/ By Thomas Howard / Projects/ 0 Comments

County highlights online permits as summer projects loom

Lauderdale County residents planning summer projects don’t have to make a stop at the permit office as the county now offers an option to purchase permits online.

Permits are required for any type of construction, such as an addition, a new building, a shed or pole barn, or setting up a mobile home.

Cathy Lummus, director of the permit office, said the permit requirement is not intended to be punitive but instead is an effort to comply with the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance adopted by the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors in 1992.

The ordinance enables county residents to purchase flood insurance, and the only way to enforce the ordinance is through the permit process. Outside of the flood prevention ordinance, the county does not mandate construction be built to a certain code and does not perform inspections.

Permits can range in price but are reasonable. Permits for mobile homes and smaller projects start at $15, residential construction permits cost $25, commercial development at $50 and any property located within a flood zone at $75.

In addition to the permits, the permit office also participates in the Program for Public Information, which is a planning tool from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for communities in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. Under the PPI, county efforts to raise awareness and educate residents about flood hazards translate into savings on flood insurance.

Similar to a community’s fire rating, the better the rating, the less insurance costs for residents in the community. Lummus said the best level Lauderdale County can reach without implementing building codes is a Class 7, which would give residents a 15% reduction on flood insurance costs. Currently, the county is a Class 8, and residents see a 10% reduction on flood insurance.

For more information about the county’s flood plain ordinance or to purchase permits online, visit lauderdalecounty.org/county-departments/permit-office.

/ By Thomas Howard / Projects • Road Work/ 0 Comments

Road work in Meehan area continues as part of State Aid road project

As Lauderdale County announced the completion of a road improvements package Thursday, work to repair additional county roads is already underway.

Workers with Chris Albritton Construction spray down the road in preparation for paving Friday in Meehan.

Meehan Savoy Road, Suqualena Meehan Road, York Road and Centerhill Martin Road are part of a State Aid Road project bid out in December. Work on the roads includes pre-leveling, chip sealing and micro sealing, said Road and Bridge Coordinator Ryan Mosley.

 

“They’re laying the base down in some of our more problem areas, rutting, cracking areas and stuff like that. They’ll be clipping the shoulders as well, getting the drainage right on it, but really just doing kind of like a base layer,” he said. “Then they’ll come through right there at the end, their last process will be whole surface treatment of it. They’ll do a chip seal and micro seal.”

The work is being done by Chris Albritton Construction, out of Laurel, for a total cost of $3.2 million. Albritton submitted the lowest and best of six bids received.

Mosley said crews are currently tackling the pre-leveling work on Meehan Savoy Road. Once that is complete the contractor can come in and pave, he said. Workers will likely be in the area for the next month or so due to the amount of base repair needed.

“We knew there was a lot of base repair on this road,” he said.

Also on the list is Centerhill Martin Road, which is heavily used by vehicles traveling to and from local schools. Mosley said Albritton is aiming to tackle that road after school lets out for the year in May.

“Everything’s going fine. No trouble so far,” he said.

Funding for the road project is coming from the county’s allotment of State Aid Program funds. Counties receive money from the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction to address roads and bridges on designated State Aid routes each board term (every four years). The funds are specifically for State Aid roads and bridges, and cannot be used for other infrastructure.

Counties also receive Local System Bridge Program, or LSBP funds, for bridges not on State Aid routes, as well as State Aid Bridge Program funds, which are a newer pot of money specifically aimed at addressing problem bridges on State Aid routes.

/ By Thomas Howard / Projects • Road Work/ 0 Comments

County completes road improvements project

The Lauderdale County Road & Bridge Department is proud to announce the completion of multiple roadway improvements across the county as part of our ongoing infrastructure program.

Roadways Completed

• Newton Martin Road (4.54 miles)

• Springhill Road (3.26 miles)

• Chip Pickering Drive (2.9 miles)

• Lauderdale Road (2.0 miles)

• Luther Walker Road (0.32 miles)

• Lizelia Road (included under striping scope)

Scope of Work Completed

Each roadway received asphalt resurfacing (overlay) to restore the driving surface and extend pavement life. Final improvements included:

• Thermoplastic double yellow centerline striping

• Thermoplastic white edge line striping

• Raised pavement markers installed at consistent intervals (~40 feet)

Project Execution

• Asphalt resurfacing completed by Walters Construction Company

• Striping and reflectors installed by Image Striping Company

These improvements enhance roadway visibility, ride quality, and overall safety for residents, school transportation, and emergency services throughout Lauderdale County.

We appreciate the public’s patience during construction and remain committed to maintaining and improving infrastructure across our county.

/ By Thomas Howard / Projects • Road Work/ 0 Comments

Lauderdale County starts dirt removal at Marion Town Hall

Lauderdale County Road Department crews are working to prepare the site for the town of Marion’s new Town Hall by removing a large dirt berm from the land ahead of building construction.

Lauderdale County Road Manager Rush Mayatt, left, and Marion Town Engineer Shaun Miles discuss site preparations for Marion’s new Town Hall on Monday while county crews work to remove truckloads of dirt from the site.

County supervisors in November agreed to assist Marion with dirt removal and site grading up to $35,000 in cost. Work was delayed while the two entities waited for an interlocal agreement to be reviewed by the state Attorney General’s office.

 

Road Manager Rush Mayatt said crews began removing the dirt Friday and continued Monday with approximately 10 trucks running in a continuous cycle. The dirt is being taken to the county barn to be used for future projects.

 

“They had a big knoll here that we cut, and of course we’re hauling the dirt to one of my barns, kind of like beneficial use. About 7,000-8,000 yards that we’ve moved,” he said. “We’re basically getting this down to what I consider a rough grade for the contractor to come in and do the site work.”

 

In November, Mayatt estimated around 7,000 yards of dirt needed to hauled away before work on the town hall itself could begin. That estimate is still on track, he said Monday, however the complete amount removed will depend on what needs to be done to get the site ready.

 

Marion’s request came after bids for the town hall construction project in October came in over budget, forcing town leaders to look at ways to reduce costs. One large factor was the dirt removal and site grading, which added several hundred thousand dollars to the overall project amount.

 

In December, Marion officials awarded the Town Hall project to D&E Construction for $1.6 million. Between the dirt work and several alternate options, the project came in approximately $300,000 under original costs.

 

Mayatt estimates county workers will be at the site for another week or so, but the sooner the county can wrap up its part of the project, the sooner the contractor can come in and begin their work.

/ By Thomas Howard / Grant Funding • Projects/ 0 Comments

Lauderdale County receives $819,000 TAP grant as one of five recipients

Lauderdale County officials joined Mississippi Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons and other elected leaders from the East Mississippi region Tuesday as the county was one of five recipients of Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant funding.

Simmons presented the county with a check for $819,000, which will go toward the second phase of a walking trail project along Sowashee Creek. The first phase saw the trail stretch from 29th Avenue to Grand Avenue.

Lauderdale County was one of five recipients of Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant funding awarded Tuesday by Mississippi Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons.

“On behalf of the Department of Transportation, the Commissioner Busby, Commissioner Caldwell and myself, along with our Executive Director Brad White and the 2,700 employees that we have, we are so grateful to be working with our local partners like you who are here today to make things happen,” Simmons said.

TAP funds are federal dollars administered through the Mississippi Department of Transportation for projects improving pedestrian safety, handicap accessibility and infrastructure for bicycles and other non-motorized transport.

Supervisor Josh Todd, who serves as president of the Board of Supervisors, said the county is fortunate to have Simmons serving as commissioner for the Central District. Regardless of politics, Simmons is there to support the people of East Mississippi, he said.

“I don’t know how many of y’all rode across a bridge or road on the way here, but not one of them is a Democrat or Republican, and this man sees none of that,” Todd said. “He sees us. He sees East Mississippi, and he sees what we can be and who we are right now.”

In addition to Lauderdale County, other entities receiving TAP grant funds include the city of Meridian, town of Marion, town of Scooba in cooperation with the Kemper County Economic Development Authority and East Mississippi Community College.

In total, Simmons said the grants add up to around $5 million in federal funds for infrastructure in the East Mississippi region.

“As commissioner, I am so excited to be here today and to be able to provide this $5 million to the East Mississippi community for our pedestrians,” he said.

/ By Thomas Howard / Grant Funding • Projects/ / 0 Comments

Lauderdale County moves forward with projects, grant applications

Lauderdale County supervisors moved forward with several projects Monday as multiple county departments look to apply for grant funding. Among the items discussed were grants for the Sheriff’s Department, Amnesty Day and funding to build a new fire station at Center Ridge.

Sheriff Ward Calhoun said his department plans to apply for an antiterrorism grant through the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security in the amount of $462,806.21. The Sheriff’s Department could receive all or some of the funding through the grant or not be selected for funding at all, he said.

The grant does not require any matching funds from the county.

Supervisor Craig Houston said the county has also received more than $450,000 through a Community Development Block Grant to build a new fire station for Center Ridge Volunteer Fire Department. Located in the northeast corner of the county, Center Ridge was built in 1989 but never fully completed.

“We’re going to be able to build a new fire station in that community,” he said.

The Board of Supervisors on Monday also discussed the upcoming solid waste Amnesty Day set for Saturday, April 18, at the Lauderdale County Road Department’s central office, located at 210 Windmill Drive in Meridian.

Amnesty Day gives residents an opportunity to dispose of waste that cannot be accepted as part of regular household pickup. Hazardous materials such as motor oil, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, paints and solvents and car tires will be accepted.

Supervisors approved quotes from disposal companies Rhino LLC and Complete Environmental for disposal of materials collected during Amnesty Day. The board also approved applications for a $60,000 grant to combat illegal dumping, as well as a separate $180,000 grant to launch a waste tire collection program.