Old jail may go

The old jail which houses Emergency Management and two other offices could be abandoned by Marshall County.

Supervisors discussed the topic with Randy Mercer and Leland Reed at a recent meeting.

District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett wants the county to abandon the building. District 3 supervisor Keith Taylor wants to put the property up for sale.

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III asked what makes the space so bad.

“It needs a roof. It leaks,” said Reed, emergency management coordinator.

“It was made to keep prisoners,” said chancery clerk Chuck Thomas.

Old steel doors on jail cells have served as office space for a number of agencies over the years including a driver’s license office and space for Veteran’s Affairs and Youth Services.

“It looks kind of like a dungeon,” said board attorney Amanda Whaley Smith.

“Why put a roof on it?” Bennett asked. “We are going to build a new one anyway.”

Thomas asked if the emergency management office, and a new ambulance station is planned for District 1, could be located on property behind the sheriff department jail.

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry asked why the county doesn’t use the old Fred’s building as office space.

Smith said one of the owners lives in Canada.

Bennett asked if an architect is needed.

Taylor said no architect is required for a project under $100,000.

“Look at the old Piggly Wiggly building,” Bennett said. “We didn’t have an architect for that.”

The grocery store was purchased by the county and converted to a central office for the Marshall County School District and for office space for the Marshall County Extension Service.

Reed said when it rains, water runs into the electric circuits, soaks the concrete and wicks out.

Bennett said the roof could be mopped with sealer and that would stop the leaks for a while.

The topic of more school bus turnaround requests by the school district was discussed after the district asked for additional turnarounds.

Bennett said a list of turnarounds should be submitted at the first of the school year and after that no more should be added.

Terry said there could be a turnover of bus drivers causing the need for additional turnarounds.

“Gravel has to be put where the bus turns around,” Bennett said. “If I live 1.5 miles down the road, is the county going to gravel that to my house?”

Taylor said the school district has a budget if another driver takes over a route.

Zinn changed topics asking how the construction of a new ambulance station on Highway 4 West is moving along.

“They are out there today,” Randy Mercer said.

Thomas pointed out that the building season has been terrible, “a mess.”

Mercer said they are trying to get the footings in for the new station in between rains.

Taylor switched topics to Standard Construction, saying he wants to contact the city of Byhalia to see if they will join the county in possible litigation. The county denied a request to expand mining at the gravel pit.

“Byhalia had a plan of annexing one day,” Taylor said. “I want to reach out to them.” Taylor asked for a motion to contact the Town of Byhalia regarding support in anticipation of a lawsuit against the county. The motion passed unanimously.

Taylor also asked for a letter to be sent to Waste Connection regarding paving the road by the Quad County Landfill.

In other business, the board:

• authorized Comcast to run Internet service to Medic Station 2 in Mt. Pleasant.

• approved payment #7 for $151 to Barnes and Bower for work at the justice complex.

• approved a claim for $1,828 for work on the courthouse roofing project.

• authorized lease of a larger copier for the new justice court office. The old copier will go to the new courtroom.

• approved a bid by Zibit of $90,915 for new control room consoles at 911. Adaptaspace bid $93,618 and DTS bid $107,946.

• approved advertising for 40-yard roll-off dumpsters for the Marshall County landfill.

• discussed advertising for rebid for asphalt in place. The product had to be rebid to meet suppliers need to adjust their bids to the fuel index.

• approved ordering time clocks for the departments of Buildings and Grounds (1), Road and Bridge (2), and Justice Court (1).

• authorized an executive session to consider personnel, potential litigation and prospective sale of property.

• approved purchase of two cars and a pickup for the Sheriff’s Department.

• authorized acceptance of fair market value for property based on values at the tax assessor’s office.