TYLERTOWN — Walthall Countians might start getting weather alerts on their phones.
County Emergency Management Director Royce McKee told supervisors last week that he had been fielding many requests from across the county for weather sirens or some other kind of warning system.
A siren system doesn’t seem cost-effective, however.
“It would take seven to cover the county, and it would take about $175,000 to install them,” McKee said.
The $25,000 cost per siren, plus monthly utility bills and regular maintenance likely cost-prohibitive.
Instead, McKee proposed a phone alert system for $5,400 per year that would text or call both cell phones and landline phones. The system would provide coverage to 94% of the county or better, he said.
Other nearby jurisdictions also use the system, including Jones County and Washington Parish, La.
The board also heard the annual budget request from the Pike-Amite-Walthall Library System.
System director Darlene Morgan told supervisors she was requesting a 2% increase over the county’s recent allocations of $120,000.
Morgan said the library’s expenses are expected to outstrip revenues by almost $41,000 as state personnel grants and other state funding continue to fall.
“I had hoped things would better, but the state money has not been revamped,” Morgan said.
Anita Beard, librarian at the Tylertown branch, said that building needs a new roof and has significant leaks in the genealogy room, the office and the computer server room, and needs new carpet in the children’s area.
Supervisors took those requests under advisement.
In other business, the board:
• Learned from economic developer Pam Keaton that USDA’s Rural Development office will require more current audits to accompany the county’s grant applications, but can proceed with the grant paperwork and submit the audits when they are available.
• Learned from engineer Parker Dungan that the airport map has been updated to add buffer property recently added.
• Heard from Dungan that the East Lexie Road bridge replacement is substantially complete.
• Ordered a sign for a bridge on Kirklin Road noting a lower weight limit.
• Heard from Dungan that Wallace Construction expects to begin work on the countywide paving project in October.
• Reappointed Susan Bracey to the Region VII public housing board.
• Added Comptroller Cherie Provost to the county’s Trustmark credit card account.
• Transferred $658,859 of American Rescue Plan Act money to the general fund to reimburse payroll costs.
• Learned the county’s 2019 audit was delayed.
