Supervisors approve buying two new vehicles for sheriff

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department got the green light to purchase two new vehicles during the Franklin County Board of Supervisors’ business meeting held on Monday, April 4.

Sheriff Tom Tindle said his department previously ordered two vehicles at state contract price, but the order was more than likely going to be cancelled.

“You know we’ve got two trucks (ordered), but I don’t know if they’re going to come in,” he said.

“(Chief Deputy) Roger Dale (Causey) found two more vehicles and we got the quote off the lot instead of ordering them. It’s going to be a little more than what I was approved on the budget. I was approved for about $60,000, and he found two for (about) $35,000 apiece. (The total cost) is going to be about $74,000 – roughly $14,000 more.”

Tindle said the other quotes he received on other similar vehicles were all in the $40,000 to $45,000 range.

The board voted to allow him to purchase the vehicles.

“I’ve been talking back and forth with (the company) where we have the trucks on order, and they said it’s better than a 50 percent chance that they’re going to get cancelled (because) Ford and Chevrolet are not making fleet vehicles anymore, so that takes out all the state contract trucks,” Board President and District 5 Supervisor Jimmie “Bodi” Bass said.

“The two that Roger Dale found are the special service vehicles (with) the police package and the way it was explained to me, somebody ordered them and then cancelled the order at the last minute, and that’s how they’re available to us.”

Also at the panel’s business meeting, Circuit Clerk Warren Walker, who also heads Franklin County’s Solid Waste Department, updated the board on the results from a reverse auction held to purchase two garbage trucks.

One bid — from Truckworx-Kenworth — was received on each of the items specified.

The cost of a new 33,000 Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), 2023 model single-axle garbage truck was bid at $223,000 and a 33,000 GVW, 2020 medium-duty single-axle garbage truck was priced at $108,000, according to Walker.

“What they also do on this — what the verbage of our bid is — they’re going to hold to this price within 4 percent for the next five years,” Walker said.

“So, if the trucks go up we’ll get this price for the next five years, unless it’s over 4 percent (of an) increase. We did these on a buy-back program, too. In two years, they’ll give me back $155,000 for each truck. That’s guaranteed in the buyback. If I wait three years, they’ll give me back (around $130,000).”

In other action, the board addressed these additional pieces of business:

• Heard from county resident Jack Hollingsworth regarding the upcoming to decision to opt out of the state Medical Cannabis Act or allow the cultivation, processing, sale and distribution of medical cannabis products locally.

“I just wanted to encourage y’all to opt out on the (Medical Cannabis Act),” he said.

“Personally, I don’t see where anything good can come of it. I’m not here to bash anything or anybody … I just wanted to let y’all know that, as a citizen, I don’t think it’ll be a good thing.”

The board has not made a decision on the topic yet, and has until the beginning of May to do so.

• Voted to extend the county’s contract with Greenway Environmental Solutions’ garbage disposal facility, which is located on U.S. Highway 61 near Fayette.

Walker said the disposal rate went up from $20 a ton to $32 a ton plus haul, environmental and fuel recovery fees.

• Approved payment to Walter Beesley in the amount of $1,854.19 for collecting $7,416.74 in Justice Court fines during February.

• Gave approval to pay $1,462 to iTech Systems Group for an annual maintenance contract and cloud storage of data for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.

• Accepted proofs of publication from and approved paying claims to The Franklin Advocate in the amounts of $126.48 and $316 for legal items published in the newspaper.

• Accepted the homestead exemption chargebacks as presented with no rejections.

• Approved a farm-residential lease contract between the Franklin County Board of Education and Charles Henry Ezell.

• Approved adding an extended warranty for $3,450 on a 2020 Chevrolet truck belonging to District 5.

The warranty is through Rainbow Dodge in McComb and lasts until the truck reaches 100,000 miles, and will provide bumper-to-bumper coverage with a $200 deductible.

• Approved the placement of a school bus turnaround on Choctaw Road Northeast in District 4.

• Approved the payment of three invoices totaling $1,800 for purchases made by District 4 Fire Department in November and December of 2021.

• Approved payment of a claim of $18,633.40 from Puckett Equipment on behalf of the Town of Bude for equipment repairs with funds coming from the Town of Bude’s tax fund.

• Accepted a letter from the Mississippi Office of State Aid Roads regarding insufficient funding for a proposed project on Sullivan Road.

• Went into a brief executive session near the end of the meeting to discuss pending legal matters with the board’s attorney.

The next scheduled business meeting for the Franklin County Board of Supervisors is set for 9 a.m., Monday, April 18 at the courthouse on Main Street in Meadville.

The session is open to the public.