NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez granted requests Tuesday of residents on two city streets to help slow speeding drivers in their neighborhoods.

The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted to allocate $20,000 to install seven “speed-calming devices,” or speed humps, on Old Washington Road and three speed humps on South Union Street.

The action came after residents requesting the speed humps complied with the city’s speed-calming device policy, which sets out criteria that must be met before the city will consider action.

The criteria includes a petition signed by 75 percent of property owners within the affected block of the proposed speed hump and a speed study that determines 85 percent of drivers exceed the speed limit by 7 mph on the primary road and 6 mph on secondary roads.

The board discussed the matter during its finance meeting before its regular board meeting.

South Union Street resident Sharon Browning said during the meeting she and a few friends used to enjoy sitting on her porch, but now find themselves yelling at passing drivers to slow down. Browning said speeding is particularly a concern on South Union because neighborhood children ride their bicycles and residents walk their pets often.

“I know money is really tight; I know it’s tight everywhere … but whatever you all could do, we would really appreciate it,” Browning said.

A representative for Old Washington Road residents previously appeared before the board requesting speed humps and presenting the neighborhood’s petition.

Ward 6 Alderman Dan Dillard said the board voted last year to allocate $15,000 from the city’s annual $1 million lease payment from Magnolia Bluffs Casino to installing speed humps.

City Clerk Donnie Holloway said, however, the allocation did not make it into the current fiscal year’s budget.

Ward 2 Alderman Ricky Gray said he wanted to see the board commit to an amount of funding that would be a maximum spent this fiscal year on speed humps.

Gray said he believes once the city began installing speed humps, more neighborhoods would come forward with requests. Gray said setting an amount would allow the board of aldermen to know how it would handle those requests.

Dillard said, though, he believed the legwork for garnering signatures for the required petition would deter some residents from requesting speed humps.

The board discussed whether to use portable speed humps or asphalt speed humps, but ultimately decided to use asphalt speed humps because they cost approximately $2,000, while portable speed humps cost approximately $5,000.

City Engineer David Gardner said after the meeting the city would need to get a second cost quote on the speed humps, present it to the board at its March 13 meeting and could start getting the speed humps installed. The city does not have an asphalt crew, Gardner said, and will use a contractor for the work.

The speed-calming device policy was adopted last year, and Old Washington Road and South Union Street will be the first streets to have speed humps placed on them under the policy.

In other news from the meeting:

4During his report, City Attorney Hyde Carby asked the board to consider a work session to provide input about the proposed amendment to the city charter to change the municipal judge and city clerk position from elected to appointed.

The board voted to make the change last year, and Carby said he has been working to draft the charter amendment but wants the board’s input.

Before the city charter can be amended, the amendment has to be drafted and sent to the governor’s office.

From there, it will be forwarded to the state attorney general’s office for approval, and will then be sent back to the city.

After that, if one-tenth of the qualified voters of the city object, the matter will have to go to a special election. If not, the city can move forward.

4Natchez Inc. Project Manager Chris Hinton appeared before the board to let the aldermen know he has taken a job as the director of governmental affairs for the Mississippi Municipal League. Friday will be Hinton’s last day at Natchez Inc.

“I have said my farewell to several people in Natchez and Adams County, but I will not say it to this group,” he said. “It is not farewell. I’m still going to be working with this city as well as the other 288 municipalities in the state. I am sad I’m leaving, but I’m happy I will still be able to help promote Natchez.”

The board thanked Hinton for his service to the city through Natchez Inc., and the aldermen said they look forward to working with Hinton through the MML.

4The board shared its condolences to the family of Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, who died Tuesday evening, and ended its meeting in a moment of silence honoring Lumumba.