The Simpson County Board of Supervisors approved $50,000 for the Bicentennial Planning Committee pending the signing of an agreement prepared by legal counsel.
The money will be used to purchase merchandise that will be sold in observance of the Bicentennial celebration, such as blankets, t-shirts, and other memorabilia to be sold throughout the year.
Board attorney Danny Welch explained that the spirit of the agreement will be that any surplus funds from the sale of the merchandise will be refunded to the county up to $45,000. This accounts for the initial $5,000 that the County agreed to give towards the planning efforts of the Bicentennial.
The first event for the Simpson County Bicentennial will be a Birthday Party for the county on January 27, 2024, at the Simpson County Courthouse. Funds are still needed for the Bicentennial to assist with planning events in the county’s communities throughout the year, and sponsorship opportunities are available.
Bids were opened for Project SAP-64(17)M for guardrails on Old River Road. The engineer estimated the project to cost approximately $49,260, and the winning bid came from Atwood Fence Company for $24,410. Bridge projects on Saratoga-Sharon Road, and Shorter Road are over 95 percent complete. Saratoga Sharon Road bridge has been replaced and is open to traffic. The bridge replacement project for Dry Creek Road will be readvertised at the start of 2024.
Road manager Ben Warren presented his report for October along with a new hire filling a vacant position on his crew. Asphalt prices and delivery were discussed. Prices were compared between AJ Construction at $20 a ton with no delivery vs. Adcamp Inc. in Flowood for 25 dollars per ton but no action was taken. The packer being used by the county crew was leased for another month as paving repairs continue throughout the county.
Chancery Clerk Tim Gray presented orders for acknowledgement in the board minutes appointing Keleigh Sullivan as District Youth Court Guardian Ad Litem and April Taylor Bryant as Chancery Court District Guardian Ad Litem with pay raises. Another order setting salaries and appointing William H. Smith as youth court defender, and James B. Sykes as youth court lunacy referee were acknowledged. The board acknowledged the order and recommended these orders be submitted in June while the budget is being planned to account for pay raises.
Sheriff Paul Mullins presented new hires and was approved to renew the Omnigo software used for dispatch. Emergency Management Coordinator John Kilpatrick reiterated that the burn ban is still in effect. Fire Coordinator Jason Busby explained that the recent frost has led to drier weather conditions and no significant amount of rain is in the foreseeable future. He explained that the lack of humidity is also adding to the conditions.
Charlie Welch gave an update on the building projects. He explained that there were issues with the plexiglass planned for the courthouse windows and the engineer and contractor worked on a new solution. Welch advised doing a change order on the project and saving the county $67,000 by doing away with the plexiglass, and the board agreed. The courthouse project is expected to be completed on November 10.
The new trustee hall has been completed and will be able to house 30 trustees. The new facility is ADA compliant and helps free up space in other parts of the jail facility. A washroom was also built in the area using inmate labor under the direction of Welch. The County was also able to purchase a new garbage truck.
County Administrator Arhuel Dickinson presented his agenda and repairs were approved for three sheriff’s office vehicles that were damaged in a car chase on September 7. Damage claims for Jesse Mitchell and Demarcus Brown were denied by the board. Both claims were for damages to vehicles.
A request by Amy Whitfield to lease the old Harrisville voting house for a dog grooming and boarding business was denied by the board. The board approved a request by the city of Mendenhall to remove the Deaf Child Sign on Athens Road and increase the speed limit to 35 miles per hour.
The board agreed to accept proposals for collection agent contracts for Justice Court. Southern financial Systems has requested to be considered. The County currently uses MS Court Solutions.
Charlie Welch was named as the contact person for the Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) office for broadband issues. BEAM has the mission of extending broadband access to every community in the state.
A discussion was held concerning issues between solid waste collection. Addressing, and issuing car tags. Dickinson asked the board for guidance or a policy change after an issue arose of a citizen not paying their garbage bill due to a slight variation in their address. However, the address they used is not registered in the E-911 system, but they were able to show proof of the address using an electric bill. The same issue has arisen when issuing car tags, with people using address that are not in the E-911 system. No action was taken, and a work session has been scheduled between the tax assessor, emergency management coordinator, county administrator, and board to discuss a solution to the problem on December 4.
The board entered executive session to discuss personnel and litigation before adjourning the meeting.
