CALEDONIA — Caledonia Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday to buy 20 acres southeast of Ola J. Pickett Park for $120,000.
The town plans to begin developing the land, which was part of an 80-acre lot owned by Jim Dowdle, for use as soccer, football and volleyball fields within the next two years, Mayor George Gerhart said.
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors could agree to help pay for the project, which would likely speed up development, Alderman Mike Savage said before the vote.
The town will seek grants as well as funding from the county, Gerhart said.
“(Supervisors) have always been good about helping us down there, so I don”t think that”ll be a problem,” he continued.
Aldermen discussed the land purchase in a closed executive session before finalizing their decision.
In other business, aldermen discussed a proposed water rate increase to pay for new developments to the town”s water system.
The town has paid more than $4 million, including $1.2 million in stimulus funds, for a new well and treatment facility that should be finished by Jan. 1.
“We”ve put the rooster in the hen house; now we can”t get him out,” Vice Mayor Bill Darnell said of the town”s obligation.
To support the new system, aldermen will have to increase water rates by either raising the minimum monthly bills or by creating a flat rate per 1,000 gallons used.
The town currently uses a minimum bill system. Residents inside the town limits pay $12, and those outside the limits pay $14 for up to 2,000 gallons of water, then an additional fee per gallon.
Under a flat-rate system, residents who live inside and outside the town limits would pay the same rate per 1,000 gallons they use.
Aldermen are waiting to see how much the new facilities will cost to operate before deciding which system to use or how much the rates will go up. No public hearing has been set yet.
Aldermen voted Tuesday to send a letter, which is not legally binding, to the Mississippi State Department of Health in Jackson reaffirming that they would pay off the $3 million they borrowed for the project by 2024. The Health Department had asked for the letter, which is due by Friday.
Aldermen also discussed a proposed town ordinance that would ban commercial truck traffic through the town.
The town has recently had three commercial truck wrecks, one involving a chemical truck, Gerhart said.
Aldermen agreed to work with the county”s road department to keep the trucks from cutting through the town, which is between highways 45 and 12.
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