NATCHEZ, Miss. – Adams County supervisors’ decisions two weeks ago to sue its garbage collector and to renew the health insurance contract for county employees flared back up today as they quarreled about votes being taken with two supervisors absent March 3.
Supervisor Ricky Gray said such important decisions should be made when all five county supervisors are present – not just three.
The meeting was legally held on the first Monday of the month as set by state law; the public was notified in advance of its agenda; and the meeting had the required quorum of four supervisors. However, Supervisor Angela Hutchins – who was participating by phone – disconnected herself and wasn’t dialed in when supervisors voted to sue Adams County’s garbage collector for allegedly violating its contract.
After closing the public out March 3, supervisors voted 2-1 to sue United Infrastructure Services of Louisiana amid complaints about poor service and its trucks being inadequately insured for accidents.
Attending the March 3 board meeting in person were Supervisors Kevin Wilson and Wes Middelton — the most outspoken critics of UIS – and Warren Gaines, who’s been allied with Gray and Hutchins in retaining the New Orleans-based garbage collector.
While two supervisors voted two weeks ago to sue UIS, Middleton and board attorney Scott Slover today didn’t answer questions of whether the lawsuit has actually been filed. The board did close the public out of its meeting today to discuss “potential litigation.”
Absent from today’s meeting were Wilson and Gaines. During the open session of the meeting, Gray and Hutchins expressed their grievances about the decisions made at the March 3 meeting, which included the votes to sue UIS and to renew the county’s health insurance contract with Blue Cross-Blue Shield. Wilson, Middleton and Gaines favored the contract renewal, but Hutchins dissented.
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