The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors Tuesday agreed to hold a workshop Feb. 25 to discuss the dismal state of the county”s roads and work to fund repairs.
The supervisors agreed to the workshop, which District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks suggested, only after lengthy arguments.
“We have a lot of county roads which, since the freeze and excessive rain we”ve had, are coming apart,” said County Road Manager Ronnie Burns, noting portions of 18 county roads are “crumbling” and “in really bad shape.” “We”re going to have to come up with some kind of solution to repair these roads.”
Burns estimated the 18 bad roads could be repaved for about $2 million.
The supervisors earlier approved a $1 million plan to pave portions of Cal-Steens, Officer”s Lake, Beersheba, Hughes and Taylor Thurston roads as part of the county”s 2010-2014 road plan.
None of the 18 roads mentioned Tuesday by Burns are in the road plan.
“Every county is having the same problem,” Burns said of inclement weather causing road damage.
“Can we delay paving those roads to fix these roads?” Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders said of the road plan.
“The roads on the (road plan) list are in pretty bad shape,” responded Burns.
“You”re creating another problem,” Brooks said, of delaying paving on the approved road plan, and suggested a workshop be held. “It makes no sense for us to commit millions of dollars into recreation and millions of dollars into economic development and roads, which are essential to what we do, falls to hell. I”ve had more calls this year than ever, from people about these roads.
“Why can”t we have a workshop and look at financial options like we do for everything else?” he added. “Let”s get these roads fixed.”
“We”re just now getting into the rainy season,” District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith said. “We”ve got roads that are coming apart, and the people who live on these roads don”t want to hear this crap. We need to be more responsible.”
“We all have concerns about the roads in our district,” agreed District 3 Supervisor John Holliman.
“The more rain we get, the worse they get,” Burns said, before Sanders suggesting rescinding the road plan, which sparked outbursts from other supervisors, especially District 2 Supervisor Frank Ferguson, who accused Sanders of getting “personal.”
“I don”t understand why we”re spending $1 million dollars (on the road plan) when we”ve got roads that are torn up,” Sanders said. “Those are five roads that are really not in bad shape compared to some of these roads we”ve got now.”
Sanders noted the road plan includes money to pave a gravel road with only two houses along it — Officers” Lake Road — in Ferguson”s district.
“If we spend $1 million on those roads, we”re short-changing and cheating (residents),” Sanders said.
“You have a problem, because it”s my road,” Ferguson told Sanders.
“Harry, you”re getting more money (to pave roads) than anybody,” said Brooks. “Shame on you.”
“You have a problem with not doing what you want to do,” Ferguson said to Sanders.
About 28 percent of the roads in the county are in Sanders” District, while about 25 percent are in Smith”s district, about 21 percent are in Holliman”s district and about 11 percent are in Ferguson”s district, according to the Lowndes County Road Department. District 5, Brooks” district, has about 15 percent.
The county”s annual road plan is based on the roads in most need throughout the county.
“I”m imploring you to rescind Cal-Steens Road (from the road plan),” Brooks said, suggesting Sanders use the money to repair other roads, instead of paving Cal-Steens Road.
“I”ll be glad to,” Sanders said, providing a second to Brooks” motion for Sanders to rescind part of his share of the road plan. “I don”t mind taking my money and fixing those roads.”
Brooks dropped the motion, but Sanders later made the same motion, volunteering to give up one of his roads on the road plan, but the motion failed in a 2 to 3 vote, with Smith, Holliman and Ferguson voting in opposition.
“I don”t think we can accomplish anything else today,” County Administrator Ralph Billingsley said, trying to end the road-work arguments. “Let”s have a workshop and move on with the agenda.”
“I don”t want any county employee getting in the middle of our discussion,” Brooks chastised Billingsley for interrupting the supervisors.
Billingsley noted the county administrator is “given the full rights (as supervisors), up until a vote is taken,” and Sanders agreed, instructing County Attorney Tim Hudson to research a county administrator”s authority in participating in boardroom discussions.
Sanders motioned the supervisors rescind the road plan until after a road workshop, but the motion died for lack of a second.
The workshop will be held Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m. in the supervisors” boardroom of the Lowndes County Courthouse.
In other matters, the supervisors:
- Were asked to participate in a second annual “clean-up” event, held by Link”d Young Professionals.
The event will begin March 20 at 9 a.m. at the Hitching Lot Farmers” Market; participants will work to clean-up areas of Columbus and Lowndes County.
Mississippi Department of Transportation will provide trash bags and gloves for volunteers, but donations of mulch, flowers, rakes, shovels and “anything we can use to make it beautiful” are needed, as are volunteers, said Scott Ferguson of Link”d Young Professionals.
Shasta Nance of Link”d Young Professionals also spoke to the Columbus City Council Tuesday night about the event.
- Heard from representatives of the Mississippi State Department of Health, including Dr. J.R. Taylor, the new district health officer.
“Thank you for the beautiful new building,” Taylor told the supervisors, referring to a new Health Department facility under construction at the intersection of Warpath Road and Lehmberg Road. “We will be going from one of the worst to one of the best.”
District Administrator Karen McPherson asked the supervisors to increase the county”s funding of the health department to $116,000.
The county previously gave $116,000 for the “maintenance and operation” of the Health Department facility, but since a new facility is being built, the county reduced the allocation to $50,000.
The county did not take action on the request.
The new health department, which will face Lehmberg Road, will feature about 49 patient and 32 staff parking spaces, an 80-person main waiting room and two 37-person sub-waiting rooms, according to plans presented by Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeel Architect Joey Henderson. The new 12,300-square-foot facility, which is expected to be completed in August, will replace the current facility on Military Road.
- Voted to rename a new District 5 fire station to Charles J. Younger District 5 Station Number 1.
“We named the boat ramp for him,” Brooks, who voted in opposition to the motion to rename the station, said, referring to Younger, who donated the land on which the station was built. “We have 19 other fire station buildings. A number of people have contributed to the maintenance of these buildings.”
Brooks said to name facilities after people “without any criteria,” is akin to opening a “can of worms” and suggested a plaque to honor Younger be placed in the station.
“This (renaming request) is the recommendation of the fire department, and you”ve got to remember they”re volunteers,” Sanders said. “Also, we would not have a fire station there, if Mr. Younger had not donated the land.”
“In as much as they”re volunteers, we own the land,” Brooks said. “We can”t name everything west of the river after one person. Let”s develop some criteria.”
The supervisors voted 3 to 1 to rename the fire station; Brooks voted in opposition and Smith, who agreed criteria needed to be developed, abstained from voting.
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