The Warren County Port Commission, represented by Vicksburg Warren Economic Development President and CEO Pablo Diaz, presented easement changes for a large land purchase to the county Board of Supervisors on Monday.

The supervisors had previously voted to purchase 754 acres of land near U.S. 61 South from Entergy for the ongoing Port of Vicksburg Expansion project. Diaz said after the port commission and Entergy compared surveys, however, that some changes in easements were necessary to complete the sale.

“We’re repeating a step here. The board has already passed the resolution authorizing this purchase, but after comparing our survey with (Entergy’s) review, we had to make some adjustments to where the easements are for their current infrastructure,” he said. “We have to repeat (the vote) with the new information that was found between these parties on the new easements.”

The land was purchased at $438 per acre for 709.79 acres, and an additional 44.58 acres were included in the sale at a cost of zero dollars to the county.

The motion was passed unanimously, with District 3 Supervisor Shawn Jackson excused from Monday’s meeting.

Other items discussed include:

• Increasing Warren County Poll Worker compensation beginning Oct. 1 to $12 an hour for training, and beginning Jan. 1, 2024, $200 per day on Election Day. Also included in this motion was a $25 manager fee for carrying election supplies. Poll manager training fees increased to $25 per hour.

“Considering the difficulty to find and retain poll managers, we ask that you approve these changes,” said election commission chair Sara Dionne. The change was approved unanimously.

• The county’s ferry boat, which has been on drydock, was declared surplus on Dec. 14, 2022, and Board President Kelle Barfield signed a resolution confirming the surplus declaration. Warren County Purchasing Agent Victoria Bell was authorized to advertise bids for the sale of the ferry boat.
• Warren County Port Commission Chairman Don Brown delivered an update on the Vicksburg Warren Partnership, announcing the extension of Diaz’s contract to 2028. The Partnership’s contract was extended to 2030.