The majority of the business conducted at the Monday Carroll County Board of Supervisors meeting was brought before the Board by three guest speakers. Firstly, Nick Jasmin, a representative from NextEra Resources addressed the Board about a solar farm project in the planning stage in Carroll County. After Jasmin gave an overview to the Board of the projects conducted by NextEra throughout the United States, Beat 1 Supervisor Jim Neill spoke up with a question.
“One of the things our constituents are always asking is ‘what about these things leaking’?” Neill relayed the question, explaining that the county would need assurance from NextEra should anything like this happen.
Jasmin explained that according to a NextEra trusted doctor, a modern cracked solar panel was equivalent to a cracked smartphone screen in terms of how harmless it is. He explained that the panel would not have any leeching as a result of damage. As of yet, the company has not broken ground on a project in Mississippi, however they have several projects elsewhere in the U.S. such as Arkansas. No votes or motions were made on the matter, following the presentation made by Jasmin. As a final note, the Board requested to see Jasmin (or another representative of NextEra) back for the Board’s January meeting to further discuss the matter.
The next guest speakers of the meeting were Representatives from Affordable Employee Benefits. Andrew Nowin, Karen Pogue, and Jordan Starnes appeared before the Board to offer their services as an option for county employees. Pogue cited the recent Blue Cross “Big Blue Bus” which appeared in Winona, where city employees were offered a multitude of check up and health services for the day. In addition, Nowin explained that representatives would explain programs step for step with employees to ensure they are taking advantage of what AEB has to offer. No votes or motions were made on the matter.
The final guest speaker of the meeting was Carroll County Resident Tyler Johnson, who spoke on behalf of the residents of County Road 183 regarding the road conditions. Johnson explained that deteriorating road conditions were making driving treacherous along the route. He also explained that paving the road would benefit residents in a multitude of ways, especially ensuring swift response from emergency vehicles. He presented the Board with a signed petition of residents on County Road 183 who supported the request. No votes or motions were made on this matter.
