The Vicksburg Police Department will soon get a new prisoner transport van to ferry city prisoners to and from jails outside of Warren County.

The 2009 Ford E350 cargo van and insert, which together will cost $38,840, will seat 10 prisoners and, unlike its predecessor, will allow men and women to be separated. Five men and four women will be able to fill the seats. It also has a divided area if one prisoner needs to be separated from others.

The new van replaces the 1999 Dodge 3500 van the department has been using to take prisoners to the Issaquena County Jail and other facilities that house prisoners.

“Sometimes we make as many as two or three trips a day,” said Deputy Chief Richard O’Bannon.

The approved bid was bid from Crossroads Ford of Memphis. It was the second time bids were opened, but earlier bids were rejected for submission of incomplete forms, said purchasing director Tim Smith. High mileage on the current van is the reason they were looking to purchase a newer model. As of April 13, it had 215,475 miles on it.

“The van they’re using, it’s been getting a lot of miles. It’s getting to where it’s not going to be dependable,” Smith said.

Smith said Crossroads, the only company to submit a bid, offered some options, such as additional lights and a camera system, that could be added to the van. The department hopes to work out the budget so video surveillance, which will allow officers to monitor all of the compartments, can be installed before the van is delivered.

“We’re going to see what we can do to it all at one time,” O’Bannon said.

Mayor Laurence Leyens has pegged the cost of officers, fuel and per-day fees paid for housing city prisoners elsewhere at about $400,000 per year. The practice started about eight years ago when capacity at the Warren County Jail was reached.

Leyens has for two years failed to receive legislative permission he sought to house city prisoners in Louisiana facilities, which are closer and offer lower rates. He has also pledged city funds to Warren County supervisors who are in the process of design and site selection for a new jail facility.

O’Bannon said the department has been trying for a couple of years to purchase a newer van. And, he hopes it will be the last one they have to buy.

“Hopefully, by the time this one gets 200,000 miles on it, we’ll have a jail locally so we won’t have to haul prisoners to Issaquena or Natchez or anywhere else we try to house them,” he said.

He said he expects the van to be delivered and ready for use in the next six to eight weeks.

On the agendaMonday, the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen:Approved board meeting minutes from Feb. 28, March 3, March 4, March 10, March 17 and March 19.Received a bid from APAC Mississippi for asphalt. The asphalt bid included seven items for material and services by the ton for a total of $440.80 per ton.Approved a request for the partial closing of Grove Street connecting Howard to Hayes streets May 3 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the annual Play-A-Day-In-May-Away Festival for Vicksburg Catholic Schools.Approved applications for free use at the Vicksburg Auditorium for Warren Central High School band’s spring concert Thursday at 6 p.m. and the Warren Central High School choir spring concert on May 6 at 6 p.m.Approved a request for advertising for $550 from DBR Publishing Company for football programs at Vicksburg High School and Warren Central High School.Had a discussion with Larry Shorter regarding his property at 1526 Sky Farm Ave., which is not in compliance with city code, and agreed to revisit the matter Friday.Approved a request for sponsorship from Vicksburg Warren Athletic Association for four signs at $150 each.Approved two invoices, one for $961.06 and another for $2,737.07, to the Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport.Approved a transfer of $500 from administration to city court capital for computer equipment, a decrease of $8,600 in administration, an increase of $4,000 for police services for printing and binding, $2,400 for public building and maintenance and $2,200 to city court for furniture.Authorized the mayor to execute a renewal contract with Thompson West for online research for the legal department.Approved a budget modification for fiscal year 2007 enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Grant Program.Accepted a letter from Dan Waring, manager of Waring and Windham LLC, appealing the decision of the Zoning Board of Appeals April 1 denying a request for a variance to the city’s sign ordinance and authorized the city clerk to set and publish a hearing date.Approved a request from parks and recreation for payment of the Amateur Softball Association affiliation and insurance dues in the amount of $2,882 for adult softball.Discussed dilapidated buildings and overgrown lot codes and authorized Victor Gray-Lewis, director of building and inspections to proceed to cut, clean and demolish properties.Accepted a letter establishing special assessment and adopted orders for demolition and site clearing at 803 Fifth North St., 606 Poplar St., 208 Locust St., 223 N. Locust St., 609 Locust St., 1501 Clay St., 750 Redbone Road and 903 Buck St.In an executive session, the board discussed a retirement in the police department; three pay adjustments in the fire department; five employment matters, two in the police department and one each in the sewer department, parks and recreation and human resources; a resignation in the police department; five terminations, two in the fire department and one each in the inspections department, water mains department and sewer department; a personnel matter in the fire department; a litigation matter; a transfer from the legal department and a new hire.The board will meet again Friday at 10 a.m. at City Hall Annex.