Lowndes County is looking for full-time security for the Justice Court building after North Atlantic Security ended its contract with the county in January.
Justice Court Clerk Linder Erby told The Dispatch that North Atlantic contacted her on Jan. 14, the day before she told the Lowndes County supervisors she wanted them to hire new security for the building. She was not in a position to respond until after the meeting on Jan. 15, which someone from North Atlantic attended, she said.
“His words were, ‘I just wanted to let you know that North Atlantic will no longer have anybody at Justice Court starting Tuesday (Jan. 19),'” Erby said.
Justice Court deals with criminal cases on Tuesdays, so those are the days security is most necessary, she said. North Atlantic provided security Monday through Friday, but this was not enough to stave off “unrest” caused by frustrated plaintiffs and defendants, Erby told the supervisors Jan. 15.
Security guards de-escalate situations in which those plaintiffs or defendants get upset, which happens most often on Tuesdays, and they are also necessary to keep people at a safe distance apart to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, Erby said.
She initially asked the board in January to hire a specific longtime county employee, but the security guard position will now be under the purview of LCSO, which is accepting applications for the full-time position, she said Monday.
County Administrator Jay Fisher confirmed that North Atlantic terminated its contract with the county, and he also said the Justice Court budget includes funding for a new security guard.
Since Jan. 19, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office has provided security every Tuesday, but the office cannot provide full-time security because some deputies are in quarantine due to COVID-19 and others are monitoring the county’s COVID vaccination site, Sheriff Eddie Hawkins told the supervisors at their Monday meeting.
Hawkins also said he will talk to Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton about the possibility of additional support from the Columbus Police Department at the Justice Court building.
North Atlantic president Jabari Edwards and vice president Antwann Richardson did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
LCIDA funding debate settled
The supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of an agreement to fund the Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority for the next three fiscal years. District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders was the dissenting vote.
LCIDA is a county-appointed board that is responsible for land purchases for industrial expansion, maintenance and infrastructure building primarily at the Golden Triangle Industrial Park near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport.
Supervisors have disagreed for the past few months over whether LCIDA needs Lowndes County taxpayers’ money. The county is LCIDA’s primary funding source every year, and it is also responsible for all LCIDA’s debts. General fund revenue usually covers LCIDA’s operational expenses. For Fiscal Year 2021, however, LCIDA asked for $1.3 million but was only budgeted for $285,000.
At the Jan. 15 meeting, Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins presented the board with options for LCIDA funding. LCIDA pays the LINK to manage its day-to-day operations.
Monday’s agreement provides $285,000 in annual funding and an additional $330,000 in annual bond payments to fund capital improvement projects — a water rehabilitation plant, a water line replacement in the southwestern part of the county, clearing and grubbing the Infinity Megasite and possibly a speculative building pad — said Meryl Fisackerly, LINK vice president and LCIDA administrative assistant.
Sanders expressed concern that guaranteeing funding for LCIDA for a few years would create a slippery slope.
“I’m all for economic development, and I think you’ve done a wonderful job,” he said. “My concern is we’re entering into an agreement for three years that sets a precedent for the port authority, the library, the sheriff’s department, the solid waste (authority), all the places we appoint board members, that they’re going to come to us and say, ‘Well, you did it for LCIDA, why don’t you guarantee us money for the next three years?'”
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks said he did not disagree with Sanders’ logic but did not like “when board members take employees to task” and wanted the LCIDA funding debate to end.
“I think we’ve beat this horse into a cow,” Brooks said.
Road department pay, C Spire fiber
District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith suggested the county set aside bond money for road maintenance, and Brooks took the opportunity to address the issue of pay disparity between road department employees.
“A few weeks ago, we hired a person for the department at $13 an hour,” Brooks said. “There are about five people that have been working there as long as 12 years and don’t make $13 an hour.”
The board voted unanimously for Brooks to meet with Fisher and Chief Financial Officer Lloyd Price to compile data on both existing and fairer wages to present at the next meeting on Feb. 16.
The board also voted unanimously to grant permits for C Spire to lay fiber optic cable in two parts of the county: Yorkville Road southeast of Columbus and Industrial Park Road between Columbus and Artesia.
Additionally, the county has received two quotes to move the Confederate monument in front of the courthouse after deciding months ago to move it, and County Engineer Bob Calvert will negotiate with one entity to agree on a final dollar amount.
Tess Vrbin was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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