Hearing Set For Road Closure
Hearing Set For Road Closure
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – A public hearing is scheduled on May 2 on the proposed closure of a portion of County Road 37, also known as the Fire Tower Road near Sylva Rena in District 3. The request was made at the April 11 recessed meeting when David Shaft explained the road dead ends several hundred yards into property he has recently purchased. He explained the road doesn’t serve any other residents.
“We are asking y’all to close the road at our property line,” Shaft told supervisors.
District 3 Supervisor Lee McMinn recommended the closure following Shaft’s comments.
“There is no reason for it to go that far. I would ask you to go along with closing it at his property line,” the supervisor explained.
Board Attorney John Crow also outlined the legal reasons that allow the abandonment of a county road, and noted Shaft’s request meets the criteria. A hearing for public input is scheduled on May 2 at 9 a.m. at the Coffeeville courthouse before a final decision is made.
Crow said if Craft’s petition is granted, it will not affect any existing private easements on the road. He also advised Craft to post a sign at the property line alerting the public of the closure if it is granted.
Other business conducted at the meeting included:
• Approved a small rate increase from Waste Management, which is triggered by the Consumer Price Index as part of the contract the county has with the garbage company. The increase is four cents per can per month, going from $11.99 to $12.03. Chancery Clerk Amy McMinn reported calculations indicate the county can absorb the increase without increasing the customer’s price of $13 per can. She said the county needs to continue collecting $38,000 per month to cover the bill from Waste Management.
• Approved the hiring of Ronny Eubanks as the operator of the county’s rubbish landfill. Eubanks will earn $12 per hour with no benefits for the part-time position. He will replace the current operator, who plans to retire.
• Discussed the repair of aging equipment including the county’s compactor at the landfill and a pneumatic tire roller and tar truck used during summer paving projects across the county. Board President Cayce Washington reported the compactor used to pack the debris is out of service and a county dozer and trackhoe are currently being used for packing. Washington explained both pieces of equipment were not designed for operation in the landfill and would also need repairs with continued operation.
Washington said a used, replacement compactor would cost an estimated $125,000, and repairing the current compactor would cost $30,000.
“That thing is pretty old, we probably can get by with that and not have to worry about it for a while,” Washington said, before adding it still could be a risk to sink thousands in it. He also said the landfill budget currently has around $100,000, money that is used for the cost of operations.
Shifting to the paving equipment, Washington said the pneumatic tire roller has zero brakes and the tar truck is worn out. An estimate for the brake repair on the roller is $10,000.
“I think we would be better served to buy a newer one,” Washington said, cited an estimated figure of $30,000 for a used replacement.
After discussion on the equipment, Washington said he would get another quote on the compactor repair, start shopping for a new roller and research options to replace or repair the tar truck.
• Approved a request from Timberland Harvester to exceed the posted weight limit on County Road 223 in District 2 while hauling timber. The county requires logging companies to post a $2,000 bond to cover any damages to the road.
• Heard a report from Yalobusha County Economic Development and Tourism District Director Bob Tyler on industry in Water Valley, Coffeeville and Oakland.
Starting with Ajinomoto Windsor in Oakland, Tyler said the plant currently employs 320 people and the expansion that is underway will add 57 new jobs. In Coffeeville, Tyler said the Blauer Company is approaching the 20 full-time jobs as part of the agreement executed for the company to lease the building owned by the county. In Water Valley, Tyler said the latest expansion has pushed the job count at BorgWarner up to 565 workers.
