Two Brookhaven parks may eventually have restrooms, although theprocess may take a little longer than planned.

The Brookhaven Board of Aldermen Tuesday night rejected bids ona project to put restrooms at Bethel Park and Bicentennial Parkafter two bids that came in were well above budget. Both were morethan twice the amount budgeted for the work.

While the board had set aside about $40,000 for both bathrooms,the low bid came in at $96,896 from MSH General Contractors ofHattiesburg. A second bid came in at $106,414.

Recreation Department Director Terry Reid said the restroomswere set to be mirror images of the ones at City Park. Reid saidcity funds were not used to build City Park and Kids Kingdom, bothof which were funded privately by the United States TennisAssociation and the Kids Kingdom Foundation, respectively.

Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell suggested both bids be rejected,saying he was shocked the bids were so high.

“I can’t believe we can’t build a bathroom for less than that,”he said.

Ward Two Alderman Terry Bates said he believes the city can finda way to do the job in house.

“We have concrete finishers that work for the city,” he said. “Ithink we can do it for less than that.”

Reid said he had called local contractors to find out what theywould charge for things like the plumbing and electricity, and hehad been told that unisex bathrooms can be put in for a lower cost.Aldermen were not keen on the idea of unisex bathrooms.

“I’d like to see us have a male and female bathroom, being ashow they’re public and children will be using them,” said Ward OneAlderman Dorsey Cameron.

Aldermen tabled the restroom discussion. Officials said theyplan to look at other options.

In other action, Willie “Doc” Harrison was officially appointedto finish out the term of late school board member Carl Holloway onthe Brookhaven School Board Tuesday night. Ward Three AlderwomanMary Wilson’s motion passed unanimously to appoint Harrison to fillthe months until the term would expire in March, and then to servefor another five-year term.

“We all agree he’s an excellent man and will be very concernedwith our schools,” said Massengill.

Commuters coming in South First Street from Highway 84 will begetting to work a little faster after aldermen raised the speedlimit in the outer part of the city by 10 miles per hour.

Bogue Chitto resident James Hawkins spoke to the board early inthe meeting, telling them he’d gotten two speeding tickets in thelast three years. The most recent was Monday on South First Street,when he was cited for going 45 in a 30 mph zone.

“It seems like in those areas, 45 would be a more appropriatespeed,” he said. “I can understand going 30 in a residential area,or downtown, but I can’t understand why it stays 30 all the way outthere.”

Hawkins said by his estimate he’s spent 50 percent of his incomein Brookhaven in the last year, and that those two tickets havemade him afraid to drive in the city limits. He said he and othermotorists like him feel uncomfortable going only 30 mph coming intothe city.

“I had a log truck and a couple vehicles almost run over metoday,” he said.

Hawkins asked the board to consider raising the speed limitoutside the old city limits, saying that he would be relocating hisbusiness.

Later in the meeting, Wilson moved to raise the speed limit from30 mph to 40, saying if that doesn’t work, the board can raise itfurther to 45. Aldermen decided the 30 mph speed limit would resumeat the old city limits.