Board seeks to continue improvements through grants
Published 7:00 am Thursday, November 10, 2016
The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors discussed ongoing grant projects taking place across the county, as well as a new tourism effort.
Lelani Rosenbaum of Shroomdom, Inc. spoke to the Board on behalf of Agritourism in Mississippi.
Rosenbaum said the group will host all 13 visitor centers from across the state on Thursday to tour local agritourism farms and invited the Supervisors to attend.
County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said Rosenbaum approached him about designing a county logo, which currently does not exist.
Rosenbaum said four possibilities had been designed and would be presented to the Board soon.
In a separate matter, the Board approved a contract extension and change order for the Community Development Block Grant Courthouse project after the state granted a timeline extension, Lumpkin said.
The change order will include more accessibility in the courtroom, including a stand for the jury boxes with monitors for those with hearing impairments, Lumpkin said.
The Board also renewed a state permit that is required for the project, Lumpkin said.
In a separate grant project, the Board approved time extension agreements and advertised for bidders in several Emergency Watershed Protection projects funded in part by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
NRCS will pay for 80 percent of the $100,000 project, while the county will provide the other 20 percent, Lumpkin said.
The Board approved a request for payment from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which granted $65,000 for the Walkiah Bluff boat ramp project, which is complete and, Lumpkin said.
The county also put in a request from the Pearl River Basin Development District to grant an additional 12.5 percent to the project, he said.
The $87,000 project cost the county $11,000, Lumpkin said.
The Board also authorized a request to advertise for audit proposals for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.
In separate matters, the Board:
- Approved a request for reimbursement from the Mississippi Department of Corrections for housing inmates at the county jail in August and September. The total reimbursement to the county will be just over $100,000.
- Approved an update to the National Flood Insurance Program repetitive flood loss update sheet.
- Requested a contract from Harris Recording Solutions/Delta to collect credit card payments in Justice Court.
- Approved a motion to advertise for banks to serve as the county depository.
- Approved a motion to employ Kent Whitfield, CPA to review the 12 volunteer fire departments and submit a compilation.
The next Board meeting will be held Nov. 21 at 9 a.m.