Work On Windsor Continues For November Startup
Billy’s Creek Water Association began receiving water from the county’s water tank located at Windsor Foods near Oakland.
Windsor’s 10,000 square foot expansion was well under way in August of this year.
Supervisors Receive Positive Audit Report
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – As a November projected opening date Oakland-based Windsor Quality Foods approaches, supervisors agreed at the “first Monday” board meeting in Water Valley to knock out some cosmetic work at the site.
“We’ve got a little promised work and in-kind work to do,” District One Supervisor Tommy Vaughn said.
Supervisors agreed to provide in-kind work at the plant when the county was awarded a Community Development Block Grant last year totalling almost $750,000 to perform renovations at the 14,000 square foot facility. The state grant follows a $15 million investment made by Windsor Foods, according to grant documents.
The in-kind work has come in the form of using county manpower and county equipment at the site, with the cost going toward a required 10 percent grant match.
“We are looking at about a day and a half if everybody sends a tractor over there,” Vaughn said about the grass-cutting. “As soon as we get through with that, we have a little dirt work to do,” Vaughn added.
The county’s work comes as Windsor Foods is planning an October 28 “Meet and Greet” for company officials, state officials and local officials.
“They are having all their board coming down,” Vaughn said.
The talk about infrastructure shifted to hiring someone to monitor the water system and sewage lagoon the county owns at the Windsor Food site.
Willis Engineering of Grenada had monitored the water supply and the sewage lagoon has been inactive.
Vaughn reported Willis Engineering was not interested in continue to the water system oversight.
An October 17 meeting was scheduled to revisit the subject.
Other business discussed at the meeting included:
• Heard a report from Yalabusha County Economic Development District Director Bob Tyler.
Tyler told supervisors he had applied for a Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Marketing Match Grant.
“It would be used to build a county website,” Tyler said. The county would be required to match half of the grant.
“MDA told us to ask for $20,000,” Tyler said, adding it probably would not take that much.
“We want to develop really good county website that would link to anybody else in the county that has a website,” Tyler added.
The county’s economic director also told supervisors the district had $37,000 remaining of the $60,000 appropriated to fund the Yalobusha County Economic Development District annually.
• Received a report from CPA Tom Windham about the county’s 2006-2007 fiscal year audit.
“Your books and records seem to be in good order,” Windham said. “The finances of the county seem to be in good shape… I don’t have anything bad to report,” the accountant added.
• Approved an application from Harrison Logging to exceed the weight limit on County Road 72 and 156 in District Five.
• Vaughn reported Billy’s Creek Water Association began receiving water from the county’s water tank located at Windsor Foods near Oakland.
The increased water supply comes after Billy’s Creek Water Association had struggled to keep up with its customer’s water demands.
Vaughn said Billy’s Creek customers in the vicinity of Water Valley Boat Landing did not have water.
The increased water supply came after Billy’s Creek Water Association spokesman Larry Sprouse asked supervisors earlier this year if they could temporarily connect to the county’s water system that feeds Windsor Foods.
At that time Sprouse told supervisors Billy’s Creek could not keep up with the current water demand. He also said the water association was working on adding another well and using the county’s water would only be a temporary solution.
The deal between the county and Billy’s Creek was struck after supervisors learned there would be enough water remaining for Windsor Foods to perform its operations.
• Granted Yalobusha County Justice Court Clerks permission to closes the justice court offices in Coffeeville and Water Valley from November 12 – 14. The closure will allow the clerks to attend training.
• Approved the claims.
• Voted to enter a five-year contract with a company that would provide uniforms to county road department workers.
• Voted to enter executive session to discuss a potential contractual agreement involving Avery Outdoors in Coffeeville.
