District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald appeared before the Indianola Board of Aldermen on behalf of Temple of Deliverance Missionary Baptist Church to ask for building permits on Lucille Street and Delta Blues Street.
Donald attended the board meeting representing the church, which he pastors, and the owners of multiple lots sold to them by the church.
Donald said Temple of Deliverance had owned 13 lots that are close to the B.B King Estates.
The 13 lots were once a part of the B.B King Estates, but Temple of Deliverance bought them from Planters Bank years ago.
Over the years, some of the lots have been sold for residential development.
Donald noted that the city nor the county taxes the remaining empty lots, because the church is tax-exempt, but that would likely change as soon as the property changes hands.
“All we need is the building permits,” Donald said.
Donald said that in the past, the city has agreed to do work on the nearby streets as they developed these lots, and the church has agreed to furnish the material.
Donald brought a cashier’s check from Temple of Deliverance for the materials. He also brought a letter from the Board of Supervisors stating they would help on roads without specifying which ones.
Alderman Brock stated that he had several concerns about Donald’s request.
Brock questioned whether there was a city easement on Temple of Deliverance’s property.
He also questioned the materials they planned to use for the street.
“You’re talking about laying some other type of clay gravel on the street,” Brock said. “We already have flood problems in certain parts of the city. How is this going to be graded to meet other streets that are already in there?”
His last question was addressed to the board about policy, not property.
“How are we being manipulated to change our own policy and procedures about fixing streets when there are other parts to the community?” Brock asked.
According to Donald, the material being used is equivalent to hot mix pavement.
Donald said DBST (double bituminous surface treatment pavement) is just a top layer.
“In the county, we do it all the time,” Donald said.
Donald also responded to Brock’s question about a city easement being on their property.
“If it is an easement, then the city owes Temple of Deliverance three lots because that ditch is coming through three lots that the church owns,” Donald said.
Brock and Donald disagreed about who owned the drainage that was on Temple of Deliverance’s property.
Donald said the church lost money because of the ditch.
“Lot 12, I just gave it to them. I ain’t get nothing off of it,” Donald said.
City Inspector Elvis Pernell gave his perspective. Pernell said after doing his research, he believes that the ditch is something that was just created but he is not sure by whom.
“It’s not a drainage under it,” Pernell said. “Once they cut a little swell in there, I guess water just started running and made it look more like a ditch than anything.”
Pernell said that he never found an easement in that area.
Ward 3 Alderman and former Public Works Director Ruben Woods said there were ditches like that all over the city.
“Years ago, people put them in without contacting the city,” Woods said.
Donald believes it’s more of a swell than a ditch, because workers were able to mow over it when they first purchased the property in 2000.
Brock suggested that deeper research be done after asserting the city once owned that property.
Ward 4 Alderman Marvin Elder mentioned the nearby homeowners’ position on the issue.
“The homeowners already have construction going,” Elder said. “This goes back again to planning and developing and having people to monitor the situation going on here in town.”
Elder made the motion to grant Temple of Deliverance the building permits they requested.
“It is not the homeowners’ fault, and we should not penalize them with this,” Elder said.
Woods asked Donald if the church would not sell any more lots in order to avoid confusion in the future.
Donald said they were already sold.
The Board voted unanimously in favor of awarding the building permits.
