The Simpson County Board of Supervisors held their recessed meeting on November 15.
Drew Padget spoke with the board about establishing a rubbish pit in the county, explaining that he needs a letter saying that the board will allow him to establish the pit.
Board attorney Danny Welch explained the process and said that the county solid waste plan would need to be updated. Padget filed his application for the board to review before moving on to the next step.
Padget said he has 26 acres of service land currently with 100 more acres that can be added on.
County Engineer Greg Bonds said the New Hope Road project is underway and the contractor had begun moving test piles. The Peacock Road box culvert project has been installed and the contractor is finishing up the approaches.
Bonds also reported that the Dry Creek Road project has started and is expected to be completed in 90 days. The pre-leveling project has been advertised.
Bonds asked for approval to work with board attorney Danny Welch to gather information for the ERBR program to be transferred to the new engineer. Welch explained that they need his contract information to authorize Bonds to represent the county. The board approved.
Bonds presented SAP projects to the board and received approval for chip seal, striping, and signage projects throughout the county.
Sheriff Paul Mullins presented new hires and received approval to attend the 2024 Winter Conference.
Emergency Management Operations Director John Kilpatrick said he recently met with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and reviewed all distribution sites. He said that MEMA would like to discuss a long-term recovery committee for the county, which he explained would be a committee made up of community members. He said when there is not a declared disaster, there could be up to $25,000 for a homeowner to purchase supplies to put their home back at no cost to the county.
Kilpatrick said the burn ban has been lifted for Simpson County. He discussed purchasing new equipment for E-911.
District Attorney Chris Hennis came before the board requesting additional internet coverage for the DA’s office at the Simpson County Court House. Hennis said they are trying to digitize discovery, and his attorneys can have remote access to digital case files. He explained that there was a need for improved internet service before moving forward. The board voted to pursue options for additional internet coverage.
Ruth Bowen appeared before the board to discuss the solid waste account at 1695 Henry Cannon Road. Bowen explained her situation of moving to take care of terminally ill relatives, but she maintained the property. Bowen was told that she had a bill of $1,200 and she needed to provide a utility bill to prove the time that she was not occupying the property. She said she has provided a water bill and documentation from Entergy showing that the electricity was turned on at the property in 2023. Bowen said it is not fair that she has to pay $1,200 because she was not living there and was not getting any services. The board asked for a usage summary from Entergy, which Bowen agreed to provide.
Archie Skiffer addressed the board about public school funding being cut. The supervisors explained that the board had not cut funding. Due to explicit information not provided in the funding request, the board felt they could not agree to a 4 percent increase. Skiffer asked the board about their position on Project 25, and shared comments on the outcome of the presidential election.
Following public comments, the board entered executive session to discuss personnel and litigation.
