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Aliceville council seeks economic help after plant closures, outlines downtown revitalization plan
Summary
Council members discussed several recent local business closures and announced a downtown revitalization project starting Aug. 17 that will combine water-line replacement and paving; the city said it is pursuing economic development contractors and coordinating with the state rapid response team for displaced workers.
At its June 23 meeting the Aliceville City Council addressed recent local industry changes and outlined steps the city will take to support businesses and workers.
Council members reported that several local facilities have closed or reduced operations in recent months, including a cast-iron plant (referred to as Franklin Iron) and parts of local lumber operations such as Buchanan Lumber and McGee Lumber. Council members said the city is seeking professional assistance to recruit new employers and has reached out to state resources. The mayor said the state's rapid response team has been contacted and will be invited to the city to provide services to residents affected by job losses; the city will publicize the event once a date is set.
Separately, council discussed a downtown revitalization project that the city said will begin Aug. 17 and combine a water-line replacement with a subsequent street-paving project to reduce repeated disruption. The presenter estimated the combined work would take about 120 days from the start date; during remarks the speaker briefly misstated the year, and the council did not provide a written project schedule in the meeting packet. Council members said the city will notify affected businesses in advance.
Council members emphasized that retaining and recruiting industry is a priority and said they are exploring contractual economic-development assistance. No formal contracts or grant awards were announced at the meeting; the council approved a separate resolution authorizing an application to the Delta Regional Authority for FY2026 grant funds and designated the mayor as the city's authorized representative to execute application documents.
Michelle White, who identified herself as the county's Adult Protective Services worker, praised local law enforcement for collaborating with APS to protect older residents. Several public commenters tied concerns about elder exploitation to the council's elder-abuse proclamation.
