Supervisors hear request for maintenance help at DHS building in Bude

The Franklin County Board of Supervisors heard from Nancy Butler — who serves as county director for the Mississippi Department of Human Services — regarding maintenance issues with the DHS building in Bude.

“I consider myself in charge of the maintenance for the building,” Butler told the panel during its Monday, June 7 business meeting.

“That’s what the state puts me there for, to oversee it like I would my home. Therefore, I think it needs to be maintained, otherwise down the road you’re going to have more problems.”
Some of the issues needing to be addressed include problems with the plumbing in the front bathroom and the outside spigot, and structural damage caused by a termite infestation last year.

Some smaller items needing to be addressed included cleaning the gutters and spraying the outside of the building with bleach to kill mold growth.

Additionally, Butler informed the panel that the building is once again infested with termites.

Chancery Clerk Jill Jordan Gilbert said a call has been put in to an exterminator to address the matter.

The board told Butler they would have a plumber and a carpenter come look at the building and take care of the issues, as well as have someone come to take care of the other general maintenance needs.

Butler also brought before the board her budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.

She explained that although it looked like a lot, the state reimburses the county for 60 percent of what she spends.

The board took the proposed budget under advisement.

In other action during its regular business meeting, supervisors:

• Accepted a letter of resignation from Election Commissioner Elizabeth Lazarus, which will take effect on Thursday, June 30.

• Heard from a Franklin County resident regarding problems with the asphalt on Tolbert Lane in Roxie as well as a steep bank along the side of the road that needs mowing.

• Gave approval for Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Roger Causey to apply for a Justice Assistance Grant, which, if received, would go towards purchasing $5,000 worth of equipment for his agency.

• Approved payment of $1,622.56 to Walter Beesley for collecting $6,490.24 in Justice Court fines during May.

• Heard from Gilbert that the county has received $548,183.45 in Secure Rural Schools funding.

The funding was split between the county and the school district with half of the funds going to area schools, and the remaining half being divided between the five districts as follows: District 1 — $49,583.19, District 2 — $48,843.15, District 3 — $24,914.94, District 4 — $65,370.88 and District 5 — $57,970.17.

• Approved and signed the renewal of a 16th Section residential lease contract between the Franklin County School District and Sue Wallace.

• Approved payment of the following claims to the Franklin Advocate — $98.26 for publication of a reseal advertisement for bids, $143 for an advertisement for sealed bids on junked items and $136.08 for publication of the cash disbursements journal.

• Spread upon the minutes certificates of training for election commissioners Gloria Bonds and Margie McNair.

• Approved payment in the amount of $16,106.12 to Warren & Warren Asphalt Paving for work completed on Union Church Road at the railroad crossing.

• Received quotes from three banks to finance tractors for Districts 1 and 3 — from Trustmark at 3.2 percent for 36 months and 3.33 percent for 48 months; from United Mississippi Bank at 2.37 percent for 36 months and 2.44 percent for 48 months; and from Bank of Franklin at 3.49 percent for 36 months and 3.99 percent for 48 months.

The board voted to accept UMB’s quote, with the likelihood of financing the tractors for 36 months.

• Spread upon the minutes a certificate of court attendance on Gilbert for taking part in Chancery Court training in 2022, as well as a certificate of attendance for Judge Rickey Van O’Quinn, who attended the Mississippi Justice Court Judges’ spring conference.

• Approved payment of $500 to Alford’s Auto Electronics for installing lights on the recently purchased county coroner’s response van.

• Approved payment of $175 to Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance for a $50,000 bond on Katrina Littleton, who is a new deputy tax clerk.

• Gave approval to pay WGK Engineers in the amounts of $31,900.24 and $8,325 for services rendered on Bonus and Bonds roads and Middleton Creek Road projects.

Both amounts will be reimbursed to the county from the Office of State Aid Road Construction fund.

• Approved payment of $1,142.16 to Belinda Stewart Architects for services rendered on courthouse repairs, which is being funded by a Department of Archives and History grant.

• Approved payment of $10,342.06 to Flo Analytics for services provided during the redistricting process following the 2020 federal Census.

The next regular meeting of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors will be held on Tuesday, June 21.

The courthouse will be closed on Monday, June 20, due to the federal holiday observance of Juneteenth.