VAIDEN — With a Dec. 31 grant deadline looming, supervisors discussed final details for completion of new nature trails in North Carrollton and Vaiden at Monday’s meeting.
Frontier Fence was awarded the bid on a fence and gate for the front of the Vaiden trail and for a gate for the North Carrollton trail. Funds for the fence and gates will be reimbursed from the nature trail grant, Shane Correro of Willis Engineering informed the board.
Supervisors named the North Carrollton trail Begley Creek Nature Trail and set hours from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The sheriff’s department will be responsible for opening and closing the trail each day.
The Vaiden Board of Aldermen will name the Vaiden trail. Mayor Melvin Hawthorne recommended that it be open in the daylight hours, varying according to seasons. Supervisors agreed that no bikes or motorized ATVs will be allowed on either trail, although wheelchairs will be allowed.
The board also discussed legal fees billed to the county from Phelps Dunbar LLP, a law firm representing the county in a possible civil lawsuit. It stems from an incident involving two Carroll County deputies who shot a car thought to be involved with two men who had gone around a roadblock into Holmes County earlier this year. The deputies were charged criminally, and the county received notice of intent to file a civil lawsuit.
Chancery Clerk Sugar Mullins and Sheriff Jerry Carver said they had not received notice of an actual lawsuit, only an intent to sue, and that the county’s insurance company had hired Phelps Dunbar to represent the county, which has a $25,000 deductible on its insurance for such matters.
Supervisors delayed paying the bill until county attorney Kevin Horan, who was absent from the meeting, is able to look at the bill and advise the board.
Also Monday, Tax Assessor/Collector Wilton Neal appeared before the board to explain steps to transition from his tenure in the office to the newly elected Pam Mann. He also thanked supervisors for the privilege of serving the county and working with them.
In other business Monday, the board:
• Authorized the disbursement of revenue from the Mississippi Department of Revenue of $12,000 to each district’s road fund. The revenue was from collection of a one mill levy collected for 2011.
• Authorized lodging and reimbursement for Beat 4 Supervisor-elect Claude Fluker to attend a training seminar Dec. 13-14 in Jackson and reimbursement for Coroner Ken Strachan to attend the Mississippi Coroner Medical Examiner Association seminar in Jackson.
• Approved a road project on County Road 211 off Mississippi 17.
• Agreed to allow AT&T to put down fiber optic cable on a county right-of-way near County Road 87. A representative of AT&T told the board the company will be responsible for repair and replacement if the county has any problems that concern the cable.
• Set the end-of-the-month meeting and swearing-in of county officials for Dec. 29 at the Carrollton courthouse. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m., and swearing-ins will be at 10 a.m.
