Senator Derrick Simmons spoke to the Greenville City Council a week ago during the council’s regular Tuesday meeting to garner support for a handful of senate bills through the state legislature.
One of those bills would provide funding in the amount of $500,000 to assist in paying the costs of construction, development and improvements for a downtown green space to be located on the north side of the 500 block of Washington Ave.
The City would provide matching funds in the amount of $500,000 for the project.
“In my work that I am doing here in the state capitol, it’s my goal to try to improve the Delta, certainly improve Senate District 12, and a major part of Senate District 12, which covers Bolivar, Washington and Coahoma counties is our larger municipality which is the City of Greenville,” Simmons said.
Simmons explained that he has introduced four bond bills, as he has always done annually just as he does with other legislation and constitutional amendments.
“We are at the part of the session where we’re talking about the state budget and the state’s bonding for projects for our community colleges, universities and state agencies,” he told the council, noting the effort to obtain bonds for special projects. “I’ve sponsored Senate Bill 2179, which is a bond authorizing the issue of general bonds and obligations for a Mississippi River Museum.”
Simmons highlighted that he has sponsored SB 2179 for several years and will continue to endeavor to erect Greenville’s very own river museum.
He pointed to research provided to him from legislative services which revealed there’s only one other Mississippi River museum and is located in the northern region of the state.
“So, to the extent we are able to have our own river museum in Greenville, it would be the second one in the U.S. and it is requesting a $20 million bond,” he said.
Simmons also sponsored SB 3056 — a bond to authorize the City of Greenville in paying the cost of improvements to its water and sewer system.
The bill, Simmons said, is for $5 million.
“As you all know, in a lot of our cities and towns in the state of Mississippi and across the nation, the infrastructure needs were highlighted based upon the recent winter event and we know that you all are doing great work regarding our aging infrastructure,” he said. “I will continue to do my part to assist in infrastructure needs with the city of Greenville at the state level and this bill is just a small part of my effort to help the city with infrastructure needs.”
As for the green space, Simmons has sponsored SB 3057, a bond bill to create or develop the green space associated with the new federal courthouse.
The existing green space in Stein Mart Square, Simmons pointed out, will no longer exist upon construction of the new federal courthouse.
“We certainly need a green space that will be owned and operated by the City of Greenville,” he asserted. “And so, this bond bill is for a half million dollars for that green space.”
The last bond bill discussed by the senator was SB 3060 which will be for the improvement of four of the City of Greenville’s parks — Hardy, Frisbee, Rounds and Maude Bryan.
“It’s $125,000 each for four parks,” Simmons informed the council, “and to the extent I can get the support regarding any one of these bond bills, if not all of these bond bills, I will actually keep you updated. I am fighting hard to help Greenville and I will continue to do that.”
