County opts to sell aging generator rather than pay for repairs

The Board of Supervisors received a quote on Monday, Oct. 3 from ARCCO Power Systems — the company which provides contractual generator maintenance services to the county — to make repairs to an existing stand-by power plant located behind the Mississippi State University Extension Office in Meadville.

In the end, though, board members opted to go in totally different direction during their first business meeting of the month.

The estimated cost of repairs to the generator was $1,698.80 — with $547 of that for parts, and the remaining amount for labor and travel expenses.

Franklin County Emergency Management Agency-Homeland Security Director Mark Thornton advised the board it might be more cost effective to look into the purchase of a new generator instead of repairing the current one, which he described as an older unit that is not in the best shape.

After some discussions regarding the board’s options on the power plant, District 4 Supervisor Pat Larkin asked if the generator in question was a necessity for the county.

Thornton replied it was rarely used, and Larkin made a motion to have the generator removed from the county’s list of assets and sold as surplus.

The panel voted to do so, but to keep the transfer switch in the event the county decides to purchase another generator for that location in the future.

In other action during the session, supervisors:

• Listened to an update from county engineer Mike McKenzie related to several road projects.

McKenzie told supervisors that work on Martin-Bonds Road to pour a top on a box culvert was taking place this week and then attention would be focused on work along Bonus Road.

McKenzie also reported that work along Gloster Road has made significant progress.
• Heard from Chancery Clerk Jill Gilbert that letters were received from the Office of State Aid Road Construction approving two requests for changes in project funding – one involving Project-19(73) on Gloster Road for an $80 increase for excavation work done and one for Project-19(71) on Burt Jordan Road for an increase in the amount of $4,318.44 for rip rap.

• Accepted the complete inventory list of the county’s assets as presented.

• Accepted the identification of marked and unmarked vehicles belonging to the sheriff’s department as required by the State Audit Department based on Mississippi Code 19-25-15.

• Approved payment of $765.58 to Walter Beesley for collecting $3,827.58 in Justice Court fines during September.

• Voted to allow McKenzie, as county engineer, to sign a permit application for Franklin Telephone Co., to do work along McNair, Byrd, Seale and Bedford-Tillman roads.

• Approved payment to be made to The Franklin Advocate in the amounts of $147 for publication of the fiscal year 2020 audit report and $118 for publication of the monthly cash disbursements journal.

• Gave approval for travel for Gilbert to attend a Chancery Clerk Legal Responsibility Workshop and for Thornton to attend a Mississippi Civil Defense Emergency Management Association conference.

• Approved reimbursing Timmy Touchstone in the amount of $61.95 for sanding disks for county use purchased at Harbor Freight.

• Gave approval to pay an invoice in the amount of $783.28 to Belinda Stewart Architects for architectural services rendered on the courthouse. The repairs are being undertaken with funds provided by a Mississippi Department of Archives and History grant.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9 a.m., Monday, Oct. 17 at the courthouse in Meadville.