Aldermen set their sights on landscaping and beautification projects Tuesday night, eying progress on projects near I-55, Rosehill Cemetery and downtown’s Railroad Park.

     Alderman at Large Karen Sullivan pushed to move forward on a renovated entryway at the Monticello Street entrance to Rosehill Cemetery. She said a facelift for the historic cemetery would include new brick and iron work at the entryway.

     When aldermen crafted the fiscal year 2012-13 budget in August, Sullivan successfully pushed to include $15,000 to refurbish the cemetery entrance.

     There’s no need to advertise for sealed bids on the project since costs won’t exceed $50,000, said City Clerk Mike Jinks. The city only needs to procure a minimum of two competitive quotes.

     Aldermen approved Sullivan’s motion that the city seek the competitive quotes.

     Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell made a similar motion to seek proposals on a landscaping project at the entry and exit ramps onto and off Interstate 55 from Brookway Boulevard. Aldermen also allocated $18,000 during August budget talks for landscaping at the I-55 interchange.

     That $18,000 may not fund the full extent of landscaping at the site, though. Maxwell acknowledged the work may need to be done in phases.

     “We’re going to take it as far as the money will go,” Maxwell said.

     The Mississippi Department of Transportation has to approve any landscaping at the exits, and Maxwell said he has been in talks with the agency about the city’s plans.

     Mayor Les Bumgarner also advised aldermen that work on downtown Brookhaven’s Railroad Park should begin Dec. 17.

     The park’s facelift will take leftover grant funds from another downtown project to lower section of the Whitworth Avenue curb on the park’s side.

     Bumgarner estimated the curb’s height at about 3 feet and said it causes problems for the park’s patrons.

     “You’ve got to make an effort to get into our park because of the high curb,” the mayor said.

     The mayor also believes a lower curb will help alleviate parking woes on that portion of Whitworth Avenue. Both sides of Whitworth Avenue are angle parking between the intersections of West Chickasaw and West Cherokee streets.

     Bumgarner said a lower curb will allow drivers to pull up farther to park, with the effect of widening the street.

     In other news, Homer Richardson, representing Keep Lincoln County Beautiful, appeared before aldermen Tuesday night to apprise them of the latest area litter report. Richardson echoed what he told county supervisors when he appeared before them Monday.

     “We have been steadily coming down,” Richardson said of the annual litter surveys that have been conducted since 2000 in Lincoln County and Brookhaven.

     Richardson believes the city’s new recycling program has a role to play in keeping litter down.

     Said Richardson to aldermen, “Just a word of encouragement: You’re doing a good job.”