Consent agenda holds rest of meeting story

Issues ‘streamlined,’ but important

The DeSoto supervisors’ consent agenda catches everything that’s “routine” in county business, but important just the same: from authorization of bridge inspections to who’s empowered to sign purchase requisitions.

Travel approval also runs the range of workshops, training and conferences, but trips can be crucial and timely, such as the green light for meetings later this month in Washington with the state’s congressional delegation to press highway priorities.

“Our consent agenda takes in matters over which there’s been previous discussion in open session, or involves regular or routine maintenance, operations or reporting, or follows up on an action, such as soliciting bids after authorization by the supervisors,” said County Administrator Vanessa Lynchard.

“It streamlines meetings, so we and the public aren’t there till 5 p.m.,” she said. “But we take our consent agenda very seriously. We don’t have the mindset to hide anything there.”

Lynchard said the full list always is available for public view before meetings on the county website, desotocountyms.gov, with documents at the supervisors’ office at the County Administration Building, 365 Losher St. in downtown Hernando.

This week, the supervisors, with one vote, approved at least a dozen consent items. Included on the list were:

Bailiff pay, a Justice Court report, publication of board proceedings, bud- get amendments, a request to approve specifications and solicit bids for emergency sirens, and a SECURUS inmate phone service agreement with the Sheriff ’s Department.

Also, authorization of new administrative assistant Robin Lambert to sign purchase requisitions, formal entry of a memorandum of understanding of a Law Enforcement Information System involving DeSoto and the county’s municipalities, and a road report and work schedule.

Under the listing of “state aid engineer” was approval of the 2013 Special Bridge Inspection board order.

“We have a very thorough bridge inspection program, and as you know, we’ve had to fix and replace several over the past few years,” said Supervisor Mark Gardner of Southaven, board president. “We’ve seen bridge failures and collapses in other areas of the country, and we don’t want that to happen here.

“With rigorous and regular inspections, we can catch problems before they happen.”

Tracy Huffman, consulting engineer with the Waggoner firm that serves DeSoto County as state aid engineer, said the stakes are high as Congress gets ready to debate a new highway bill, and he suggested a county contingent head to D.C. before lawmakers adjourn for an August break.

“The current highway bill is expiring in 2014 and they’ll be getting ready to bring up the next one,” said Huffman.

This is the time “to follow up on infrastructure projects” dear to DeSoto County in sessions with U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo, Sens. Thad Co- chran and Roger Wicker and others, he said.

On the want list will be funding for the Star Landing Corridor, upgrading Holly Springs Road, a Nail Road interchange and other longtime priorities. Lynchard said other infrastructure matters, such as federal help to small drainage associations to avert tributary flooding affecting roads, are likely to be discussed as well: “We’ll want to plant those seeds,” she said.

In other matters this week, supervisors endorsed a county vehicle use policy and accepted a fiscal 2012 audit summary report; the period ended Sept. 30 last year.

The vehicle policy departs from the routine in that it updates the document and incorporates the duties and authority of the fleet manager, said Lynchard. She also presented a tax development: the IRS considers use of nonemergency take-home vehicles a “fringe benefit” that can be taxed, and the county in coming weeks will start a paycheck withholding to cover the levies. She expects average monthly withholdings of $4 to $5 for each affected employee, including the supervisors.

The audit summary, issued by Williams, Pitts & Beard accounting firm and based on financial statements prepared by county comptroller Tom Arnold, came with a commendation from state Auditor Stacey Pickering’s office for thoroughness.

Preparing statements, in fact, has become so timeconsuming and complex, said Arnold, that it should be contracted out. And this is what the county plans to do in the next budget, said Lynchard.