Lauderdale County supervisors gathered in their new boardroom in the soon to be completed Lauderdale County Government Building on Thursday ahead of a grand opening ceremony planned for 10 a.m. Monday.

The Thursday work session, which is held on the Thursday before each meeting, was the first official gathering of the county’s leadership since departments began to occupy the space last month.

Jim Smith, of LPK Architects, which is overseeing the government building project, said workers were finishing up on the interior of the building, with a few punch-list items left to complete. Several panes of glass for the staircase railing leading to the second floor still needed to be installed, and workers are still waiting for some fencing materials for the secure parking area behind the building, he said.

On the boulevard, which will connect the government building to 22nd Avenue, Smith said crews have completed the storm drains, poured concrete curbs and gutters, hooked up water and sewer service and installed bases for several light poles.

Currently, he said, workers are pouring sidewalks along the north side of the boulevard and plan to have the entryway open for Monday’s grand opening ceremony.

As the building nears completion, several change orders are being developed to address issues that have popped up.

County Administrator Chris Lafferty said supervisors on Monday will be asked to approve a $35,486 change order for access controls in the chancery court area. After occupying the new space for awhile, court staff noticed the current setup could allow someone to reach chancery judges’ chambers without secure access permissions.

The Board of Supervisors will also be asked to consider a $10,382 change order to add a cabinet with a solid surface top for the county’s Human Resources offices. The cabinet is needed to give county employees a place to fill out paperwork when visiting HR.

Smith said other small things such as adding power receptacles where they are needed are also underway. He said those items are being compiled into change orders that he hopes to present to the board on Monday.

Other issues that the board will need to ponder include deciding whether or not to designate smoking areas, and where those should be, the installation of vending machines for both employee and public use and whether or not an ATM should be available for customers in the new space.

Tire Disposal

In other business, Road Manager Rush Mayatt said he had received notice from Waste Management, which operates the Pine Ridge landfill, that the county’s current contract does not allow for the disposal of old tires.

Waste Management was the only option for disposing of old tires in Lauderdale County, Mayatt said, and the county will no longer be able to get rid of any old tires it collects.

“It’s a pretty big issue,” he said.

Old tires are an issue throughout all five county districts as smaller automotive businesses and residents turn to illegal dumping to avoid tire disposal fees. Supervisor Jonathan Wells said it is an issue the county has wrestled with for some time. While many mechanics and tire shops pay for a service to haul old and damaged tires away, others elect to pocket the disposal fees charged to the customers and dump the tires alongside a rural county road.

The county’s best course of action is likely renegotiating the contract with Waste Management to allow for tire disposal, Mayatt said. There are also some grants available that can help with dump site cleanups, tire disposal and other projects that will help in the short term.

Supervisor Kyle Rutledge said the county could follow the example of the larger automotive shops in the area and explore what it would cost to have old tires hauled away.

Mayatt said tire disposal is a complicated topic, and it’s difficult to police what residents and businesses are doing when the county doesn’t have a good way of disposing of tires itself. A true solution to the issue will involve legislative action and regulatory change at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, he said.