Leflore County is considering an ordinance requiring liability insurance for groups renting parks for races and other potentially dangerous activities.
Board Attorney Joyce Chiles brought the proposal to the Board of Supervisors Monday after being tasked with researching the idea the previous week.
Chiles said the ordinance would specify “special events” requiring permits from the county. Permits wouldn’t be issued until proof of insurance was shown, she said.
Activities covered would include motorcycle races, events where four-wheelers are being used, hot-air balloon races and other dangerous events, she said.
Family reunions would probably be exempted, Chiles said.
“I do realize that this insurance is somewhat expensive, but in order to protect the county I think that’s it going to be needed based on some of the events that we do have in our public parks,” she said.
The board voted Monday to have Chiles write an ordinance and bring it back to the board for approval.
It would then require public notice in the newspaper and would take effect 30 days after the board’s approval.
District 4 Supervisor Wayne Self said the ordinance is much needed. There have been several incidents elsewhere in Mississippi parks in recent weeks, including a car that injured a spectator in Jackson and a Saturday shooting at the Goat Hill race track in Belzoni, he said.
Self said Leflore County should follow the Boy Scouts’ motto, “Be prepared.”
Also Monday:
• The board accepted a $2.399 million bid from Malouf Construction of Greenwood to build a peanut warehouse facility in the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Park for the Clint Williams Co. of Oklahoma. The county and the city of Greenwood will own the 90-foot-high building and lease it to the peanut company, which will eventually purchase the structure as it pays back a state loan.
Malouf outbid two other companies, Ralph McKnight Construction and Panola Construction.
The board rejected bids on five alternatives, based on a recommendation from architect Richard Dickens. Those included:
• An elevator and belt
• A shop building
• An office and grading building
• One foot of dirt under and around the building
• Putting 6 inches of limestone gravel over almost the entire 30-acre site, which bid for more than $1.4 million.
Abraham said Clint Williams will build those parts itself or come back to the board for a change order later to have a contractor do those sections at a negotiated rate.
Dickens said the project needs to be finished by Aug. 29; a pre-construction conference is set for Thursday.
The warehouse is expected to create 10 full-time jobs and 25 to 30 seasonal jobs.
Incentives for the project include a $150,000 Development Infrastructure (DIP) grant and a $3 million Capital Improvements Revolving (CAP) loan, both through the Mississippi Development Authority.
Clint Williams is putting another nearly identical peanut warehouse in Clarksdale.
• The board appointed Mike Sturdivant to the Greenwood Leflore Airport Board. Sturdivant will serve a three-year term. He’s a joint city/county appointee.
• The board voted to write a letter to the owners of the former Malouf Trailer Park in Sidon saying it would be cost prohibitive for the county to take over maintenance of roads within the park. County Engineer Robert Willis said it would cost roughly $2 million to get the two miles of roads up to standards.
• Contact Charlie Smith at 581-7235 or csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
