The Madison County Journal published a progress report on the Sulphur Springs park. Needless to say, the supes are very proud of themselves:
A $2 million 60.05-acre lake project under construction in rural, thinly-populated northern Madison County is being defended by county supervisors as an economic development boon that will help fight obesity and raise property values, despite rising concerns over things like an operating budget.
The 60.05-acre Sulphur Springs Park project off Mississippi 43 between Canton and Camden is "moving forward," Gerald Steen, the president of the Madison County Board of Supervisors, said this week.
Much of the clearing for the lake has been completed and dam construction is expected to begin within 30 days, officials said.
Holly Ivy, whose mother's home is adjacent to the park, says she does not think the park is a good expenditure of taxpayer dollars.
"Why are they building it? That's what I want to know. There's nobody out here. And the people from Madison and Ridgeland are going to go run and hike where they always have - the Reservoir," said Ivy.
Ivy wasn't the only one. Back in January a group of property owners and residents in the area voiced concerns in front of supervisors about the project, to no avail.
Despite the objections, the project is well under way, says County Engineer Rudy Warnock, who is overseeing the project.
"Within the next 30 days we will commence construction of the dam for the lake and conclude all dirt work for phase one," he said.
Warnock says the project has generated six new jobs already, and anticipates more to come.
But staffing the park is also a concern.
County Comptroller Shelton Vance says there's been discussion among supervisors about staffing needs, but nothing has been finalized at this point.
"I am certain that sheriff's deputies will be asked to patrol the area, but I don't know the details at this time," said Vance.
District 5 Supervisor Paul Griffin, the supervisor in whose district the park is located, said security at the park should not be an issue.
"We'll have park hours posted, and we have all the confidence in the world in our sheriff's department," said Griffin.
But where the money is going to come from to pay for the park - and the utilities and services offered therein - remains a mystery.
Griffin says there is no possibility that an admission would ever be charged for entry to the park unless it was for a special event.
Yet, no other source of revenue has been put forth to offset the expenses associated with maintaining a 62-acre park that will feature walking trails, kids' playgrounds, a picnic area and an 18-acre lake.
Vance on the other hand, seemed to think an admission fee to the park was not out of the realm of possibility.
"We haven't discussed an admission fee," said Vance, "but that doesn't mean that one would be opposed."
"If you look back to any city that's built a park, taxpayer money went to build it," said Griffin.
"Long-term goals the park will help with exercise, playground equipment for kids. So you get the kids moving and it will contribute to cutting down on childhood obesity.
"We hope to see an RV park somewhere in the area soon. People are gonna be fishing there and stuff. We're hoping to raise property values. That's what every supervisor hopes. Once people start coming to the area and it looks good, they'll start moving there," Griffin continued.
But Ivy and others disagree.
"Last time I checked, elected officials don't do nice things for people anymore. I have a hard time believing that this project in the middle of nowhere is just to benefit the thousand some-odd people out here that are directly close to it," Ivy said.
"You don't do a project just because somebody agrees to let you do it," she added.
Vance says Sulphur Springs offers a different level of service than one such as Strawberry Park in Madison, for instance.
"I hesitate to call north Madison County the 'middle of nowhere.'
"If you look around the state, many of the most successful parks are not in the most accessible areas of the state," said Vance.
Sulphur Springs Park is expected to open some time in late spring of 2014.
Kingfish note: This is what Madison County residents wanted. They voted for this in 2011. In fact, they kicked D.I. Smith off of the board. Why shouldn't the supervisors engage in boondoggles such as this one. The voters told them they could do it.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Work continues on the Park in the middle of Nowhere
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24 comments:
So...which campaign contributors, close friends and relatives will be making money and finding ways to give it back?
That's politics in MS.Doesn't matter if the politician is Republican or Democrat or African American or Caucasian.
Maybe we should give Latinos or Asians a shot at being honorable.
The only way this park will fight obesity is if people from Ridgeland and Madison are forced to walk there.
Time for the FBI to return to MadCo to see where the money is really going.
Land owners in a mile each direction would be interesting and are they will to sell for neighborhood development?
One more example of the GREED of the Madison County Board of Supervisors!!! They are bleeding this county dry for self-gain and all those in positions to do anything about it turn blind eyes to the situation!!! An honest individual can no longer be elected to the office of supervisor in Madison County. D. I. Smith is an honest, upstanding individual and we all saw what happened to him. Billy Redd is an honest individual and the sitting board made sure that he would not even get to the point of the election process!! The present board of supervisors might as well be a part of the Nobama administration - their lack of ethics and lack of honesty in government is the same!
"Cleanup Aisle Seven" is now sporting a neck chain and goatee.
4:26 is your comparison to Hinds and Rankin counties, or all politicians? McCain said on national Tv politicians ranked just below a colonoscopy.
4:40 sounds like Karl Banks.
Anyone with an IQ above 70 knows shenanigans are afoot, but what sort exactly?
Maybe I'm late to the party and this already has been hashed out? Who owns the land? Are there Warnock cronies who plan to develop out that way?
I mean, there are only like a half dozen kinds of chicanery it could be. Surely Kingfish can tell us which one.
Anything and everything that has happened since the rein of David Richardson has involved Rudy Warnock. Watch for it.
Is that really the park's name? Are they relying on no one's thinking what sulfur smells like?
Certainly, something does smell rotten here, and it ain't just sulfur.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Tim Johnson is still controlling things behind the scenes, like the health insurance. He is getting commissions.
I notice TimElvis is still driving a black Crown Vic with black windows, which is illegal. I assume he 'purchased' the Vic after he had it marked down in value to about two thousand bucks, but the windows are illegal, even for a celebrity.
Dumb Bell does what Tim Johnson and Krooked Karl tell him to do.
That lake can turn into a lagoon for a housing development like what is on King Ranch Road-A lot of affordable housing money out there--another way to get richer!!!
8:18
Is this something of a rumor about Tim getting commissions ?
Do you have any evidence (BCBS commission report)
"Integrity" firm. TJ is part owner. they have the insurance.
"Last time I checked, elected officials don't do nice things for people anymore. I have a hard time believing that this project in the middle of nowhere is just to benefit the thousand some-odd people out here that are directly close to it."
Ms. Ivy is a very smart individual.
And KF, this is not what ALL residents wanted. Seems to me, there was a little 'Hattiesburg politics' going on.
3:30
Debbie Judon is listed as the agent!
Oh alright. If someone will post the address/legal description of the property, I can do a quick search and find out who owns what. Y'all, it isn't like it's hard to do. The info is on the interwebs.
Elvis gets his kick-back...er commission from a company that offers county employees supplemental insurance..similar to aflac. (Guardian possibly,) The county has had open enrollment the past few weeks.Two weeks ago at an enrollment meeting in the B.O.S. room a couple of employees of the S.D. were inquiring and noticed that said company had ALL their personal and employment info on their computers. The sheriff was summoned, computers confiscated,and the reps were back the next day.The county has made no statement to employees relating to this breach of privacy...Yet
Elvis gets his kick-back,err, commission from a supplemental insurance offered to us county employees. Similar to aflac but not as good (Guardian possibly) The county has had open enrollment the last few weeks. During a meeting in the B.O.S. room 2 weeks ago a couple of sheriffs employees were inquiring with said company and noticed they had ALL personal and employment info already on the company computers. The sheriff was called, computers confiscated, and the reps were back the next day !! The county has not mentioned or explained to employees how the private company had this info.This is a serious privacy issue and should be addressed.
It got the information from the County, probably the interim administrator.
This is done all the time, there was a confidentially agreement signed to cover the data.
I think there is a problem of accusing someone of getting kickbacks.
Look up what went down in Lafayatte county between the insurance agent and a suoervisor.
Two people went to jail.
What did John Bell do with all those Colonel Sanders suits? Is there an 'earthen dam' on the property in question? Will the Canton '55' Lagoon be Rudy's construction model? Is Timelvis really under the podium during Board meetings? What will be cost of the tunnel from Lost Rabbit to Fannin Landing? Is Mary now selling jeweled peacocks at her antique store? What about those autopsy results.
6:11 a.m.; Kingfish won't touch that last subject with a fourteen foot pole.
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