NATCHEZ, Miss. –The Adams County Board of Supervisors discussed filing a lawsuit against the Natchez engineering firm being blamed for faulty repairs made to Robins Lake Dam, which has been classified a hazard that could break and flood sections of south Adams County.
The state Department of Environment Quality has told county officials that the fix doesn’t comply with dam-safety regulations. The county has been ordered to make the necessary corrections. Adams County board attorney Scott Slover said JKS engineering firm is being held responsible for the mistake.
County board President Wes Middleton said he and other county officials have been “searching for answers we can’t seem to get” about the Robins Lake Dam predicament.
The costs of the required replacement of a dam pipe have been estimated to be about $175,000.
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At their meeting Monday, county supervisors questioned the salary requested by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office for a newly hired employee. The pay is higher than the starting salary normally provided due to the employee’s past work experience, but such wages “are going to run over your budget,” said county Supervisor Ricky Gray.
County Administrator Angie King said all county department heads should consult with her about salaries to determine “if they can afford it” before requesting the board’s approval.
Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten earlier this month said the salary increases provided to his employees are needed as an essential recruitment tool.
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Adams County road manager Robbie Dollar said he’s having a hard time hiring workers. A job fair will be held Sept. 29 with hopes to enlist new county road crew members, he said.
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The board discussed plans to fund and begin the Morgantown Road project as county and city officials await whether they’ll get state funds to combine with $2.4 million in federal funds. Gray expressed his impatience about the protracted planning that’s been going “on and on and on” for upgrading a one-mile section of the road, which stretches from Natchez out into the county. It’s dangerous and prone to flooding during hard rains.
While the city and county boards are seeking funds from the state Department of Environmental Quality for Morgantown Road, they have received the $2.4 million appropriated by the U.S. Congress earlier this year. That could pay for starting the project’s first phase combined with local funds. More work could continue later with additional funds that could be found, Slover said.
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Adams County officials learned they received about $96,400 in federal funds from a firefighters assistance program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In using the grant that county officials applied for, an additional $4,800 in other funds are required to be allocated. The $101,500 is to be used for equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources necessary for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
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