The Star Herald
KOSCIUSKO —
The Attala County Board of Supervisors is one step closer to acquiring land to construct a new county jail.
During the board meeting Monday morning, board attorney Scott Pickle presented real estate appraisals for prospective land located at the interior of West Jefferson and West South Streets in Kosciusko by the county maintenance shop.
Pickle said the acreage behind the maintenance shop was valued at $32,500 for 6.5 acres and the house and lot were valued at $15,000.
With the county-owned land on which the shop sits, Pickle said they would have approximately 11.5 acres and that would be enough for the jail site.
Pickle said the owners of the 6.5 acres would take the appraised value for the land and he would make an offer to the owner of the house and lot if approved.
“I think we need to make them an offer,” Supervisor Charles Fancher said.
The supervisors unanimously voted to have Pickle call the property owners and should they accept the purchase, a survey of the entire acreage would be started for the next phase.
The building of a new correctional facility has been on the table with the Attala County Board of Supervisors for some time in order to continue housing state inmates.
To do so, the jail has to meet certain criteria to be able to house state inmates.
Initial plans include: housing of 60-75 inmates, offices for the Attala County Sheriff’s Department and Justice Court.
Chancery Clerk Gerry Taylor said plans had not been finalized due to not having purchased land.
The project is estimated to cost between $3-5 million.
The supervisors have hired an architect, Michael LeBlanc from a New Orleans firm and looked at several locations including the former Milwaukee Electric Tool Building and the industrial park on Highway 19.
The industrial park land couldn’t be bought due to regulations and METB will now house the Attala County branch of Holmes Community College in the near future.
The board approved the following items:
– Maintenance agreement for evidence presentation system in circuit court from Jefferson Audion Video Systems, Inc.
– Travel for the Justice Court clerk to summer conference in August.
– Fourth quarter budget for the sheriff and tax collector
– Sold scrap metal to Johnny Miller for $3,800.
They tabled the Southern Telecommunications Company proposal for Chancery Clerk Gerry Taylor to look over and the bids for general county supplies for further study.
A supervisors work session will be held today (Thursday) at 9 a.m.
