Supervisors Approve Road Abandonment

Supervisors Approve Road Abandonment

By David Howell

Editor

COFFEEVILLE – Supervisors voted unanimously to abandon a short portion of County Road 37 following a lengthy public hearing held Monday in conjunction with the “first Monday” supervisor meeting at the Coffeeville courthouse. A second hearing was also scheduled in June after the three remaining land owners with property on County Road 37 requested the entire road be closed. County Road 37 is located in District Three near the Sylva Rena community and intersects with County Road 151, also know as Firetower Road.

The matter first surfaced on April 11 after David Shaft explained he had recently purchased property on the end of the road, adding the county road winds several hundred yards through his private property. Shaft said the road did not serve any other residents and District Three Supervisor Lee McMinn recommended setting the hearing for abandonment.

During Monday’s hearing, John Wood was the sole objector to the abandonment, explaining that he used the portion of the county road to access adjacent property that he owns. Wood also explained that he used another entrance for primary access, adding that he crosses the property now owned by Shaft intermittently for entry in the rear portion of his property. Wood also said the road had been open for 150 years. 

After hearing comments from Shaft and Wood, supervisors agreed to abandon the road because the county road only crosses half of Shaft’s property and Wood would still need to obtain permission from Shaft to cross the remainder of his property. 

“Even if we did not abandon any portion of the county road, Mr. Wood is still going to have to get an easement because it only goes through half of the (Shaft) property,” McMinn explained.

During the hearing, the three remaining land owners, Lance Humphreys, Johnny Smith  and Lennie White requested the entire road be closed as it only accesses their property.

“The additional land owners that have frontage on that public road have also expressed an interest in closing the remainder of that road. That would basically eliminate the whole road,” McMinn explained. He also said current maintenance on the road includes “raking the pine needles off of it about once a year.”

Humphreys was the spokesperson for the group and told supervisors that there is no reason for traffic on the road, as it only accesses their property. The hearing on the proposed abandonment will be held June 6 at the Water Valley courthouse and is open for public comment.

Other business discussed at the meeting included:

• Yalobusha County Public Library System Director Patty M. Bailey updated supervisors about  budget cuts from the Mississippi Library Commission that will affect the county libraries in Coffeeville and Oakland.  Bailey told supervisors she was giving them a heads-up before actual budget time starts later this year and said the cuts directly affect the two libraries ability to remain open. Bailey also solicited input on another matter that affects her budget, explaining that AT&T would no longer offer DSL service after October. She explained the Oakland library still uses DSL and she would be forced to pay $1,111.63 per month to upgrade to a fiber connection for internet service. Bailey also explained that a grant pays for 90 percent of the cost regardless of which service is utilized.

Supervisors authorized the increase and also agreed to see if other options are available.

• Approved the minutes from April meetings,

• Approved the claims.

• Approved applications for three timber companies to exceed the weight limit while hauling timber on county roads. The applications included Valley Timber, Inc. on County Roads 84 and 214 in District One; Fly Timber Company on County Road 221 in District 5; and Timberland Harvesters, LLC on County Roads 132 and 215 in Districts One and Five.

• Authorized District Four Supervisor Timothy Booker to sell a Case backhoe and 1989 Freightliner Truck. Booker said he will post the equipment in three public places as required by law. He also said if he does not receive a reasonable bid, the equipment will likely be transported to a local auction to sell.

• Approved the donation of an Alamo cutter from District Five to District Four. District Five Supervisor Gaylon Gray said his beat no longer used the cutter.