Monday, February 27, 2023

Jacobs Gets on the Water Plant Ladder

 Jackson Water Manager Ted Henifin inked a six-month contract with Jacobs Engineering last week to operate Jackson's water treatment plants.  WLBT reported Friday: 

After numerous water crises in recent years, many of which were caused in part by a lack of staffing at Jackson’s water treatment plants, the city’s water manager says the facilities are now well on their way to being fully staffed.

That was a major takeaway from a Friday morning press conference announcing Jacobs Solutions had taken over operations of the city’s O.B. Curtis and J.H. Fewell Water Treatment Plants.

The facilities, Curtis in particular, have been ground zero for numerous issues that cut water service for tens of thousands of Jackson and Byram residents in recent years.

Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin says the city’s plants now have a “full compliment of Class A operators,” something that brings the city into compliance with federal and state law, and removes a major factor contributing to the numerous interruptions in services that have left customers in the city scrambling for water not only to drink, but to flush their toilets.

“They now have a full compliment of Class A operators, so we’re not having to work people to death to make sure we have folks there,” he said. “So, we’re in great shape from a compliance standpoint.”

Jacobs officially began Monday. The company is currently operating under a six-month contract and will likely enter into a longer-term agreement later this year.....

Henifin estimates operations will run about $2 million a month.

For the first three years, he plans to cover those costs with federal funds.... Article.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this the landscaping and delivery company which has been incorporated for less than 2 years!!!!! If it is, don’t throw away your unused bottled water.

Kingfish said...

Sometimes I allow readers to show their stupidity and this is one of those times. Jacobs is a publicly traded Fortune 500 company with over 55,000 employees.

Anonymous said...

Here is the politically correct tie-in.

In the meantime, Jacobs has hired the majority of city employees working at the plants prior to their takeover and is currently advertising for other positions online.

“They’ve had a tremendous response to their advertisement for local talent in a variety of areas, including licensed operators that may have had a history of working for Jackson years ago and left for whatever reason to pursue something else,” he said. “So, they’re finding great local talent, not just in Jackson, but [from] surrounding communities and I think they’re getting responses from folks across the country.”



Anonymous said...

Siemens redux.

Kingfish said...

What's your problem with that? One of them they hired away from the health department. She knew her stuff and kept that plant functioning despite the idiots in City Hall for years.

Anonymous said...

Jacobs is a publicly traded company with about 55,000 employees. I believe they are part of the S&P 500. They have some quality people. They have moved in some folks, hired some from the city of Jackson, and hired some from the MS Health Department. This a good leap forward for Jackson.

I still think Henifin's idea of billing based upon property value is absolutely stupid, but the idea of bringing in a plant operator such as Jacobs is a good move.

Burke said...

Thanks for cracking the whip, Kingfish. The facts are clear that the water situation here in Jackson is fast improving. And I agree with you that the retrieval of former employees is bigly positive.

Anonymous said...

Why would someone from the Ms. Health Department (a state job with retirement benefits) leave to take a job with the sewage department????

Anonymous said...

"Jacob's ladder" I see what you did there KF.

Unknown said...

Jacobs is a legit company. I’m surprised they didn’t hire Waggoner or another Neal Schaffer. They’ve been around this area forever.

Anonymous said...

@1:23 I know of at least 2 health department employees that are joining Jacobs. They will be working at the WATER plant, not sewage. They will be Jacobs employees, not Jackson employees. I'm guessing they are leaving for more money.

@1:49 Both Waggoner and Neel Schaffer are good companies. However, I don't believe they operate water plants. Jacobs will be the licensed operator of record for both OB Curtis and Fewell.

I tried to give my wife a complement and she slapped me silly said...

...

Nothing says I R AN AMITER like:

Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin says the city’s plants now have a “full compliment of Class A operators,”


Protip: They need a full complement of operators to properly run things, not more verbal strokes!

Anonymous said...

The facts are clear that the water situation here in Jackson is fast improving.

Besides the Jacobs hiring, and Henifin's propensity for self-puffery, what other facts are present that the situation is "fast improving"?

Anonymous said...

Why didn't our "I am always right and you are a racist" Mayor hire them? Do they have the OVERWHELMING number of their employees qualified and white (God forbid)?

Anonymous said...

Jacobs ability to find and hire qualified employees outside the CofJ employee ranks completely SHATTERS Antard Gumflapper's too oft repeated excuse narrative that those sort of people resources are not available in the metro and/or Mississippi. Do not believe a f'ing thing Mayor Incompetent says about anything.

Anonymous said...

This one makes sense - Jacobs is a quality firm.

What is being overlooked is that the czar has hired the infamous IMS to a contract to take care of the massive number of "small" (less than 24 inch lines) leaks throughout the city.

One has to wonder what sense that makes. Guess it could be worse, could have been Socrates, although it is a good possibility that IMS will now hire Socrates to do the work.

Anonymous said...

Well, all us Jacksonians had better buckle up and get ready for the next decade of the Czar's rule, since it looks like the House is going to kill any hope we have of the system not being run by Jackson and not being run by this third-party intervenor, along with the federal courts.

True, for now the system is working - something it has only done once before in the last decade which was last fall when the state ran it. But do we really want to rely on Judge Wingate being the water and sewer control, and Henefin maintaining his residency here for the next decade?

A chance exists for a good long term solution to this mess - getting the city out of being involved and also getting it under some form of local control rather than the EPA, Dept of Justice, Federal Courts running it, but the House doesn't want the controversy.

Damn what a loss.

Anonymous said...

Each pipe break, water or sewer, provides an opportunity for pollution and/or bacteria in the water supply, downstream from the break.

So Ted, I look forward to twenty+ crews replacing miles of pipe, night and day.

I don't drink Jackson water. At least we don't have to fish for food to eat out of local Choke water streams.

Anonymous said...

Did the contract to hire Jacobs pass through JXN Water?

I don't understand why the salaried manager formed a for-profit on December 7, 2022. If he is taking a salary, and running contracts/operations through his solely-owned company, wouldn't that be double-dipping/self-dealing? Or was Henifin actually hired by hiring JXN Water?

Anonymous said...

@3:13 didn't you get the memo? Infallible Ted made the decision. It must be a great one!

Anonymous said...

KF, I wanted to thank you for keeping us updated on everything going on. I trust your site and just wanted to let you know your work is appreciated.

Anonymous said...

I see what you did there, Kingfish. You cast that plug out under the willows and when somebody took the bait and struck, you kicked in with your usual bull-shit and rammed it up his ass.

You're the master at baiting. No doubt.

Will you ever, ever, ever move on from Antar, Jackson's water problems, sewage and inner-city crime? All that monotonous bull shit will not continue to float this blog.

Anonymous said...

6:06 - No way your post would suffer the wrath of Kingfish's radar. Kiss ass posts are always welcome here.

I would like to say that Kingfish is an honorable man, a man among men, a beacon in the darkness and a credit to his community. This will ensure my post will survive.

Anonymous said...

@7:07

This blog has broken more news stories before our friends at WLBT and WAPT are allowed to talk about it. JXN is dying everyday. People are dying, businesses are dying, and infrastructure has been dead for a while. The Rankin County better thans and the Madison County better offs will continue to make this page thrive. There is a lot of brutal honesty on this site. Some people just can’t handle the truth. Crime, sewage, and JXN’s criminal neglect of infrastructure will always be a topic for discussion until there is none to speak about.

Anonymous said...

It is way more than sewage 7:39PM, Jackson is polluting an entire river with untreated sewage all the way to the gulf. It is criminal and the Federal government is doing nothing to stop it.

Anonymous said...

1:23pm Feb.27
Because our State bureaucracy has been filled by politicians with too many people who are not attracted to public but are supporters or relatives who need a JOB.
Also,it's likely because some people's idea of job satisfaction isn't determined by money alone. They prefer working with competent people in their profession and not some relative or appointee. And, they like solving problems to endlessly arguing and trying to "climb".
I remember well a lot of good people leaving a certain agency here when a retired military officer with zero background in the agency's science and math based work made every work day a nightmare. He was all about politics and worse,making sure everyone he was in charge of every decision including the strength of the coffee. He didn't know much about making coffee either.

Anonymous said...

@3:19 - You obviously have no idea what you're talking about.

PittPanther said...

Those asking why Antar didn't hire more and better qualified people? He didn't have the federal money that just flowed in. Antar was offering professionals a $35,000 salary. If Jacobs is finding qualified people, I guarantee it's at market rate salaries.


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.