NATCHEZ — Adams County will pay nearly $100,000 less for two new roofs than previously anticipated.

The Adams County Board of Supervisors awarded bids Monday for new roofs on the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and chancery court annex.

The chancery roof bid — which includes a 20-year warranty — was awarded to Mandal’s of Gulfport for $127,301. Initial estimates for the roof were for $165,000.

The ACSO roof award — which also includes a 20-year warranty — went to True Solutions Inc. of Gulfport for $101,205.

Architect Johnny Waycaster, who presented the bids to the board, said the initial estimate for the ACSO project was $160,000 based on previous experience.

Waycaster said he checked with the company to make sure they weren’t mistaken about what the project required because their bid was only two-thirds of what the seven other bidders put in and asked for only 30 days to complete the project while the other bidders asked for 90 days.

“I was a little concerned, so I put out for references, and every reference comes back glowing, better references than I have heard from anywhere else,” Waycaster said. “They just did some work in Humphries County, and (officials there) said they had the same concerns, but (True Solutions) completed the job well.”

In other news, the board deferred signing a contract with Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District for the administration of a $4.7 million wastewater treatment grant.

When it becomes active, the grant will be used to repair and upgrade the wastewater treatment facility at the former International Paper site so it will be able to handle wastewater associated with Elevance’s chemical manufacturing facility.

Allen Laird with SWPDD had asked the board to authorize the administration of the grant, but the supervisors expressed hesitation to move forward before the Elevance project reached certain milestones.

Elevance has been preparing its site and doing some light construction since last year.

“We will not start work (on the treatment facility) until January or February,” Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ said.

“Elevance’s heavy construction cycle is 14-18 months, and they plan for our cycle to be 12 months so we can time it to end when their cycle ends. We don’t want to be sitting there with an asset that is just waiting on a customer, and we have got electric bills and whatever else that is associated with it while we wait.”

Russ said once the upgrade to the water treatment facility is complete, the county will transfer it to the St. Catherine Creek Utility Authority to operate it.