As the town of Pearl River begins planning its 2009 budget, among the items to be included will be the town’s first building inspector.

Pearl River Mayor James Lavigne, who tends to serve as a one-man public works department, generally performs those duties. As the town grows, however, and building codes change, the Board of Aldermen realized it was time to consider hiring someone for the job.

“We’re looking into how other towns our size do it,” said Alderman Virgil Phillips. “We’d like to have someone who works for us maybe a couple days a week, or on an on-call basis.” The board is also investigating the possibility of an arrangement in which they share an inspector with a nearby municipality.

Phillips said while some revenue lines have dropped off for the city, others have picked up. The permitting process has been completed for the Rooms-to-Go warehouse and distribution center, which should allow construction to begin soon. A contract with Waffle House is also about to be finalized, and a small motel chain has expressed interest in the area.

“That would really be good because we could host a Little League tournament and have a local place for teams to stay,” said Phillips.

Additional good news for the town came in the form of a Louisiana Community Development Block grant, which will help de-snag the Pump Slough, a tributary of the West Pearl River.

Under the aegis of the Army Corps of Engineers, the waterway has needed clearing since before Hurricane Katrina, but permitting problems caused numerous delays. Additional debris added by subsequent storms has only exacerbated the problem. Clearing it will help with drainage in nearby Gum Creek and allow access to an old boat launch, known as the “high water” launch, since it is only accessible during times of elevated water levels.

Other projects nearing completion include the Pearl River & Honey Island Museum. Alderwoman Ruby Gauley, on the museum board, is in the process of applying for an appropriations line grant from the state and will attend a seminar next week intended to guide applicants through the process.

“If we can get this one more grant, that should get us rolling,” she said. “Once we settle on the design plan for the exhibits, we should be ready to open.”

The board is working with a Southeastern Louisiana University professor and a curator from the state museum to plan the exhibits. Anyone with old photos or family histories is encouraged to contact Gauley at 863-7258.