The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors agreed to hire four new detention officers for the sheriff’s office during their first meeting of the month on Monday.

The hires came at the request of Sheriff Billy Sollie, who said one detention officer resigned and another has retired.

Supervisors also approved a request from Sollie for $385 for registration and $280 per diem for Sgt. Andy Matuszewski to attend a conference this month in Kansas City, Missouri. The cost of the training will be paid out of the budget.

In other matters:

– Rush Mayatt, county road manager, updated supervisors on the survey being done by Engineering Plus to categorize roads based on deterioration. Maya said he plans to report back on the issue at an August 30 work session.

The board also approved an increase on a dirt pit lease with Ralph Morgan from 75 cents a yard to 90 cents, as requested by Mayatt. The board also approved work on the right-of-ways at 5140 Causeyville Road, at 10021 Masonic Lodge Road and approval for a request from Chipola Engineering Group to allow one directional sign and three light poles to illuminate the parking area at Love’s Truck Stop.

A request by Mayatt to hire a dump truck driver at the rate of pay of $13.35 an hour was approved. The position became available to fill a transfer employee.

The board approved several items from board attorney Lee Thaggard, including:

– An agreement with Citizens Financial Group, Inc.,’s subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania to ratify and approve the board’s executed Paymode-X confirmation agreement.

– A professional service agreement with Volkert, Inc. for Zone A based flood determinations and to terminate the current agreement with Waggoner Engineering;

– A proposal resolution requesting this session of the Mississippi Legislature to divert a portion of the use tax collected from interstate sales to be transferred to counties for related purposes

– A resolution authorizing grant participation relative to the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program Application and to see if those funds are specifically allocated for a truck, or if they could possibly be used to pay one off.

–Granted ad valorem exemptions to Atlas Roofing Corporation for 10 years for three different real properties, one totaling $1,666,335, one totaling $261,219 and one for $1,045, 971. The board also granted exemptions to Structural Steel Services for real property totaling $2,080,386 and to Tower Automotive Operations USA I, LLC for property totaling $3,554,132, which was the incentive offered to the operation. The board denied a tax exemption to New Canaan Baptist due to the land being undeveloped.

*Approved removing three members of the Meridian Emergency Management committee for not showing up for meetings to vote, which has delayed the county in receiving $50,000 for the damage done during the April tornado. Three new members were approved to replace those members: Kris Gianakos, Fonda Rush and Kim Waters.

Approved several requests from County Administrator Chris Lafferty, including travel expenses for various employees (hotel, per diem costs and travel in a county vehicle),  approval for the destruction of Bad Check Unit Paid in Full records and old time sheets as requested by Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun. 

The board will meet for a scheduled work session August 16 at the courthouse annex.