The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors proclaimed a state of emergency for the county in the wake of Hurricane Ida which caused damage to roads and infrastructure in the southern part of the county.
According to Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Allan Pratt, heavy rains and winds Monday and Tuesday flooded roads, uprooted trees, and did considerable damage to roads, especially in the southern portion of the county. Pratt noted that Green and Walker Roads, close to Winfrey Road sustained damage.
Sheriff Jeff Tompkins said several trees were down around the county, with some toppling into roadways. On Monday evening, Tompkins reported that a car struck a tree that had fallen onto Highway 404 East, not far from Sweet Home Road. No one was injured in the accident.
“I had a chainsaw, and we cut the tree out of the road,” Tompkins said. “No one was hurt.”
Pratt told supervisors that because Governor Tate Reeves already declared a state of emergency for all of Mississippi, Montgomery County needed to issue its own to receive a possible reimbursed for any damage sustained in the storm.
In other county business, the board renewed the county’s health insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield. According to Chancery Clerk Ryan Wood, there was no change in the cost of the premium. However, the county’s gap plan through Gulf Guaranty saw an increase of $6.46 per employee, which is equivalent to approximately $4,000 per year. Morgan White’s gap plan was cheaper at $79.60 per employee, however, the board elected to stay with Gulf Guaranty, with a unanimous vote behind a Supervisor Keith McGee motion and a Supervisor Edwin Taylor second.
• The board accepted the resignation of Dakota Gant from the Emergency Operations Center.
• The board discussed the details of an interlocal agreement between Montgomery County and Carroll County to share a Veterans Service Officer. The board stipulated that if the counties were to split the expense of the position equally, both required equal time. County Attorney Alan D. Lancaster was tasked with discussing the agreement with Carroll County Attorney Kevin Horan before presenting the agreement to the board for a vote.
• The board hired Chris Breazeale as an equipment operator for the Montgomery County Road Department. Breazeale served as road manager until recently when Johnny Pearson was named to the position.
• County Engineer Christian Gardner reminded the board about a bid letting on September 30 for the Minerva Road paving project and the waterline expansion for Sawyer Road.
In addition, Gardner urged the board to have the county road department make repairs to soft spots and road bed issues prior to paving Fisher Road. The county received $150,000 from the state to pave the Fisher Road, and Gardner said that could fund the paving of nearly one mile. He explained that if the county went ahead and did repairs to the road bed, the project should come out at or under $150,000.
• The board voted to have the road department remove the damage pavement from Hebron Road near Hebron Church and cemetery. According to Supervisor Ronald White, Pearson recommended the county remove the damaged pavement, let the road bed rest over the winter, and repave the area next spring.
• The board authorized Pratt sign the EMPG grant agreement with FEMA.
• The board authorized White and Supervisor Willie Townsend, Jr. attend the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Minority Caucus fall workshop at the end of this month in Jackson.
• The board adjourned until Tuesday, September 7, 2021, at 8 a.m.
