COPIAH COUNTY SUPERVISORS: Hour of prayer approved for June 15

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By Leah Roberson

Bishop Arnold Stanton, from New Life Cathedral of Worship, opened the June 3 meeting of Copiah County Board of Supervisors with prayer. He received approval to host an hour of prayer in front of the courthouse from 11 a.m. until noon, Saturday, June 15.

Four members from local Girl Scouts Troop 5012 were honored by the board for becoming Gold Award recipients. The Gold Award is the highest honor that can be earned as a Girl Scout. Troop Leader Barbara Higgins was proud to commend the young ladies on their hard work and commitment to excellence, stating they have been active members since first grade and will continue to be a positive influence in the community after graduating from the program.

Higgins then spoke of a new community-wide program available to help empower young ladies to find their internal strength, talents, and purpose through personal branding. Empowering Doves is a nonprofit corporation offering resources and support to young ladies ages 13-21. She hopes this collaborative, inclusive environment will allow space for members to cultivate their brand by defining personal goals and giving them the tools needed to help fulfill them.

State Rep. Greg Holloway attended with Crystal Springs Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Barnes and several other county citizens to make a request of funds to build the Gallman VFD. Holloway said this legislative session allowed funding of $600,000 to be utilized for infrastructure projects in Copiah County. Since these funds were not specifically earmarked for a particular project, Holloway asked supervisors to utilize $250,000 to construct the new fire department.

Barnes noted that this new fire department will not only allow service to homes and businesses in the Gallman area, but its prime location will enable services to extend to Hazlehurst and Crystal Spring as well.  He also shared that with a Class 6 Fire Protection rating, homes and businesses in the area would see significant savings on their insurance premiums.  The board said they would take Holloway’s request under advisement.

Sheriff Byron Swilley reported there were 54 males and seven females in the detention center for a total of 61 inmates.

He then got approval to hire Greg Smith as a full-time detention officer and accept the resignation of Detention Officer Maurice Sutton. Swilley was also authorized to allow Derrick Cubit to serve as a reserve deputy for special details and on the courthouse grounds, at no cost to the county.

Swilley then received approval to use City Tele-Coin funds to purchase five tag-reader cameras at a cost of $25,000 from a sole source provider. Although he anticipates these cameras will be placed at the entrances and exits of Crystal Springs, he noted that their portability would allow them to be utilized in other areas around the county. The cameras will read each license plate and store it in a digital database. This data can be accessed at any time to track and compare vehicle movement in and around the county to improve public safety.

Board Attorney Elise Munn reported that the new dog ordinance has been drafted after receiving input from several other county agencies. She then got authorization to publish the proposed ordinance in the paper to allow for public feedback, noting that the ordinance will become final 30 days from the date of publication. There are two aspects of the ordinance that outline the definition of animals that may be dangerous or a public nuisance. It also describes the penalties and fees associated with harboring such animals on personal property. The full text of the ordinance is available in the Board of Supervisors office in the Courthouse at 100 Caldwell Drive, Hazlehurst.

County Engineer Ron McMaster Jr. updated the board on several projects going on around the county. He also reminded them that striping for parking will take place around the courthouse the weekend of June 14.

McMaster received approval to advertise for the ARPA water and sewer projects upon authorization to proceed from the state and was allowed to adopt the ARPA procurement policy standards.

Justice Court Clerk Mona Carr was authorized to contract with ION Business Concepts for credit card processing services. A kiosk installed by the company will allow citizens to pay outstanding the Justice Court fines.

As President of the Mississippi Justice Court Clerk’s Association, Carr was also approved to run an ad in the association’s commemorative souvenir booklet.

Circuit Clerk Derrick Cubit was approved for hotel, meals, and mileage to attend both the Circuit Clerk Association Conference July 23-26 and the annual Summer FBI Training Aug. 11-15, with registration fees approved on the latter as well.

Chancery Clerk Deborah Sandifer was approved for registration, room, mileage, and meals to attend a Chancery Clerk’s Conference in Biloxi July 23-26.

Emergency Management Services Director Rick Stevens got the needed signatures for the standards of training that would allow Sabrina Bland to be an E-911 representative; Hopewell VFD was authorized to use $21,079.54 of their HB603 money to buy needed equipment; and reimbursements of the $25 service call fees were approved for both the Hopewell and Crystal Springs VFDs.

Stevens was also authorized to increase the pay of dispatchers John Cooper and Kiana Harris after completing 40 hours of basic certification classes. Tamarrah Harris’ pay was increased as was Lisa Speir’s after a position change.

Part-time dispatchers hired included Lataunya Thedford, Letita Washington, and Edward Gordon as uncertified and Taylor Barnes as certified.

Airport Engineer Mike Corkern was approved to submit the FAA grant application in hopes of constructing two hangars at the airport at a cost of $600,000, with a $30,000 match required from the county.

Tax Assessor Todd Mooney received approval on a 2023 homestead correction, an amendment with an associated reduction, and authorization to add a home to the rolls with a notice to increase taxes.

Munn was approved to have her annual county board attorney dues paid in the amount of $150 and reported that no action was taken in a closed session.

Road Manager Richard Izard requested that the Rock Hill Bridge Project be restarted.

Shirley Sandifer was appointed as election commissioner for District 1 and will serve in that position until a special election can be held.

With the lowest quote, Cecil Sylvest was approved to repair and replace rotten wood in the horse stalls at the arena at a cost of $775.

Supervisor Perry Hood was approved to adopt a resolution celebrating the 160th Anniversary of Greater Damascus Church of Christ Holiness.

The board agreed to accept an increase in fees from Waste Management from $15.07 to $15.90 per unit per household and then adjourned until their June 10 meeting.