Mayor Blake McMullan spoke on volunteering along with issues and needs in the city in a talk to the Eupora Rotary Club last month.
“I’m basically a cheerleader for the city,” he told Rotarians on Dec. 21. “We do have a really good community.”
The former youth minister first got involved in the community after moving here from Dekalb. After six months in office as mayor, he said the city is grateful for the volunteers it must rely on because of limited resources.
McMullan thanked volunteers with the Eupora Main Street Association and Beautification Committee for their many projects and efforts to improve the community.
He also thanked local businesses for dressing up their windows during football season in support of the Eagles before a downtown pep rally, with some even hiring professionals to paint murals.
“Everybody got behind it,” he said. “You could feel a sense of community.”
McMullan said this gained recognition by the Mississippi Municipal League and that businesses continued with window decorations into the Christmas season.
The mayor said he would like to invite business to set up tables at community events to promote themselves.
“Every year I expect us to grow our events,” he said. “
Regarding issues the city is facing, McMullan said small things can hold the city back, such as delays in closing out grants. He also said the city is facing problems in getting parts, noting two backhoes are down because parts aren’t available.
“We’ve got to keep the ball rolling. …. It’s trying to keep small things going,” he said.
McMullan said he has been working on getting things organized, including development of short-term and long-term plans. This includes having department heads write down equipment the city has in hopes of phasing out old equipment instead of continuing to make costly repairs.
Other news of note and goals shared by the mayor:
• The city has a $3 million water system coming in from Tomnolen that is about 85% complete, with the easement process underway.
• He would like to see some type of truck stop or place for trucks to park here.
• Jack’s should be opening its restaurant on Highway 9 South within a few months.
• The city needs to find a way to get money from recreational sports such as travel softball.
“We could find our niche in travel softball if we could find two more softball fields,” he said.
• Eupora is one of the few towns offering soccer, with people coming from area towns to participate. The sport had 155 youths playing soccer this past season.
• The city needs a grant writer who would work on a percentage basis, which aldermen did discuss at their Jan. 3 meeting.
McMullan also noted the city has six former mayors he can reach out to for advice.
When asked about the status of the planned access road from U.S. 82 to West Industrial Park, McMullan said the project is stalled right now in part because of land swap issues.
The city has been appropriated $100,000 in legislative bond funds for a basic roadway from U..S 82 to a 20-acre “Ready Site” west of Plymouth Tube. The Board of Aldermen approved a motion in August regarding property that is necessary for the industrial access road and authorizing appraisals.
“I think it will add so much value,” McMullan said of the project. “We have to do a better job of keeping our name in the conversation.”
Ray Beeson, chair of the Eupora Property Maintenance Committee, was a guest of the mayor at the meeting. Beeson said the committee, which assists the city with real estate standards of compliance, strives to work with property owners to avoid going forward with citations.
