The Forrest County Board of Supervisors met on Monday, Oct. 5 to discuss several community matters, including distributing advertising funds to area schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
Hattiesburg High School has requested $25,000 for their athletics department, $5,000 more than last year. Forrest County Agricultural High School has also submitted a request for funding from the advertisement budget.
Board President and District 1 Supervisor David Hogan raised concerns about equitably distributing funds between all county schools without straining the budget. Last year, the board gave $20,000 to five area schools for use and distribution as each school saw fit.
“I feel like what we do for one, we need to try to do for the others as we have done in years past,” said Hogan. “They are playing ball. I’m glad they are. These kids need it, and I want to be supportive because the gate money is going to be down. We’re all sympathetic to their needs. I just can’t see the county covering all the needs of the athletic departments and participants for the entire school year as they’ve requested.”
District 4 Supervisor Rod Woullard, however, said the funds were needed this year more than ever. He pointed to the loss of gate revenue at the recent Lil’ Brown Jug game between Hattiesburg and Laurel high schools as evidence of the increased need: $37,000 in 2019 versus around $5,000 in 2020.
The board ultimately decided to take the school requests, along with a request for $10,000 from the Ray-E Foundation for the 37th annual Juneteenth Celebration, under advisement for further discussion.
In other business, the board opened and took under consideration bids for the Carnes Road emergency bridge replacement project.
The board received eight bids ranging from $772,932 to $1,139,250 for the total project. County Engineer Nick Connolly originally estimated the project's total amount at $675,000. The state has granted the county $593,500 to cover part of the cost.
Supervisors voted to take the bids under advisement so they can better study each proposal. They will announce their decision at a later date.
Forrest County Emergency Management Director Glen Moore also demonstrated the county’s new ByoPlanet electrostatic spray system at Monday’s meeting. The system consists of a food-safe disinfectant that is safe for use around the general public and requires minimal personal protective equipment for the operator.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency purchased the machine and four gallons of the disinfectant for every county. Moore said several county and city departments have inquired about purchasing additional systems.
The spray machine costs $4,800, and the disinfectant is $35 a gallon.
Following a working lunch, the board went into executive session to discuss personnel issues, a possible county mask mandate, and requests for 5-year and 10-year tax exemptions at 14 area businesses.
The companies requesting exemptions are:
• Western Container Corporation.
• Dunn Roadbuilders.
• Georgia-Pacific.
• Two locations of Mississippi Tank Company.
• Sofidel.
• Green Bay Converting.
• Resinall Corporation.
• Wis-Pak of Hattiesburg.
• JPM of Mississippi.
• BPRex Closures.
• Zeon Chemicals.
• Two locations of Mar-Jac Poultry.
• Kohler Corporation.
• York International.
In the past, the county has granted company tax exemptions to encourage businesses – including to Kohler, Western Container, Mar-Jac and Mississippi Tank – to remain in the area and contributing directly to the local economy.
The board will reconvene at their regular meeting on Oct. 19.
