STARKVILLE – Frustration over the lack of sewer service in areas annexed into the city nearly three decades ago surfaced Tuesday during the Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting at City Hall.
Two residents addressed the board during the citizen comments period about the absence of sewer service along Henderson and Sand roads, a portion of the roughly 10 square miles annexed north and west of the city in 1998.
“We live right across from the wastewater treatment plant on Sand Road,” resident Thurman Ward told the board. “… To this very minute, we’re still not on that facility, and it takes away from our property very much as to having septic tanks. … The thing about it is that we know a lot of money is being spent (in Starkville), but we want to know why some of our tax dollars have not come out in our community to take care of some of the problems that we have. … We’re just die-hard citizens, and we want to see our community grow right along with the rest of the city.”
Henderson and Sand roads are the last portions of the annexed territory without sewer service. Over the years, the city has used Community Development Block Grants to extend sewer lines to other annexed areas, most recently along Babylon Road in 2023.
The discussion shifted when two residents raised concerns about the demolition process for a blighted property on Henderson. Their comments drew a response from Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn, who questioned the code enforcement process for the demolition.
“I don’t understand, and another thing I’m not understanding is, what’s more important? Sewage for them or the condition of the … dilapidated house?” Vaughn said. “… Twenty-seven years they’ve been without sewer. … What’s more important? We don’t live like that. … There’s nothing healthy about that, Mayor.”
Spruill began to explain the city is awaiting approval of another CDBG grant that would fund sewer service in the remaining areas, but Vaughn interrupted.
“We’ve been saying that two years … but we move money around everywhere else … but we still can’t find no love and no favor to give these people … city sewer,” Vaughn said. “… You had a five-year deadline to do something. We ain’t did nothing in 27 years, and we still making excuses.”
Spruill did not respond to Vaughn’s remarks during the exchange.
When the city approved the 1998 annexation, the resolution stated sewer service would be extended to areas where it was “economically feasible” within five years. Spruill told The Dispatch the city has met its legal obligations under the annexation but has continued pursuing additional improvements.
“We are not and have not been ignoring it,” Spruill previously told The Dispatch. “We have not been able to … be as quick with it because CDBG grants are sequential. You cannot have two of them at the same time.”
After work extending sewer service on Babylon Road was completed more than four years ago, the city applied for another CDBG but the application was rejected.
Spruill said the city’s latest application has been accepted and is awaiting final approval, though she did not know when the city would receive a decision.
Kratom ban
The board Tuesday also voted to move forward with two public hearings to consider an ordinance that would ban the sale and use of Kratom within city limits. The product is commonly sold in convenience stores as a pain relief or energy supplement.
The proposed ordinance follows recent concerns raised by citizens about addictive properties of the product, as well as bans enacted in February in Tupelo and Lee County.
Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk cast the lone dissenting vote after first moving to table the discussion until Tupelo and Lee County complete litigation related to an appeal of their bans and until the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration determines whether to classify 7-Hydroxymitragynine, a key component of Kratom, as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.
“I think it would behoove us not to put ourselves in a position of trying to invent the wheel when these things are already in the works and to avoid any maybe unnecessary legal (action) if there were an appeal to an ordinance,” she said.
Ward 1 Alderwoman Kim Moreland seconded Sistrunk’s motion to table, though the board did not vote on that motion.
Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins, who represents Ward 6, noted Caledonia, Columbus and Lowndes County prohibited Kratom in 2019 and said the board should proceed to “promote the health, safety and welfare” of the city.
Perkins moved to call for a public hearing, and the motion passed 6-1, with Sistrunk dissenting.
The first public hearing will be held during the board’s regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. March 17 at City Hall.
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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 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
