A new Starkville municipal complex is one step closer to becoming reality.
The Starkville Board of Aldermen Tuesday passed a resolution authorizing the city to move ahead with plans to construct and lease a municipal complex — to replace the old Starkville Electric building on Main Street and to house a new city hall and an improved police station — without any immediate tax increase or the use of general obligation dollars.
“I didn’t think this was possible,” said Mayor Parker Wiseman. “When the police department bond failed, I would have never thought we could have met our ever-growing facilities needs, without a tax increase.”
The aldermen also passed a revised version of the city’s sidewalk ordinance and an attempt to overturn a rezoning request for an area off South Montgomery was defeated, during the four-and-a-half-hour meeting which drew a number of concerned residents.
Municipal Complex
The construction of the new facilities will be a part of a public-private partnership between the city and West Brothers Construction, with whom the board authorized negotiations in February.
To pay for the $8 million project, the city will sell the proposed property to West Brothers and lease it back over 20 years, after which the city will reacquire ownership.
The proposal consists of two main projects: A new $6.7 million 24,500-square-foot city hall on which construction could begin as early as August and a $1.3 million renovated and expanded police department in the current city hall building.
Demery Grubbs, a consultant from Government Inc., of Jackson, explained to the standing-room-only crowd how the city could afford the lease, without a tax increase. He said utilizing the city’s sales tax for a three-year period and leasing 2,400 square feet of new building space means annual payments on the lease will not be a problem.
“Currently (Starkville) is looking at 10 years of growth — a 3.4 percent growth in sales tax each year, on average, for the past ten years,” Grubbs said, “This would generate annually about $188,000 a year. To not increase taxes, we are proposing we use annually $153,000 of sales tax.”
The sales tax money alone would not cover any of the annual payments on the lease. But an old debt rolling off left the city with access to an additional $198,000, next year. Combined, the city easily could meet the first lease payment of $272,000.
Before a 4-3 vote in favor of the resolution, Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins, who voted against the plan, said repeatedly how angry he was with the board for what he viewed as an encroachment on public rights.
Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn and Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver also voted against the resolution.
The city has failed to pass two bond issues proposing similar projects in recent years and Perkins said the board was blatantly ignoring the citizens. Perkins also questioned Grubbs’ plan of relying on future growth to pay for the lease.
“The taxpayers have spoken twice on this issue. (The board) is trying to go around the voice and mandate of the people,” Perkins said. “Where is the money going to come from if the growth falls short? They are going to increase your millage. I’m not against this, but this is not the right way to do this. Whatever the people say, that prevails.”
Despite the controversy, Wiseman said he is interested to see how the resolution plays out and he is optimistic.
“I am excited to see what is possible, when public and private sectors collaborate to meet public needs,” he elaborated.
Sidewalks and rezoning
Instead of trying to focus funds on high-density and development areas most needing sidewalks, the city now will exempt certain areas from an updated sidewalk ordinance. Under the city’s old ordinance, sidewalks were mandatory on every street, though sidewalks had not yet been installed on every street.
Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas presented a revised version of the same ordinance that was voted down at the last board meeting. “There was just some confusion in the way it was presented to the board. This version is pretty much the same, with the exception of one small area and some language that was used,” Dumas said. “All the basics remain the same.”
Little opposition was voiced for the revisions, but a vote on the ordinance was split, 5-2, with Perkins and Vaughn voting in opposition.
In another matter, the board voted against rezoning a 12.45-acre piece of property west of the Maison de Ville subdivision.
Parkway Development Inc. President Richard Ambrosino requested the rezoning after it was denied by the Starkville Planning and Zoning Commission.
Several homeowners from Maison de Ville, were present to oppose Ambrosino’s plans to put in luxury student housing on the property.
R.J. Reed, of Brandon, drove to Starkville to take part in the public hearing.
Reed expressed concern over who would move into the potential development and cited possible reasons students would disturb the home in which he one day hopes to retire.
“My place in Maison is an investment for me, potentially a retirement home,” Reed said. “Of course, the students need housing and this is a nice development, but I don’t relish the idea of some student on a balcony, looking down on me.”
The aldermen voted 5-2 to deny the rezoning request, with Ward 4 Alderman Richard Corey and Ward 3 Alderman Eric Parker voting in opposition.
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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