NATCHEZ — Before making any decisions about how to address environmental concerns at the Adams County jail, the county board of supervisors decided Tuesday to commission an air quality study to determine if there are environmental concerns.

Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield has over the past year brought to the board a concern that poor ventilation in the county jail and leaks in the roof of the sheriff’s office administration could lead to unhealthy levels of mold in the air in the building.

After the board discussed the matter in executive session Tuesday, board attorney Scott Slover said the supervisors had suggested doing an air test in the jail.

Tuesday’s discussion was in executive session because it included discussions of security in the jail and to protect the board from frivolous lawsuits, Slover said.

“There are claims of mold, and we have taken action to remove that mold,” he said. “There has been a response that it is still bad, and we want to see if we have an issue with that. If it is still a problem area, the test should be able to give us some direction on what to do.”

Slover said the past cleanup of mold in the jail was precautionary.

“There was some mold out there, but we don’t believe it was hazardous, but we have taken steps to clean it,” he said.

Mayfield said Tuesday the mold buildup was a combination of leaking roofs and the internal life of the jail facility.

“The jail has been there 40 years, and when they built it, they didn’t provide any ventilation, so the showers in the cell blocks had nowhere for that moisture to go, and over a period of years, the mold has gotten into everything,” he said.

The sheriff has also requested the board consider building a new jail or at least move the Adams County Sheriff’s Office administration into another building, but the supervisors have not made a final decision about the matter.

The board had planned to hear from architect Johnny Waycaster Tuesday about possible renovations and additions to the sheriff’s office, but Waycaster had a scheduling conflict.

Adams County Circuit Court Judges Al Johnson and Lillie Sanders issued an order earlier this year for the board to commission studies about the improvement or replacement of the jail facility.

In other news:

4The board appointed long-time educator Joyce Johnson to represent Adams County on the Copiah-Lincoln Community College board of trustees.

Johnson was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the resignation from the board of Frederick Hill, the superintendent of the Natchez-Adams School District.

4The board named Great River Chevrolet business of the month.