Jackson Public Works Committee Meeting - October 27, 2026

The Public Works Committee met on October 27, 2026, to review Public Works staffing vacancies, blight cleanup operations and equipment, the Jackson Water authority transition, solid waste finances and staffing, equipment funding, and road repair scheduling. No agenda or minutes were available, so this summary is based entirely on the meeting transcript.

Vacancy Report

• HR Director Tory Martin reported that Public Works currently has 22 budgeted vacancies, down from 24 at the last report; two positions (a heavy equipment operator and a maintenance worker) have been filled since then.
• Public Works Director Lorenzo Anderson said the department is reviewing the budget team's personnel list (loader) against the active roster because some listed vacancies may still carry the names of former employees. Council members agreed that the vacancy list must be reconciled before vacancies are reclassified or filled.
• The Public Works personnel list reviewed contains 170 positions. Council members asked for an active roster to be provided so the true number of vacancies can be confirmed.

Blight Cleanup and Equipment

• Deputy Director James Carwell presented a new per-property tracking invoice that documents work performed, equipment used, fuel, and cost. A Jennings Street example totaled just under $4,000.
• The city now has access to the transfer station, allowing crews to return to previously cut properties to collect and haul debris.
• Planned equipment purchases include side-mounted swing cutters for existing track machines, priced between $11,000 and $16,000 each, and a Caterpillar 310 demolition machine estimated at $170,000-$200,000, with a breaker attachment around $15,000. Carwell said the equipment is within the existing budget.
• The city intends to use the cost data to file liens and pursue foreclosures on abandoned properties to recoup expenses. Councilman Parkinson offered to help develop a dashboard to reduce administrative work.

Blight Management and Neighborhood Recovery Plan

• Committee leadership presented a draft blight management and neighborhood recovery structure, developed over about 25 months, with a master plan, task force, and a six-person neighborhood recovery team. It is intended to complement, not replace, the mayor's Jackson Rising and blight program.
• The plan prioritizes safety, adjudicated properties, 311 complaints, and clustered areas to make efficient use of equipment and crews. A council member said a resolution to adopt the plan will be brought forward, possibly at the November 3 meeting.
• JRA representative Alex Austin expressed interest in working with the city on disposition of some properties, potentially for low-income housing and development.

Water Authority Transition

• The city attorney summarized Jackson Water's transition plan, which would create an independent public water authority, with a court-appointed initial board, account-holder selection of successors, transfer of assets/liabilities/contracts, and a target transition around mid-to-late 2027.
• The city attorney expressed disappointment that the plan was submitted without the promised collaboration and said Jackson Water's representative missed recent scheduled meetings. The city will file comments by December 4 and is likely to submit a competing plan.
• The city agrees an independent board is appropriate, but disagrees with removing elected officials' input in board selection. Councilman Foote raised concerns about accountability and how long a federal court would oversee the system.

Solid Waste Operations

• Solid Waste Director Ms. Weathers said solid waste operates as an enterprise fund, not from the general fund. From March through August, sanitation costs averaged about $1.2 million to $1.3 million per month, while the city received about $1.4 million per month from Jackson Water for sanitation bills. She noted the city should eventually decouple sanitation billing from water billing.
• A street sweeper exists in infrastructure, but there is no operator. Weathers said restructuring in November and training could put an operator in place around the first of the year.
• Current special-event staffing is about five to six people, with three maintenance workers and four operators, two of whom are dedicated to weekend special events.
• Council members asked administration to follow up on possibly restoring a paid partnership with Keep Jackson Beautiful.

Equipment Funding: Jet Trucks

• Public Works requested two jet/vacuum trucks for drainage work. Each truck costs about $650,000, with a lease-purchase option of $154,000 per year ($12,860 per month); two trucks would total $308,000 per year.
• The existing two vacuum trucks are more than 10 years old; one is not working and the other operates at about 25% vacuum capacity. No funding source has been identified, and no formal vote was reported.

Road Repairs and Traffic Study

• Councilman Foote expressed strong frustration with delays in resurfacing work funded by the one-cent sales tax, saying residents have been waiting and contractors and the tax commission are ready to proceed. Director Anderson said engineers are assessing more than 300 streets in mid-November to determine mill-and-overlay versus reconstruction work, but weather limits how much can be done this season; getting 25 streets done would be a positive outcome. The CAO said he would discuss the matter with the director.
• A traffic study was requested by Senator Norwood and Representative Summers for specific streets with traffic signals that may need replacement or removal. The city said it would move quickly on that study.

Key Outcomes

• Public Works and the budget team will reconcile the vacancy list against the active roster before reclassifying or hiring positions.
• Blight cleanup will continue using the new property tracker, with planned equipment purchases moving ahead and a blight plan resolution expected at the next meeting.
• The city will file water authority transition comments by December 4 and prepare a competing plan.
• Solid Waste will work toward hiring/training a street sweeper operator and follow up on Keep Jackson Beautiful.
• The jet truck lease request remains pending because no funding source has been identified.
• Road repair and traffic study follow-ups were assigned to administration and Public Works.