The old hospital property needs to be cleaned up, trash needs to be dealt with properly, and some people want to make sure they can pay water bills by phone. These were matters taken up by the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen at its Nov. 19 meeting.

Ward 6 Alderman Andre’ Spiller said there’s still no sign of any improvements or demolition taking place at the site of the old King’s Daughters Hospital. The red brick building sits at the corner of West Congress and North Jackson streets, and has been a topic of discussion for years at city meetings.

The second site of the area’s first hospital, King’s Daughters was located on this corner from 1922 until 1964, when it relocated to Hwy. 51 N, where it is now known as King’s Daughters Medical Center. It had begun in a home on West Chickasaw Street in 1909.

In the 60 years since it closed, the North Jackson/West Congress location has changed hands several times, and gone through various states of repair and disrepair.

The current owners do not live in the Brookhaven area.

“What’s the next step of getting it taken care of?” Spiller asked.

Board attorney Bobby Moak said he would send a letter to the property owner to get a formal answer on what they intend to do with the property. Once that reply is received, the Board can determine what it wants and is able to do.

Concerns were also expressed by Ward 4 Alderman Jeff Henning and Alderman-at-large Don Underwood about apartment complexes utilizing the proper containers for trash disposal. Some that have individual cans for each unit are supposed to have a central dumpster instead, Underwood said. Moak said he would make inquiries into that matter, as well.

Ward 2 Alderman Shannon Moore asked Public Works Director Kris Xifos if large dumpsters would be placed around the city once again for holiday trash, and if water bill customers had a hotline available to pay their bills by phone rather than come into the office. Xifos answered yes to both. The dumpster dates will be announced later, and the Water Department phone number is 601-833-7721, for bill payments, questions, and other pertinent concerns.

 

In other business:

• Engineer Ryan Holmes said he would have quotes at the next meeting for speed bumps constructed out of asphalt rather than rubber.
• Engineer Mike McKenzie said the Rubbish Pit was completed except for a final inspection, and an inspection by the Department of Environmental Quality, which would come after the first of the year.
• McKenzie also said the water line in Oak Hill was complete, and services would begin the week after Thanksgiving.
• The Board approved Pay Request 7 to G. Rayborn Contracting LLC in the amount of $72,967.06 for work completed on the Rubbish Site closure.
• The Board approved Pay Request 3 to Greenbriar Digging Service in the amount of $161,442.86 for work completed on the 2023 Brignall-Browns Loop Sewer Improvements CDBG Project.
• … approved the lower quote from Kirk Brothers of Grenada in the amount of $40,800 each for the purchase of two 2024 Dodge Durango SUVs for the Police Department, for a total of $81,600. The other quote was for $41,095 each, from Pine Belt Auto Group of Hattiesburg.
• … approved a one-year anniversary salary increase of $1 per hour for Treviaunte McDaniel, Water Department laborer, from $10.55 to $11.55.
• … approved to hire Kenneth Demyers and James Clay III as laborers in the Water Department at $10.55 each, pending drug tests, background checks, and physicals.
• … approved to retroactively correct the pay for BPD patrolman Ricco Carter with an increase from $47,250 to $51,250 annually. He had been hired Nov. 5 as a patrolman with 5 years’ experience, but it should have been 10.
• … approved a pay increase from $45,000 to $47,000 annually for Firefighter First Class with 10 years of service David Spray, for completion and certification of Emergency Medical Responder, effective Oct. 1.
• … approved the resignation of Water Department laborer Christopher Rushing, effective Nov. 18.

The Board’s next meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Boardroom of the Lincoln County/Brookhaven Government Complex on South First Street.