Marshall County department reports

Chancery clerk Nicole Phelps led the charge at the January 5 meeting of the board of supervisors with a list of motions to be acted upon.

She asked for a board order to approve a statutory requirement that supervisors certify they have ridden all the bridges and roads in 2025.

District 2 supervisor Johnny Walker and District 1 supervisor Goston Glover made a motion to issue the board order and the motion passed by unanimous vote.

Some housekeeping was in order. Phelps asked for a board order, and the board approved purchase of postage on the county’s meter.

All email accounts were approved.

As keeper of the records, Phelps asked for a board order to obtain a copy of Marshall County’s real and personal property tax rolls. Her office keeps all records of the board of supervisors.

The board approved a motion to designate an individual in each department to sign purchase orders and purchase requisitions.

Phelps asked for an order to disperse the first quarter budgets for the Marshall County Sheriff’s office and Tax assessor and collector offices.

She obtained a board order to approve and verify all users of the AS400 computer data system.

Phelps read a request from Jessie Edwards, president of the Mississippi Industrial College, for county forces to pave a parking lot for the president’s headquarters.

Board attorney Amanda Whaley Smith said the county will have to request and be approved for a local and private bill from the Mississippi Legislature.

She recommended the board take the request under advisement.

The board passed a motion to table the request for the county road department to spread dirt and asphalt for the parking lot.

The board approved travel for Coroner James Richard Anderson to attend the 2026 annual conference in Pascagoula.

A request from E-911 coordinator Cathy Hannah for 40 hours of basic training for three dispatchers to attend training in DeSoto County was approved. The training is required to be certified as a dispatcher.

The board approved a request by sheriff Kenny Dickerson to send a deputy to a free class. Comp time for three sheriff’s department employees were approved.

Phelps reported the claims docket for $690,172 for approval.

County administrator Tim Powell submitted the 2025 amended budget for approval. He asked for a payment to Grinder, Taber and Grinder for $87,600 for work on construction of Medic Station #1.

Powell asked for travel for supervisors Zinn and Glover to attend the Mississippi Association of Supervisors minority caucuses.

Road and bridge manager Mario Jeffries asked for ten items to be put on surplus equipment and sent to the auction at the Fairgrounds in January. The items of equipment are no longer operable.

The board approved putting a new block in a 2023 Dodge Durango at a cost of $9,936.

Smith asked for a motion that the return of quit claim for residents of Folsom Drive and for Shanetta Folsom. The county was not able to obtain right-of-way from a landowner to the north of the driveway in order to pave the road.

Smith said a public hearing for the closure of George Mann Road at Holly Springs Estates is set for the February 2 meeting of the board of supervisors at 10 a.m.

Smith said she had several items of potential litigation for executive session.

Before going into executive session, District 4 supervisor George Zinn III introduced a request from a landowner of property on Matthews Corner Road to remove a gate that had been put up blocking assess to his land by another landowner.

The county has not maintained the road for over 20 years, Zinn said. The county never officially closed the road, he said, but the county has not worked the road.

Road manager Mario Jeffries said the county has not worked the road in 28 years.

“They gotta take it (the gate) down,” Smith said. “You have to officially abandon it. How much of it has been abandoned?”

Zinn said a bridge had gone out and the county had not rebuilt it.

Smith advised members of the board of supervisors go look at the road before taking any action.

“I think you need to go view it,” she said.

“Unblock the road,” said Jeffries.

“Take the gate down,” said Glover.

“I motion to take the gate down,” said District 5 supervisor Ronnie O’Neil Bennett.

“I motion to table,” said Glover.

“If the county is maintaining the road, then the gate needs to come down,” Smith said. “I’m concerned it’s in the minutes somewhere it has been abandoned.”

The motion to table passed.