COMMUNITY MINDED 2018 City of Meridian Annual Report

Content

05 Mayor’s Letter 06 City Council 08 Police 10 Fire 12 Public Safety & Training 14 Finance & Records 18 Community Development 20 Public Works 22 Parks & Recreation

Engineer Battalion send-off

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Mayor’s Letter

Have you noticed all of the new hotels that toward the bright, shining city that we are have risen in our city in the past few years? Tru becoming. We can see it in the smiling faces by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton are just of people from all races and backgrounds the latest, with more to come, including the gathering to enjoy festivals, concerts, farmers transformation of the Threefoot Building into markets, and other events. We can hear it in a Courtyard by Marriott. Investors are building the beep of cash registers at new shops and these hotels for one reason: More people are restaurants popping up all over downtown visiting Meridian, for business or pleasure, and elsewhere. and bringing money into our town. We’ve got something going on. And it’s getting noticed. I am an optimist by nature, but I’m also a realist. Many good people are working We’ve created beautiful things, from The MAX for the betterment of Meridian, inside city (Mississippi’s Arts + Entertainment Experience) government and out. Reasoning together. to the Mississippi Children’s Museum to Working together. Growing together. such do-it-ourselves community projects as Jeannie’s Place at Planet Playground. That’s We stride into 2019 with confidence and hope. how we have nurtured our manufacturing Meridian is moving toward a future that will base. That’s how we have become a regional uplift us all. Just ask those hotel guests. center for health care, education, and culture.

Sometimes I have to remind myself to lift my gaze from the everyday challenges and look

Percy Bland, III

Mayor of Meridian u nn al

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o 0 r 2 t City Council

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o 0 r 2 t George Thomas Tyrone Johnson Ward 1 Ward 2

Fannie Johnson Kim Houston Weston Lindeman Ward 3 Ward 4 Ward 5

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o 0 r 2 t Police

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o 0 r 2 t Six four-legged recruits and a brush with show business this inspiring young lady to be an “officer” of the Meridian helped highlight a year of continuing to protect our city and to Police Department. build strong relationships with the citizens we serve. Effective policing requires more than just responding to 911 calls. The Meridian Police Department added six K-9s this year. Strengthening the bonds between our officers and the 39,000 Two are single-purpose drug dogs assigned to the criminal people we keep safe makes it easier for us to enforce the law interdiction unit. The other four are multipurpose patrol and can even prevent crimes from happening in the first place. dogs trained to find drugs, track people, clear buildings, and apprehend suspects. Each of the four patrol shifts received a Our officers participated in community events, such as a run to patrol dog. increase breast cancer awareness. They taught adults how to respond to emergencies, such as an “active shooter” situation. The story of Meridian’s Kaydence Patton, the 13-year-old They visited with young adults and children to show that police aspiring actress with a congenital heart condition, delighted officers are their allies and friends. people everywhere, including in our department. Thanks to Make-A-Wish, she traveled to California to play an honorary Those kinds of relationships improve both the Meridian Police officer in the ABC police drama “The Rookie.” We also recruited Department and the community. That’s a win for everyone.

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o 0 r 2 t Fire

Fire prevention, early fire detection, and fire investigation got lots of attention from the Meridian Fire Department this year as part of our mission of minimizing or eliminating threats from all emergency events directed at any citizen’s life or property.

We carried out fire inspections throughout the year (1,875 in the first eight months of the fiscal year alone) and presented dozens of fire prevention programs to hundreds of children and adults. Our fire prevention staff participated in the annual College4Kids program at Meridian Community College, among many other events.

We installed more than 550 smoke alarms, provided by the State Fire Marshal’s Office and a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, in more than 115 homes. We also helped Rush Health Systems with fire extinguisher training for 1,366 adults.

Two of our fire prevention specialists completed fire investigator certification training this year, doubling the number of fire investigators in our department to four. We also added new fire investigation technical equipment purchased with a federal grant. New grant-supported firefighting equipment was approved as well.

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o 0 r 2 t Throughout the year, we attended career fairs and other community events and conducted tours of our fire stations. Those efforts built ties with the community, educating members of the public about how we do our jobs and how they can help prevent or minimize fires and other emergency situations.

In October 2018, the department participated in an emergency action plan training exercise with the Army National Guard and Air National Guard.

Members of the Meridian Fire Department also participated in two other events that touched our hearts, for different reasons. For literacy day, we read to students at two elementary schools. And in October, four of us participated in the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Golf Tournament in Starkville, Mississippi.

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o 0 r 2 t Public Safety & Training

Immediately after an April 14, 2018, tornado injured two people and damaged houses, apartments, and a school, the Department of Public Safety & Training jumped in. We worked closely with other local and state agencies in a wide-ranging response and recovery effort.

That teamwork led to the creation of a long-term community-based group called Partners in Recovery. It has worked to help residents repair their homes and stands ready to assist in future emergencies.

The multipurpose Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Safety Training Facility, a major asset for the City and County that gets relatively little public attention, hosted 174 classes this year. Here are some highlights:

• A new Mississippi Office of Homeland Security force protection task force of 180 officers from across the state learned overland search and executive protection techniques.

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o 0 r 2 t • The Homeland Security Office funded National Association of Search and Rescue training for 40 Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks agents.

• And $100,000 from Homeland Security funded structural collapse specialist training.

• The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency held four classes.

• The Mississippi Air National Guard Fire Department funded specialized urban search and rescue training and firefighter rapid intervention team training.

• Throughout the year, we continued routine (but crucial) training for law enforcement and fire personnel.

Meridian Public Safety & Training received grants totaling $175,000 from the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security to further statewide response training, especially in search and rescue. The department continues as the designated lead agency in Mississippi for NASAR, the National Association of Search and Rescue.

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o 0 r 2 t Finance & Records

prepare comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.” Finance & Records proudly follows that guideline in order to best serve the citizens of Meridian.

The department also received an unmodified opinion for its comprehensive annual financial report, the best possible assessment. It indicates that the auditors found the report to be a fair representation of the City’s financial position.

The Utility Billing Division kept busy, completing 63,579 service orders during the year. Of those, 20,274 were customer requests to turn services on or off, 7,069 involved turning off services for delinquent accounts, and 5,598 involved service restoration for accounts that had been delinquent.

To increase efficiency and reliability, the division began a For the 22nd consecutive year, the Finance & Records project at the end of April to install new radio-read meters in Department earned the prestigious Certificate of Achievement place of the old meters that require time-consuming visual for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government reading. Through November 26, 2018, the division installed Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. 4,337 new meters.

As the association says on its website, it established the award The Business Affairs/Purchasing Division processed 6,818 to encourage governments “to go beyond the minimum purchase orders and seven bids, including one reverse auction requirements of generally accepted accounting principles to for asphalt mix.

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o 0 r 2 t Revenues Licenses & Permits $3,095,000 Intergovernmental $15,265,000 Charges for Services $4,147,250 Police Fines & Forfeitures $1,000,000 Miscellaneous $655,000 Balance at Beginning of Year $2,673,473 Amount Necessary to Be Raised by Tax Levy $ 10,037,248 Total General Fund Available Cash & Anticipated Revenues $36,872,971

Water Fund $14,776,700 Lakeview Golf Course $427,188 Concessions $27,510 Union Station $382,980 Waste Collection & Disposal $2,258,483 Meridian Public Safety & Training Facility $457,576 Arts District Parking Garage $58,500 Total Enterprise Funds $18,388,937 Debt Service Fund $13,850,000 Total Revenues for All City Funds $69,111,908

Expenditures General Government $3,664,158 Finance & Records $3,047,710 Community Development $2,064,544 Parks & Recreation $2,766,295 Public Works $7,665,959 Police $10,152,132 Fire $7,512,173 Cash Reserve for FY18 Operations - Total General Fund Expenditures $36,872,971

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o 0 r 2 t Community Development

Over the Moon Children’s Boutique, San’s, and Julep Antiques & Gifts.

The City of Meridian’s Cultural Affairs Division sponsored many cultural programs that enhance a strong sense of community. Annual events including festivals, concerts, parades, the 4th of July Celebration, Meridian Mardi Gras, other family- friendly holiday events, and much more continue to delight all ages.

Our city’s cultural and entertainment life serves to create a vibrant creative economy for the community. In early fall, Earth’s Bounty Festival partnered with The MAX to host the first ever Earth’s Bounty Night Market. The event was a huge success. It featured local farmers selling produce, artisans selling their wares,

In 2018, the City of Meridian experienced several development projects that boosted the economy and brought excitement throughout the region.

The long-awaited and highly publicized opening of Mississippi’s Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) was a catalyst for growth and opportunity. It solidified the creative arts and culture district in the heart of downtown Meridian.

Other major projects included the opening of the new Cardiovascular Institute of the South and Broadmoor Ace Hardware in North Hills, the expansion of Stribling Equipment & Empire Trucks, and the opening of the impressive Tru by Hilton hotel. Downtown Meridian continues to grow with new businesses, including

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o 0 r 2 t live entertainment, and a family-friendly atmosphere. A The Planning Division continued work with historic similar spring event followed in 2019. preservation, zoning, and subdivision regulations in support of the Meridian Planning Commission, Meridian’s Multi-Modal Transportation Center, Meridian Tree Commission, and Meridian Historic Union Station, was host to more than 150 events, Preservation Commission. In 2018, the division including business meetings, weddings, luncheons, issued 17 certificates of appropriateness, six and seminars. The center also serves as the multi- rezonings, four street closing applications, 17 modal hub for transportation, including Greyhound special-use permits, and 12 variances. A highlight buses, Amtrak, and Choctaw Transit, which serves 16 for the year was the completion of the Mississippi counties and the City of Meridian. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Enhancement Grant, a pedestrian project in the The Code Enforcement Division served more than 400 African American Business District in Notices of Violation issued throughout the city as well downtown Meridian. as 52 Complaints/Citations. The City condemned 43 abandoned/dilapidated structures. The Neighborhood The Building & Inspection Division completed Lot Program launched in February to address the more than 4,700 inspections and issued 449 issue of vacant, blighted properties and to continue permits, including building permits with a total the revitalization of underutilized residential properties construction value of $19,997,599.40. The division in Meridian. The program allows qualified residents to serves to protect the health, safety, and welfare purchase tax-forfeited properties at a reduced price. of Meridian’s residents and ensure quality of life. The division also demolished 17 unsound homes Enforcing codes and ordinances helps it carry out located throughout the city. that mission.

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o 0 r 2 t Public Works

At the Public Works Department, we know that we affect the daily lives of Meridian residents more than any other City department. We take that responsibility to heart.

Our biggest projects this year involved street paving and sidewalk replacement. We repaved significant stretches of 19th Street/19th Court, 56th Avenue, and 54th Avenue as well as shorter segments of Third and Fourth streets as they intersect 54th Avenue.

Downtown streets that we repaved included parts of Front Street, Constitution Avenue, 22nd Avenue, and 23rd Avenue in the vicinity of Meridian’s newest major attraction, Mississippi’s Arts + Entertainment Experience, also known as The MAX. Altogether, we repaved almost two and a half miles of streets around the city.

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o 0 r 2 t We also did considerable sidewalk replacement work downtown, especially along Front Street, 21st Avenue, and 22nd Avenue. That made it easier and more pleasant for residents and visitors alike to explore The MAX and nearby shops and restaurants.

In total, we replaced more than half a mile of sidewalks (3,124 feet), plus 2,124 feet of curbs and gutters along those new sidewalks.

Less noticeable but even more important were the everyday efforts of Public Works employees to supply our citizens with clean water, furnish water to fire hydrants, carry away and treat wastewater, manage stormwater runoff, monitor pickup of garbage, trash, and recyclable materials, keep streets and sidewalks in good condition, trim trees and grass on City rights of way, keep ditches and culverts clean, and maintain all of the City’s vehicles and equipment.

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o 0 r 2 t Parks & Recreation

This past year, the Parks & Recreation Department provided residents and guests with a variety of services that contributed to the exceptional quality of life for the city of Meridian.

In 2018, we promoted a variety of adult activities and youth programs, and more than 14 sports programs, such as cheer, basketball, kickball, flag football, swimming, soccer, and baseball. Parks & Recreation staff members also maintained and operated three community/activity centers, the historic Dentzel Carousel, two outdoor swimming pools, seven City parks, 10 sports complexes, and an 18-hole golf course.

Throughout the year, we provided many different events all around the community to promote services and meet the values and needs of our residents. We sponsored such popular quality- of-life events as Touch a Truck, the Back to School Giveaway and Health Fair, James Chaney Day, the Wheelchair Basketball Game, and the Nickelodeon Worldwide Day of Play. Other exciting events included the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Youth Fishing Rodeo, and Home Run Derby.

Unveiling the Velma Young Community Center playground in April was a highlight of the year. In keeping with the City’s theme of being a healthy hometown, the playground, located in Ward 2, gives the neighborhood a place for children to exercise and play.

One of Meridian’s most popular hidden treasures is the Meridian Activity Center, located on 32nd Avenue. The center hosts a variety of educational and fun activities, including yoga, quilting, bridge, smocking, floral design, and more.

Fridays at the center feature an independent format where groups of all ages can enjoy playing cards and dominoes, and other special activities. The center is also a place for retiree group meetings and bingo. And it has all of the equipment and supplies needed for learning and practicing the art of ceramics. The Meridian Activity Center is open to adults ages 21 or older and is equipped with conference rooms, classrooms, a dining area, a kitchen, a billiards room, a snooker room, an exercise room, and a lending library.

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o 0 r 2 t During fiscal 2018, the Parks & Recreation Department rented out buildings, parks, and athletics fields for more than 2,000 events, saw more than 3,000 rental visits at the Highland Park pool, and hosted more than 200 carousel rentals. We continually seek to improve, and to collaborate with members of the community to provide quality services to those living in the Meridian and Lauderdale County area.

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o 0 r 2 t 2018 CITY OF MERIDIAN Annual Report

Contact 601 23rd Avenue Meridian, MS 39301

Phone: 601.485.1926 Email: [email protected] www.MeridianMS.org