Harrison County supervisors approve routine orders; debate on Cutts Road fire district and drug-plan change

Harrison County Board of Supervisors met on Feb. 10, 2025, and approved a range of routine orders and purchases while addressing three items that drew substantive discussion: inclusion of roughly 0.4 mile of Cutts Road in the Long Beach Industrial Park fire district, authority to issue a general-obligation note not to exceed $18,000,000, and an amendment to the county prescription drug plan used by the county wellness clinic.

Chief Sullivan, the county fire chief, asked the board to approve inclusion of about 0.4 mile of Cutts Road — a county, unincorporated roadway that borders the City of Long Beach — in the Long Beach Industrial Park fire protection district so residents there could receive a lower fire-insurance rating and quicker response from the Long Beach fire station. “I'm here this morning asking you to approve the, about 0.4 miles of Cutts Road,” Chief Sullivan said. He told supervisors Long Beach already responds to the area and that the stretch is within walking distance of Long Beach Fire Station 3. A motion to include the unincorporated Cutts Road area in the Long Beach industrial-area fire district was made and approved by voice vote.

The board approved an order authorizing the sale and issuance of a general-obligation note of the county in a principal amount not to exceed $18,000,000 “for the purpose of raising money to provide for the projects described herein,” and authorized publishing a notice of the note sale and related materials. The motion was made, seconded and approved by the board.

Supervisors also discussed and approved a change to the county’s prescription drug plan administered through the county wellness clinic and health-care program. According to the item presented, the plan previously covered the top 200 drugs on a list that changes periodically; the amendment removes the "top 200" criterion so prescriptions outside that list would not automatically be excluded. Board discussion focused on whether the change would expand coverage and whether generics or brand-name drugs would be affected. A board member summarized the effect: removing the top-200 requirement would allow broader coverage and give plan members “your choice of buying generic or non generic prescriptions,” and the board approved the amendment by voice vote.

The board approved multiple sole-source purchases and equipment orders, including: - Encapsulator firefighting agent from Hazard Control Technologies for $9,368; - Fourteen Harris XG-25 mobile radios from Communications International for $48,110.22; - A Pentheon PCT 50 combo rescue tool from Citizens Martin Emergency Group for $15,352.20; - A 5 kW generator from Neil Gas for $19,912.45; and - Purchase of 15 Panasonic Toughbooks for $45,573.45. Each of those orders was presented as sole-source or low-quote and approved by the board on voice votes.

Other approved actions included grant closeouts (including a Mississippi Office of Homeland Security grant and an ARPA-funded water-main connector project), travel requests, line-item transfers, acceptance of closeout documents for projects, approval of contracts and change orders (for example, Apple Construction change order No. 1 for the Flat Branch Regional Pump Station), waiver of rental fees for multiple local school and community events under interlocal agreements, acceptance of a bid from Constant Technologies for a real-time crime center package for the sheriff’s office, and acceptance of an opioid-settlement check for $26,580.10 from a law-firm settlement distribution. The board also approved a second amendment to a land-lease agreement with GTP South Acquisitions 2 LLC for property on James Bond Road and authorized a temporary telecommunications facility lease with Cellular South Real Estate for property on Lady River Road.

Votes at a glance (selected items approved by voice vote): - Include ~0.4 mile of Cutts Road in Long Beach Industrial Park fire district — approved. - Authorize general-obligation note, principal not to exceed $18,000,000 — approved. - Amend county prescription drug plan (remove "top 200" list criterion; broaden coverage to include generic and non-generic drugs) — approved. - Accept sole-source purchase Hazard Control Technologies, $9,368 — approved. - Accept sole-source purchase Communications International, 14 Harris XG-25 radios, $48,110.22 — approved. - Accept sole-source purchase Citizens Martin Emergency Group, Pentheon tool, $15,352.20 — approved. - Purchase 5 kW generator from Neil Gas, $19,912.45 — approved. - Purchase 15 Toughbooks, $45,573.45 — approved. - Accept lowest bid from Constant Technologies for real-time crime center, $269,860.20 (plus alternate) — approved. - Accept $26,580.10 opioid-settlement payment — acknowledged/accepted. - Approve second amendment to land lease with GTP South Acquisitions 2 LLC for property at 1421 20 James Bond Road — approved. - Approve temporary telecommunications facility lease with Cellular South Real Estate for 10450 Lady River Road — approved. (Additional routine claims, personnel concurrences, travel, and small transfers were approved; full minutes list each order and claim.)

Why it matters: The Cutts Road action affects which fire department responds and can change homeowners’ insurance ratings for the affected stretch of roadway. The general-obligation note authorization allows county leaders to finance multiple projects; the board did not attach project-level spending details to the motion on the record. The prescription-plan amendment changes an administrative eligibility criterion for drug coverage through the county clinic and may affect out-of-pocket costs for covered employees and dependents.

Meeting context: The meeting was largely procedural; many items were approved on unanimous voice votes with little debate. The Cutts Road inclusion and the prescription-drug-plan amendment prompted the most substantive discussion. Supervisors asked for clarifications about geographic boundaries, prior municipal actions, and the mechanics of the drug-list change during the meeting.

No board member votes were named in roll-call form in the transcript; actions were approved by voice vote as recorded in the minutes.