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Supervisors approve leaf-loader financing and several road-department equipment purchases
Summary
The board approved multiple road-department items including adding subdivision roads to the county registry, purchasing a trailer-mounted pothole patcher and authorizing lease-purchase financing for a new mounted leaf loader; discussion also highlighted countywide trash and ditch-cleaning concerns.
Tunica County supervisors approved a package of road and equipment actions and directed staff to pursue financing for a mounted leaf loader the road department says will speed ditch and leaf removal.
Actions approved at the meeting included adding three streets in the Orchid Subdivision to the Tunica County Road Registry in accordance with Mississippi Code 65-7-1(3), purchasing a trailer-mounted pothole patcher (estimated about $74,000), approving financing terms to acquire a new arm trailer-mounted leaf loader (approximate cost $132,000) and approving purchase of a service truck with necessary accessories to replace an older unit.
Road and Bridge Director Miss Stewart told the board the leaf loader can grind leaves and reduce manual hauling, which the department says improves drainage and reduces worker strain. Stewart said the county had borrowed a similar machine from another municipality and that crews could perform the task with two to three workers rather than larger crews that take longer.
Board members debated whether a multi-purpose machine that handles both leaves and trash exists and whether contracting the work would be preferable. Stewart and other supervisors said the county is still evaluating devices and vendors and that the leaf machine under consideration best matched the county's ditch profiles and crew operations. The board approved a resolution authorizing lease-purchase financing through Government Capital and empowered the county administrator to sign required documents.
Why it matters: supervisors said improved ditch clearing and leaf removal help water flow and can reduce flooding risks in low-lying areas; supervisors also cited community concern about roadside trash and asked planning and code-enforcement staff to coordinate cleanup efforts.
Other details and votes: - Motion to add Appabelle Lane, Lemon Tree Cove and Walnut Lane to the county road registry (reference Mississippi Code 65-7-1(3)): motion seconded and carried. - Purchase of trailer-mounted pothole patcher (estimated $74,000): motion seconded and carried. - Financing and acquisition of a 25-yard leaf loader (approx. $132,000) and authorization for county administrator to sign lease-purchase documents with Government Capital: motion seconded and carried. - Purchase of a new service truck and equipment to replace a 1989 vehicle: motion seconded and carried.
Board members requested staff continue searching for equipment that can better handle trash in deeper ditches and encouraged community participation in periodic countywide cleanups.
