WALTHALL — Webster County officials are seeking federal funding for flood damage to county roads.
The Board of Supervisors, on Jan. 21, voted to apply for a disaster mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency asking for mitigation of $320,589.79.
This is for disaster recovery from flood damage to Webster County roads on Jan. 11. The board authorized EMA Director Barry Rushing to file the grant application on behalf of the county.
MEMA previously reported that 15 roads were closed in Webster County after that day’s severe weather. According to the discussion, the county is still awaiting reimbursement for flood damage in February 2019.
Other Business
In other business Jan. 21, the board approved motions to:
• delete from county inventory (circuit, chancery and tax offices) five computers and a scanner. All these items are non-functional and are junk.
• set aside the tax sale for 2017 and 2018 on a specified parcel. The minutes state, “Due to a clerical error in tax office this parcel was assessed incorrectly in the wrong name for both these years. The property should have been exempted and would have been if assessed under the right name.
“But the parcel erroneously went through the tax sale for both 2017 and 2018. For 2017 the property was bought in by Bennett Hills Inc. and for 2018 the property was bought in by Boaz Tax Sale Properties LLC. The amount actually paid by both these entities shall be refunded to them.”
• reappoint Supervisor Doug Burgess (District 5) to the Chief Elected Officials Board for the Mississippi Partnership Local Workforce Investment Area for a four-year term to represent Webster County.
• transfer the budgeted amount of $8,750 from each road district to the Blacktop Fund.
• spread a copy of the grand jury report dated Jan. 15 upon the minutes. The report was published in the Progress-Times on Jan. 22.
• sell these items on county inventory by means of posting notice and taking sealed bids on Feb. 18: 15 tires and wheels and a 1994 Ford XLT pickup belonging to District 4, a Ford F-350 flatbed truck belonging to District 5 and a 36-foot gooseneck trailer belonging to the Emergency Management Agency.
• hire Jan Butler as a special prosecutor to prosecute the cases in Justice Court against Robert Baker and Matt Fulgham, and pay him at the rate of $200 per case. The board did so because county Prosecuting Attorney Henry Ross has recused himself from the cases. The board also voted Sept. 3 to hire Butler as a special prosecutor in other Justice Court cases involving Baker and Fulgham
• raise the salary of the chief medical examiner from $7,500 to $10,000 per state legislation effective Jan. 1 and to amend the budget to reflect that increase.
Jan. 31
On Friday, Jan. 31, County Engineer Karl Grubb addressed the board concerning State Aid dollar amounts for the new term and the Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2018, according to the minutes.
The board then voted to open a new bank account and create a new fund to receive the money coming to the county as a result of MIMA. The first payment was received Jan. 31 in the amount of $75,788.68.
The board also voted to enter into an Emergency Watershed Project agreement for road and bank stabilization on Johnson Road and Smith Road (two sites).
Feb. 3
On Monday, Feb. 3, the board approved motions to:
• allow Veterans Service Officer David Ellison to attend spring training April 14-16 in Biloxi.
• allow Deputy Coroner Kasey Skelton to take a required online coroner’s course.
• recess until 8:30 a.m. Thursday to review job specifications for janitorial services at the courthouse, Justice Court and Department of Human Services buildings. Janitorial bids received Dec. 4 were rejected and the board voted to rebid.
Jan. 6
In previously unreported business from Jan. 6, the board voted that date to:
• pay $125 to Lauderdale County for the fees for the commitment of Webster County citizen Janice Rhodes. Her commitment occurred in Lauderdale County Chancery Court last June, according to the minutes.
• allow all supervisors to attend the Mississippi Association of Supervisors’ Mid-Winter Conference, which was Jan. 6-8 in Jackson.
