NATCHEZ — When Adams County officially opens the FEMA 361 shelter later this year, exterior operations could still be in the dark.

While the $3.4 million shelter has been fully funded through a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant — the county’s in-kind match was made through labor and dirt contributions — the exterior lighting for the sight is apparently not in the contract for work.

The project is expected to close out this fall.

County Emergency Preparedness Director Robert Bradford said the county is trying to come up with a “value solution” to install lights over the parking lot area of the shelter, which is located near the Steckler Building and Natchez High School.

The site — which was at one time an RV park — originally had a lighting system, and those lights have been saved.

But Bradford said those lights are not appropriate for the shelter’s needs.

“There is a certain type of light they need, and the type we have is not the kind we need,” he said.

County Administrator Joe Murray said the county had decided to opt out of parking lot lights at a time when officials believed the project was going to exceed its funding.

“Ultimately, we got more money, and in hindsight we could have put those lights in there,” he said.

Supervisor Mike Lazarus said he would not vote to spend any more money on the shelter, while President Darryl Grennell said the county is looking to come up with cheaper alternatives that will suffice.

In other news:

4The board voted to add a height restriction to the Deerfield Road bridge, which is currently being repaired.

The bridge is rated for vehicles of no more than 10,000 pounds, Lazarus said, and logging trucks coming out of the Homochitto National Forest are damaging it.

“What is tearing that bridge up is not 8,000-pound vehicles, it is those big trucks,” he said. “That (weight limit) sign isn’t doing anything. What would do something would be a bar across the top that would tear that truck up.”

County Engineer Jim Marlow said the county would have to place some kind of advance warning before the bridge.

“Some places have a sign with a board that hangs down that the truck can hit before it gets to the bridge,” he said.

Grennell said the county needs to make sure the height restriction does not stop emergency vehicles from crossing the bridge, while Supervisor David Carter said the county needs to make sure it isn’t unintentionally prohibiting people with campers — which are under the legal weight limit for the bridge — from entering the forest.

Lazarus asked what could be done about delinquent tax collection. Referencing a list he’d been sent, Lazarus pointed to several items of concern.

“There is a business out there that owes $20,000, and another one that owes $25,000, and I know these are thriving, successful businesses,” he said.

Board attorney Scott Slover said the primary responsibility is with the county tax collector, but other entities can help with collection.

Those include the constables, collection firms and collection attorneys the supervisors hire and the sheriff’s office, Slover said.

“If that money is out there, it is not going to affect anybody who is already paying taxes, so I think we should do it,” Lazarus said. “If we collect this that is owed to us, maybe we can lower taxes one day.”

4The board nominated Murray to serve on the Natchez-Adams County Port Commission.

Murray was nominated to fill the space vacated by the recent death of District 2 Commissioner Red Owens.

Slover said he would investigate to make sure it was proper and allowable for the county administrator to serve on the commission.

Carter had nominated Great River Industries Vice President Aaron Shermer to serve on the commission, but had to withdraw his name from consideration because Shermer does not reside in District 2.