Maben has saved up enough to buy a new city hall.
Rather than spend a $100,000 Small Municipality Grant from the Mississippi Development Authority in 2010, the city board chose to pocket that money in hopes a second round would help the city put up a new building, rather than renovate the old one. Add to that $50,000 left to the city in the estate of Lloyd A. Cummings, who passed in the 1970s, and saved for an occasion just like this, and the city found itself with $250,000 when the MDA awarded Maben another Small Municipality Grant this year.
Now Mayor Larry Pruitt and the city board are looking forward to knocking down the 40-year-old, 1,900-square-foot building in April — after asbestos testing has been completed — and erecting a new 2,500-square-foot replacement on the same site.
And it was about time, too.
The old building was plagued by a leaky roof which had allowed moisture to seep in and breed mold and mildew. Pruitt, who suffers from allergies, had always assumed the headaches he suffered at the building were job-related, but following a do-it-yourself moisture test, purchased from a hardware store, he knows better.
“It was time to get the ladies out. I have bad allergies myself, and I”m not there full-time, so I know it has to be hard on the employees,” said Pruitt.
There were other reasons to abandon the building. In the city clerk”s office, a makeshift wooden support beam prevented the roof from collapsing. Ineffective wall-mounted air conditioning and heating units used up too much energy. And outdated design makes the building handicap inaccessible.
On March 21, Pruitt and his staff relocated to a two-bedroom manufactured home on Highway 15 next to the old Odis Wicks Elementary School. The city purchased the home for $4,000 to serve as its administrative offices for the next year while the new city hall goes up and will sell the home when it”s finished.
Municipal court proceedings and the downtown voting precinct will move next door from city hall to the Maben Fire Department building, but will return to the new city hall with new furniture donated by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Jackson, which is renovating its offices.
Employees will also return to central heat and air conditioning, which will be more comfortable and cost effective.
In order to put the entirety of its $250,000 toward the new city hall, Maben asked the county to handle the demolition of the old building. But materials such as wiring, steel beams and even doors will be recycled to use in the new building. Pruitt said the city is seeking additional funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission, but he and the board are “trusting in the good Lord above that bids come in right at $100 per square foot.”
Maben has designs of making city hall the first of several downtown buildings to be replaced or renovated. Pruitt hopes the busted windows and interior at Wicks Elementary can be repaired through grants in order to hold GED classes formerly held at city hall.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.