The Monday, March 25, Carroll County Board of Supervisors meeting began with a prayer, led by Sheriff Clint Walker before the Board dove into the agenda. Following the opening prayer, the Board heard from Carroll County Emergency Management Director and North Carrollton Mayor, Ken Strachan, on several emergency management issues. Firstly, he discussed the Carroll County annual review of their Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. Next, Emergency Management Director Strachan gave his National Incident Management System Compliance Report for Carroll County, requesting the approval of the Board for its submission to the Mississippi Emergency Management agency. The Board approved its submission unanimously. Finally, Mayor Strachan informed the Board and those present of a March 24, 2023, tornado anniversary program to take place on Saturday March 30th at the Black Hawk school at 2 p.m.
Immediately following Mayor Strachan, resident Mary Ellen Winborn spoke on the condition of County Road 219 around the area of the solar farm. She reported the area had multiple potholes on the road and was requesting the Board have an assessment done on the road to determine the best course of action for repairs. Winborn believes Delta’s Edge Solar and Renewable Energy Systems are responsible for the wear and tear done on the County Road.
Winborn stated, “It’s Delta’s Edge’s responsibility and RES’s responsibility to fix this – just to put it back the way they found it.”
Following the Board hearing Winborn’s grievances, Beat 1 Supervisor Jim Neill addressed the issue. He spoke about getting a road map to assess the right of way of the road and to distinguish whose responsibility it falls under in terms of repairs. Following this, Neill informed Winborn and the attending visitors of an allotment of $25,000 given to the county by Delta Electric for road repairs in and around the area. He made it clear that this allotment was not a grant or funding that would come from taxes on the state or county level, and that the entirety of the fiscal responsibility of this funding has fallen on Delta Electric, which already allotted the sum to Carroll County. Supervisor Neill stated his and the Board’s intentions of using the allotment to fill the potholes on County Road 219 with gray-rock, which is supposedly more wash resistant than regular gravel.
“We’re gonna shape the road back up, then we’re gonna put the rock on the road. It will be about 17 or 18 eighteen-wheeler truckloads of limestone or gray rock. We’re gonna put something that will hold together better than just wash rock. We’re not gonna put just regular gravel on it,” Neill said.
Shortly following the grievances of County Road 219 being heard, the Board was addressed by Tax Accessor Tammy Inmon. Inmon requested the Board’s approval to void and replace a receipt concerning a mobile home which was recently sold and moved from the property being addressed. Next, she requested an adjustment in the Tax Office budget for the purchase of a new computer for the Vaiden tax office in the amount of $1,713.38. Following this, Inmon requested the approval of reimbursement for Alison Marshall to attend IAAO 102, in Starkville on April 15 through April 19 in the amount of $650 for the course, not including reimbursement for lodging, food, and mileage. Inmon’s final point was to request approval for reimbursement of two attendees for the MACA Summer conference in Biloxi July 13 through July 17 in the amount of $150 to Alison Marshall for class cost, as well as the cost of lodging, food and mileage for both attendees. Board Attorney Kevin Horan noted to Chancery Clerk Casey Carpenter the need for each of Inmon’s requests to be spread to the meeting minutes separately.
The final point of the meeting, prior to the Board entering executive session, was brought before the Board by Sheriff Clint Walker. Sheriff Walker requested the Board consider the county’s need for an ATV for county officials to conduct their business efficiently. He stated the vehicle would assist officials in general county upkeep such as garbage pick-up, in addition to it greatly enhancing search and rescue efforts in remote parts of the county, as well as body recovery in cases of deadly incidents. Sheriff Walker received a quote of roughly $18,000 for the purchase of the vehicle. No motions were made on the issue, but the Board chose to consider the request.
In other business, the Board:
• Reassessed County Insurance Policies for Carroll County buildings, Carroll County Regional Correctional Facility, fire insurance, and firehouses and firehouse vehicles.
• Approved the purchase of a full-page advertisement for The Conservative Profile at $1,100.
• Approved the Lease Purchase interest rate quotes for two 2023 Dodge Durango’s in the amount of $98,862.
• Agreed to reimburse petty cash in the Chancery Clerk Office in the amount of $77 for the yearly post office box for the sanitation department.
• Approved the new contract for Vincent McDaniel for the Beat 3 and 4 gravel pits.
• Agreed to the reimbursement of Rebecca Touchstone, April Neill and Carolyn Summerville to attend ECAM training in Jackson on March 28.
• Approved the application for Carroll County Treatment Plant.
• Agreed to Beat 4’s withdrawal from program SAP-08(65) and transfer all funds expended to date to SAP-08(01).
• Accepted the contract for Local System Bridge Program Project NO. LSBP-08(45).
• Accepted the Mississippi Community Heritage Preservation Grant Memorandum of Agreement.
• Approved reimbursement for Casey Carpenter to attend Chancery Clerk Spring Educational Workshop at the Embassy Suite Jackson-North Ridgeland, on May 14 through May 15.
• Approved Leon Fluker’s Petition County Road 144 Beat 4 (L & D Family Cemetery).
• Approved to advertise in The Conservative, request for proposal to modernize and make necessary repairs to the Carrollton Courthouse elevator.
• Agreed to the reimbursement of Supervisor Neill for attending the Legislative Committee Meeting at the MAS Office in Jackson on March 7.
• Agreed to North Central Planning and Development District assisting Carroll County in applying for the Homeland Security Grant for 2024.
• Approved the Applications for Federal Assistance SF-424 County Road 104, 105, 115, 143, 163, 238, and County Road 172 Sites A&B and 231 Sites A&B.
• Agreed to the USDA Grant Resolution and NCPDD advertising for a Public Hearing for Carroll County Board of Supervisors Beat 5 to purchase one new Kubota Tractor in the amount of $104, 406.93. (State Contract #8200073360).
• Agreed to the following claims: Election workers for training in the amount of $6,500 and pay poll workers for the election on March 12, in the amount of $9,996.89. Mississippi Public Entity Workers Compensation County Second Quarter 2024 I the amount of $18,009.25 and CCRCF Second Quarter in the amount of $10,235.25. The Southern Connections (Sheriff Department) in the amount of $6,212.42, State Contract #8200071335 PO #12440. Steadfast Services, LLC for repairs at CCRCF in the amount of $23,800. To pay Carothers, Fedric & Laster Law Office for Neal E. Marlow being appointed to Justice Court Second Judicial Case in the amount of $650.
• Approved the spread of the following items to the minutes: Transferred 3 CD Accounts back to Sapphire Accounts on March 6, due to interest rate going to 1% after the 3 month maturity date. Fran and Casey Carpenter went to Vaiden Sanitation to help with reconciling bank statements March 2024. Casey Carpenter submitted the LATCF-1965 2023 Annual Report (Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund). Fiscal Year – 2024 Bridge Posting County Roads 193 and 31. MASIT 2024-2025 Renewal Submission Information. MEMA Written Notification of Audit Compliance. Jackie McKinney and Mary Winborn records request. County Road Improvement Letter to Karl Oliver. FEMA/MEMA cost for Recreational Park Bridge repair and County Road 235. Cristin Bankston Certificate for BETST Emergency Telecommunicator 16 Hour Orientation Course. USDA review guide 2 and language assistance letter to USDA. Support Letter.
• Moved the issue of approving quotes for Beat 3 to purchase one used dump truck to the April 1 board meeting.
• Moved the issue of approving County Road 87 Site 2 quotes to the April 1 board meeting.
