Magnolia aldermen on Tuesday accepted a new air zone ordinance from the McComb-Pike County Airport board and agreed to begin interviewing applicants for town superintendent.
The McComb-Magnolia-Pike County Airport Zoning Ordinance will regulate the height of objects that are built under flight paths and will regulate the use of property near the airport.
Airport board member Jose Simo said McComb’s city board has already adopted the ordinance.
“McComb had to agree not to build tall buildings within the zones north of the airport,” he said. “Magnolia will have to agree not to build anything surrounding the field that would distract or confuse an incoming pilot,” such as cell phone towers and buildings exceeding 12 stories
Magnolia board attorney Wayne Dowdy said the ordinance is backed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The intention of the ordinance is to prevent anything that can interfere with the flight patterns,” he said.
In a related matter, Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., announced Wednesday that the airport received $186,886 in Federal Aviation Administration funds to acquire land for approaches and rehabilitate an apron at the airport. The funds are part of $9.7 million in FAA funds issued to airports throughout Mississippi.
In another matter, city clerk Melissa Thornhill said Magnolia has received five applications for the town superintendent post.
Tuesday was the deadline to apply.
Current Superintendent John Taylor is retiring in July.
Thornhill said she and Mayor Melvin Harris will review resumés and present a short list of candidates for the board to interview.
In other business, aldermen:
• Accepted a $245, 950 bid from Hemphill Construction Co. of Florence for work on the Weathersby Treatment Plant renovation and construction project, which is being funded by a Community Development Block Grant.
• Agreed to buy a full-page ad in the McComb Lions Club’s horse show program for $210.
• Accepted $3,000 from the Pike County Board of Supervisors for communication equipment, with Magnolia police and fire departments to each receive $1,500.
The money was passed down from Mississippi Emergency Management Agency through Pike County civil defense director Richard Coghlan to be distributed to local first responders.
• Voted 4-1 to purchase quarter-page advertisement in Discover Magazine for $775. Alderman Bud Flowers dissented.
• Voted 4-1 to increase lunch prices for inmate trusties from $4 to $7 per lunch, with Flowers dissenting.
• Agreed to buy a utility vehicle from the Pike County Co-Op for $4,493, to be used by beautification committee members.
• Tabled a request from the Pike County Council of Governments for the city to install signs along Airport-Fernwood Road and John E. Lewis Drive that include directions to McComb, Magnolia, the interstate and the new FEMA shelter.
• Accepted a donated computer worth $3,023 from Mississippi State Treasury Department to be used by the police department.
• Agreed to allow Phelps Dunbar law firm to draw up a resolution to refinance outstanding water and sewer bond debt through the Department of Environmental Quality for $3.4 million.
Steve Pittman represented the firm and said “the interest rate climate at this time is allowing local governments to refinance and achieve the required savings.”
Pittman said state law requires that municipalities achieve at least a 2 percent savings over the life of the debt in order to refinance.
“By refinancing at this time the city will save $100,000 over the life of the obligation,” Pittman said.
