The Webster County Board of Supervisors received an annual update from representatives of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District on Monday.
The agency’s 2019 Advisory Committee meeting was held during a recessed meeting of the county board.
GTPDD staff updated advisory members on projects for fiscal 2019. Discussion during the county overview summary included all pending, active and completed grant applications for this past year.
District 1 Supervisor Eudy Morris was appointed to a four-year term on the GTPDD board ending July 2023 and Chancery Clerk Russ Turner was reappointed for another one-year position as committee chairman, both by acclamation.
Additionally, Spencer Broocks of the GTPDD conducted a public hearing that morning regarding an application to USDA Rural Development for a 15% grant to purchase a new vehicle for the Sheriff’s Department. No objections were made by those present.
In related action July 1, supervisors authorized board President Pat Cummings to sign a letter of intent to meet conditions in regard to the grant application.
Access Road
Also Monday, Lara Bowman of The Enterprise presented specs for the planned access road at Eupora’s West Industrial Park. The state has appropriated $100,000 in bond funds to the city of Eupora for the project, which will lead to a 20-acre “Ready Site” off U.S. 82.
Bowman asked the board to consider budgeting matching funds toward the project as the city of Eupora has.
“We’ve got a really good site that we can begin to market,” she said.
As she also has previously, Bowman said the condition of the privately owned Alloyd building in Industrial Park continues to deteriorate. She said the long-vacant building would be eligible for improvement grants and be more marketable for a tenant if publicly owned.
Other Business
In other business Monday, the board voted to:
• allow District 2 to purchase a vehicle through the emergency process.
• enter into two new contracts with Delta Computer Systems to provide support to the circuit and chancery clerks’ offices during the next fiscal year.
• enter into an agreement with the North Mississippi EMS Authority.
• ratify an interlocal agreement between the county and the town of Mathiston to assist in street repairs and improvement. The board voted May 31 to enter into the agreement.
Monday’s meeting was held in the Justice Court courtroom as usual as the transition to the new courthouse in Walthall continues. Supervisors are still awaiting word of “substantial completion” from the contractor before the county can officially occupy the building. The board recessed until next Monday, July 22, to begin budget sessions, with the location of that meeting to be determined.
June 7
At a recessed meeting on June 7, the board awarded a contract for an Emergency Road and Bridge Repair project on Tomahawk Road to Double S Inc.
This was based on its low bid of $1.85 million after tabulation of the three bids received and recommendation of the county engineer.
June 17
On June 17, the board voted to pay for repair work on a Sheriff’s Department vehicle in the amount of $1,252.67 and instruct the clerk to cut a special check to pay the invoice of Hodges Tire & Alignment rather than wait for the next accounts-payable cycle. The check was inadvertently not printed with the May accounts.
June 24
On June 24, minutes show the board approved motions to:
• pay the invoice of Partner Purchasing Group in the amount of $7,317 even though no purchase was prepared on the invoice. The purchasing clerk had obtained two quotes and PPG, even though not the lower of the two quotes, was accepted by the board to purchase because of the availability to purchase armed chairs, according to the minutes. The purchase clerk inadvertently failed to prepare a purchase order, the minutes state.
• authorize the District 5 road crew to go onto the property of Betty Johnson to fill an old well because it is falling in on one side and is a danger to the public.
• authorize the District 5 road crew to go onto the property of Calvin Redwine to remove brick and concrete he is donating to the county for use as riprap on work at Old Congress Road.
June 28
Minutes of the board’s June 28 minutes show that Glenn Lautzenhiser of Lowndes County, Lt. Eddie Hawkins of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and retired physician Charles Rhea discussed the seriousness of the over-the-counter addictive substance called kratom.
The unregulated herbal substance, which has been linked to more overdose deaths in recent years, is being outlawed by a number of cities and counties across the state, where its sale or possession is a misdemeanor.
Lautzenhiser (chairman), Hawkins and Rhea are members of the Lowndes Community Foundation’s Crime and Addiction Task Force.
The board also approved the claims docket for the month.
July 1
On July 1, supervisors voted to vacate the board’s action of June 24 in hiring Young Law Group to recover against ex-sheriff Tim Mitchell’s surety bond for double payment of the sheriff’s salary and related costs.
The board held that action for naught because the law firm found it was conflicted and unable to represent the county because of representation of the parent company of the insurance company that wrote Mitchell’s bond.
Afterwards on July 1, the board accepted a proposal from Lamar & Hannaford PA of Senatobia to represent the county in the matter and authorized Cummings to sign an engagement letter with the firm on behalf of the county. Its hourly billing rate will be $225 with a cap on its total fee.
Mitchell pleaded guilty last month to two counts of embezzlement by a public official and two counts of trafficking in stolen firearms. He was ordered to resign immediately and awaits sentencing.
County EMA Director Barry Rushing, program delivery manager Joel Mitchell of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Kendall Gibson updated the board about ongoing work to determine FEMA reimbursements for flood damage.
The county has been included in a federal disaster declaration to receive public assistance for flood damage that started Feb. 22. Gibson has been hired as a clerk to enter FEMA reimbursement declarations into a computer database.
Additionally on July 1, the board voted to:
• accept the 2019 real and personal property rolls as presented by Tax Assessor-Collector Barbara Gore. The appraised value of real property is up $659,433 and that of personal property is up $182,485 over last year.
j• accept and enroll on the minutes the report of the Webster County Grand Jury dated June 25.
• adopt a final resolution granting exemption from ad valorem taxes to Gun Dog Supply LLC in the amount of $2.14 million. The five-year exemption was previously approved by the Mississippi Department of Revenue and began Jan. 1.
• purchase an ad from Map Solutions Inc. on the new county/city map for $995, which includes a supply of new maps.
• hire David Wakeman as a District 3 road hand.
July 8
On July 8, the board voted to appoint a three-person committee to review 23 applications/resumes received for the vacant position of deputy Justice Court clerk by the July 1 deadline.
The advisory committee members are Barbara Ray, Tracy Palmer and Jean Shepard, who will receive compensation of $10 an hour. They will make a recommendation to the board concerning the selection of the three best candidates and submit same to the board.
