The Leflore County Board of Supervisors asked the Greenwood-Leflore Public Library’s director for more information on how much a new roof for the library would cost.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Naomi Jones told the board that the current roof is beyond repair and must be replaced. Jones said the roof is over 20 years old and therefore is not eligible for any insurance compensation for its replacement.
Jones said Dixie Roofing has examined the roof and reported that it is in such poor condition that it can no longer be repaired.
Their estimated cost of repair was approximately $40,000.
“There are so many leaks, it pours into the building now, so it is actually not repairable,” Jones said. “There’s patches on the roof currently; I have been up there myself and actually patched some of it myself.”
Robert Collins, president of the board, asked whether the library is still a viable asset to the community, especially with the push toward virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jones assured the board that the library still sees regular patrons and that the Wi-Fi and public computers there greatly benefit the community. She also discussed the success of the library’s COVID-19 safety procedures.
District 1 Supervisor Sam Abraham said that he believes the cost should be split between the county and the city of Greenwood.
The board will discuss the issue further at next week’s meeting.
After a lengthy discussion on the proper wording, the board approved a motion to approve the library search for more bids and to seek the city’s approval for half of the repairs’ expense.
Also Tuesday:
• After almost four months, the Leflore County website is up and running.
Ulysses Kelly, an independent contractor hired to create the site, announced to the board that www.leflorecounty.ms is ready to be used.
• Collins discussed his fear that too few people are taking the initiative to fill out census forms.
According to Collins, only 55.3% of Leflore County residents have done so.
“We need to get it out to the people to let them know that the census is important, and we need to get them filled out,” he said.
Collins said those with questions about the process can call (844) 330-2020 or consult 2020census.gov.
District 4 Supervisor Eric Mitchell added that the form only takes about “five minutes to fill out.”
• The board also voted unanimously to pay half the cost of repairs at the old No. 3 Fire Station building on Claiborne Avenue. The board received repair costs at the last meeting with an estimated price of around $59,000. Repairs include fixing water damage as well as updating the kitchen.
• The supervisors spoke to Jerry Smith, the county road manager, about reevaluating the mosquito spraying truck routes.
The road unit has three trucks that are meant to cover the whole county each week, but several board members said that they had not seen any trucks in their area or noticed a difference in their area’s pest control.
Mitchell in particular expressed his concerns that certain parts of Itta Bena were not receiving proper pest control.
Smith said that he was unaware of the issue and would be reevaluating it with his staff.
“You all have opened my eyes on this,” Smith said.
• Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. Twitter: @AdamBakst_GWCW
