McComb Selectman Albert Eubanks tried again for paving further up North Magnolia Street than now planned, and again was rebuffed.
Eubanks broached the subject at the board’s Jan. 23 meeting, but members split on a vote to postpone the matter and Mayor Whitney Rawlings broke the tie in favor of tabling.
“For some reason, we’re going to pave one block of North Magnolia, and it’s not even bad,” Eubanks said Tuesday. “From Johnson to Avenue E is atrocious.
“It’s so bad, I’m afraid someone will lose control of their car. Police and fire vehicles travel that road a lot, and people drive at high speeds. If somebody gets in that valley in the middle, somebody’s going to get hurt.”
Public Works Director Chuck Lambert told the board at the previous meeting that a utility line had been cut in the area and may have collapsed, causing the “valley” in the middle of the road.
Eubanks said Tuesday that at least one area resident had told him the street had been in bad condition and had little attention for the past 30 years or more.
“It’s our responsibility to keep the streets up the best we can,” Eubanks said. “We need to pave it all, not just patch. When it rains, that (patch) is gone the next day. When we have to send workers back out to patch again, we’re losing money.”
Rawlings said the city developed a plan for paving with input from the selectmen, and under the plan, “We are not paving all the streets of McComb.
“North Magnolia is an example of what is exhibited all across the city. We’ve got a plan, and we need to stick to the plan.”
Selectman Donovan Hill again pointed to Rawlings’ successful effort to have two small streets, Jones and 25th, near a Peterbilt dealership added to the paving plan last year.
“We shouldn’t be hindered by your words to stick to the plan, when you didnt stick with the plan,” Hill said. “Every selectman has the right to bring something like this to the board.”
Selectman Ronnie Brock asked for the mayor’s reasoning on adding Jones and 25th streets to the plan, and Rawlings said he would provide a “timeline” on the process at the next board meeting.
Harking back to the previous meeting, Selectman Tommy McKenzie supported holding back on taking action.
“We said we would give Public Works a chance to address this, and I don’t think they’ve had a chance yet,” he said, citing frequent bouts of rainy weather.
Eubanks continued to push for action, saying a woman had come to City Hall to file a $2,000 claim for damage to her car caused by the road.
“Theres a sinkhole started ... It’s potholed up. It’s just bad,” Eubanks said.
Eubanks’ motion to proceed with paving North Magnolia Street failed after the selectmen deadlocked 3-3 and Rawlings voted no.
