VAIDEN — It had been at least 10 years since a train rolled through Vaiden.
No wonder Tuesday’s meeting of the Carroll County Board of Supervisors came to a complete halt Tuesday morning as everyone in the room watched a train slowly make its way south. A big, blue-and-white engine pulled a long line of box cars and tankers during a test of the line south of Grenada.
The North Central Mississippi Regional Railroad Authority acquired the Grenada Railway in July of 2015. The agency signed a 15-year lease with Iowa Pacific Holding and is operating and developing new business on the line running from Southaven to Canton.
Carroll, Tate, Panola, Yalobusha, Grenada, Montgomery and Holmes counties entered into an agreement in 2011 to protect long-term rail service in the region.
Also Tuesday, Les Smith, an agent with LS & Associates Insurance Consultants, told supervisors that the county is looking at a $1,900-a-month, or 3.9 percent, increase in health insurance premiums over last year. He said the county had a 91 percent loss ratio last year due to pending and occurred claims.
He said Carroll County would have faced a larger premium increase had the county not entered an insurance pool earlier this year.
Smith said he will meet with supervisors and county employees in mid-January to provide an insurance update.
County attorney Kevin Horan advised the supervisors that they need to budget accordingly each year for insurance costs, stress to employees the importance of using health care providers in the insurance network and see that they take advantage of wellness exams to help hold costs down.
In other business, the supervisors:
nApproved Tax Assessor/Collector Wilton Neal’s request of necessary amendments to the 2016 tax roll correcting homestead exemptions.
• Approved a service agreement with MidSouth Copier Systems, Inc. on equipment in the tax assessor/collector offices in Carrollton and Vaiden and the circuit clerk’s office in Vaiden.
• Approved payment of $5,500 to North Central Planning and Development for a 2012 home project.
The supervisors went into executive session to discuss possible litigation on eminent domain.
The board will meet next at 9 a.m. Jan. 3 in Carrollton.
