Stone County Board of Supervisors | July 6, 2026
At this meeting: The board voted to end the state of emergency from the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur. The Mississippi Department of Health answered questions about downgrading the county health clinic, and the board pushed back. The 2026 tax rolls opened, showing $12 million in growth. A resident delivered extended public comment on flood warnings and disaster assistance. The county awaits a presidential disaster declaration decision.
This summary is intended to document what was discussed and decided during the meeting. It follows the agenda in order and reflects the substance of each item.
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m., followed by devotion and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Recognition: The board recognized Miss Ava Nelson for representing Stone County at the Mississippi Coast 4th of July Fishing Rodeo. Nelson spent seven days with representatives from other counties, visited Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, Pass Christian, and Waveland to promote the rodeo, and helped run the kids’ fishing tournament. The board commended her for representing the county with pride and class.
1. Approval of Minutes — June 15, 2026 Until Present
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
2. Extend or Discontinue the State of Emergency — Remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur
The board discussed whether to continue the local state of emergency issued after the June flooding.
Discussion included:
- Supervisors agreed the county has reached the point where it can come out of the emergency phase
- Volunteer crews are still out cutting and clearing vegetation; the debris pickup phase has not yet begun
Motion made and approved to come out of the emergency declaration. Passed 5-0
3. SMPDD — FEMA Public Assistance Administrative Support Services (Discussion Only)
A representative of the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District presented information on administrative support services available through SMPDD’s partnership with DCMC, a national firm that assists cities and counties with public assistance disaster paperwork.
Discussion included:
- DCMC functions as an extension of county staff for FEMA public assistance administration — the FEMA portal, project worksheets, and related paperwork
- The team is scalable: one or two people to help with paperwork, or a full team to walk the county through the entire process
- Hancock County and Bay St. Louis have pre-positioned contracts in place, similar to the county’s standing debris monitoring contracts
- The county may enter an emergency contract without procurement for 90 days, then complete full procurement, or go straight to full procurement
- If a federal declaration is received for Tropical Storm Arthur, administrative fees are reimbursable through FEMA up to 5% of the county’s total project worksheet amount
No action taken. Information to be forwarded to the county administrator for review.
4. Stone County Administrator Report — Personnel Report
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
5. Contractor’s Estimate #7 and Final — Wildstone Construction, Bulldog Boulevard
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
6. Delta Computer Systems Software Support Agreement
Annual renewal of the software support agreement for the AS400 system used for county financials and data operations. Board counsel reviewed the contract prior to the meeting.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
7. MS Department of Health — Notice of Clinic Level Transition (For Receipt)
Representatives of the Mississippi Department of Health appeared to answer questions about the notice that the Stone County health clinic would transition from a Level 2 to a Level 1 clinic upon relocation to the new, smaller facility. Appearing were the regional administrator, Dr. Christopher Barnett, recently appointed health officer, and the district operations director.
Discussion included:
- Under new statewide standards, all Level 2 clinics must operate 8 to 5, five days a week, with a full-time RN on staff and two telehealth rooms. The current two-day-a-week schedule will no longer be permitted at Level 2
- The department’s team evaluated the new building and determined it cannot accommodate Level 2 operations — citing lack of vaccine refrigeration space, insufficient clinic rooms, and only one room with a sink, which would be dedicated to WIC
- A Level 1 clinic would be staffed by a clerk providing fingerprinting, Medicaid enrollment assistance, referrals to services, and WIC — but no nurse on site
- Walk-in patients needing clinical care, including STD treatment, would be referred to other counties — Harrison County (moving to a larger Level 3 facility), George County, or Forrest County. Greene and Perry counties are both downgrading to Level 1
- The clinic currently serves approximately 16 patients receiving monthly injections to transition off opioids; those visits require a nurse
- A former Stone County public health nurse of 19½ years spoke against losing the Level 2 clinic, noting many residents cannot afford to travel to other counties for children’s vaccinations and STD treatment
- Supervisors questioned why the clinic could not remain Level 2, and asked whether the county could renovate the new building — or reconfigure space — to meet the standards
- The board requested the department provide a written copy of the state’s Level 2 facility requirements, so supervisors can distinguish what is required versus preferred
- The regional administrator, new in her role, acknowledged the department had not communicated the changes well, said the department’s goal is to meet the county’s needs, and committed to working with the board to explore keeping Level 2 status, including a possible walkthrough of the building with the board
Received for the record. No vote taken. Further discussions planned between the county and the Department of Health.
8. Lease Purchase Bids — Five 2024 Trucks
Three bids were received for lease-purchase financing:
- Bank OZK — 4.47%
- Trustmark — 4.81%
- Cadence Bank — 4.99%
The board’s financial advisor recommended Bank OZK as the lowest and best bid.
Motion made and approved to accept the Bank OZK bid at 4.47%. Passed 5-0
9. MASIT Conference — Angie Theriot & Tunya Seal
Approval for staff to attend the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Insurance Trust conference.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
10. Personnel Policy Update
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
11–12. Payroll
- Payroll #4-047, period ending 6/05/2026, payable 6/12/2026: $332,424.67
- Payroll #4-048, period ending 6/19/2026, payable 6/26/2026: $341,308.44
Items taken together. Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
Stone County Sheriff Department — No Agenda Items
Stone County Regional Correctional Facility — No Agenda Items
13. Stone County Tax Assessor/Collector — 2026 Assessor Recapitulation and Opening of the 2026 Real and Personal Rolls for Equalization
The tax assessor/collector presented the 2026 recapitulation and requested the board open the rolls for equalization.
Discussion included:
- Total assessed value for 2026: approximately $170.5 million, up from $158.5 million in 2025 — roughly a $12 million increase
- Approximately $6.7 million of that increase is the Anduril property, which is under a fee-in-lieu agreement and must be backed out; at full taxation it would generate approximately $467,000, while the fee-in-lieu generates roughly a third of that — about $155,000
- Backing out Anduril, county growth in value is approximately $5.3 million; after three to four new exemptions, approximately $3.9 million of new value will be taxed at the full rate
- 2025 was the most recent scheduled reevaluation year (reevaluations occur every four years)
- Industrial exemptions may be granted up to a statutory limit of 10 years; the fee-in-lieu limit is also 10 years
- The rolls are no longer printed on paper; public terminals are available at the tax office for residents to view their values, and the rolls will be posted online after approval. Residents who wish to appeal may do so at the tax office
- The recap feeds the upcoming budget process, with department budget submissions coming in and millage value development underway
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
14. Refund for Taxes Collected in Error
A local church bus was erroneously charged road taxes. The refund covers the past three years.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
15. Oneal Bond Engineering — Request Funding to USDA EWP Program, Flooding of June 18–19, 2026
The county engineer presented a letter to the state conservationist requesting assistance through the USDA Emergency Watershed Protection program. The letter is a placeholder that must be submitted within 60 days of the event; it puts USDA on notice that the county may seek funds but does not commit the county.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
16. 2026 FEMA Hurricane Debris Bid Tab Certification and Recommendation (For Review)
The county engineer presented bid tabulations for pre-positioned hurricane debris removal contracts. Bidders priced unit quantities against two mock storm scenarios so bids could be compared line for line.
Discussion included:
- Small storm scenario (approximate totals): J.E. Town was lowest at about $1.03 million; DRC/TFR (verify company name) second at about $1.1 million; Looks Great Services third at about $1.17 million; AAA fourth; Holliday Construction highest at about $1.54 million
- Large storm scenario (800,000 cubic yards): J.E. Town lowest at about $7.9 million; TFR just over $8 million; AAA about $8.7 million; Looks Great about $9.6 million; Holliday about $12 million
- AAA was disqualified for failing to properly submit its bid bond; the remaining bidders are qualified
- The engineer explained the exercise establishes local fair market value for debris cleanup — documentation FEMA requires in federal audits — and gives the county pre-procured contractors it can call immediately after a storm
- The top bids were within roughly $200,000 of each other on the small scenario, indicating a competitive market
- Bids will now be held effective through June 1, 2027, rather than expiring December 31, eliminating the gap during spring severe weather season
Motion made and approved to take the bids under advisement. Passed 5-0
17. Stephens Mechanical Engineers Invoices — Correctional Facility HVAC
Two invoices for work on the regional correctional facility HVAC system. The system is reported to be working properly.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
18. Stone County Building and Planning Department — Inspection of The Pecan House, 441 Hwy 49, McHenry
The board appointed John Pricket to perform the inspection, noting his ICC certification and engineering background.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
19. Stone County Circuit Clerk — Circuit Clerks Association Summer Conference 2026
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
20. Stone County Buildings and Grounds — Inventory Deletion
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
21. Fee Waiver — Senior Class 2027 Parents/Guardians, Stone County Fairgrounds
Fee waiver for the senior class fundraising event at the fairgrounds.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
22. Stone County Election Commission — Certificates of Attendance (4)
Received for the record.
23. Stone County Chancery Clerk — Petition for Diamond Rader Road
The board received a petition regarding Diamond Rader Road and the appointment of a committee to inspect.
Motion made and approved to take the petition under advisement. Passed 5-0
24. Family Cemetery Petition
Request for approval of a private family cemetery on property at 238 Vickie Bond Missouri Road. Board counsel reviewed the petition and advised it meets statutory requirements.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
25–26. Final Approval — Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions: DeSoto Treated Materials and Hood Industries
These items check the final box in the state process: exemptions previously requested by the board were sent to the State of Mississippi, which returned its approval for the board to finalize.
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
27. Letter of Support for Improvements to Highway 26
State Representative addressed the board requesting a letter of support for long-term improvements to Highway 26 from the Pearl River County line to Lucedale.
Discussion included:
- He thanked volunteers and the community for the response to recent weeks’ storms, and said his short-term focus is making sure the recovery process goes well
- Highway 26 has recurring problems: washouts cutting into roadbeds, two lanes with virtually no shoulders or emergency pullovers from the Pearl River line east, and aging bridges requiring increased inspection
- Repair work from recent washouts is still weeks out; in George County, crews will cut out and rebuild significant sections of roadbed, with utility relocation currently holding up work
- Commercial traffic continues to increase, including log and chip trucks routed through the corridor
- He has had preliminary conversations with Congressman Ezell and with the offices of Senators Hyde-Smith and Wicker; there is interest at the federal level, but formal local support is needed for lobbying
- He is seeking similar letters from each county along the corridor and acknowledged a project this size will take years — “you’ve got to start somewhere”
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
28. Accounts Payable Docket — July 6, 2026
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
29. Tice Engineering — FAA Grants, Dean Griffin Memorial Airport Phase 1 Land Acquisition
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
Stone County Medical Examiner’s Office — No Agenda Items
Stone County Justice Court — No Agenda Items
Stone County Veteran Services — No Agenda Items
Stone County Road Department — No Agenda Items
Stone County Rural Fire Coordinator — No Agenda Items
Stone County Emergency Communications / 911 — No Agenda Items
Flood Recovery Update — Emergency Management
Although not a formal agenda item, the board asked the emergency management director for an update on the disaster declaration process following the June flooding.
Discussion included:
- Joint teams from MEMA, FEMA, and the SBA came to validate both individual assistance and public assistance damage, and have submitted their findings for validation
- Public assistance damage countywide is estimated at over $5 million; the individual assistance figure is still pending
- Once the affected counties complete their submissions, the package goes to the president for a decision on a federal disaster declaration. Harrison County completed its assessment two days after Stone County; the status of Pearl River and Hancock counties was not confirmed
- The Red Cross remains in the county, with an office at the back of the Renaissance Bank building (formerly Regions). Anyone with an affected address can apply; assistance amounts vary by household size and verified damage
- The director described the process as “a marathon, not a sprint” — even with a declaration, reimbursement could take a year to a year and a half. FEMA will open a project application process, and the county is documenting every department’s expenses in the meantime
- Damage assessments were performed by MEMA-trained assessors using the Crisis Track system. Residents who believe their damage was not accurately captured can call the EMA office to request a re-assessment
- If a new hurricane strikes during recovery, it becomes a separate incident with its own declaration and projects
- The director noted that, devastating as the flood was for affected families, the event was small relative to an Isaac- or Katrina-scale storm — and it exposed gaps the county can fix before the peak of hurricane season
30. Monthly Fee Payroll — June 2026
Payroll approved for the following:
- Samuel Tom Smith — Chancery Clerk
- Treba Davis — Circuit Clerk
- Election Commission
- Michael Allen — Constable, West Side
- Ben F. Carlisle — Constable, East Side
- Wayne Flurry — Coroner
- Naomi Sigman — Deputy Coroner
Motion made and approved. Passed 5-0
31. Public Comments
Debra Mako, a resident of 30 years living on the south side of the railroad tracks in Perkinston, delivered extended comments about the June 19 flood.
Her comments included:
- She and her daughter, who lives on adjacent property with two children, evacuated with minutes to spare as water rose “like a bathtub with the stopper in.” Her daughter’s car was stopped at the Highway 49 bridge with no notice that traffic was being halted, temporarily separating the family
- No public warning was issued that local creeks had breached their banks; news coverage of flash flood warnings made no mention of Stone County creeks. She asked why no one — including the fire department down the road — went door to door in known flood areas
- She said no MEMA or Red Cross representative knocked on doors down her road. She stated a MEMA assessor photographed her home from the road without entering the gutted interior, and her assistance application was denied for “minimal damage” — a denial she is appealing. She said the maximum payout referenced for her loss was $350
- Red Cross assistance she received consisted of four oranges and two bottles of water
- Her family paid out of pocket for four dumpsters at $400–500 each; a request for a discount from the dumpster company was refused
- Help came from Vardaman Street Church, which provided laundry supplies, and Just the Crumbs ministries, which helped gut her home
- She said the MEMA self-reporting portal listed the May incident rather than the June 19 flood until the day of the meeting, and no self-reporting assistance sites were set up at the church, courthouse, or library — a barrier for elderly and disabled residents without internet access south of the tracks
The emergency management director responded that he personally visited her road and delivered meals, that MEMA-trained assessors accompanied by EMA staff conducted the assessments, that no resident receives special treatment, and that his office is doing everything by the book for every resident. He acknowledged the state portal date was corrected during the meeting.
Jane Brewer, thanked the supervisors, road crews, and volunteers for the storm response, noting that county personnel worked knee- to waist-deep in water directing traffic with no communications, and said she was proud of the community’s response.
32. Executive Session
Executive session was called for one legal matter and one personnel matter.
Motion made and approved to determine the need for executive session. Passed 5-0
Motion made and approved to enter executive session. Passed 5-0
Adjournment
This reporter did not remain for the conclusion of executive session. Based on the published agenda, the Stone County Board of Supervisors will stand recessed until 9:00 a.m., Monday, July 20, 2026. That adjournment could not be confirmed firsthand.