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NATCHEZ — An analysis to determine the feasibility of building a new jail and Justice Court facility will soon be underway after Adams County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to that effect in a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday.

Officials said the analysis costs nothing and would determine the location and cost of a new facility.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten made the request for the study at a Sept. 21 meeting of the Board of Supervisors and again on Monday after the board took no action.

As far back as 2014, Adams County judges Forrest “Al” Johnson and Lillie Sanders were advocating consideration of new jail facilities due to the condition of the existing facility.

The motion to proceed with the analysis passed unanimously.

In other matters during Monday’s meeting of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the board:

*Unanimously extended the Adams County State of Emergency proclamation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Unanimously approved a letter to Adams County residents explaining garbage fees and possible penalties for not paying the garbage bill. Both tenants and landowners are held liable for $15 per month garbage fees and non-payment could result in a tax lien on the property and the county withholding car tags, officials said.

*Unanimously approved an erroneous tax sale from Aug. 31 in order to reimburse the property owner.

*Voted down the 2020-2021 fiscal year budget submitted by the Adams County Port Commission by a vote of 3-2, with supervisors Kevin Wilson, Angela Hutchins and Wes Middleton all voting “nay.”

The budget showed the Adams County Port breaking even with revenues and expenses, which Wilson said, “doesn’t seem like a very good business model.”

The budget also included pay raises for some employees, which Hutchins said she did not agree with in a pandemic year.

“I don’t feel comfortable approving raises when we didn’t even give our own employees raises,” Hutchins said.

The board of supervisors set a special meeting for Wednesday at 9 a.m. to reconsider the port budget.