[3/19/04]Warren County supervisors began a series of informal weekly meetings Thursday they hope will allow them to discuss pending board actions and receive information before formal actions.

Boards of supervisors are required to meet on the first and third Mondays of each month, except when the date falls on a holiday and they meet the following day. The board can make decisions by taking a vote only at official meetings. However, the board can recess a meeting or adjourn a meeting to another time and date or call special meetings, with proper notice, as often as it needs to take care of the county’s business.

“These are just working sessions,” said District 3 Supervisor and Board President Charles Selmon.

Selmon then went on to explain the Thursday morning meetings will allow board members to get information on current matters and permit discussion before decisions are made.

“We are doing this to improve communication among the supervisors to better serve the people,” said District 4 Supervisor Carl Flanders, the board’s newest member.

At the first of the informal meetings, topics under discussion included collecting fines that have been imposed by justice court judges but not collected, the Kings Point Ferry boat and barge, a possible new subdivision ordinance and a request from Vicksburg officials that the county participate in a tax-abatement program.

During the discussion of the justice court’s uncollected fines, the board met with Justice Court Judge Joe Crevitt and court administrator Carla Fields and learned that more than $2.1 million in uncollected fines and fees remain on the court’s books. County Administrator Rick Polk reminded the board it had advertised for proposals for a collection agency about a year ago, but reached no decision.

Polk said the board’s choices are to make a selection from the two companies that responded initially or to readvertise if they wanted to go with a collection agency.

In discussing how to advertise for the ferry boat and barge to attract more companies, County Engineer John McKee told supervisors they could say responding companies could bid on just the boat, just the barge or both as a package.

The board had decided at its official meeting earlier this week to recess until 9 a.m. Monday to decide on the ferry boat and barge if specifications can be ready in time.