‘We hear you out there’: Monsour says city working to address trash, debris

As Vicksburg residents clean up after Sunday night’s severe weather, officials with the City of Vicksburg said Monday morning that they are paying attention to citizen’s reports of damage, as well as concerns about trash that was spread by the high winds.

“We live on a hill, and everything comes downhill,” Ward 2 Alderman Alex Monsour said during Monday’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. “At the bottom of every hill this morning was just trash. It’s unbelievable, but we have a plan.”

Monsour said residents who need to report damage or debris can call Vicksburg City Hall at 601-636-3411 or Monsour himself at 601-415-7274.

“I got a text from a constituent and she suggested that we get some extra help in here,” Monsour said. “So, what I’m recommending to the board, and we move forward is, bringing on 10 temps and dividing them into the three departments. Get them out there helping us catch up with this trash and the grass.”

Monsour said bringing in workers from a temp agency may be a better alternative than pulling city workers from other departments.

“Our problem is that we pull some of our specialized people off of things to help us get this trash and all this grass and everything in line. This will put them back in their job: sewer; water; gas; roads.”

Monsour said the city expects to save money by hiring through a temp agency for the supplemental labor and paying an hourly wage.

“We hear you out there,” he said. “We’re fixing to clean it up and get it in order.”