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The Simpson County Board of Supervisors met Monday, June 15, 2019. The meeting opened with prayer then, after showing proof of publication, the Board received bids for Project #ERBR-64 (02) in Simpson County.
The county’s estimate for the project was $265,942.50.
The following bids were received:
- Key LLC – $437,528.75
- Oddee Smith Construction – $278,304.84
- Ellis Dozier Service – $408,907.56
- Fordice Construction Company – $291,817.00.
After receiving the bids, the Board approved a list of subcontractors, including:
- K & S Dirtwork
- Atwood Fence Company
- Hope Enterprises.
The Board reviewed the county’s list of bridge closures for updates.
Bridge 10 is under construction. Bridge 13, which is on Robert Bush Road, is on the list but will not be closed. Bridge 73 has been replaced with culverts and will be taken off the list.
The Board voted to approve a utility permit for Shivers Water Association to move a water line off of the bridge for which work was bid.
The Board also voted to reprogram a LSBP project using county funds then request the LSBP funds from the state. The project will cost $350,000.
Bridge 139 is planned for replacement, but the county is waiting for the area to dry out so they can get to it.
Gregg Gibbes, the new hospital administrator for Magee General Hospital, addressed the board, introducing himself and updating the Board about happenings at the hospital. According to Gibbes, the MGH Emergency Room will be relocated to the old labor and delivery unit, which is located at the front of the hospital. The MGH ER sees 9,000 patients per year, he said.
Dwayne Puckett appeared before the board to request a change to charges to his business for garbage collection. Puckett explained that his small business produces less waste than his home but is charged at the full commercial rate of $150 per quarter. The cost for residential garbage collection is only $35 per quarter.
The board discussed the issue and upon the recommendation of County Administrator Rhuel Dickinson, voted to create a Small Commercial Rate of $35 per quarter. Businesses that have low volumes of waste that can fit in one large trash bin can request to be charged the small commercial rate. The volume of waste will be monitored by the garbage manager, and businesses that produce a higher volume will be reverted back to the commercial rate.
Wallace Willis addressed the Board with concerns about the state of Hezekiah Weathersby Road in District 3. He said the road has received no attention since 1992 and is causing damage to automobiles.
Willis said, “Our roads are so bad til it’s just embarrassing.” He also said that he met with Supervisor Brian Kennedy two years ago but has seen little change in the state of the road since that time.
He said, “We want to know why some roads can be fixed and others are ignored. We’re tax-paying citizens, too.”
Kennedy responded by saying, “We can do some patching, but we don’t have the funds to fix it like you want it fixed.”
Roads Manager Ben Warren said, “It’s a county-wide problem. It’s not just one or two roads, and we just don’t have the resources to get it all done.”
“If we had the resources, if we had the money,” Warren continued, “we’d fix them all tomorrow.”
Warren said the county had 3 or 4 crews out patching roads at that very time, but there are always new holes. He said, “We just can’t keep up.”
The county maintains more than 960 miles of road in Simpson County, and according to Warren, poor roads are a state-wide problem. He says, however, Simpson County’s roads are above average in the state.
Keith Cooper then appeared before the Board to discuss taxes charge on church property. The church in question, Metropolitan Church in Martinville, was sent a letter about tax exemption in 2016, but the county received no response. To be considered tax exempt, the county must receive a letter of intent from the church, which Cooper provided at the meeting. The church may receive tax exempt status for the property going forward.
Roads Manager Ben Warren informed the Board that new rock and tar equipment was lined up and in use and reported that Hurricane Barry had only caused 5 or 6 trees down and a couple of roads washed out.
The Board approved $20 for a yearly membership fee for John Kilpatrick for the Civil Defense Emergency Management Association, as well as approving the 2020 Regional Mitigation Plan and signing it.
The Sheriff’s Department requested approval of four personnel changes, which the Board approved.
Tax Assessor/Collector Charles Baldwin was on the Coast at a conference, but his office asked the Board to approve and include in the minutes all of the certifications of the rolls turned in on time to the Department of Revenue, as well as one change from personal property to homestead for the 2019 rolls.
Chancery Clerk Tommy Joe Harvey asked that around 40 charge backs from the Department of Revenue for homestead exemptions be added to the minutes. He said that most of these were the result of spouses filing on the same homestead and that letters have been sent and recipients have 30 days to respond.
He also asked that the 2019 Official Rules Registry be added to the minutes.
County Administrator Rhuel Dickinson asked the board to adopt an order to approve the claims docket for July in the amount of $455,122.95 and the electronic payment claim of $1418.42, both of which the Board approved.
The Board also approved:
- Authorization of the completed June 2019 claims docket
- Financial Reports for June as presented
- Continued extension of the emergency order for bridge repairs
- Damage claim for damage to a 2000 Nissan Sentra which was driven through freshly laid out liquid asphalt. The Board voted to approve the more expensive of two quotes because the work would be done more quickly, returning the car to its owner in one day as opposed to three. The quote for repairs was $748.64.
The Board was informed that the automatic 10-year renewal of the lease for Howard Industries is due. The base rate for the lease is $45,000/year plus the amount of increase in the consumer price index.
The Board discussed options for keeping the property better maintained.
Project #ERBR-64 (02) was awarded to Oddee Smith Construction.
The Board approved the renewal of the Delta Computer Systems Inc. Software Support Agreement for the county’s computer systems, as well as the ComSouth Maintenance Agreement for the Dispatch Eventide Recorder, which costs $4200/year.
The Board also approved the disposal of Justice Court records for reciepts from the years 2007-2016, deposits from 2008-2016, and ledgers from 2008-2016, according to the guidelines set by the MS Department of Archives and History.
In addition, the Board approved an advertising budget of $100 per team to any Simpson County teams that make it to the 2019 World Series.
The upcoming Board schedule is as follows:
- August 5 – Board Meeting
- August 6 – Election Day
- August 27 – Run-Off Election if necessary
- August 14 – Budget Work Session
- August 15 – Board Meeting
- September 2 – Labor Day
- September 3 – Board Meeting
- September 13 – Board Meeting to adopt budget and tax levy on or before the 15th.
Before adjourning, the Board discussed solid waste announcements. If citizens would like to receive Rapid Cast notifications of changes to the garbage collection schedule, they should submit their information and give consent at the office when they pay their quarterly fees.
With no further business, the Board adjourned until August 5.
Watch the full video of the meeting below:
