The interest earned off $4.2 million in ARPA funds given to Coahoma County last year will give the Courthouse a $400,000 chiller air conditioner next year.
The Coahoma County Board of Supervisors approved a bid for $397,000 for a chiller, two pumps and a temperature control system at their Wednesday meeting with the board told it will take 28 weeks to build the system and 45 days to install it at the courthouse.
Supervisors have been trying to find funds to make this major purchase as they keep their fingers crossed the system doesn’t fail this summer. The county began looking a purchasing a chiller almost a year ago, but a tight budget and new frugal board an easy fix wasn’t found.
M&T Mechanical Contractors, of Batesville, offered the low bid and will tear out a west wall of the courthouse to get the chiller in the building. The design is actually two chillers with one able to cool the Courthouse in the event one quits.
The board is nearing the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year and has kept an eye on interest from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds that came to the county at the end of the COVID pandemic.
The county received $4,297,328 in ARPA funds from the federal government and added that to $982,056 in state funds to help pay for water projects in each supervisor’s district.
Coahoma County expenditures of ARPA funds are as follows:
• $3,200,000, MDEQ water projects.
• $534,000, Broadband expansion.
• $500,000, Supervisor district allocations.
• $210,000, ARPA Consultant Andrew Smith.
• $200,000, Courthouse Chiller.
• $116,200, Employee vaccinations.
• $150,000, Care Station.
• $100,000, Aaron E. Henry Center.
• $100,000, Home Corp down payment assistance.
• $100,000, C.A.R.E.S. animal control.
• $70,000, Jacori Liner’s strategic plan.
• $35,000, Fence at Road Department.
• $30,000, EMA 911 dispatching.
• $20,955, St. John Water Line extension.
• $20,000, Fire Dept. Boat.
• $20,000, Jonestown home demolition.
• $20,000, Boys & Girls Club.
• $10,000, Town of Friars Point road repairs
• $2,500, MLK Bridge Christmas decorations.
BALANCE REMAINING: -$159,271
ARPA funds are required to be budgeted by August and must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024.
In Other Business:
The board met with Hospital board chairman Bowen Flowers and Jon Levingston in executive session for 55-minutes to discuss “hospital matters/real estate purchases.”
Upon exiting executive session the county admitted it made a decision and took a vote behind closed doors. When questioned about what was purchased, Board Attorney Tom Ross said the board was not required to disclose the expenditure of tax-payer dollars for real-estate purchases. Ross said the details of the purchase would be made public at a later date.
The county gave the Hospital Board access to a $15 million line of credit taken from the $30 million hospital reserve fund. Supervisors were told last month approximately $10 million has been spent on the hospital with the hospital working with an estimated $5 million. Supervisors were also told the Hospital Board might be returning seeking more funds.
• The board was approached once again by Carnegie Library director Tracy Caradine seeking $80,000 or half of an estimated $160,000 needed to fix the historic building. Caradine said the city is seeking a rare historic grant to obtain it’s half of the funding for a roof for the original library.
• Interim County Administrator Daniel Vassel said he hoped to have a preliminary budget for supervisors at their next meeting. State law requires the county to have a final budget in place by Sept. 30.
• The board approved travel to the Mississippi Policy Conference hosted by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson Aug. 8-11 at casinos in Tunica.
• The board applied for a $364,326 FFA grant to resurface Fletcher Field Airport. The grant will see the city and county split a $20,000 match with the state providing an additional $20,000 match for the money.
• Sheriff Mario Magsby came before the board with two new hires and a resignation. The department now stands at about two dozen partol officers.
• Chancery Clerk Sherita Wilson seeking travel funds to attend the Mississippi Chancery Clerk’s convention.
• Emergency Management Agency director Charles Hale requested Whitney Brinston be hired as a dispatcher.
• The county accepted the retirement of Edward Ransom from the road department.
• Supervisors were each presented with their district’s monthly road maintenance report.
• The board agreed to pay invoices, but retained a credit card expense from the Kendrick Travis for further review.
• The board accepted the constable annual financial report.
• The board adjourned until 2 p.m., Aug. 5.
