Pike County needs more tractors to cut grass along roadsides and more employees to operate them, according to the man in charge of maintaining county roadways.
Road Department manager Wendell Alexander asked supervisors Tuesday to transfer funds within the department’s budget to an account used to purchase equipment.
“Everything’s just wore out,” he said, adding that in addition to tractors the department needs to start updating its fleet of 20-plus-year-old pickup trucks.
Alexander said four tractors are in the shop and one “burned to the ground” last week. Of the seven tractors that are available, five “are wore slap out,” he said.
Even if he orders new tractors, equipment to outfit them for cutting grass won’t arrive for another six months, he said.
“That’s what we’re trying to do now is get equipment ordered so it will come in by springtime,” Alexander said.
In order to pay for the equipment, supervisors approved Alexander’s request to transfer $177,000 from the department’s asphalt funds to one vehicle account and another $5444 from asphalt to the department’s heavy equipment and road machinery account.
Supervisor Robert Accardo said new equipment is essential, as is the need for employees.
“We constantly get calls about the roadsides being mowed,” he said. “We need to get equipment and we need to get operators in seats.”
Alexander said he’s trying to fill six positions for tractor operators, “ and all of them cut grass.”
“We’re just trying to get somebody in the door,” Alexander said. “It’s just getting harder and harder to find these folks.”
He said the job starts at $10 an hour to drive a bush hog. As employees gain experience, they graduate to a side-mounted cutter with a short boom and then a side-mounted cutter with a long boom.
Alexander said State Aid roads are getting cut now because they are about to undergo inspection.
In another matter, Alexander said signs of life are returning to the Fernwood Road bridge construction site. Soil samples have been taken, and crews are working, with an estimated completion by the end of the year.
The bridge is complete, but the approaches to it still need to be finished, he said.
Resident Jack Martin complained that the work has been taking too long.
“The people on McKenzie Road are suffering,” he said.
Supervisor Sam Hall, whose district includes the bridge, asked Alexander for the end date for the contract for the work, and Alexander said contractor Gulf Breeze Construction has until the end of the year.
In other business, the board:
• Approved the payment of $114,333 to Clear Creek Construction for site development at Gateway Industrial Park.
• Approved a request for cash from the Mississippi Development Authority to pay $5,166 to Dungan Engineering for work on the Community Development Block Grant-funded project to improve Frank Oakes Road.
• Promoted sheriff’s sergeant Benton Roland to lieutenant and deputy Victor Davilla to sergeant, and discharged Kianna Jones and Christopher Ball from the sheriff’s department.
• Accepted the resignation of justice court clerk Takeia Coleman and agreed to advertise for the position.
• Authorized Gazzo to execute the plan set for a walking trail grant for the Bogue Chitto Water Park.
• Approved three rental applications for the Pike County Multi-Purpose Complex.
• Authorized Gazzo to execute a $28,352 solid waste grant through the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to clean up illegal dump sites.
• Approved Sheriff James Brumfield’s request to deposit a $3,500 insurance check for a wrecked patrol vehicle into an account for new vehicle purchases.
• Approved employee insurance policies with United Health Care through the Oakes & Johnston Agency. Agent Scott Oakes said the policy offers an overall reduction in premiums of about 9% compared to renewing with Aetna.
• Noted the Mississippi Department of Revenue has approved the county’s real and personal assessment rolls for 2022.
• Took no action after an executive session to discuss security matters.
• Accepted $4,000 in federal funds for overtime payment for the sheriff’s department.
