Supervisors Increase Fees At Multipurpose Building
Yalobusha Supervisors presented Mary Chandler with a resolution honoring her late husband, Bob Chandler, during a recessed board meeting held last Friday in Water Valley. Mary Chandler (seated, left), blinking back tears, recalled how her husband put everyone before himself. Chandler had previously served as Chancery Clerk and most recently as an Election Commissioner before passing away earlier this summer. Presenting the petition were (from left) Beat Three Supervisor M.H. “Butch” Surrette, Be
By David Howell
Editor
Users of the Yalobusha County Multi-purpose Building can expect to pay almost 20 percent more in user fees following a October 17 decision by supervisors.
The new rates will help offset spiraling utility costs at the facility and the rate adjustment is the first since the facility opened almost eight years ago.
“For the last couple of months the electricity bill at the multi-purpose building has gone out of sight,” Beat One Supervisor Tommy Vaughn explained as the subject first surfaced in the “first Monday” supervisor meeting held in Water Valley on October 6..
The latest light bill was $1,600, and the county had taken in about $5,000 annually, Vaughn added.
“I know that thing is not going to break even in any shape, form or fashion,” Vaughn said, although he added that it does help bring people into the county to attend events planned at the facility.
Supervisors agreed to designate a committee to research and MSU Yalobusha County Extension Service Director Steve Cummings reported back to supervisors at the next meeting held last Friday October 17.
“We felt like the (increase) would not deter anybody from renting the building,” Cummings said, when presenting the proposed rate increase to supervisors. Supervisors adopting Cummings new user fees, voting 5 – 0.
To rent the entire building, an in-county commercial user can expect to pay $250. The cost is $150 for a county or community to rent the entire building and $100 for a government entity to rent the building. An out-of-county user can expect to pay the above plus $50. Other portions are available for rent including the arena only, the meeting room, kitchen or booth spaces during flea market.
Supervisors also agreed to change the locks at the building in case there are extra keys in the community.
Other business conducted by the board in the October 17 meeting included:
• Approved an application from Lovorn Logging in District Three to exceed the posted weight limit on County Road 224.
“I hope they get through before real bad weather,” Surrette said.
A second application was also approved for Wayne McPhail to exceed the posted weight limit on County Road 154.
• Approved minutes from September meetings.
• Approved a request from Election Commissioner Steve Cummings for the commissioners to attend mandatory training.
• Approved a request for travel for Linda Shuffield to attend the MACA Fall Conference in Nathez in late November.
• Okayed a request for the City of Water Valley to use the courthouse as a polling precinct for city elections next May.
• Approved a request from Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney to reimburse $2,000 to his personal account to pay jurors. Supervisors also moved an additional $3,000 for juror payment.
• Hired a water and sewage operator for the county-owned infrastructure at Windsor Foods. The operator will be paid $1,000 monthly.
While discussing Windsor, supervisor also weighed whether to rent county-owned pasture land adjacent to the property.
“There is 42 acres down there, good hay ground,” Vaughn told supervisors. Board Attorney John Crow agreed to draft a potential contract offering a five-year term and the right for the county to break the contract if the land is needed by Windsor Foods.
