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Trash transition paying
dividends for county
Published Tuesday, August 18
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer
Alcorn County's move to a county operated system for collecting residential garbage has already cut the cost of providing the service in half, according to county officials.
Board of Supervisors President Gary Ross said under the county's previous contract with Waste Management they were spending $58,194 per month to collect residential garbage.
The county began operating its system in July and spent $27,500 in the first month including salaries, payments for the new fleet of trucks and other associated costs, said Ross.
"We cut our household trash pickup in half," said Ross. "It's the best decision we've made," said First District Supervisor Keith Fields.
Board members voted Monday to accept the low bid of $192,692.55 from Rutledge Contractors for replacement of a bridge on County Road 427 to be funded through state-aid road construction funds. Buddy Ayers Construction submitted the only other bid of $195,070.86. Mississippi Department of Transportation District Engineer Chris Dixon said he felt the bids were extremely good, noting the winning bid was substantially lower than the state's estimate of $249,069.50 for the project.
County Engineer Ricky Newcomb also updated board members on ongoing plans for inspection of bridges in the county. Newcomb said they are required by federal law to have 127 bridges in the county inspected by Feb. 15, 2010.
Newcomb noted federal funds have been designated through MDOT to pay for the inspections.
Crossroads Arena Board Chairman Bill Strickland was among those presenting agency budget proposals for the upcoming new fiscal year. Strickland said the arena is asking for the same funding they received last year, but would like to gain access to money from the arena's half of the 2 percent tourism tax that is not needed to pay for debt on the building.
Strickland said there are a number of capital improvement projects, including new flooring in the conference center, repair or replacement of the electronic sign, upgrade of the box office computer system, and roof repairs that could be funded through the money.
In other business, the board:
- approved a resolution to jointly apply with the Col. W.P. Rogers Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for a $25,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for restoration and repair of the Col. Rogers statue on the courthouse square.
- heard a budget proposal from Corinth-Alcorn County Parks Director Todd Witt, who requested $360,000 in funding for the upcoming fiscal year. Witt also asked the board to continue to help search for ways to fund a major expansion of the park, including new athletic fields and other facilities, which would be built on property owned by the park along Droke Road.
- noted the pre-bid conference for contractors interested in bidding on the county's regional jail and justice center project has been moved to 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 26 at the Alcorn County Courthouse.
