JACKSON PROHIBITS USE OF PARKING LOTS TO SHOW CARS FOR SALE

JACKSON -- Parking lots in the city of Jackson no longer can be used to advertise a car for sale.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance Monday prohibiting the parking of cars on public property, or in private lots, for the purpose of advertising them for sale.

Those vehicles parked just for advertising purposes in such a way as to restrict the free flow of traffic in private parking lots, or occupying a slot that could be used for customer parking, are prohibited. The board did not specify the penalty for violating this ordinance.

The board also approved the purchase of two new patrol cars for the Jackson Police Department and a pickup truck for the road department. The two 1997 Crown Victorias and one 1997 Ford truck, purchased from Ford Groves, cost the city a total of $59,358 and should be ready for use by summer.

The two old patrol cars that are to be replaced will be worked back into the city's fleet.

The board also approved a special assessment for property owners along Gloria Street. The city is planning to pave 772 feet of the road from Jackson Boulevard to Old Cape Road and will be charging residents along Gloria Street $55.97 per linear foot of property adjoining the road.

Boatmen's Bank will be handling the transaction for the city and will be offering 8-year loans to those property owners at a 6.25 interest rate. Or, Mayor Paul Sander said, those residents can opt to pay the money up front.

Sander also said the new multi-purpose building committee met last week for the first time and appointed Dale Rauh chairman. The committee's next meeting will be 7 p.m. Thursday where it will appoint chairmen for each subcommittee.

Sander said there is still room if citizens are interested in joining the 58 members of the committee.

Following up an action from last year in which the city dropped residential trash hauling as one of its public services, the aldermen clarified the residents who will affected by this.

The city has turned the collection of trash over to private haulers for single-family detached dwellings, duplexes and condominiums.

The board was also updated by Rich Bowen, an engineering consultant to the city, on the status of the road repair on Olive, Forest and Independence streets.

According to Bowen, the work on those streets was held up due to bad weather. Sander said work was brought virtually to a halt during January.