County seeks grant for water well project

County officials are hoping for a grant to fund the new water well at the industrial park – a project that has been in the works for a while that the county had previously expected to have to fund with a loan.

Neil Honan reported to the Board of Supervisors Monday on a meeting held recently with Department of Commerce representatives to review the project. A backup water well has been needed at the industrial park for a long time, Honan said.

The county is eligible for a 70 percent grant, the board was told, with the remaining 30 percent to be provided by the county. County officials have already been approved for a capital improvements loan for the project.

County officials believe they have “a good shot” at the grant, which will save local industries money on the $480,000 project, remarked board president Terry Channell.

“We would have had to go up on water rates to pay for the project,” said Channell, if grant funds were not available.

BRIDGE CLOSED

The county closed a bridge on County Farm Road last week.

The bridge is included with the Alford Road bridge as the next project scheduled for construction, but due to the deterioration of one of the bridges the board will expedite the acquisition of right of way along both bridges to speed the project.

Both bridges must be dealt with at the same time, the engineer advised, and cannot be separated at this point in the process because they were programmed as one project.

The school bus has been rerouted to avoid the faulty bridge.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business, the board discussed economic development and potential litigation in closed session but no action was taken.

Emergency director Randle Drane informed the board that the county has received a “Storm Ready Community” certificate from the weather service, which will be presented at the next meeting.

Work has begun to prepare the mosquito spraying equipment for warmer weather.

Sheriff Harold Jones reported 3,770 meals served at the jail during February. Jail population Monday was 54, with 5 of those being state inmates.

The Circuit Court, Chancery Court, and Youth Court were all in session Monday, resulting in a very busy day at the courthouse complex.

Barry Johnson resigned as jailer. Joe Stennett was hired as full time jailer and transportation officer.

Installation of software at the jail was approved for $11,550 for equipment previously purchased.

Coroner Ellis Stuart and the two deputy coroners were authorized to attend a workshop and summer conference.

The county is still awaiting approval on the additional funding expected from the stimulus for the 12-mile overlay project. The federal highway department denied the county’s request to omit the rumble strip requirement from the project, but the additional funds from the stimulus are expected to cover the additional cost. County officials and state engineers expressed concern that the rumble strips will cut too deeply into the narrow shoulder and shorten the life of the roads. The rumble strips are not usually considered necessary on these types of roads but are a new requirement for projects involving federal highway funds. The county expects to be officially notified of the additional funding in time to award the project before the bid expires in April.

Advertisement for bids on a new generator for the courthouse was authorized.

Rights of way on Shiloh Lane and Old Natchez Lane were accepted. These are new roads recently accepted by the county.

The board recessed until Tuesday, March 10, at 9 a.m. A meeting is also scheduled that evening on the solid waste plan amendment requested by the Traxlers for their proposed private rubbish pit near Crystal Springs.