County moving ahead with road and bridge projects

Union County supervisors are taking advantage of late spring and early summer weather to move ahead with construction and maintenance projects.

Monday the board approved advertising for leveling and overlay of County Roads 371, 372 and 373.

They heard from engineer Larry Britt that the Martintown Industrial Park North should soon be ready to get water, sewer and gas service. The work should be done this week on the Hwy. 30 access and also that they should soon be able to acquire right of way for the County Road 46 bridge project.

Some work may have been delayed slightly because supervisors said they have had some trouble with limestone from the Blue Water Industries (formerly Hoover), which was low bidder for the year. Apparently they have encountered too much dirt in with the rock, so board members voted to accept the alternate low bid, which is slightly higher, from Vulcan Materials.

In a matter discussed several months ago, the board agreed to close County Road 260 in the northeast part of the county.

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Watson had gotten approval from the adjoining landowners but the road was not supposed to be enclosed until the county did some work there. Watson said the work had been delayed due to weather but was being performed this week.

The official closing date is June 3 and the county will remove all traffic and other signs.

In personnel, the board approved hiring Kade Bell for the road department through summer.

Sheriff Jimmy Edwards told supervisors that the Mississippi Department of Corrections has asked for a new plan concerning care of state prisoners and the CORONA-19 virus, but added that he thinks the department may be getting closer to allowing the county to use jail trusties again.

Jail trusties had helped with garbage collection, maintenance and a variety of other tasks, saving the county money. Board President Randy Owen said it will help to have trusties back but there will be plenty of work to also keep the other summer employees they have hired busy.

In general business supervisors approved a candidate petition for Mike Beam for District Four County Election Commissioner.

They also approved claim forms for all five current election commissioners and paying the circuit clerk for holding the May term of circuit court and county registrar.

A rental agreement was approved for the justice court office to have a Pitney Bowes postal machine and for ChemPro to provide right of way spraying.

Because this was the first meeting of the month, supervisors approved board minutes, the claims docket, road work schedule, solid waste register and monthly budgets.

The next scheduled meeting of the board will be at 10 am. Monday, June 15.

The board again met in the circuit courtroom to allow for social distancing.