Supervisors authorize closure of Highway 19 access road

The Board of Supervisors approved a memorandum of understanding with MDOT on Monday, authorizing the closure of the northbound lane access from Highway 19 to County Road 2238. 

This road runs from Highway 19, just south of House, to Highway 492, behind House Grocery.

In exchange for closing the access to Highway 19, MDOT will hard surface the remaining gravel portion of the road.

“County officials, in meeting with MDOT on the project, understand that this will facilitate intersection safety improvements to the Highway 492 East and Highway 19 South intersection at House,” said County Administrator Jeff Mayo.

This project will be part of the Highway 19 four-laning project from House to Tucker. 

In other action, supervisors voted to:

• Approve hiring Brandon Beckham as a deputy sheriff effective Jun. 17 at $18 per hour;

• Approve the Sheriff’s inventory removal request for a Watchguard V300 body camera;

• Approve paying Neshoba General inmate meal invoice for the month of May in the amount of $58,334;

• Accept the retirement of jail administrator Brad Stuart effective Jun. 30, and allow him to purchase his Glock 9mm sidearm upon retirement;

• Approve giving Amanda Wilkerson a $2 per hour pay raise for assuming day-to-day administrative duties at the jail effective Jun. 17;

• Approve giving Rodney Jones a $2 per hour pay raise for assuming duties of assistant jail administrator effective Jun. 17;

• Approve hiring Robert Josh Graham with the Road Department at $13 per hour effective Jun. 5;

• Approve term bids for Jul. 1, 2024, through Jun. 30, 2025;

• Approve the MS Department of Environmental Quality’s solid waste assistance grant approval and agreement;

• Approve the cancellation of SAP-50(101) bridge replacement on Road 739 and accept the approval of the SABP-50(01) bridge replacement program on Road 739 by OSARC at the projected cost of $576,900;

• Approve two travel requests for the Chancery Clerk and Circuit Clerk to attend the annual summer conferences Jul. 23-26 in Biloxi;

• Approve a travel request for members of the Election Commission to attend the ECAM summer training conference at the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino from Aug. 21-22;

• Acknowledge the Presidential Disaster Declaration declared on Jun. 10 for the Apr. 9, 2024, severe storms and to receive individual assistance for eligible storm damage – Individuals and Business Owners who sustained losses in Neshoba County can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, call 1-800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA App;

• Approve the Tourism Council’s request to use the coliseum stage and chairs during the Ham Jam Arts Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12;

• Approve the implementation of MDA Site Development Grant for New Industrial Park Road;

• Approve rejecting all reverse action bids for the surveillance systems project and readvertise for future bids on the project;

• Approve July, August, and September. board meeting schedule: Monday meetings are scheduled for Jul. 1 and 15, Aug. 5, 12, 19, and 26, and Sep. 9 and 16;

• Approve the Governor’s Proclamation for the Independence Day Holiday scheduled for Thursday, Jul. 4, and further observance for Friday, Jul. 5, with Sanitation to run unchanged.