LIBERTY — Amite County supervisors took initial steps Wednesday toward a proposed expansion of the historic county courthouse.
Last month, architect Johnny Waycaster of Waycaster & Associates discussed possibilities for an expansion and said he will get back with supervisors after the holidays.
On Wednesday, District 4 Supervisor Butch Graves suggested proceeding with the plans.
“We’ll tell him (Waycaster) to move forward with plans for expansion,” said board attorney Reggie Jones. “We’re not officially hiring him. We’re just getting him to tell us what we need to do.”
The idea is to add a second story to the chancery clerk and supervisors’ annex on the east side of the main courthouse, and extend the annex itself as well.
The courthouse, built in 1839-41 and listed on the National Historic Register. is believed to be the oldest continually serving courthouse in Mississippi. Annexes were added to the east for chancery clerk and supervisors, and the south for tax assessor-collector.
Chancery Clerk Jana Causey said she is out of space for storing records. Jones said the upstairs judge’s chambers are inadequate, and voting machines are stored in one of the witness rooms, limiting available space.
The annex was built as a bomb shelter, so it’s strong enough to hold a second story, he said.
The second story would hold the supervisors’ board room — currently in the downstairs annex — and an additional courtroom. Currently the courthouse has just one courtroom for circuit and chancery courts. The downstairs annex could then be used for additional chancery clerk space.
Jones said supervisors will look into grants and other sources of funding for the proposed expansion, which would have to be approved by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
In other recent business, the board:
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the state and participating local governments in a nationwide opioid lawsuit. Amite is among counties that are part of recently settled litigation against the manufacturers of opioid pain-relievers. The memorandum will allow funds to be distributed to plaintiffs, said Jones, who had no idea how much the county might get.
• Hired Lydia Quarles of Mozingo Quarles PLLC to handle redistricting. Quarles also oversaw redistricting for the county 10 years ago. Jones said he will meet with her and board president Jackie Whittington next week to begin the process.
• Agreed to buy two open-top garbage bins for $9,860 each and one closed bin for $12,065 from Wastequip of Brookhaven to use at the waste transfer station in Liberty. Prices have more than doubled since the county got quotes last year, said solid waste officer Murry Toney.
• Renewed employee health insurance coverage through McComb insurance agent Ricky Johnston at no rate increase. United Health Care provides primary coverage and Gulf Guaranty secondary.
• In the solid waste department, moved Derrick Guidry from part-time to full-time hopper, hired Julian Bassett and Lahidja Gross as part-time hoppers and Clarence Lilly as full-time driver, and terminated hopper Larry Robbins and driver Cannon Lewis.
• Approved 16th-Section hunting leases for Daniel Jackson and Randall M. Perise, and 16th Section farm residential leases for James and Jo Ann Fleming, Joel Fleming and Mary E. Maxwell.
• Agreed to pay Air Med Care $5,330 for county employee air ambulance coverage in 2022.
• Authorized Sheriff Tim Wroten to buy a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria for $8,995, to be paid for out of the drug fund.
• Authorized election commissioners to attend four-day training at Biloxi in January.
• Agreed to advertise for a new garbage truck.
• Approved a beer permit for Angie’s Express on Highway 568 east of Gillsburg.
• Accepted a $19,956 quote from Midgulf Forest Products for bridge lumber for projects on Copell and Lower Centreville roads in District 2.
