Rankin County supervisors add agenda items, appoint interim supervisor and legal counsel; reschedule conditional‑use hearing

The Rankin County Board of Supervisors voted to add several items to its regular agenda, approve outside counsel for the district attorney in a federal case, rescind a prior denial of a conditional‑use application and reset that public hearing for July 31, and appoint Glenn McLeod to fill the vacancy in Supervisor District 2 until the successor to Mr. Berry is elected, qualified and seated.

The actions came at the conclusion of the board’s closed session. A presiding officer noted the board was returning from executive session and recorded that no action had been taken during the closed session. The board then moved to add three items that had been removed from the consent agenda back to the regular agenda and acted on them by voice vote.

On legal representation, the board voted to add and then approve a motion authorizing the law firm Watkins & Eager to represent District Attorney John K. Bramlett in a federal court litigation matter. A board member made the motion to add the item, another seconded, and the board subsequently approved the firm’s appointment by voice vote; meeting audio records “Aye” and “Motion carries.”

On land use, the board voted to rescind a previous denial of a conditional‑use application submitted on behalf of a woman identified only as Emma. The parcel in question is described in the meeting as adjacent to Mississippi Highway 469 in Supervisor District 1 and the application was for a conditional use to provide counseling services. The board rescinded the earlier denial and reset the public hearing for July 31 at 9 a.m.; the board’s announcement said staff must re‑advertise and proceed through the required notification process before the rehearing.

On the Supervisor District 2 vacancy, the board added the appointment to the agenda and voted to appoint Glenn McLeod to fill the seat until the successor to Mr. Berry can be elected, qualified and seated. The appointee told the board he does not intend to run for the office; the motion and second carried by voice vote.

Other items recorded in the meeting included a reminder of a reception for the county’s new economic development executive director scheduled for June 17 at the Vault, and a motion to recess the board until July 3, which the board approved.

Votes at a glance - Authorization to add and approve retention of Watkins & Eager to represent District Attorney John K. Bramlett in a federal court litigation matter — added to agenda and approved by voice vote; outcome: approved (voice vote; no roll call recorded). - Rescind denial of conditional‑use application for property adjacent to Mississippi Highway 469 (application submitted on behalf of “Emma”) and reset public hearing — motion to rescind and reset hearing for July 31 at 9 a.m. approved by voice vote; outcome: approved (voice vote; no roll call recorded). - Appointment of Glenn McLeod to fill Supervisor District 2 vacancy until successor to Mr. Berry is elected, qualified and seated — approved by voice vote; outcome: approved (voice vote; no roll call recorded). - Motion to recess until July 3 — approved by voice vote; outcome: approved (voice vote; no roll call recorded).

The meeting record includes only voice votes with yea/“Aye” responses and the repeated announcement “Motion carries.” The board did not record roll‑call tallies in the provided transcript excerpt, and no written ordinances, statutes, or resolution numbers were referenced in the discussed items.