The Columbus City Council Tuesday night likely will approve a motion to block off areas of the Sandfield community, for the 10th annual Sandfield Community Homecoming Festival, slated for Friday and Saturday in the 2400 block of Fourth Avenue South.
For the two-day event, Fourth Avenue South, from 23rd Street to the beginning of 24th Street and 23rd and 24th streets, from College Street to Washington Avenue will be blocked off.
In other business, the Council agenda calls for the board to:
n Discuss a request to execute general agreements for the 2009 Transportation Enhancement Urban Youth Corps Program.
n Discuss a request to schedule cost assessment hearings for the cleanup of dilapidated properties for June 2.
n Approve a request to send five Columbus police officers to the standardized field sobriety testing training program to be held at the Holiday Inn on Highway 45 North.
n Approve a request to send four police officers to the basic gang school to be held in Meridian.
n Approve a request to declare Aug. 4 the “National Night Out on Crime” and approve a request for site representatives to solicit donations for the event.
n Approve a request for one fire captain and two engineers to attend a training class to be held at the Mississippi Fire Academy in Jackson.
n Approve a request to compensate poll workers and custodians for assisting the voting precincts during the May 5 and June 2 elections.
n Approve a request to send two Municipal Drug Court personnel to the Mississippi Drug Court Training Conference to be held in Natchez.
n Hear general comments from the mayor and council members.
n Hear Police Chief Joseph St. John swear in police officers.
n Hear Columbus Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong present the following board vacancies:
— Historic Preservation Commission: Two vacancies; four-year term. Mike Lowery and Betty Miller”s terms will expire on May 16; appointments can be made Tuesday. Both members have applied for reappointment.
— City Utilities Commission: One vacancy; five-year term. David Shelton”s term will expire on June 30; appointment can be made on June 15. There are no applicants at this time
— Municipal Election Commission: Five vacancies; four-year term. Adeline Finley, Leon Speck, Ruby Harrison, Joyce Parks-Johnson and Clyde McElrath”s appointments will expire on June 30; appointment can be made on June 15.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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