Lowndes County supervisors signed off on a variety of requests linked to a pair of major projects during a board meeting Wednesday.
Supervisors approved studies required before work can begin on the county’s multi-use horse park/agricultural center to be built on land donated by local businessmen Jimmy Graham and Al Puckett off Old Highway 82 and Tom Rose Road
“We need the board to authorize a cultural survey to determine if there are historical sites on the property,” county engineer Robert Calvert told the board. “We also need you to authorize a wetlands study. These are pretty standard procedures, so I don’t see anything out of the ordinary about them.”
Calvert said the cost of the cultural study will be $1,850 and the cost for the wetlands study will be $5,200. Those funds will come from the $1.2 million appropriated for the project by the state during this year’s legislative session. A request for the additional $1.2 million to $1.4 million needed to complete the project will be presented to the state Legislature in January.
Supervisors also approved three proposals submitted by George Crawford of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District related to an expansion at Steel Dynamics. In May, supervisors agreed to provide $1 million to build a rail link to the property as part of the company’s $100-million expansion that will add a paint facility to its operations.
Wednesday’s action by the board included resolutions to submit applications to the Mississippi Development Authority for water, sewer and road access; application for a $3-milllion ACE grant to fund those additions; and an application for a $1 million MDA loan to fund the county’s commitment to the expanded rail service.
The board also approved a resolution to authorize the Golden Triangle Development LINK to apply to become an ACT Work Ready Community. Macaulay Whitaker of the LINK said joining the program will allow the community to compile more accurate data on the workforce and monitor progress in its efforts to prepare the communities its serves for the demands of modern manufacturing and industries. Whitaker will ask for the city of Columbus to submit a similar resolution during the city’s council meeting on Oct. 6.
The county also accepted a pair of donations.
“We’ve torn down the old fire station at West Lowndes, but the concrete slab is still out there,” county administrator Ralph Billingsley said. “Phillips Contracting estimated the cost of removing the slab would be $6,000 and said they would do that for no cost and use it as a tax deduction. To do that, the county has to accept that work as a donation.”
The board approved a change of insurance providers for its property and casualty insurance, switching from its current provider, Zurich, to the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Trust insurance program, which is $10,000 to $12,000 cheaper, Billingsley said. Because the MAS program year begins in April, the supervisors approved a six-month agreement with the MAS program. The current policy ended at midnight Wednesday.
The county also accepted a donation presented by George Hazard of the Lowndes Community Foundation of $3,000 for use in relocating the World War I memorial from the Magnolia Bowl to a site at the courthouse. The Lowndes Community Foundation is a non-profit and an affiliate of the CREATE Foundation to serves as a link between donors and the community to promote education, arts, social welfare and special projects.
Billingsley said the total project would cost roughly $7,500.
“Our plan is to have the work finished by the Saturday before Veterans Day (Nov. 7),” Billingsley said. “That the day Daughters of the American Revolution chapter wants to dedicate the monument with a parade and a fly-over from Columbus Air Force Base.”
The board also passed a resolution thanking road department worker Tommy Kidd for his 32 years of service. Kidd retired Wednesday.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.