Board Of Supervisors Meeting
Editor
WATER VALLEY – With his fuel budget on fumes, Yalobusha Sheriff Lance Humphreys received a $15,000 adjustment to his 2007-2008 department budget. Supervisors agreed to amend the budget, adding $15,000 for fuel at the “first Monday” meeting held in Water Valley.
“Last year we budgeted $33,000 and spent $38,000,” District One Supervisor Tommy Vaughn explained.
This year the fuel budget was held at $33,000 and a looming shortfall had prompted Humphreys to ask supervisors for a budget increase. The $15,000 increase will give Humphreys $48,000 to fuel his cruisers from October 1, 2007 through the end of September.
“Try to cut every corner we can” Supervisor Bubba Tillman told Humphreys following a unanimous 4-0 vote for the increase. Supervisor M.H. “Butch” Surrette was not at the meeting.
Also on Humphreys’ wish list was approval to purchase two used vehicles for his department. One of the vehicles, a 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe, will come with a price tag of $4,000. The money will come from the sheriff’s drug-seized fund.
The county agreed to pay an estimated $400 on a second vehicle, a 2004 Chevrolet Impala. The remainder of the $6,500 vehicle will be paid with proceeds from the sale of several junked cruisers and other surplus vehicles at the sheriff’s department.
“You have got good vehicles don’t you?” Vaughn asked referring to the existing fleet, adding that he did not want the general public to think that the sheriff had to purchase used vehicles to outfit his deputies.
“We have six good vehicles,” Humphreys said. His list included three new police cars, a one-year old truck and two two-year old trucks, all in good condition.
One of the vehicles will replace a Ford Crown Victoria that was wrecked when a deputy hit a deer. The second used vehicle will be used by the department’s investigator.
A third request pitched by Humphreys was a change in his department’s policy regarding deputy’s firearms. The change requires full-time deputies to carry 40 caliber Glock pistols. The change follows the recent purchase of new sidearms for the department through a grant.
Deputies are also required to qualify every six-months with their service pistol and any additional weapons they may utilize.
Humphreys final request was to send Deputy David Wallis to a five-day jail administration class in Colorado. Humphreys told supervisors the federal government will pick up the tab with an exception of a $46 expense. This request also was approved.
Other business discussed at the meeting included:
• Approved a tax exemption request for ad valorem taxes on Water Valley Poultry for a 10-year period. The tax exemption is limited to county taxes, according to Tax Assessor/Collector Linda Shuffield.
A second exemption request was granted for Valley Tool Inc.
“He has filed his exemption for his washing plant,” Shuffield told supervisors. The exemption was filed retro-active of the opening date of the washing plant, which was April, 2004. The exemption runs through 2014, or a seven-year time period from the time of filing, which is 2008.
A third exemption was granted for Avery Outdoors for 2008 and 2009. Supervisors have made a decision to exempt Avery Outdoors on a year-by-year basis, with 2009 being the final year in a 10-year period.
• Entered executive session, citing a on-going litigation issue.
• Set a recess meeting date for Monday, June 23, at 9 p.m.
• Approved applications from the following logging companies to exceed the posted weight limit on county roads: Lovorn Logging in District 5 on County Road 186 and 221, T.L. Reid on County Road 494 and 107 in District 3, Lovorn Logging on County 59, 91 and 225 in District 3 and Fly Timber Company on County Road 105.
The application approval along with a bond posted with the county allows the logging company to exceed the posted weight limit on a county road. Loggers are still required not to haul over 80,000 pounds, which is the posted weight limit on state highways.
• Approved an invoice from Willis Engineering for $17,040 for design work on road and sewage improvements for Windsor Foods in Oakland. The money will come from a Community Development Block Grant the state awarded to the county for work to be performed at Windsor Foods. Supervisors also agreed to advertise for bids for the work to be performed. Bids will be opened July 7 at 10 a.m.