OKTIBBEHA COUNTY – While operations at the county jail are reportedly running smoothly, conversations about building a new facility are beginning to take shape as officials weigh limited space and aging of the nearly 34-year-old building.
During a joint meeting Tuesday afternoon of the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors and Starkville Board of Aldermen at City Hall, officials were set to consider appointing a committee to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a new jail. By the end of the discussion, however, no action was taken.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff Shank Phelps said while the current jail is functioning, a new facility with more space will be needed in the future.
“We make do, but it’s time for us to start talking about it because even if we started something today, you’re talking about five years down the road,” Phelps told The Dispatch following the meeting. “… It’s just like anything else, when it gets so old, you start having problems, and you want to figure out what to do before the problem gets too bad.”
The jail has a capacity of 125 inmates and typically houses between 90 and 95. Phelps hopes to see a future facility house up to 175 inmates and include expanded office and visitation space, as well as classrooms for GED programs and a chapel. He estimated the project could cost between $30 million and $40 million or more.
Both Phelps and District 4 Supervisor Pattie Little noted conversations about a new jail have been ongoing within the county, though the details haven’t been nailed down.
Despite the sheriff’s plea for continued discussions, Ward 6 Alderman and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins suggested the board cease conversations about a new facility as long as Phelps believes the current one is sufficient. He cited concerns about the potential need for a property tax rate increase to fund the build.
“There’s no need to develop a committee today for the relocation (and) construction of a new jail,” he said. “The sheriff didn’t ask for that. Why are we going to play sheriff? … I’m sure that if this comes forward, then there’s going to be a plan. Then what’s the cost going to be? It’s going to be in a millage increase.”
In response, Mayor Lynn Spruill, who noted her support for building a new jail outside of the city’s central business district, said the conversation extends beyond the jail itself.
“There is the city itself, there’s our downtown, and all of that is an important element to who we are as a city and who we are as a county,” she said. “And so I do not think that initiating this conversation is inappropriate or out of line, and particularly given the fact that I did have conversations with both (County Administrator Wayne) Carpenter and Sheriff Phelps … and any number of others off and on over the years. So while we may not be ready to do so, I do think the beginnings of having this discussion are entirely appropriate, because it is more than just about a jail. It is about our community.”
Board President and District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard said supervisors are aware the jail is nearing the end of its life, but he suggested the process should begin with a formal presentation from the sheriff before moving forward with developing a committee.
“Deference to you guys, it is certainly yours to do,” Spruill told supervisors. “This was just an opportunity for us to say if you decide to move forward, I think there may be some support for us being of assistance to you in some kind of way.”
The discussion ended with no action taken and no date set for a future meeting.
Landfill remediation
During the meeting, supervisors and aldermen also discussed the remediation and closure of the landfill located near the intersection of Rockhill and Butler roads, which has been out of operation since 2018 after garbage began to extend past the landfill’s established boundaries.
John Cunningham, a senior project manager with Neel-Schaffer, told officials the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, which oversees the landfill, has verbally approved the city’s 2019 plan for closure. Once written approval is received, he estimated the remediation and closure of the roughly 13.66 acres will be completed within a year.
Remediation will involve redistributing roughly 59,000 cubic yards of waste back into the landfill’s boundaries and leveling out slopes of waste, Cunningham said. Once that is completed, the landfill will be closed through the process of “capping,” which involves placing a layer of permeable soil atop the waste, covering it with topsoil and establishing a vegetative layer of grasses to prevent erosion.
After the landfill is properly capped, the area will be monitored for several years by MDEQ to ensure the integrity of the capping before any development on the site can take place.
The cost for the remediation and closure is estimated to be about $1.91 million, which will be shared by the city and county.
Spruill also opened the door to potential collaboration with the county to provide city services through the planning and zoning commission into densely populated areas of the county that touch the city’s borders.
Howard said in updating the county’s comprehensive plan, the board has considered creating a “buffer zone” in those areas where city services, such as code enforcement, could be utilized.
“This is a conversation that we’ve … briefly talked about on several occasions, … and I think the board has an appetite to delve into this (and) take a little deeper look,” Howard said.
No action was taken on the potential partnership.
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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 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
