The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors met Wednesday morning to discuss ongoing issues with bridge maintenance.

County Engineer Les Dungan said that out of the 35 bridges supported by timber pilings he has identified 10 that are in danger of being closed. A detailed inspection by Mississippi Department of Transportation revealed the 10 bridges that require temporary shoring to keep them open.

Dungan added that the bridge on Lakeside Drive is used by commuters frequently and poses a threat to public safety due its low weight rating and need for repairs.

An inspection of the bridge found seven wood pilings that need work. If the Board chose to temporarily replace them, the cost would be between $25,000 to $30,000, but the same problem would require attention again in another year or two, Dungan said.

Dungan said, a long-term solution would be to rehabilitate the bridge at a cost of about $150,000. He said a better way to repair the bridge than using local funding would be to utilize state funds or funds available from the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program.

In other matters, Zach Ross, district executive for the Pine Burr Area Council Boy Scouts of America in Hancock, Pearl River and Stone counties, asked the Board to help fund the Annual Boy Scout Award Dinner that will be held in the spring of next year. During the dinner, a deserving person in the community is recognized. The dinner will be held at First Baptist Church of Picayune. The Board asked for time to review the budget before making a decision.

In other business, the Board approved a purchase order to repair a 50 ton HVAC unit and accepted the lowest bid of $9,780, which comes with a 3 three year warranty, submitted by KDM Solutions.

The Board also approved Pearl River County School District Superintendent Alan Lumpkin’s resignation from the Pearl River Community College Board of Trustees and appoint Assistant Superintendent Missy Holston to take his place.

The next meeting will be on January 2 at 9 a.m.