Based on a request from a previous session, County Engineer Ron Cassada presented a cost estimate on what a private contractor might charge to fix a three-and-a-half foot deep dip in Moll Road that is impassable during heavy rainfall.
Some residents have reportedly had to use boats on the Sunflower River to go to and from school and work.
A group of residents along that stretch of road submitted a request and made an appearance before the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors during their January meetings and asked the county leaders for help.
Taking in account the amount of time that Sunflower County Road Manager T. J. Fairly said it would take his crew to fix the problem, while continuing to handle their other projects - about three months - District 3 Supervisor Ben Gaston asked that Cassada work to arrive at an estimated cost using a supplier.
Cassada estimated that it would take about $28,000 worth of dirt and $35,370 worth of crushed stone, if the county were to go and pick it up versus having it delivered, plus $2,800 worth of culverts. He said that is the least expensive fix for that road and the contractor projects that it would take one to two weeks to complete.
The matter was tabled after Cassada said he would recommend doing the job in the summer anyway, because the price of dirt is expected to drop, possibly by a dollar per yard, by summer.
In other matters,
Chancery Court Judge Debra Giles requested and was given permission to use youth court intake officer Cathy McClain to work part-time as the compliance officer in Humphreys County.
Giles said there has been a shift in administration in Humphreys County and the person that usually handles the youth court has changed positions and a new person is being hired for that position and has to be trained because she is new to the role.
Giles wants to use McClain as the “overarching” person for both counties. "I will only use Administrative Office of Courts funds to supplement her salary to make sure those orders are correct to kind of get the young lady up to speed and to make sure our numbers increase because we have a certain amount of days to put stuff into the system, generate those orders, generate those petitions and Cathy is extremely efficient," Giles said.
The judge said it would not affect McClain's obligations to this county. Attorney Johnny McWilliams said his only concern would be for her to make sure that the AOC and the audit department are in agreement with the arrangement.
Giles said that she has spoken with AOC and they are on board and she was told that this procedure has been used in other counties as well.
Additionally, Giles mentioned that the youth court is in the process of seeking grants that will be used for extra things to enhance the youth court and bring in more resources.
She also shared that the youth court will be sponsoring a mock trial team from Sunflower and Humphreys counties to participate in a competition. "These are things we are really trying to get our young people involved in, really just expose Sunflower County talent to the rest of the state of Mississippi," said Giles.
A request from Stan Bennett, Sunflower County Search and Rescue president, to issue additional keys for the new SAR building was tabled after Sheriff James Haywood stated that he didn't think the request was presented in the correct way.
Haywood said, "Since search and rescue is an offshoot of the Sunflower County Sheriff's Department, the Sunflower County Sheriff’s Department is directly responsible for the actions of search and rescue. I think that request needs to come through me prior to Mr. Bennett making that."
The board issued out six keys at the last meeting. President Riley Rice added, "This will make 10."
The lawmakers discussed several roads and bridges including a bridge on Ralph Ray Road and flooding issues on Tanksley Road where a levee was evidently taken down a few years ago and it is now causing flooding issues for residents.
McWilliams said, “There's so many legal questions in this I've told people before, this is a lawyer's dream.” He said they will have to try and figure out "a reasonable way to get it corrected for everybody."
McWilliams said a number of people are involved and the problem is “trying to figure out what happened, why, what to do about it and who's responsible for it." They discussed possible solutions and District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald suggested allowing the county engineer to handle it because dirt will have to be moved and the engineer will have to issue a permit for the dirt to be moved.
The board received a letter from the town of Drew and its Mayor requesting that the county would provide road grading and gravel on several city roadways because the municipality is suffering from a “distressed budget”. The matter was taken under advisement.
The county lawmakers voted to have a dumpster placed in Rome in order to assist with debris removal in the wake of the most recent storms that left a path of destruction through that area.
