When we all cried “Happy New Year!” to start 2021, we hoped we had left the troubles of 2020 in the past. Although fewer headlines contained the word “COVID-19,” it still weaved its way into more stories than not throughout 2021.
In Jackson, we navigated the new normal of the continued pandemic while managing an ongoing water crisis, a freak winter freeze, and trash collection issues. Though the pandemic continues on, we managed to resume somewhat normal activity as vaccines became available and cases continue to go down. As life picked up again, cities resumed delayed projects to make improvements.
The problems with Jackson’s water and sewer go way back to 2012 when the city invested $90 million into a metering and billing system, which failed almost immediately, causing losses of $24 million per year. With the new year, the city approved a contract with Mythics to handle the installation of $1.6 million worth of Oracle software. This new software was hoped to provide the city with the $10 million to $30 million that has been missing from water bill revenues, needed for infrastructure improvements. Additionally, city officials reached out to state legislation for help for those who are having trouble paying their water and sewer bills.
Ridgeland establishes their own solid waste plan leaving Madison County’s plan as the city annexed the area that included the location of the third proposed dump site. They left the county’s plan stating they didn’t need to be accounted for in it since the city’s waste didn’t go to the same landfill as the rest of the county. In the spring, the city receives a grant of $54,375 from the Mississippi Department of Environment Quality for the creation of a new waste management plan.
The new year brings with it road repairs after a year of delays. Ridgeland repaves East School Street in preparation for the new city hall that opened on Feb. 1, and Dewees Road is brought to attention for needing repavements and a two-foot widening. Jackson works on repaving Meadows Drive and Meadowoods Drive.
New businesses and buildings begin to come about in January with Chase Bank building a location at Highland Colony Parkway and Steed Road. A new tax collectors office is planned in Ridgeland, and Fondren works on constructing its $13 million development made up of restaurants, bowling, movies and more. LeFleur State Park announces plans for a new playground equipped with an outdoor classroom and pavilion, which is anticipated to be completed in nine to 12 months.
Fondren implements a virtual neighborhood watch with the hopes of reducing crime and justice being had for those committed. The watch group has a direct link to the JPD Precinct 4 by submitting videos that will be reviewed by officers involved in the program.
2021 has many stuck in limbo between the itch to get back to normal life while also still being in the thick of a pandemic. On one hand, Jackson is receiving a reimbursement of $4 milion for COVID-19 supplies as part of the CARES Act, one of many coronavirus relief plans, and on the other hand, Madison County is looking ahead for after the pandemic at the need for a conference center that will provide a space able to hold more than 250 people.
Issues that were discussed in January that will continue throughout the rest of the year include golf cart use on roads in Madison County, the back and forth of whether public gates in the Woodland Hills and Eastover neighborhoods should be put up, the proposed NCL Waste landfill in Madison County and alcohol with various bills to get the state out of the business.
With the first month of the year, comes the 2021 legislative session. Bills that would allow Mississippi residents to renew their driver’s licenses online regardless of the length of expiration and teacher pay raises are introduced to start the session.
COVID-19 impacts are understood further as the library system audit shows issues as a result of the virus. After being closed for a time during the height of the pandemic, libraries are plagued with budget issues, the struggle of retaining staff and much needed building repairs.
In another search for money, Ridgeland pushes a local bill that will raise the tourism tax from 1 percent to 2 percent in an effort to invest $30 million in an expansion of Freedom Ridge Park. If signed, the tax increase would last for 15 years bringing in $2 million per year. However, the bill will prove to not pass legislation. The project includes eight regulation baseball and softball fields with artificial turf, 16 batting cages, offices for recreation and parks and tournament headquarters, over 1,360 parking spaces and additional multi-purpose trails. It would provide the city the ability to host tournaments and could accommodate up to 100 teams each weekend. Chris Chapman, Visit Ridgeland President and CEO, said the economic impact of a two-day tournament would be $641,250 for the city. Despite the current lack of funding, the plans for expansion will still be pursued throughout the year, but remain in the preliminary stages with an update expected at the beginning of 2022.
Madison County Schools decided to split 6th graders in the Germantown school zone into two schools instead of going directly into Germantown Middle School. The change will happen after 2023 and break the students into Madison Crossing Elementary and Mannsdale Upper Elementary. With this decision, a new building is needed and will be constructed for Mannsdale. As the year progresses, delays will be announced due to complications with construction.
As the session continues, lawmakers address the state removing themselves from the liquor business by 2022 and lowering the tax assessed on wine and spirits from 27.5 percent to 18 percent in a proposed bill.
The fight over the NCL Waste landfill in Madison County continues as mixed signals are sent in February. One day, a letter is sent from NCL withdrawing the permits for the landfill and the next day, a new letter is received changing their request and keeping the permits in place. NCL drops their lawsuit against the county.
With Valentine’s Day comes a historical winter storm causing Jackson to freeze leaving many without power and water. For over a month, Jacksonions had over 70 percent of their water under a boil notice – with thousands without water at all for even weeks. The crisis quickly gained national attention, and over 80 water breaks and leaks were reported to the city in the first two weeks. The city of Jackson and organizations hold events to pass out non-potable water and make efforts to give bottled water to the eldery. The ongoing water issues are exposed on a new level during the storm as the crisis shows much needed infrastructure repairs have been put off for decades. Jackson’s Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba estimates that updating the city’s water system would cost about $2 billion to prevent future crises. This is more than six times Jackson’s annual budget.
Meanwhile, Jackson State’s new head football coach, Coach “Prime” Deion Sanders, gets his first win as a collegiate coach in the spring season, which is meant to replace the 2020 fall season that was canceled due to the pandemic, even as coaches and athletes are without running water.
Speaking of water issues in a less severe form, dredging is scheduled at the Ross Barnett Reservoir to deepen boat channels. Originally scheduled to begin in the summer, the project will also become subject to delays later in the year, along with its newest single family residential development Expedition Point that was originally scheduled for completion this summer.
Some light seems to come from the winter freeze as the reservoir leaders hope that the extreme cold temperatures killed the Giant salvinia for good in the lake – the tropical invasive plant species that has plagued the reservoir in recent years.
While Jackson is asking for state help with the water crisis, which has been declared a national emergency, the city is also asking Mississippi for help with funding for Jackson police officer’s salaries. With a national police shortage, the city struggles to remain competitive with such low salaries offered.
The gate arguments continue as the Greater Eastover Foundation seeks approval for five public gates for the second time. The gates would be located at Eastover Drive at Ridgewood Road, Eastbourne Place at Ridgewood Road, Lake Circle between Restbrook Place and Rhymes Place, Douglass Drive between Ridgewood and Lake Circle, and Quail Run Road at East Manor Drive. Many residents think they are unnecessary as public access gates don’t bar entry as one must just push a button and wait for the gates to open. Others think it will increase property value, slow traffic before entering the neighborhood and be a deterrent to crime.
The following week, the Woodland Hills Conservation Association withdrew its application for two public access gates after taking a look at the impact on the residents near the gates discovering it will impose on property. This leaves only the five gates remaining on the application by the Greater Eastover Foundation. The gating concerns in Woodland Hills also lead to a possible new neighborhood organization.
Alcohol bills continue to be discussed in the session in March as alcohol profits are up $13 million than they were at the same point last year. The back and forth over whether home deliveries should be allowed continues as the bills for Sunday sales, liquor in groceries stores, and direct to consumer out-of-state shipments died early in the session.
District 73 Representative Jill Ford presents a bill regarding the third landfill in Madison County and succeeds as it passes. Her bill requires that any third landfill in a Mississippi county cannot be allowed without an election. This puts an end to the NCL Waste landfill that was opposed by many.
Recess continues over the proposed medical marijuana bill.
Construction is moving throughout Madison County as Bozeman Road and Reunion Parkway take longer than anticipated to start and complete. Highland Colony goes under construction around Costco.
The National Guard has come into Jackson and set up 20 vaccine sites, of which 17 can be open at a time. The drive thru sites are manned by some of the 12,500 members of the Mississippi National Guard deployed to provide COVID-19 relief.
In the city’s yearly review, Madison announces that crime continues to be on a decline as it dropped 16 percent this year compared to last. Ridgeland’s crime numbers also dropped for the year, even as the city grew. Also in law enforcement news, Mississippi Highway Patrol is granted permission to radar in cities regardless of their size beginning July 1.
The legislative session comes to an end in April with highlights of successful bills being a new state flag and a teacher pay raise. Ex-cons are now able to receive a driver’s license, and the Fairness Act has passed requiring athletes to compete as their sex at birth. In big news, medical marijuana failed to pass after Madison’s Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler led the charge with a lawsuit based on zoning issues with the bill. While alcohol bills had a big audience this session, only one was successful and retail delivery will now be allowed to customers.
Another bill that passed and is now awaiting Governor Tate Reeves’s signature is one that will give Jackson relief from uncollected water bills. It will eliminate the uncollected debt so far as the customer paid a portion of the disputed or delinquent bill. As the law stands, the city cannot eliminate debt on its own.
Jackson reallocated $175,000 in April from its budget for Water Sewer Billing Administration, which will go to contracting eight employees and replenishing supplies that were low as a result of the winter storm.
Madison County receives $11 million from the state for road improvement – $5 million will go towards Bozeman Road. The entire cost of that particular road is $24.5 million. Also in March, the county spent large sums of money on road repairs themselves. They spent $54,000 on pothole repairs, $12,500 on altering the road grades, $27,500 on pavements, $890 on digging ditches, $126,000 on road side cleaning costs, $8,900 on sign installations, $7,600 on repairing and installing culverts, and $800 on mowing.
In preparation for the new Mannsdale sixth grade school, a contract was awarded to Stantec Consulting Services to design the conceptual layout and opinion of probable cost for the intersection of Stribing Road at Highway 463. The contract is not to exceed $15,000. The intersection improvements will add turn lanes and a traffic light to the already busy intersection with one school so it helps traffic when there are two schools on the intersection.
In Jackson, North State Street is set to get a makeover with $19.5 million dollars worth of improvements, including adding a sidewalk. The project began early summer.
While the Greater Eastover Foundation awaits word from the city of Jackson to see if they can formally apply for the five gates, the Brecon Drive gate is approved for the Hillway Subdivision.
In preparation for summer, the Madison County Property Owners Association and Sheriff Randy Tucker discuss golf carts and safety concerns. Tucker said in several weeks there were 112 break-ins and all of the vehicles were left unlocked. The most common thing being stolen were firearms. The fact that driving golf carts on county and residential roads is illegal was also discussed. There have been issues with young children driving the carts and not following traffic laws, and they said they’d locate and have discussion with the children if need be.
Violent crime in Jackson is an ongoing problem that many addressed in this year’s neighborhood meetings. On April 22, over three times the amount expected attended the town hall meeting to discuss crime in the city with about 100 people in attendance. In the meeting, Hinds County Sheriff Robert Graham said additional programs are needed to address these societal problems.
Up north, excitement builds as Gluckstadt becomes closer to becoming its own city with their case in the Mississippi Supreme Court. After attempting to incorporate for at least a decade, the community will succeed in becoming a city in June. Mayor Walter Morrison made his first city hire of Lindsay Kellum as city clerk in October and, at the end of 2021, is searching for its first police chief and building official.
The Madison County Library officially does away with library fees and fines this summer after testing out the process during the beginning of the pandemic. Hinds County libraries have yet to follow suit.
The impacts of COVID-19 are far from over as metro restaurants struggle to staff their businesses. Sal & Mookie’s, which opened in April, offered extra bonuses and incentives to join their team.
Another obstacle Fondren businesses have had to face in addition to COVID-19 complications are abortion protestors who target and disrupt businesses in the area. During an incident in April, police were called when protestors confronted the entire patio at Walker’s Drive-In, which is within walking distance to Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the police reportedly became bystanders. Business owners worried about the lack of action taken against the harassment.
As water woes continue, Jackson applies for a $27.9 million loan to repair two water treatment plants. The loan would be a 20 year repayment plan at an interest rate of 1.95%.
It is also revealed that the Jackson water issues date back to unresolved issues in 2017, and changes were mandated in 2020 when a federal environmental watchdog agency issued an order stating “an imminent and substantial endangerment to the persons served by the system” was present. A fire broke out at the end of April this year shutting down two high-service water pumps and the entire plant as a result. A boil water notice was issued for four days.
In good news, May brings the relaxation of nursing home protocol ending many months of lockdown as patrons become vaccinated – reuniting with family, coming together for meals, and authorizations for off-site doctor visits brings a long awaited joy to many.
Ridgeland also has good news in that its sales tax returns to match the pre-early 2000’s recession with a 29 percent increase in sales tax generated compared to last year. Mayor Gene McGee credits the bounce back from the pandemic and business adaptation during COVID-19.
The first month of summer brought the travel itch with it as, for many, they haven’t traveled since the start of the pandemic. With the anticipated increase in summer travel, Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport underwent construction to be completed in June. It included TSA checkpoint expansions, as well as SouthWest adding check in kiosks, a gate, and a baggage claim. Pre-pandemic, the airport had 24 to 25 flights a day. During its peak, some days there were as low as four to six flights. This summer, there were up to 30 flights a day as people got out and about.
Hinds County receives its largest ever allocation of funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in the amount of $22.5 million. ARPA funds are a COVID-19 relief plan that are used most often for water and sewer improvements.
In June, it is estimated that Jackson’s water treatment plant improvements that are necessary as exposed through the recent inspection will be resolved by 2022.
Madison County’s controversial landfill is officially dead after District 73 Rep. Jill Ford’s bill caused an election by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Permit Board. The board voted 7-0 to deny all permits for the landfill on June 8.
Gluckstadt holds its first scheduled meeting on June 22 at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
With crime not showing signs of slowing down in Jackson, Hinds County Supervisor Robert Graham thinks the key to reducing crime is Jackson officers paying attention to drivers who break traffic laws. He said the widespread disobedience of speeding, running traffic lights, and barely stopping at stop signs is the “preamble to bigger issues”. Additionally, the Hinds County jail system is still not meeting all the requirements of a 2016 federal consent decree and settlement, although great improvements have been made. Of 92 problem areas, 30 of them were still unresolved this summer.
On June 29, the gates requested by the Greater Eastover Foundation are approved after much back and forth throughout the year.
As the water saga continues, it is revealed in the summer that the necessary improvements to bring Jackson’s water system up to federal standards will cost $170 million. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba approves water cutoffs to resume Sept. 1 for customers who have not been paying their water bill, which is costing the city millions of dollars. An estimated 14,000 customers are not paying their water bills. The city should have collected more than $6 million a month in revenue from water bills but it varied from $3 million to $5 million a month.
The housing market continues to thrive in the summer months with more than 20 houses priced at more than a million dollars sold already midpoint through the year in Madison County. This is more than double the amount sold in the entire year of 2019. Juanita Kennedy, broker at Kennedy & Co. Real Estate, said it is one of the best years to be in the business since 1989 when she joined it. She contributed this to low interest rates, and skyrocketing costs of building materials making it more affordable to buy instead of remodel.
This summer, clean up at the former popular bar the Dock at the reservoir began to hopefully lead the way to the long planned Harbor Walk development. The bar closed in 2004 and was dismantled to make room for a development that didn’t come to fruition. Harbor Walk is supposed to include a luxury hotel, condominiums, office space, restaurants and retail. The nearly $1 million clean up project had John Sigman, general manager of the Pearl River Water Supply District, hoping that this means the Texas billionaire who owns the lease on the property is getting serious. While the project manager said he couldn’t provide much detail on the plans for Harbor Walk, he said they are committed to it and it will be nice. He also said their main focus is to get the marina back to its glory.
With August comes school resuming and this year students returned to many new renovations across the metroplex. To highlight a few, Madison County schools added air cleaning technology to its building, First Presbyterian Day School added a new building made up of ten classrooms, Jackson Prep renovated its Junior High building, and Jackson Academy’s improvements extended from a newly resurfaced track to a new roof over to cafeteria to concession improvements and a widened gate.
Ridgeland adds electrical vehicle chargers to its ordinances planning for the future and amends its zoning ordinance to strengthen landfill regulations. The new regulations require a new or expanded landfill to have a buffer area of no less than 5,000 feet from the closest existing residential structure and 500 feet from the nearest property line of the adjoining property. Any proposal must also include an environmental impact study or it will not be considered.
Gluckstadt continues to move forward as a new city and rents a building at 343 Distribution Drive for its city hall.
Coming forth as another large problem the city of Jackson has dealt with this year, trash collection comes onto the scene. On August 19, Jackson’s mayor and board held a special meeting to consider a new garbage pickup service through FCC Environmental Services. The contract with Waste Management is set to expire Sept. 30 and time is running down to secure a new contract. Later in the month, the board will reject the bid which would have lowered Jackson’s trash collection from twice to once a week. This creates anxiety among many as there is little time to negotiate a new contract.
In September, progress on the multi-million dollar project to prevent flooding in Belhaven began to show as concrete walls were built and the process of widening the creek began. This was a long awaited project after city council member Virgi Lindsay first brought attention to it in 2001.
Though home deliveries of alcohol were made legal earlier in the year and went into effect in July, months later customers still aren’t seeing the option through many of their retailers as they are hesitant to rush to offer the service because of liabilities.
Children are back in school and parents began to quarrel in the fall months about mask mandates in school. The Madison County School District went back and forth several times on whether the mask was required or not as the case numbers ebbed and flowed. Parents on both sides of the argument spoke out with health concerns for their children.
Growth in Madison County leads to several things for the county. The county has secured an Amazon distribution center – originally scheduled to be open by the holidays and now delayed until the start of 2022. The Amazon center is expected to bring 1,400 jobs to the area. Southern Beverage and UPS also build distribution centers in Madison County with locations in the Ridgeland Business Park adding to the growth along Highland Colony Parkway. With the two combined, the businesses are expected to bring 361 new jobs to the county. UPS has made an investment in the county of $26.6 million and Southern Beverage has made an investment of $28 million.
The growth in the county also makes it necessary for redistricting to happen. The new district lines are expected to be drawn within the early part of the 2022 Legislative Session.
Budgets are adopted with the new fiscal year. Gluckstadt adopts its first year-long budget for 2022 with a budget amount of $3,584,027. Madison County’s adopted budget focuses on road improvements, the city of Madison makes safety a priority in its budget and Ridgeland gives salary increases to city employees in its budget.
With the pandemic slowing, normalcy continues to return as Mississippi’s only PGA tournament returns to Jackson and was expected to bring a crowd of 30,000.
The city of Jackson settles in its airport lawsuit against Superior Asphalt for a delay in a project originally assigned in 2016. The $17.4 million project, which included the completion of a mill and the overlay of the west runway, was completed in April of 2020 – nearly two years behind schedule. The city settled for $1.8 million for the airport.
The reservoir increased its water and sewer prices for leaseholders effective in October because of an increase the reservoir received from its services that it couldn’t afford to absorb for leaseholders.
As water cutoffs begin in the city of Jackson, only 280 Jackson residents are signed up for a pilot program meant to help those behind on water and sewer payments take advantage of state assistance. This number comes from the 14,000 customers who aren’t paying their bill and is much fewer than expected to have signed up.
In October, six months after the town hall meeting focused on violence and crime in Jackson, there has not been much progress, Council member Ashby Foote said. He said there is too much crime, too much violence, and a lot of work ahead. In November neighborhood meetings regarding crime, top police officers even share their cell phone numbers to residents.
In Ridgeland, the police department purchased 12 additional license plate readers for a grand total of 20 to help solve cases in the city. Ridgeland PD also announces they are hiring about the same time that it is revealed that the Jackson police department is operating with 110 less officers than it should be.
Jackson solves its trash collection problem with a temporary fix of a six month contract with Waste Management that will increase customer’s rates by $4.44 per month for a total of $15. The trash pick up remains twice a week.
New businesses and construction in Fondren will only increase traffic in the area with already limited space causing increased need for additional parking. Plans are made for a new parking garage and apartment building behind the Duling School property.
Reservoir officials announce that it does appear that the winter freeze earlier this year killed the remaining Giant salvinia and claim they are very close to claiming total eradication of the invasive plant species.
As Christmas is only months away, stores begin to plan for the rush of holiday shopping. One industry is expected to have delays and shortages: the bookstores. Lemuria in Jackson is a local bookstore and they said the biggest change they’ve seen so far is the changing of publication dates. However, publishers are warning bookstore owners to buy a surplus amount and to buy it if it is possible they’ll need it. Lemuria feels prepared for the holiday season and has bought an abundance of products in preparation.
The ABC warehouse is also seeing delays in shipments causing concern over liquor stores being fully stocked for the holiday season with next day delivery taking nine to ten days.
The water and trash stories continue in Jackson throughout the end of the year. In November, the city said the deadline to get a new trash collection contract is Jan. 4 for after the new Waste Management open ends in March – leaving not much wiggle room for negotiations. The city also moves forward with the plan to install residential water meters. It is expected to take 15 months to replace all the currently defective water meters throughout Jackson.
Christ Covenant School announced plans in November to expand to add a high school by 2023.
Beginning Dec. 1, Pelahatchie Bay reopens to all water activity after many months of being closed due to the Giant salvinia invasion. Also taking effect the same day, fishing permits will be required for those who wish to fish at the Spillway Recreation Area in an effort to reduce vandalism and littering. The permits will be free and require daily registration.
In December, the dredging project announced earlier in the year is said to begin with the new year as the contractor to complete the 190,000 cubic yard project is moving his equipment to the reservoir.
After months of construction, LeFleur’s Bluff playground opens Dec. 10 featuring 80 play activities.
We end the year awaiting the start of the upcoming legislative session to bring new changes to the state and to our Northside homes, looking forward to holiday celebrations with family and friends, and thankful for our readers for following along as we cover your community here on the Northside. Happy New Year and wishing you all the best in 2022.
