A Clinton company has been hired by the Warren County Board of Supervisors to replace the 38-year-old roof on the Warren County Courthouse.

The supervisors approved the $178,610 bid from A-1 Roof Savers, which was the lowest of eight bids submitted.

“Bids ranged in prices from the lowest of $178,610 to the highest of $687,927,” county purchasing agent Tonga Vinson said, adding four of the bids were submitted electronically.

The supervisors in December voted to advertise for bids to replace the roof after hearing from building & grounds director Chuck Thornton.

“It’s in bad need of repair,” Thornton said at the December meeting. “We’ve patched it over the years, but it can’t be patched any more. We’ve got to move on it quickly. I’ve got blue tarps up there now keeping the water out.”

He added two new judges were coming in “and they’re wanting to upgrade offices, and they’re down below where the water is coming in. I hate to spend all that money re-doing offices when we’ve got water coming in.”

Thornton said the first section of the roof was installed in 1981 and a second section was completed in 1994. He said the cost estimate he received from a vendor in February was approximately $225,000 to replace the roof.

In other action, the supervisors:

4Granted right of way to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin site work on a 14-acre site in the Ceres Industrial Park.

The board April 17 approved an agreement between Warren County and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center that involves the county leasing the property to ERDC to build as firing range.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Vicksburg Police Department will also have access to the range.

ERDC will be responsible for the range’s operation, safety and security, and it will be operated according to Army standards. It will not be open to the public.

4Approved an engineering services contract with Stantec for emergency road and bridge funds through the Mississippi Department of Transportation for the Ballground Road and Freetown Road bridge projects.

The Ballground Road bridge, which is a timber bridge, was closed in July 2018 after it was determined deteriorating pilings had made the bridge unsafe for traffic.

Temporary repairs were made to the bridge in September, allowing it to be reopened, and a weight limit was placed on the bridge.

Repairs to the Freetown Road bridge are listed as being in the “design phase,” and has not gone out for bid.