The Simpson County Board of Supervisors held a recessed meeting at which they opened bids for a new dump truck. Three bids were received and all bids were taken under advisement.
Road Manager Ben Warren explained that the county’s fleet of work trucks is aging and the trucks have developed a lot of mechanical issues. Warren said the county has spent over $55,000 in repairs on these trucks and explained the need for new work trucks.
He presented Landon Dunham with Hertz in Richland, MS. Dunham said Hertz is the largest supplier of work trucks in the country and that Hertz can provide the county with trucks and place no mileage restrictions on them. He said normal wear and tear maintenance items and mechanical issues are covered by Hertz.
The board approved the leasing of new trucks pending review of the contract by the board attorney and approved the purchase of a new packer for the Road Department.
Sheriff Paul Mullins presented the board with a body camera policy to be put into the Standard Operating Policy book. The board approved the policy, and Sheriff Mullins said body cameras will be going live on April 1.
The sheriff also addressed his name being mentioned in a recent school board meeting. Mullins said he was told by a citizen that his name was mentioned by school board member Danny Cowart as the reason the schools do not have resource officers. Mullins said these are not the facts, and that he tried to meet with the previous administration to no avail. He has since met with Dr. Deidra Randall, finance officer, and school safety officer Jeffery Walker. He said during their discussion they agreed to a rate of $50,000 per officer and the Sheriff’s Department would furnish the insurance, uniform, and car.
Mullins said he has met with new superintendent Dr. Paul Lawrence, and that he has really been working to move the project forward. Mullins said he is working with the school district to get two officers; however, the district does not need the sheriff to hire officers.
Mullins said, “This don’t lie on Paul Mullins. I’m willing to help and I want our kids safe but we got to work together. But at the end of the day they have skin in the game just as much as I do.”
Mullins said he is not holding the process up, but there are steps that must be taken to get the officers hired. County resident Lee McCoy commended the sheriff on defending himself against “blame shifting individuals.”
Tax Assessor Jamie Brewer announced that citizens are now able to pay their garbage bill and purchase tags in her office.
The school bus turnaround list was approved, and Wayne Magee or Jeffery Walker will verify that a turnaround site needs to be worked and that students are present before the request is sent.
Charlie Welch presented an update on the courthouse roof and reported that four leaks still need to be fixed. He also said that upgrades were made to the audio and visual equipment in the courthouse.
Owners of a medical cannabis lab specializing in genetics and tissue cultures turned in a request to open a lab at 517 Hwy. 49 South, which is a former antiques building south of Magee. They plan to provide Mississippi cultivators with pure genetics for their plants, seeds and clones. They expect revenue to be $750,000 and increase by 20 percent over the next five years. The board took the request under advisement.
The board entered executive session to discuss litigation before adjourning the meeting.
