WALTHALL — The Board of Supervisors rehired Webster County employees for 2025 during its first meeting of the year on Jan. 6.
Supervisors voted unanimously to rehire these county employees at the same terms and on the same conditions:
Inventory Clerk Michael Kolb
Fire Coordinator/EMA Director Barry Rushing
Purchasing Clerk Katie May
Receiving Clerk Antowine Hearvey
Veterans Service Officer Ken Wicha
AP Clerk/Deputy Chancery Clerk Moniqua Sims
Payroll Clerk/Deputy Chancery Clerk Christina Faulkner
Deputy Chancery Clerk Jordan Russell
Justice Court Clerk Lisa Dean
Deputy Justice Court Clerks Peggy Pepper and Ronda McKee
All other county employees were rehired at the same rate of compensation as budgeted for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The board also authorized and directed President Pat Cummings to sign on behalf of the county to enter into contracts with Jacqueline Meek as board attorney and with Michael Kolb as clerk for preservation of public records.
Other Business
In other business Jan. 6, the board voted to:
• advertise for bids for landscaping the Courthouse that will be opened at 9 a.m. Feb. 3.
• approve the December minutes without amendment.
• hire Josh Buford as a certified part-time deputy effective Jan. 3.
• accept the resignation of Felisha Ellison as a full-time deputy effective Jan. 3.
The board recessed until 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Minutes of December meetings show the board handled these matters on the respective dates:
Dec. 2
On Dec. 2, the board approved motions to:
• approve the November board minutes.
• instruct the clerk to transfer funds from the 2012 Road Equipment Repayment Account Fund to the Blacktop Fund. The balance of funds is approximately $26,604.17.
• purchase a Chevrolet 1500 4WD truck for District 1. The board instructed the purchasing clerk to get quotes for the purchase.
• authorize the chancery clerk to issue special checks to Willis Engineering in the amount of $10,278.05 and Stacon LLC in the amount of $68,520.36 to pay invoices received on the Carter Road Emergency Watershed Protection Bank Stabilization Project.
Dec. 16
The board approved motions on Dec. 16 to:
• hire Christopher Jashon Allen as part-time deputy circuit clerk at a rate of $12 per hour effective Jan. 1.
• purchase real property of 0.23 acres from John Keith Perkins for $4,000 and to authorize the Chancery Clerk’s Office to issue a special check to him for the purchase.
This came after the board on Dec. 2 authorized District 4 Supervisor Paul Crowley to enter into negotiations with Perkins for the purchase of the piece of property near the District 4 county barn.
An exhibit concerning the land purchase states the size of the District 4 barn on Clarkson Road is now inadequate to safely store and park all vehicles, equipment and materials at night necessary for road maintenance.
According to the exhibit, the population and traffic in the district has greatly increased because of the growing population of the beat — “Many new residence houses and many new commercial buildings have been built.”
The property is adjacent to the county barn and adjacent ground, and District 4 needs to acquire title to the property so that parking areas and the barn building can be expanded, the document states.
• authorize the Chancery Clerk’s Office to issue a special check to the U.S. Postal Service in the amount of $292 for the purchase of four rolls of stamps for the Circuit Clerk’s Office.
• authorize the Chancery Clerk’s Office to issue a special check to Jamie’s Body Shop in the amount of $2,538.55 for a toolbox and brush guard to be mounted on the Sheriff’s Department’s 2024 Dodge Ram truck.
• authorize the town of Mathiston to purchase a fire truck using Round 5 of the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program grant funds. Previously, on Dec. 2, the board had authorized Webster County EMA Director Barry Rushing and Assistant Director Tom Booth to begin the process of attempting to qualify for a matching funds grant from RFTAAP through the Mississippi Insurance Department.
• hire Destiny Pippen as a part-time jailer at a rate of $12 per hour effective Dec. 2.
• accept bids for goods and services (asphalt, culverts, gravel and limestone) for the county for the next 12 months.
• install a bus turnaround at 1895 Hatcher Road at the request of the Webster County School District.
• accept a negotiated settlement of the warranty claim on a Case IH tractor. The tractor was damaged because of a manufacturing defect that was covered under warranty. The damage was unrepairable, so a negotiated settlement was offered by Hood Equipment to supply the county with a new tractor of the same size for $32,500.
• remove various items from the inventory list.
• accept the Inventory Statement as of Sept. 30 as presented by Inventory Clerk Michael Kolb.
• authorize Coroner Scott Dean and Deputy Coroner Kacey Skelton to attend the 2025 Mississippi Coroner and Medical Examiner Association Winter Conference in Flowood Feb. 12-14 .• spread a copy of the certificate from the state Department of Revenue finally approving the assessment rolls for 2024.
Webster County citizens Patsy Young and Caitlyn Holland addressed the board with no action taken. Cody Mills, area agriculture and natural resources agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, also addressed the board. No action was taken.
Dec. 31
The board approved the claims docket on Dec. 31 and accepted the resignation of Deputy Tax Collector Karen Huffman, who had been hired Dec. 2.
County E911 Director John Dendy addressed the board regarding a personnel issue. No action was taken.
Webster County Veterans Service Officer Ken Wicha also addressed the board with no action taken.
