Board prioritizes Tobacco Creek drainage after resident warns 911 access is blocked

Monica Perry told the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors on May 4 that persistent flooding on Tobacco Creek Road prevents 911 emergency services and school buses from reaching residents during rain events and asked the county to formally take over the private road to enable repairs.

Supervisor Joe Williams moved to pause work on all other creek projects until Tobacco Creek was remediated; Supervisor Orlando Trainer seconded. That motion failed 2–3, with Supervisors Ben Carver, Marvel Howard and Pattie Little voting no. After discussion, Supervisor Ben Carver moved to designate the Tobacco Creek project as a top priority and to direct staff to expedite coordination with the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District on drainage remediation; Supervisor Orlando Trainer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The board’s action directs county staff to begin coordination and planning with the water district; the minutes do not specify an estimated timeline, the cost of remediation, or whether the county will assume ownership of the private road. The record shows the board prioritized the drainage work and asked staff to take the next administrative steps to pursue a solution with the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District.

Next steps recorded in the minutes are administrative: staff coordination and scheduling of a work session with the County Engineer and relevant parties. The board did not adopt a contract, appropriate specific funds, or set a construction schedule during the meeting.