Supervisors discuss growing illegal dump problem
Published 12:07 am Sunday, August 13, 2006
Dumping in the county is an ongoing problem with more and more illegal dumpling sites sprouting like weeds.
District I Supervisor Anthony Hales said he would like to see some cooperation from citizens of the county since some are using the county as a whole as their own personal dump, especially since there is major opposition to what is going on with Central Landfill, Hales said.
“It needs to be brought to their attention that the land fill is not the only place people are dumping,” Hales said.
District III Supervisor Larry Davis said he has noticed some parts of the county look as they did before there was a landfill in the county, but he thinks a major portion of that dumping is coming from across county lines.
Pearl River County’s new litter control officer introduced himself to the board and gave a report on the number of infractions he has served so far. To date John Hodge said he has issued 15 citations just from the pile of trash collected off of Oliver Davis Road, where residents have been dumping for months. A pass by the area would provide a view of a discarded roll up door, various appliances and a pile of trash bags. Early last week inmates were out cleaning up the mess, piling it all on a trailer.
On Holcomb Carroll Road various waste and refrigerators were picked up, but shingles were not, Hodge said.
There has been a problem with pickup in the county. District V Supervisor Bettye Stockstill said she has not been able to get her trash picked up for the past three weeks.
“My wife has trouble with the taker outer,” Davis said.
The long standing problem with a malfunctioning tractor should soon see some resolution. In previous meetings it has been discussed that the tractor has spent more time in the shop than being used.
“It’s a great tractor when you don’t have to mow, great to look at,” District IV Supervisor Robert Thigpen said.
The tractor is suffering from electrical problems that need to be remedied so mowing can resume in the county.
Larry Johnson and Quinn Howard of Lee Tractor said that they would like to see the situation resolved.
“We’re not going to leave you hanging,” Howard said. “We’ll hang in there with you.”
The board asked Johnson and Howard to send them a letter stating that they will help the county remedy the problem, to which they agreed .
The Mississippi Department of Corrections is in need of additional personnel and office space. In the past year, the office has experienced an offender increase of 100, said Viruth Phongam, Committee Correction Associate Director for MDOC. The board said if Phongam can secure a trailer from the state then they can help him with a place to put it complete with water, sewer, and parking.
District Attorney Buddy McDonald addressed the board asked if newly hired Chief Building Inspector Kirk Pichon could be used as an expert witness in building fraud cases. McDonald said that with a grant from Haley Barbour there will be increased enforcement against building code fraud.
“We think this will keep unscrupulous builders from operating in our county,” McDonald said.
The board approved McDonald’s request.
Shane Tucker, investigator for the district attorney’s office, can be reached at 601-403-2352 or residents can call the Picayune Police or Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department to report building fraud.
— Approved final plat for phase four of Round Rock subdivision.
— Approved starting a voluntary direct deposit service for county employees with an initial county cost of $4,200 and $70 a month to maintain.
— Approved allowing justice court move to the Millard Jail until repairs are conducted on the old courthouse.
— Approved Moonlight Lane and Cowboy Drive as private roads.
— Approved changing bid due dates for demolition of Chimney Square and roof work on the county court house from Tuesday, Sept. 5 to Thursday, Sept. 7.
The next meeting of the board is 9 a.m. Tuesday at the county court house for department budget hearings.