NATCHEZ &045;&045; Sheriff Ronny Brown told Adams County supervisors in their Monday meeting he is applying for $14,000 to boost security at judicial and law enforcement buildings in Natchez.

No local match would be required for the grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Although the purchases for which the grant would be used if it is approved haven’t been finalized, Brown said he would like to use it to buy &uot;panic buttons.&uot;

Those buttons could be placed in such facilities as judicial and law enforcement buildings to send a alert Natchez police and the county Sheriff’s Office with the touch of a button linked to those agencies.

Pursuing such grants would help defray the $250,000 Brown has estimated it would cost to implement security measures he has recommended to supervisors.

Brown said he’s also working to determine how much money is left over from security grants previously awarded to the department, as well as for what specific purchases that money could be used.

&uot;We’re trying to bring the ($250,000) cost down as much as possible,&uot; Brown said after the meeting.

Earlier this year, supervisors agreed to form a task force made up of judges and the sheriff to look at ways to improve security, specifically at the Adams County Courthouse.

The $250,000 Brown had originally proposed would pay for five new deputies to man the courthouse, justice court and the juvenile justice center. Other costs include monitors and security for the entrances.

Also during Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting:

4The board issued resolutions commending the life and service of Dr. Hugh Tedder, who served as coroner for 30 years and who died Saturday.

It also issued a resolution commending ongoing state Rep. David Green, D-Gloster, on his years of public service.

4Supervisors voted to refinance over three years a $498,283 balloon payment that otherwise would be due this year on a lease-purchase agreement for road equipment. The interest rate is 3.59 percent.

4Supervisors directed Board Attorney Bob Latham to check the county’s insurance contract with Benefit Management Systems to see whether the company can amend its contract after it’s been signed.

Specifically, Latham will research whether the company can force the county to pay health claims on two employees the company considers high-risk.

4Discussed the complaints of residents that garbage wasn’t being picked up on some private roads.

Some supervisors expressed concern the county was making residents pay for garbage service when some weren’t getting the service.

But County Administrator Charles Brown said the county has to charge. Otherwise, some residents would opt to throw their garbage in bayous rather than pay the fee, he said.

4The board voted to direct contracting crews to remove the old Anna’s Bottom Road bridge spanning Fairchild’s Creek now that it’s been replaced by a newer bridge running parallel to the old one.

In the alternative, supervisors said they would consider deeding the old bridge to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which has said the old bridge is historic since it’s an example of a type that’s not used these days.

4The board discussed the outfitting of an audio-visual room at the Carthage Point Road building now housing the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

The building was formerly used by now-closed International Paper as a &uot;pine tech&uot; building.

Supervisors decided Monday to delay further discussion until the county knows where it stands regarding the purchase of the former IP Natchez mill site.

4The board voted to send to the U.S. Department of Justice a request to move a polling place from the old cold storage building on Liberty Road to the nearby National Guard Armory.