WALTHALL - The Webster County Board of Supervisors were given a progress report on 911 addressing at Monday's meeting.
The Golden Triangle Planning and Development District's David Bandi, geographic information systems manager, and Toby Sanford, GIS analyst/technician, addressed the board about the progress of the 911 addressing system. They also introduced Jerry Magee, who is assisting with mapping.
They reported that addressing is 100 percent complete but that only about 80 percent of address verifications are complete. Bandi said after post offices in the county finish "filling in the blanks" of new addresses that have assigned, each supervisor will again be given an address list for their district for final approval. Sanford estimated they will be finally complete by August
They gave supervisors samples of postcards that will be mailed out showing residents and businesses their new 911 addresses. Each card will also include a photo of the structure at that address for verification. Sanford said post offices will also send out new address notification cards and rural route addresses will be phased out in one year from that notification.
The county board adopted a resolution in March that will require new residents to file address notification forms with the PDD and utilities cannot be turned on until they are assigned a 911 address.
Await Oktibbeha
County proposal
Bandi told supervisors it is time for them to decide who will actually operate the county's 911 system. He said Choctaw County has decided to operate its 911 system itself because of the investment it has made in equipment.
However, he recommended that Webster County contract with Oktibbeha County to dispatch its 911 calls.
"In my opinion, going with Oktibbeha County is going to save you a lot of money," Bandi said.
The Webster County board did vote in 2001 to enter into an interlocal agreement with Oktibbeha and Choctaw counties to establish a regional 911 system serving the member counties. However, the Webster County board voted a month later to "decommit to enter into any interlocal agreement with anyone until after an appropriate election can be held."
The county's 911 referendum authorizing the levying of a monthly telephone surcharge to implement the service was passed in 2002 but no decision has been made since then about who will operate it. The Eupora Police Department presented a proposal to supervisors after the election to run the 911 service for the county and the board took it under advisement.
On Monday, Bandi agreed at the supervisors' request to contact Jim Britt, director of the Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency, and ask him present a proposal to the board on June 19, when the board meets at 9:30 a.m.
Intersection Lighting
After meeting with Cynthia Wilson of the Webster County Development Council and Planner George Crawford of the PDD, the board voted to apply for a Small Municipalities and Limited Population Counties Grant to provide lighting for the intersection at highways 82 and 9. The maximum grant available is $150,000.
Wilson also presented the board with her budget request for fiscal year 2007 and a WCDC progress report. The board is currently contributing $15,000 to the Development Council and Wilson requested that it reinstate funding to the $40,000 that was originally contributed.
"With the restoration of the funds to the (WCDC) the executive director could be a full-time job, a secretary or assistant could be hired, we could be better able to market the county to individuals looking to relocate and/or prospective business and industry and other programs could be developed and expanded," she stated in her budget request.
HOME Program
Housing Specialist Patsy Patterson of the GTPDD met with the board about the grant-funded HOME Rehabilitation Program.
Bids for the demolition and reconstruction of the five houses in the HOME program had been opened and taken under advisement on May 15. On Monday, the board voted to recommend low bidder Gladney Construction Co. as contractor on the house projects with the homeowners' approval.
In a related matter on May 15, the board voted to participate in the Mississippi Development Authority's Solar Energy/Hot Water Heater Program in the new houses being constructed in the county through the HOME program with the approval of each homeowner.
Homeowners for whom new houses will be built are Ollie Britt, Mary Gates, J.C. Hall, Angel Parker and Katie Worthy. All reside in District 5 except Britt, who lives in District 2.
Tax Exemptions
After meeting with attorney Henry Ross and Charles "Dinky" Bowen of Hawkeye Glove Manufacturing, the board voted to grant the company nine- and 10-year tax exemptions on original and new equipment and adopted related resolutions, but took a request for freeport warehouse designation under advisement.
Supervisors also granted a 10-year tax exemption on personal property to Plymouth Tube Co. for expansion and equipment upgrades.
Dr. Dennis O'Nan of Starkville, executive director of EnergyCel, addressed the board about the company's product, which he said makes vehicles run more efficiently and increase fuel economy after installation.
Company literature claims that the device produces a strong magnetic field around fuel lines, causing "clumps" of untreated fuel molecules to realign and spread apart, yielding more complete combustion and more power production. Supervisors took no action.
Other Action
In other business Monday, the board accepted various bids for providing yearly road and bridge materials, and janitorial services.
They also voted to hire these individuals as summer help: Evander Woodard and Jarvis Marshall for District 1; Neil McCuiston and Casey Shelton for District 2; Tyler McCain, Jeremy Glasner and Rollie Middleton for District 3; Mitch Hood, Cole Young and Brock Carden for District 4; and Brandon Earl Sims for District 5.
Recessed Meetings
Minutes show that during a recessed meeting on May 15:
Phillip Moore of ThyssenKrupp Elevator Corp. offered a service agreement on the Courthouse elevator.
Wilson and county Emergency Management Director Eugene Doss addressed the board concerning the possible inclusion of Webster County in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "GO Zone." The board voted to sent a letter to the Mississippi EMA and Paul Hurst in the governor's office requesting that they reassess individual property loss here from Hurricane Katrina, which would allow the county to be included in the GO Zone. This designation would offer economic incentives for industry and citizens in the county.
Johnny Carter introduced himself as the new U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife specialist for beaver control. Former wildlife specialist Paul Volkman has moved back to Minnesota.
County Extension Director Lisa Stewart addressed the board about the Extension budget and computer issues.
The board voted on that date to:
send new Election Commissioner Larry Parker to an election orientation makeup session on May 22 in Pearl.
send Barbara Gore to a certified appraisers school at Mississippi State from June 12-13.
hire Bud McCulloch as assistant purchase clerk on an as-needed basis, to pay him $80 per day and to pay his bond.
During another recessed meeting on May 31, minutes reflect that the board voted to fund a library renovation grant to renovate the Webster County Public Library to the extent of cost up to a maximum of $40,500.
A motion was approved to allow all supervisors, the board attorney and chancery clerk to attend the Mississippi Association of Supervisors annual summer convention in Tunica from June 12-16.
Approval was also given for Judges Rebecca Ellison and Jerry Jones to attend the Mississippi Justice Court Judges Association's summer convention in Tunica from July 9-13.
Clarifications: A May 11 article on previous meetings of the Board of Supervisors did not state that on April 28, District 1 Supervisor Robert Hitt abstained when the board adopted a motion by a 4-0 vote stating that future grocery purchases for the jail be divided between the Piggly Wiggly Stores in Mathiston and Eupora only. Casey Weeks (District 5) made the motion and Mart Salley (District 2) seconded it.
The same article incorrectly stated that on May 1, the board took no action after meeting in executive session to discuss a personnel matter. Official minutes of that meeting show that the board voted to go into executive session concerning a personnel matter in the purchasing department. After coming back into open session, according to the minutes, Weeks made a motion, seconded by Salley, to reprimand a county employee and to place the reprimand in the employee's personnel file. That motion also carried 4-0, with Hitt again abstaining from voting.
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