Would a city engineer have thought of checking for asbestos while repairs were being made at Thalia Mara Hall in downtown Jackson?
Possibly, according to one Northeast Jackson resident who is an engineer.
The trouble is the city of Jackson lacks a city engineer and it’s unlikely one will be hired until after the general election in June.
Michael Gray-Lewis, a Rollingwood resident and forensic engineer who deals with massive building problems and repairs daily, believes asbestos should have been expected to be found in Thalia Mara Hall, considering the age of the structure unless there were records indicating asbestos remediation had already been performed in the past.
“This speaks volumes about the experience and capability of the city-contracted engineering firm while highlighting the importance that Jackson must establish and invest in engineers who have both technology and field experience,” he said. “I know plenty of engineers who are geniuses, but they have never swung a hammer. That seems to be the issue here.”
Pete Perry, a Jackson resident and member of the One Percent Sales Tax Commission, is not sure that a city engineer would have thought about testing for asbestos while Thalia Mara Hall was being repaired.
The city of Jackson has lacked a city engineer since April 19, 2024.
Robert Lee, the last engineer to be employed by the city, resigned from the position to move to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and go to work for the city of Gulfport.
Efforts to fill the job with a single person were not successful.
In July 2024, the city contracted with a private firm to take on engineering duties for the city of Jackson at least for the next year. The council approved a $700,000, one-year contract with Al-Turk Planning and Development for services that would typically be provided by Jackson’s Engineering Division.
Perry said it was appalling that Lee was the only engineer the city had and that it doesn’t have a public works director, chief engineer or engineer.
With the general election set for June 3, it’s unlikely anyone would even want the job of city engineer at this time, he said, since that could bring a change of administration.
At presstime, Thalia Mara Hall was scheduled to reopen today, January 31.
