WALTHALL -Webster County officials have decided to contract with a new company to collect past-due solid waste accounts and Justice Court fines.
Ricky Watson with Qwick Collect Recoveries of Eupora met with the Board of Supervisors on May 1 regarding the collection of those debts for the county. He also met with the board last June with the same proposal but no action was taken then.
Supervisors eventually voted last week to switch from Northeast Mississippi Recovery Inc. of Amory to Qwick Collect effective July 1 to collect past-due garbage fees and court fines, and to immediately notify NMR of its decision.
Qwick Collect will receive the same percentage of the debt collected as NMR- 27 percent - for past-due accounts. The Golden Triangle Planning and Development District will continue to collect regular garbage collection bills but delinquent accounts will go to Qwick Collect. Watson agreed to be reimbursed his percentage after submitting his collections that will include his fee.
Delinquent garbage fees now total around $570,000, according to discussions at the meeting. The PDD has been turning over bills that are at least 90 days delinquent to NMR, which also collects delinquent Justice Court fines for the county.
Past-DueCourt Fines
In a related matter, county Prosecutor Jan Butler met with the board about collection of past-due Justice Court fines. According to the discussion, Northeast Mississippi Recovery has been taking its 27 percent collection fee out of each past-due fine instead of adding that amount to the total fine, leaving the court with some amount of unpaid fines. Court fines cannot be written off except in the case of death and must be paid in full.
After further discussion, Butler said he would present the Justice Court judges with the supervisors' recommendation to add the collection agency's fee to each past-due fine. He also agreed to file a motion to require a commercial bond if a defendant cannot pay his or fine immediately unless they are declared indigent. Each of the supervisors also said they would accept individuals into the county work program in order to satisfy their fines.
During the discussion, Sheriff Reuben McCluskey again mentioned the need to have the Sheriff's Department's computers interlinked with those in Justice Court so that his staff can determine which warrants are still outstanding. No action was taken.
Pollworkers Training
Circuit Clerk Deborah Hood Neal addressed the board concerning the June 6 Democratic primary election to select nominees for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. No Republican Party primary election will be needed since no more than one candidate qualified for each office. The supervisors subsequently voted to pay election workers $20 each for their attendance at a training session.
In a related matter, the board voted to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the secretary of state's office for use of the new voting system and associated equipment. Specifically, it outlines the care, use and storage of the voting machines as well as security and training requirements.
Elderly Day Services
Woody Wilkerson, community outreach specialist with Community Counseling Services, addressed the board concerning the agency's elderly day services for people aged 50 and above.
The purpose of the program is to improve participants' level of functioning, allowing them to remain in the community instead of premature placement in nursing homes or institutional setting. It is also designed to assist caregivers who are caring for elderly individuals. According to a brochure about the elderly day service programs, people who can best benefit from participation include elderly individuals who:
need daytime supervison/care,
are socially isolated or have inadequate support systems,
are experiencing depression,
need increased physical and mental activity,
have memory loss or other cognitive impairment that interfere with daily functioning,
have families and caregivers who need respite,
without interruption, are at risk of premature long-term placement outside of the home.
CCS does not offer such services in Webster County but does operate a facility in Ackerman known as Common Ground, which operates from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays. Activities include games, crafts, outings and speakers, and a healthy lunch and nutritious snacks are provided daily.
"We are trying to keep people physically and mentally active to keep them in their home," he said.
Wilkerson said CCS was trying to determine whether to open up a program here or provide transportation if needed for interested individuals to Ackerman. For more information about Common Ground, one may call 285-3819.
Front Line Apparel
Board President Larry Crowley told the other supervisors that he had yet to hear anything new from officials with Front Line Apparel Group of Connecticut, which the county has been working with for nearly two years on a proposed deal to lease the Red Kap building to manufacture military clothing. The company had said that it expected to be awarded a Defense Department contract by March 28 but apparently has not, according to discussions.
Crowley also reported that an official with a company in Lowell, Mass., which had subcontracted with FLAG to manufacture gloves had informed him that FLAG owed it $82,000. In addition, he said that Project Manager Joey Roberts of the Mississippi Development Authority "advised us to proceed with caution." The county has applied for state and federal loans to buy the Red Kap building with plans to lease it to Front Line if it received a defense contract for production there.
"I don't guess were going to do anything," said Crowley.
Other Action
In other action last week, supervisors voted to:
allow county Coroner Steve Wells to attend the Mississippi Coroners Association's Summer Conference June 14-17 in Vicksburg.
remove Ron Simmons as a part-time dispatcher at the sheriff's office as of April 17 and to replace him with Heather Shaw for the same pay per hour.
go into executive session to discussion to discuss a personnel matter. No related action was taken after it came back into open session about 15 minutes later. The board also met in closed sessions on April 18 and 28 for personnel matters; no action was taken then either.
Also on April 28, minutes show that the board voted to:
allow county Emergency Management Director Eugene Doss and McCluskey to attend 2006 annual conference of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and Mississippi Civil Defense/Emergency Management Association. The conference, titled "Katrina: The Past, Present, and Future," will be June 5-7 in Biloxi.
buy a 1997 single-axle Volvo tractor from Parker Bros. of Calhoun City for $9,500. This will be paid for from the blacktop fund.
divide future grocery purchases for the county jail between the Piggly Wiggly stores in Mathiston and Eupora, and to drop SuperValu because of prices and quality of food, the minutes state.
authorize and direct that Webster County will enter into a formal grant agreement with the state Department of Environmental Quality for a solid waste assistance grant.
The board meets again at 9:30 a.m. Monday.
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