The Jones County Board of Supervisors has taken another step in bringing the new Jones County Department of Human Services building to Laurel.
On Monday the board voted to authorize County Engineer Ronnie Clark to conduct an environmental assessment of the 1.4 acres City of Laurel officials said they would transfer to the Jones County officials. However, the assessment will be done only if Laurel officials transfer the property during today’s City Council meeting as stated last week in a meeting with city and county officials.
If the Laurel City Council doesn’t transfer the land, the assessment will be done on the county’s property in Ellisville in order to prevent further delay and the possible loss of a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant that will help pay for the construction of the 20,000 to 21,000-square-foot building, which is estimated to cost about $3 million.
Board Attorney M. Wayne Thompson said another milestone was reached when an official request for the property was hand-delivered to City Hall Friday. “It’s a short letter asking them to deed the property over to the county,” said Thompson. “We provide a legal description of the property asking them to convey the property from the city to the board.”
In other business Monday, Don McKinnon, director of the Jones County Emergency Management Agency, presented six road signs for supervisors to place on streets and roads that flood during heavy rainfall. The signs, made available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, read, “When Flooded Turn Around Don’t Drown.”
McKinnon, who recently visited Georgia, said that state had 10 fatalities due to rising flood waters. “Eight of these people accidentally drowned while driving into the water,” he said. “People try to drive through water and think it is not deep. They get out there and the car stalls or the water is deeper than they thought.”
McKinnon said he will place two signs behind the Masonite plant and one on Flynt Road. Others will be placed throughout the county.
Board President Andy Dial informed McKinnon that he will probably need at least six or eight signs to place on roads in District Four where he serves. Other supervisors had similar requests which prompted McKinnon to say he will try to get 12 additional signs.
He also noted that he has a template of the signs and the county has the freedom to manufacture as many signs as needed. However, he advised supervisors that the signs won’t eliminate their responsibility of putting up road blocks when flooding occurs.
“We just want to get people to think about the dangers of driving onto flooded streets,” said McKinnon.
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Photo/Charlotte A. Graham
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