Road Striping Project Likely A Go
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COFFEEVILLE – Yalobusha County supervisors have tentatively decided to allocate $1.422 million in state funding to stipe and install road reflectors along 83 miles of state aid roads in the county. The decision came during Monday’s meeting at the Coffeeville courthouse following a recommendation from County Engineer Karl Grubb.
This board decision only comes once every four years as money is allocated from the Mississippi Department of Transportation through the Mississippi Office of State Aid Construction to counties in a cycle that coincides with supervisors’ terms. Monday’s decision means that the striping project will exhaust the state aid funding until the next four-year term that starts in 2028.
Grubb explained that the $1.422 million in state funding could be used to seal (resurface) one state aid road or an estimated 10 miles, or stripe all off of the state aid roads in the county with the exception of county roads 212 and 211 – roads that have had recent improvements.
“Striping will change the appearance of these state aid roads. We put the raised, two-way reflective markers on it so you can see at night. These roads are not safe (to travel) at night” Grubb said.
Grubb also told supervisors that he has recently inspected all of the state aid roads in the county.
“Generally speaking, you state aid routes are in fair condition considering how little we have done to them over the years,” Grubb said. “Some of these roads have not been sealed since 2001.”
One state aid route, County Road 436 that runs from Coffeeville to Water Valley, was cited as an exception.
“That one is getting in pretty bad shape,” District 4 Supervisor Eddie Harris noted.
“That is right, except for County Road 436 and some bad spots on other state aid roads, the rest of them are in fair shape,” Grubb agreed.
The state aid funds can be utilized for both bridge and road work on designated state aid routes in the county, routes described as a network of collector and distributor routes that connect to the state highway system or other major county roads.
In the prior term (2023 to 2027), supervisors allocated just over a million dollars of state aid funding to resurface a seven-mile stretch on County Road 211, the road that connects Coffeeville and Oakland.
Grubb also explained there is a strong push for lawmakers to provide more funding for state aid, a push by the Mississippi Association of County Engineers, Mississippi Association of Supervisors and others.
“State aid has not had a raise (in funding) since 1987, the consumer price index has gone up 180 percent. Construction costs have gone up at least 300 to 400 percent,” Grubb added.
The engineer also said the shortfall in funding is also impacting other counties across the state, and some state aid roads have gone back to gravel due to the funding crisis.
Other action in Monday’s meeting included:
• Discussed changing the county policy to allow employees to earn overtime pay instead of the accruing comp time. If the change is approved to allow overtime pay, employees who work at the sheriff’s department and jail and dispatchers would most impacted.
EMA Director Stewart Spence explained that the dispatcher’s office is currently operating with only five employees instead of eight needed to have a full crew. The shortage means dispatchers often work extra shifts, accruing dozens of extra hours each month.
“If they work three or four days over their normal shifts and their paycheck is still the same, are they still going to keep working?” Spence asked.
“A lot of them will, because at the end if they decide to leave the job, they know they are going to get paid,” District 5 Supervisor Gaylon Gray said, a reference to the comp time being paid out as a lump sum.
District 4 Supervisor Eddie Harris noted that many of those workers needed the extra overtime money during their regular pay cycle instead of accruing the time that be utilized for time off at a later date.
The matter was tabled and is expected to be back on the agenda for the November 18 meeting.
• Approved a request from Yalobusha County Tax Assessor/Collector Michael Walton to switch mapping companies for the tax office. The change will make tax maps and information accessible on-line, starting in January.
• Discussed raising the rates for dumping rubbish at the county’s landfill. The discussion comes as supervisors noted the landfill is operating in the red. Also under consideration is installing scales to determine the weight of loads brought to the landfill. Currently the fee is accessible based on the size of the load.
The rubbish landfill is located on County Road 91, south of Water Valley.
