Limb mulching may ease problems for city, county at dump sites
Crystal Springs Mayor Arthur Lee Evans Jr. conveyed a proposal from Phillips Bark Company in Brookhaven to the Board of Supervisors at their recessed meeting February 10 to grind limbs into mulch for sale at his business.
If arrangements can be formalized between the firm, county and city and a Department of Environmental Quality waiver secured to allow the limbs to lie uncovered until ground into mulch, the arrangement could solve serious problems with dumping space for the future and the cost of covering the limbs in the trash pit.
Crystal Springs in particular has a problem with a place to dump its limbs and presently places them in a dumpster which costs the city $350 per load for disposal. If the arrangements come together, the city would be allowed to dump its limbs with the county’s at the trash pit off Highway 27 and the firm would bring its chipper to that site whenever enough limbs have accumulated to justify processing and hauling, an arrangement termed “win-win” for all concerned.
Other Matters
Joe Weston representing several civic agencies in Terry received permission from the board to visit and study the oral history collection methods being utilized at the Heritage House project in Hazlehurst. Weston wants to see the Town of Terry adapt the Copiah program to the needs of his town.
Linda Smith of the AFJC Community Agency received permission to utilize meeting space in the Heritage House to conduct a Career Recovery Opportunity Program (CROP) to train and test candidates for a state exam for social workers to enable them to be licensed.
Cultural Affairs Director Dr. Janet Schriver received permission from the supervisors to utilize a grant to the Heritage House/Robert Johnson Birth House to secure a copier, cook stove and paint needed at the facility. Supervisors agreed to modification of a Heritage House grant that will utilize funding for personnel rather than equipment and provide a Valentine skating party for the students involved in the program. A blog is getting underway for the Robert Johnson Birth House project to raise funds for further development. Commemorative pens were present to three who have donated their services to the project.
Expected formal approval for the $441,000 funding of the access road to the CCI (pipeline maintenance firm) plant in the Hazlehurst Industrial Park on their south interchange came in the form of a letter from Governor Haley Barbour. Construction of plant expansion leveraging this project is already underway.
Neil Honan, Executive Director of the Copiah County Economic Development District, reported that his office is still working with a firm for utilization of the former Universal building in the Copiah County Industrial Park at Gallman. The county has indicated that it will make necessary repairs to the building in order to get the potential payroll for Copiah.
The county’s engineer was authorized to do some pre-planning on the CCI and DG Foods projects in various stages of getting underway.
County Attorney Elise Munn was asked to prepare contracts for a property exchange and sale in the Copiah County Industrial Park at Gallman for Dixie Matts/Jones Lumber Company to purchase an additional 5 acres in the park from the county in addition to the 23 acres they already own. The firm in turn will sell about 2 to 3 acres north of the railroad spur to Georgia Gulf. Assurance of compliance with the covenants in the park will be a part of the contract.
County Engineer Joe Johnson informed the county that the Advance Lane project is nearing completion with sodding and striping remaining. Weather has been a factor in completion. Johnson presented preliminary sketches of a proposed 14 trailer camping spaces to be prepared at the Copiah County Fairgrounds. A grant is being sought for the project.
Steve Cox of Cox Architecture and Al Guynes of CGM Group made an architectural presentation on the Federal Emergency Management Agency 361 Shelter allocated to Copiah. The 10,000 square foot structure to accommodate 850 to 1000 persons in an emergency and costing $3.5 million is expected to be constructed on 8 to 9 acres of county land across the road and to the north of Stuckey’s in Gallman. The “multifunctional” ability of the structure was also discussed. Upon completion of the facility, Copiah will be responsible for operation and maintenance. Officials are considering clearing timber and grubbing the site as soon as approval comes in writing.
An adjustment was authorized in the arrangements for matching money for the Stronghope Volunteer Fire Department’s new tanker as the originally quoted chassis is no longer available. Bids are to be received on the unit February 22.
Copiah received word of further cuts in its state aid road and bridge funding of about $4,000 in addition to the $71,000 previously cut.
Approval of the Blocker/Bobbit Road project has come and advertisement authorized for bids to be received March 19.
Several housekeeping items cleared include payment for emergency computer work at the detention center, notification of batch payments on the EDA water well grant, a site visit on the DG Foods project, officials’ attendance at the development districts’ annual conference, and signing of documents previously authorized. Closing of the courthouse on Monday, February 15 for President’s Day was authorized. Several school bus turnarounds were authorized to be repaired by the road department.
Marilyn Britt was reappointed to the library board and Dever Hackett and John Smith were appointed to the airport board.
No action was reported after a hour-long executive session for personnel and litigation.
A duplicate garbage payment was refunded. A resignation was accepted in the road department and Jerry Sandifer was employed in a temporary full-time position.
Claims totaling $1,907,904 for January were allowed and officials recessed to February 22 at 9 a.m.
