The Brookhaven Board of Aldermen Tuesday approved a six-monthmoratorium to prohibit trailers from being brought into the newannexation area without an approved sewage system.

>”What we’re finding as we’re going into the new annexationarea is that trailers were placed there in multiple units justbehind houses and on vacant land, and they’re just sitting there,”said Brookhaven Director of Public Works Steve Moreton.

He said there were multiple problems with the arbitraryplacement of trailers in several different parts of the annexationarea.

“There’s no sewage there, but they brought them (the trailers)in before the annexation so they’ll be grandfathered in,” he said.”Some will be R1-zoned, which doesn’t allow single family homes.Also, some of them are in places where there is no sewage there andthey probably cannot get an approved sewer system from the healthdepartment.”

Moreton said the moratorium is to keep people from bringing inmore single-wide trailers and parking them on what is now city landin hopes that they will be able to rent them out, or for whateverother reason. Moreton said owners need to know the city will nothook up power where there is no approved sewage.

“I know it’s in anticipation of extra income. But unless thereis some type of approved sewage, the power won’t be hooked up,” hesaid. “Some of them may end up in R2 areas where double-wides willbe allowed. Some may be in agricultural zones where single wideswill be allowed. Right now single-wides are only allowed in trailerparks.”

Moreton said a major problem hinges on some of the trailersdischarging raw sewage into ditches and other areas, which are notsanctioned for sewage dumping.

“That needs to be regulated by the state Department of Health,”he said. “If we find flagrant discharge of sewage, I imagine we’llhave to call in the health department. We want to protect thehealth, safety and welfare of all our citizens.”

The issue is not just a health issue, it’s a legal issue, hesaid.

“I have a problem with the placement of trailers where there isno approved sewage,” Moreton said. “That’s against the law; it justhasn’t been policed.”

In other business, Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of CommerceExecutive Director Cliff Brumfield appeared before the board toinform them of updates on the lighting and signage grant, which hasseen some metamorphoses since the original plans were laid out.

Brumfield told the board that under the new arrangements,Entergy will do the work on the new downtown lighting, as well asworking with the current cobra head lights to bring them all to thesame style and height.

He said several decorative “Welcome to Brookhaven” signs will beput out at strategic points at the city limits as well, since thecity had been waiting on approval from the Mississippi Departmentof Transportation.

Brumfield also addressed the lighting situation for the holidayseason. He said the holiday lighting for this year will follow theparade route, and will spread to the thoroughfares through the nextfew years.

The board also held an executive session with Police Chief PapHenderson and Fire Chief Bob Watts to discuss personnel issues.

Following the closed meeting, the board voted to approve astep-up raise for firefighter. Aldermen then voted to recess andre-convene Monday.