have the decorative street signs.
• Thursday morning, city employees from several departments will be walking water line routes in search of a possible water leak at the Highway 82/Interstate 55 corridor. Winona Water Superintendent Frank Faulkner was contacted by representatives from Holiday Inn Express, located on Brother Johnny Walker Drive, reporting low to no water pressure at the hotel.
Alderman Mickey Austin, whose residence is connected to the same water main as the hotel, told the board that he has turned on the tap and had no water at all, and other times, he has had extremely high water pressure.
“Water pressure is up and down,” Austin said.
Faulkner said if there is no water leak and the hotel is not receiving at least 20 pounds of water pressure, a booster station will be the easiest way to fix the water pressure at the hotel and across the north-northwestern part of the city.
The board voted to move forward with adding a booster station in the event a leak is not found, and according to Faulkner, the cost of the project will be more than $50,000. Flowers said he will begin seeking possible funding help.
• Faulkner announced that Winona’s water will be discolored for a few days due to repair and maintenance at the water treatment plant. However, he said the water has been tested, and it is safe. The discoloration is due to sentiment being stirred up during the repair process.
• The board voted to advertise for concession stand workers at the park and water department personnel.
• The city approved the hiring of Calvin Davidson at the Winona Street Department.
• The board voted not to renew its Air Evac membership.
• Flowers informed the board that $300,000 meant to assist the City of Winona in street paving was cut from the recent bond bill approved by the Mississippi Legislature. Flowers said Representative Karl Oliver worked to get the money earmarked for Winona, however, the measure was cut from the final bond bill.
“I thought we were finally going to get Powell Street taken care of,” Flowers said.
• The board voted to move forward in creating an ordinance forbidding residence from blowing grass clippings and leaves into the city’s streets and storm drains.
• The board voted to move the city’s garbage bins at the City Barn to the Greensboro side of the property. The bins will be placed behind gates, to be used only during business hours. If the bins are filled, the gates will be locked until the garbage can be collected. Video cameras will be used to ensure illegal dumping does not occur while the gates are closed.
For years, the board has debated solutions for stopping garbage being littered around the dumpsters either by overflow or those picking through the trash.
