Olive Branch employees honored after securing $1 million for water and sewer extension projects

The Olive Branch Board of Aldermen on Jan. 7 presented the mayor's award to Jonette Howard and Lucy Massey for their work helping the city secure $1,000,000 in Mississippi Community Water Infrastructure (MCWI) funding for water and sewer extension projects.

City officials said the projects met the construction award timeline for the end of 2024 and are now under contract. The nomination, submitted by Director Andy Swims and read at the meeting, credited Howard and Massey with securing temporary and permanent easements from more than 218 homeowners across three annexation areas, work that involved repeated contacts, weekly meetings and adjustments to legal instruments.

"Both stepped up and did this very hard work without complaint," Director Andy Swims wrote in the nomination read at the meeting. The nomination said the staff work helped the city meet the funding deadline and bring the projects under contract.

Mayor (presiding officer) noted the award envelopes contained donations from individuals and businesses, not tax dollars, and presented crisp $100 bills to each recipient. Contractor Robbie Jones of Davis Jones was introduced as present to assist with engineering questions.

The board approved the meeting minutes and later adopted the consent agenda (items 1–25) as part of the evening's business; those procedural actions were taken before the awards presentation.

The award recognizes staff work on projects that the city says will extend water and sewer service in annexed areas; officials did not provide a construction start date or specific contract details at the meeting.