The Sunflower County Board of Supervisors met on Wednesday morning to conduct a public hearing and subsequently adopt the operating budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.
After opening up the hearing, Board Attorney Johnny McWilliams called for comments or questions from any members of the public, but there were none.
He then closed the hearing, but the county lawmakers waited until the appointed hour of 10 a.m. to officially adopt the $25,604,172 budget.
Chancery Clerk Gloria McIntosh said, "This includes ARPA funds and all state funds as well."
During the interval, County Administrator Fred Washington brought up several issues that required either discussion and/or approval.
He sought clarification on the county's current drug policy and referenced an unnamed employee whom he said has refused to take a urinalysis.
The county reportedly has a zero-tolerance rule when it comes to insubordination.
Washington said the worker's immediate supervisor suspected substance use while on the job after the employee in question reportedly returned from lunch acting erratic.
The employee apparently agreed to go in for an initial assessment, but refused to participate in the required follow up observation, or any additional tests. The employee is currently on unpaid suspension pending board action.
Following a discussion on the stipulations of the current policy and how some of the conditions and circumstances may have changed since the policy’s inception, McWilliams suggested that he and Washington review the current course of action, see what needs to change and overhaul the policy and procedures as needed.
Washington also raised the issue of the proposed demolition of the old Ludlow building and noted how a current renter will need sufficient time to remove their product before the building is destroyed.
McWilliams asked about the removal of the bats that are nesting in the facility, since prior discussions revealed that they did not want to just release them into the surrounding neighborhood and Washington said he has reached out to the appropriate state authorities, but they have not yet responded.
They then discussed the elements of the demolition contract and how the contractor’s payment should be handled since the demolition could take several months.
In addition, Washington provided a report on the rental contract for the National Guard Armory. District 3 Supervisor Ben Gaston, who was absent, had requested that Washington get with a group who had contracted to rent the building for a December event before it changed hands to the county.
Gaston had said he wanted to make sure that the proposed client is aware of the current facemask mandate and that they would adhere to it. Wednesday’s discussion also involved whether or not alcohol consumption would be permitted on premise.
Washington shared that the event planners were aware of the mandate and would require attendees to wear face coverings and provide them at the door for anyone who did not have one.
The event planners have also reportedly secured event insurance with a special rider for liquor liability. The original contract with the National Guard had allowed for the use of alcohol, so the county lawmakers agreed to honor that original agreement.
They also discussed additional provisions in the event that they decide to rent the facility out in the future.
