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The Tupelo High School Swim Team practices inside the Tupelo Aquatic Center on Thursday afternoon. Tupelo's proposed capital plan, which city officials finalized this week, cuts the popular swimming spot's maintenance budget significantly, but officials say upgrades to the facility will make the funds unnecessary.
Monroe Ivy, of Tupelo, fishes off the side of the cobblestone bridge at Ballard Park on Thursday afternoon. Tupelo officials have budgeted more than $500,000 this fiscal year to make improvements to Ballard Park.
The Tupelo High School Swim Team practices inside the Tupelo Aquatic Center on Thursday afternoon. Tupelo's proposed capital plan, which city officials finalized this week, cuts the popular swimming spot's maintenance budget significantly, but officials say upgrades to the facility will make the funds unnecessary.
Monroe Ivy, of Tupelo, fishes off the side of the cobblestone bridge at Ballard Park on Thursday afternoon. Tupelo officials have budgeted more than $500,000 this fiscal year to make improvements to Ballard Park.
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TUPELO • If all goes according to plan, Tupelo officials will spend millions over the next few years sprucing up the city’s parks, fixing drainage issues, upgrading city hall and repairing its roads.
With the deadline to adopt its 2022-23 fiscal year budget looming, Tupelo elected officials heard the administration's plans for its capital budget during a work session early this week. The city has an estimated revenue of $6.7 million and an expected expense of about $8.4 million for the upcoming fiscal year, and Tupelo officials expect to make a dent in some of the wishlist items of council members, as well as general upgrades to just about every department in some capacity.
This week’s session was the final of a series of capital budget meetings. The city plans to hold a public hearing on Sept. 6 to discuss the proposed tax levy and expects a special-called meeting on Sept. 13 to approve the proposed budget just ahead of the Sept. 14 deadline.
Tupelo officials are eyeing improvements to multiple parks across the city through 2024.
The lion’s share of the city’s spending will be focused on making improvements to Ballard Park, including the planned installation of ADA-approved playground equipment.
According to Kim Hanna, chief financial officer for the city of Tupelo, the city has budgeted $500,000 for upgrades to Ballard Park specifically.
While not slotted for the upcoming year, city officials also expect to make several upgrades to Hancock Park and Gumtree Park. The proposed budget includes upgrades to these parks under a line item titled “basketball improvements."
Hanna noted those improvements include upgrades to “support structures.”
Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis said she was unhappy seeing upgrades to Ballard Park when Gumtree Park needs a new pavilion after a tornado destroyed the old one. She threatened to vote against the proposed budget unless the administration included the upgrades.
“I don’t see anything down for Gumtree Park,” she said. “I don’t want my parks to be neglected any more than any other park. There is a drastic need for a pavilion.”
Hanna noted the city included the construction of a pavilion in the upgrades to Gumtree Park in 2024 under the basketball line item. Davis insisted on separating the items at the suggestion of Tupelo Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis.
The administration also plans to spend $450,000 on parking and a bus turnaround at the Elvis Presley Birthplace.
Ward 3 Councilman Travis Beard said he wanted to see more investment in the city’s pickleball, a hybrid tennis and badminton, courts. The city has some funds allocated to pickleball courts in 2024.
Tupelo officials plan to spend $1.5 million the city received as part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and & Equity grant program to begin engineering work for significant upgrades to the city’s railroad infrastructure.
Last month, Tupelo Mayor Todd Journal called the funds a “real shot in the arm” for the city’s ongoing plans to establish quiet zones throughout the city — sections of rail line at least one-half mile long where locomotive horns don’t have to be sounded at public rail-grade crossings.
City officials are prioritizing the establishment of quiet zones on either side of the Crosstown intersection. The city also hopes to move BNSF’s switching operation further south, eliminating the long wait at Crosstown while trains change tracks.
The grant, which officials included in the capital plan, will cover 30% of the project’s engineering costs.
The proposed capital plan also includes more than $18.5 million in spending to repair drainage issues across the city.
Tupelo officials recently approved the hiring of engineers to tackle nearly 20 drainage projects citywide at an estimated price tag of $18.5 million. Officials plan to pay for this using $9 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, plus — they’re hoping — another $9 million from a state grant program that would match ARPA spending.
The capital plan also includes another $18 million in spending on drainage projects through a state revolving loan fund to Tupelo Water and Light.
Meanwhile, the city has budgeted $500,000 in grant money for drainage work on McCullough Boulevard and Endville Road. Hanna noted she budgeted money for the prep work for curbs and gutters but expects to keep both projects under the state grant allocation.
City officials also slashed the proposed maintenance budget for the Aquatic Center in half.
Ward 6 Councilwoman asked why the administration planned the drop from the budgeted $100,000 to just $50,000.
Gaston noted there were multiple issues with the center that needed maintenance attention, including the lockers which she said showed signs of rusting.
According to Hanna, the city is planning to make several significant upgrades to the Aquatic Center this year that would reduce maintenance costs.
“Right now, we are anticipating spending a good bit to prevent the needed maintenance,” she said.
Parks and Recreation Director Alex Farned said the locker rooms and the building's acoustics were being eyed for upgrades with the maintenance fund in the upcoming fiscal year.
The capital budget includes more than a half-million in spending on upgrades to City Hall, mostly to the second floor, including the foyer, chamber entrance and the boardroom.
According to Hanna, the administration plans to upgrade the technology of the boardroom in particular. She said the city budgeted $500,000 for the upgrades.
City officials also expressed a desire to ramp up blight removal and neighborhood revitalization, which is reflected in the $500,000 set aside for neighborhoods and economic development.
Hanna also noted she separated $500,000 in restricted funds for property purchases linked to revitalization, adding that the administration hopes to move forward with the purchases after City Attorney Ben Logan can confirm the restricted funds can be used to buy property.
Logan noted that some of the restricted funds would go toward the purchase of a property on 1112 Chapman Drive the council approved the purchase of for $75,000 during a previous meeting.
The city also plans to spend more money this year to upgrade equipment and buy vehicles for multiple departments, including the police, fire and public works departments.
City officials have allocated $150,000 to the Tupelo Fire Department for the purchase of firefighting equipment. Hanna noted that the usual allocation was $100,000, but Fire Chief Kelly Elliott needed the extra $50,000 for extraction tools.
Hanna said it would go back to the usual allocations in 2024.
Tupelo police will receive $300,000 for new vehicles if the budget passes untouched, while the city allocated $560,000 for heavy machinery, a portion of which will go toward a new leaf machine.
Hanna noted that the city previously budgeted money to buy vehicles but, because to supply chain issues, could not complete the purchases.
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