After a governing board was disbanded last month, an advisoryboard for the Brookhaven Municipal Airport may be in the city’sfuture.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the mayor and board of aldermen, CityAttorney Joe Fernald said he is pretty much finished with a newordinance governing airport operation. He indicated he could haveit ready by the next board meeting.

“It will not change very much,” Fernald said of airportoperation.

One change, though, would be creation of an advisory board, withmembers who have aeronautical experience, to make recommendationsand assist the board of aldermen. Fernald said the board would haveno say in the actual decision-making process.

“They will have no monetary control as the last board did. Thatraised serious conflict of interest issues,” Fernald said,mentioning the previous board’s authority over some matters thatmembers had a pecuniary, or financial, interest in.

Fernald said the new board would consist of either three or fivemembers appointed by the mayor and board of aldermen.

Aldermen voted June 20 to disband the airport board. Theresolution included a provision giving the city 60 days to adoptnew rules and regulations for airport operation.

Mentioning other cities’ efforts to get grants for theirairports, Ward 4 Alderman John Roberts said he is working on someother items designed to improve the Brookhaven airport. He did notdiscuss specifics, but Mayor Bill Godbold raised anotherpossibility regarding airport operations.

“If we’re going to put a lot of money into it, let’s move it,”the mayor said.

Fernald said the U.S. Army Reserve Center was located near theairport on Heuck’s Retreat Road for a reason. He said the airportlocation allows better military action and plane movement whenneeded.

Godbold complimented the current airport, saying it was “in goodshape.”

“It’s as good as anything I’ve seen anywhere,” the mayorsaid.

Roberts indicated his airport-related efforts needed moreattention before a decision could be made.

“I’ll do my homework and report (back),” Roberts said.

In another transportation-related matter, Godbold is eying somelibrary property as a possible location for a multi-level parkinggarage in conjunction with city efforts to create an intermodaltransportation operation.

While hearing Lincoln County Public Library officials’ budgetrequest for next year, Godbold asked board chairwoman CarolynPatterson if the library would consider allowing part of itsproperty to be used for parking. Patterson said the board would bewilling to discuss the situation.

“We’re going to need some parking area over there, and I’d likeit to be multi-level,” Godbold said.

The mayor said the parking area could possibly be worked in withthe city’s intermodal operation and the library’s expansionproject. Parking is also expected to be needed for the MississippiSchool of the Arts on the Whitworth campus.

“We could both use it,” Godbold told library officials about theparking.

City officials have been considering and seeking funds for anintermodal transportation operation that would be located aroundthe old smoke stack near some current city department locations.Intermodal services would include bus and train operations, andpossibly even trolley services, for moving citizens and studentsaround the city.

Also regarding current city projects, Godbold signed a deedtransferring property to the state for a new mental health crisiscenter. The center will be built on Brookman Drive Extension nearthe Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility.

A deed to transfer some Highway 84 city property for a newMississippi Highway Patrol substation has been sent to Secretary ofState Eric Clark for him to accept on behalf of the state, Fernaldsaid. The new station is expected to be built near the new NationalGuard armory and maintenance shop.