After being denied a chance to air concerns about the “One Lake” project during a public hearing, the mayor of Monticello is taking action.
On behalf of “One River - No Lake,” Martha Watts is planning a town hall meeting in the Lawrence County town bordering the Pearl River.
A date has not been set, but Watts said it will be before the Sept. 6 public comment deadline.
A $340 million project, mostly funded by Congress, is proposed to create a narrow lake on the Pearl River going through Jackson. Proponents say it’s necessary to prevent flooding in the capital city, but opponents say it’s more about creating lucrative lakefront property and will dry up the Pearl to the south.
The Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood Control District released its study favoring building the lake on June 23 and is hosting a series of meetings. However, at its first gathering on July 24 in Jackson, it did not allow public comments.
Watts said she left frustrated.
“It was what we expected,” she said. “They don’t want us to give our side of it. Andrew (Whitehurst of the Gulf Restoration Network) is sending me some data that he’s got that contradicts what they’ve got. Anything can be skewed. You can have any kind of a study or survey and you can highlight the parts you want highlighted and you can not focus on some things.”
Watts intends to give “One Lake” the same treatment at her meeting as they received in Jackson.
“Andrew and the Wildlife Federation and ones like that will be giving the presentations. The ‘One Lake’ group can sit back like they’ve had us sit back and be there to answer questions after the presentations, but the presentations won’t be the ‘One Lake’ presentations,” she said.
Watts said several downriver communities are interested and that they’ll have comment forms available. It will be held at the Monticello Civic Center on the banks of the Pearl.
“I’m hopeful that we will have a good turnout,” Watts said. “I’m pretty sure we can pack the place.”
