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Oktibbeha County supervisors approve $497,632 fire pumper, $398,792 in road work and new jail housing policy; turnkey jail plan tabled
Summary
At its April 20 meeting the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the purchase of a 2026 Pierce pumper, authorized $398,792.55 from 2024 bond funds for FY26 road projects, awarded a roadside herbicide contract, and adopted a unified prisoner housing policy and a $35/day municipal housing rate; a proposed turnkey jail construction plan was tabled for further review.
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors on April 20 unanimously approved a series of purchases and project starts intended to address public safety and road maintenance while tabling a proposed turnkey jail construction plan for further review.
Board President Marvel Howard and the five-member board voted to approve the purchases and motions during the regular session at the Circuit Courthouse. The board authorized the purchase of one 2026 Pierce Commercial Pumper at $497,632.00 via State Contract #8200060944; the purchase will be funded by proceeds from the sale of a 2021 apparatus, the board was told.
The board also approved FY26 Road Project Initiations and an immediate appropriation of $398,792.55 from 2024 Bond Funds for Category A projects: Stone Ridge Road, Johnson Drive, Harris Road and Lean Lane, with Polly Bell Road listed from Category B. Separately, supervisors approved moving money from the Sanitation and Solid Waste Fund to buy countywide “no littering” signs and granted a culvert request for property at 231 Prisock Road.
County Administrator Wayne Carpenter reported bids for the 2026 Annual Roadside Herbicide Application; the board awarded that contract to ChemPro Services as the lowest and best bidder at $107,477.26.
On jail operations, the board adopted Policy PSO-POL-610 (Unified Prisoner Housing Standards) and approved an associated rate resolution establishing a default municipal housing rate of $35.00 per day. The board also authorized the board president to notify municipalities within the county and to put the City of Starkville on notice of the new policy.
During the meeting David Marsh, president of Benchmark Construction Corporation, gave an informational presentation on a proposed “turn‑key” process for a potential new county jail. On motion by Supervisor Joe Williams and seconded by Supervisor Pattie Little, the board unanimously voted to table that presentation to allow additional time for consideration.
Other actions approved by unanimous vote included: a consent agenda covering a 63‑month Pitney Bowes postage meter lease at $62.17 per month; utility use and occupancy agreements with Blackjack Water Association and Atmos Energy; extension of two MDA Site Development Grant contracts (SDG-S-007 and SDG-S-022) for NorthStar Industrial Park to May 28, 2027; participation in the National Opioids “Six Remnant Defendants” settlement; ratification of a Youth Court Title II subgrant modification (#22FJ1531); scheduling up to three finalist 30‑minute Broker of Record presentations for May 4, 2026; approval of a corrected warranty deed; and motions to research a UHY safety‑study recommendation and to allow due diligence on the Cannon Road Full‑System Rehabilitation Project with Innovasoil Technologies LLC.
The board acknowledged a citizen comment from Mr. Alvin Turner reporting health concerns he attributed to excessive dust on Jackson Road, a complaint about reckless driving by a Hellcat vehicle in the Sunset area, and a request for a culvert at a sinking section of roadway; the board moved to acknowledge his comments. The meeting adjourned to the board’s next regular meeting on May 4, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
The board roster at the April 20 meeting included District 1 Supervisor Ben Carver; District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer; District 3 Supervisor Marvel Howard (board president); District 4 Supervisor Pattie Little; District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams; Chancery Clerk Sharon Livingston; County Administrator Wayne Carpenter; and Chief Deputy Maurice Johnson.
