Board meets with Pine Belt and approves airport funds

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Pearl River County will officially become part of a new region under the Mississippi Department of Health in October.

Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources accepted the county’s request to become part of Region 12 on Thursday. The anticipated date for the transition is Oct. 1, said County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin, and there will not be gap in mental healthcare services in the county as it changes from the current provider, Gulf Coast Mental Health Services.

The Board of Supervisors went into executive session during Tuesday’s meeting to discuss the change from Region 13 to Region 12 with representatives from Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources. The justification for executive session was that the chancery court declared certain portions of the information to be discussed as being confidential.

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After the executive session, the Board approved a resolution that the county attorney and administrator can complete any necessary paperwork to transfer from Region 13 to Region 12.

In a separate matter, the Board approved $4,601 for a drainage project at the Poplarville-Pearl River County Airport. The airport applied for and received an $80,000 grant for drainage work at the airport through the Federal Aviation Administration earlier in August, and the funds the Board approved are the county’s required matching funds. The grant requires a five percent match split between the county and the city of Poplarville.

The Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2019-2020 budget on September 10 at 10 a.m.