Thalia Mara remediation to take 4-8 weeks.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is holding his regular briefing right now. He is expected to discuss the restoration of Thalia Mara Hall. The presser is live-streamed below.
* Mayor Lumumba immediately addressed Thalia Mara Hall. He said the HVAC system was not turned off between events. The HVAC system failed during a weekend, thus driving up the humidity and creating ideal conditions for "microbial growth." Mayor Lumumba kept using the word "microbial" as he avoided use of the word "mold."
Mr. Williams said the use of the term "microbial growth" was not a dodge. He said the firm hired said it did not qualify for the term "mold." He said it could be called "mold" but it is not toxic or black mold. The Deputy Director said it was the kind of mold that develops when something is wet too long.
He estimated the best case scenario was for the remediation process to take four weeks and the worst case to take eight weeks. Fortunately, the legislature appropriated $1 million for Thalia Mara repairs this year.
Hizzoner said the stage, orchestra pit stage, fire curtains, and elevators are being reviewed. Wi-fi service was disconnected because of work on the planetarium. Once the work was completed, wi-fi service was restored.
The city will create a tab for Thalia Mara Hall on the city's website. The tab will lead to a page that provides updates on repairs.
As for plumbing problems, Mayor Lumumba said only five of dozens of toilets were not working. A new elevator has been ordered for the auditorium. He said more renovations are planned.
Mike Williams, Deputy Director of Human and Cultural Services, said a strategic plan has been in place for over a year. Mayor Lumumba said the city has obtained most of the money needed for repairs.
WLBT's Anthony Warren mentioned the City Council approved a $5 ticket surcharge for restoration. The reporter asked what happened to the fee. The Mayor said he did not know. He said "what we are met with right now is a building met with maintenance needs over time."
The Mayor said the schedule of fees will be "updated."
* JATRAN and MV are heading back to the bargaining table. The Mayor said he supports an effort by both sides that focuses on the "ridership."
44 comments:
He said what I expected to hear. A lot of blah blah blah.
Keep spouting your lies, Mayor! The HVAC being down over one weekend did not cause the mold situation. And by the way, didn't you say not too long ago that it wasn't mold at all? Geez.
Only 5 out of 12 toilets weren’t working???????
Thalia Mara has likely seen her last show.
"I wouldn't know, I haven't been here for a decade." Chokwe L. 9/9/24 7 years, 2 months after beginning his first term in office.
To confirm the date, I went to his Wiki page. Someone needs to edit it to correct the record. Or in the alternative let him slide again on half-truths and wording. Correct he hasn't been here a decade only 72% of a decade.
Lil Choke only attended one Budget session with the Council in the last year (per WLBT today) and that was a field trip to the zoo, the only part of Jackson he likes. So he should be a zookeeper, not a mayor and BTW, that zoo is not a keeper.
When they blow smoke up your kiester and try to tell you it's a barbeque!
HELLO city auditors! Where is the restoration fee revenue?
That money is long gone I suspect.
He was bragging about the toilet situation
The Mold New City
"Last week, discussions were temporarily halted after Fire Chief Willie Owens was unable to tell council members how many vacancies he had within the department.
It also took several days for council members to get to the bottom of a $3.7 million line item for water and sewer employees.
“The question that comes to all of us is if you had $3.7 million in the presented budget and there’s $902,000 [in expenses], where is the rest of that money?” Banks asked. “How did that mistake happen?”
We reached out to Jackson Director of Communications Melissa Faith Payne for comment.
She asked why council members weren’t concerned about Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who hadn’t attended any committee meetings.
Lindsay and Banks say Stokes is not a member of the Finance Committee. https://www.wlbt.com/2024/09/09/mayor-no-show-most-jackson-city-council-budget-meetings-this-year/
Bless her heart, hope she she gets paid to try!
If the HVAC being down for a weekend caused this, then why isn’t every house and building in the state full of mold? We have all have an HVAC go out at some point. He can’t even lie well anymore.
News flash, Chumpwumba: Toxic and Black are not species of mold. However, spores in sufficient quantity from the species of mold identified in the report can cause adverse health reactions in people sensitive to those spores. Breathing spores in sufficient quantity over enough time (varies from person to person) is definitely hazardous.
I appreciate your summaries so much, as I cannot listen to his lying voice!
Only five of 12 toilets not working?!? He says that as if that’s acceptable. However, I guess that means 7 of the 12 toilets are working, which qualifies as a laudable achievement in the Lumumba administration. At least he is keeping his record clean, nothing that ever goes wrong is his fault.
I have always wondered people don't call a roofer if you see leaks. Call a plumber if the toilets don't work. How hard is this. I would bet my paycheck if you went up to the roof the leaks are caused by bullet holes.
Two skills vital to politics that Chalkline has perfected: it's never his responsibility and gas lighting the public.
I think they are legitimately embarrassed by this. Hope they follow through on repair/refresh. The facility is acoustically designed and that makes a huge difference vs. multi-purpose arenas.
Just what exactly is the "ridership" of JATRAN currently?
“The question that comes to all of us is if you had $3.7 million in the presented budget and there’s $902,000 [in expenses], where is the rest of that money?” Banks asked. “How did that mistake happen?”
I have no idea why Banks think these 'misplaced' funds are some sort of a "mistake". There are other words that come to mind, but not "mistake"
58% of the toilets are working. That’s something to be proud of.
I am starting to think the zoo is a front for something. I hate to see Jackson like it is. Maybe if they changed the name it would magically improve overnight. Chalklineistan. Chalklinetroit.
I am thinking about writing a mystery novel entitled “The Case of the Missing Surcharge Fees”.
3:23 - you will never know. They can’t finish a published audit.
And I don’t know why the Feds haven’t cut the Fed funds off.
When it was recently exposed that debt service monies were being accounted for under 'Miscellaneous' I knew immediately that was an unaccountable slush fund.
Banks though didn't pick up on it, at least not publicly.
The maya’s biggest fear is the folks he’s been giving speeches to find out that he is a fraud. The biggest racist fraud!
"Mold New City" is quite clever though Moldavia is taken for a geographical name.
Any non-JPD high school accounting class could do a better job at keeping the books for the City of Jackson.
But lets be real, the average (non-JPD) middle school kid could also outperform most of the city employees and elected officials in all areas.
I skipped over 40 posts to ask a simple question: How the hell does the MAIR know when or whether, in fact, the AC unit was functioning?
Can't this guy just stand-down and shut the hell up for a day or two.
Following are the seven words I detest more than fingernails on a black-board or a gasoline enema:
"The presser is live-streamed below."
When is the FBI going to come get this fool? Please also close the Zoo.
To the previous comment about the Zoo being some kind of "Front", the only thing the Zoo has in common with Thalia Mara Hall is that the cost to restore either is going to be higher than giraffe pussy.
that clown lumumbles could not even tell you who thalia mara was.
Ask for a copy of the City’s last 3 years of state law mandated annual audits and see what you get.
Is it possible everyone could lower their weapons long enough to realize managing a busy, historic performance hall is beyond the scope of what's reasonable these days for the City of Jackson? It was really a stretch from the outset, when the city was growing like crazy and so flush with cash it was taking over maintenance of state highways. Now that we're back to the same headcount we had when the City Auditorium opened, we have twice (or more?) as much area to manage and almost everything is old. If we got together and asked the state to buy or lease Thalia Mara Hall and bring in a professional management firm, I bet they would do it. Then we could sit back and enjoy the tourism revenue from a packed calendar of national entertainers, Broadway on tour, international ballet competitions, and one of the best regional symphony orchestras in the world.
What would be the downside of that outcome? Bonus: Our city officials wouldn't have to waste time at press conferences trying to convince us that losing a whole season of that revenue (and risking the loss of incredible arts organizations) was just something that happened and not the result of mismanagement. If you're inclined to assume this has something to do with race or politics, tell me how many 150K pop. cities own and operate first-rate performance halls. Even NYC, Chicago, and Houston have professional operators for their city owned halls. What are we doing?
Until the legislature gives Shad the authority to perform audits of Jackson, we're screwed.
Flowood - It's time for you to step up to the plate and build a Convention Center/Thalia Mara Hall before Madison Mayor does it! Just think of what that would mean to Flowood. Think about it - the Supervisors, MML, etc. would come. They sure as hell don't don't want to come to downtown Jackson. Next to the City Hall complex maybe.
11:26, the damage is done and TMH will never return to the level of bookings it’s had in the past, much less a “packed calendar”.
11:26 thinks Chuck would "sell" the Thalia Mara.
Yes, that might be a sensible solution. but has sensible EVER been a factor in the mayor's decision making skills? See also: Jackson Zoo, Richards Garbage, Jackson water etc.
The only "solution" his ilk will entertain involves massive kickbacks and grease. Otherwise they will gladly watch it rot. So if you want to pay him 5-6 times the value of the venue, he MIGHT consider it.
But you should probably have a minority investor do the presentation, just to be safe. Green and black are his favorite colors, afterall.
September 9, 2024 at 11:26 PM
The City wouldn't do it because it would be tacit admission they aren't capable.
Rename it after him, his family or buddies and he will fix it right on up. With govt money, of course.
9:58 - How about the Socrates Garrett Bowl?
Blame it on the unanticipated challenges experienced by the city after the severe flooding in 2022?
Become a member of the "Thalia Mara Doomsday Clock" on Facebook. Hold the lil' liar's feet to the fire. JOIN US! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1189876955616831
AGREE
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