WALTHALL — The illegal dumping of deer carcasses was discussed at the Nov. 4 meeting of the Webster County Board of Supervisors.
Jared Patterson, local conservation officer with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, met with the board about the problem. While most of the larger hunting clubs have their own designated pits where they properly dispose of deer carcasses, he said the biggest complaint involves the unsightly and unhealthy dumping of deer carcasses on roadsides and in creeks.
Section 97-15-32 of the Mississippi Code prohibits the dumping of any dead wildlife, their parts or waste on streets, roads or highways or their rights-of-way. If caught, an offender can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $400. Patterson said he has written tickets for this offense.
The possibility of providing Dumpsters for the public to dispose of deer carcasses, as some counties do, was mentioned. However, board members frowned upon doing so because of concerns that people might fill them with garbage, along with other issues.
After more discussion, supervisors eventually decided to purchase five Covert trail cameras (one per road district) that transmit photos instantly to an app on a cell phone. The cameras will be placed at locations throughout the county.
According to the discussion, the cameras will be used not only to monitor the illegal dumping of wildlife carcasses but for other purposes such as monitoring illegal dumping of garbage and vandalism.
Also on Nov. 4, the board approved motions to:
• allow Emergency Management Director Barry Rushing to attend the Mid-Winter Education Conference of the Mississippi Civil Defense Emergency Management Association Nov. 12-14 in Biloxi.
• accept and release J.J. Ferguson Cos. from a completed Local System Bridge Project on Will Womack Road in District 5.
• recess until 8:30 a.m. Monday.
Other Meetings
In unreported business from October meetings, minutes show the board approved motions on the respective dates to:
— Oct. 7: accept a letter of resignation from tax assessor’s office employee Bonnie Fulgham effective Oct. 11.
— Oct 21: authorize Chancery Clerk Russ to complete the FY 2020 Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund grant application in the amount of $6,240 from the Mississippi State Department of Health.
• enter upon the minutes the order of the Department of Revenue in respect to the real and personal assessment roll for 2019.
• spread upon the minutes a copy of the authority to expend the Reappraisal Certification Mill collected for the 2019 roll year.
— Oct. 31: rescind its order from Oct. 21 accepting the maps and legal descriptions for Webster County fire protection districts. “This will be revisited as more details can be agreed upon,” the minutes state.
• enter into a contract with Sanders and Associates Appraisal and Mapping Services to do the appraisal updates for real and personal property and personal property located in the county occurring between Nov. 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2022, in accordance with state appraisal procedures. The county will pay the firm $194,000 for the four years of work.
• hire Mattie Webster as a part-time dispatcher at E-911 effective immediately.
• spread upon the minutes the inventory statement as of Sept. 30 and the final amended budget for FY 2018-19 ending Sept. 30.
