Supervisors discuss bridge grant applications, salt bid surge and risks to county emergency services

County engineer Roman gave a construction and grant update Monday, telling the Chickasaw County Board that 21 bridges are eligible for the 2026 CHBP grant and that staff have narrowed the list to about 10 that the county intends to pursue. Roman said bridge surveys are under way, hydraulics and cost estimates are being prepared, and applications are due next Monday, creating a short turnaround for staff.

Roman also described recent work on bridge 1960, shoulder retrievals and deck epoxy injections performed over the past weeks; he said the epoxy injections totaled roughly $48,000.

On procurement, Roman said the county requested 1,200 tons of salt for winter FY26 at an earlier per-ton price of $94.91. He told the board the low bid arrived at $112.50 per ton—about an 18.5% increase from the previous year—and the board discussed maintaining stockpiles to manage price volatility.

Why it matters: The CHBP grant decision affects which bridges may be repaired or replaced using state federal-aid programs; the salt-price increase has immediate budgetary consequences for winter operations.

Emergency management and regional dispatching
Supervisors also received an EMA update: the EMA committee approved a purchase of $11,749 for tools (with a $10,000 community foundation grant covering most of the cost), approved training requirements and discussed a 4% salary increase for the EMA director. Committee members warned that EMA funds are depleting and that the county may need to ask cities for contributions or consider a shared-services agreement with neighboring counties.

Sheriff Ryan Shabber raised related staffing concerns after reporting the pending resignation of full-time dispatcher/jailer Lindsay Mazer, effective June 10. Shabber said he hopes to retain Mazer in a part-time capacity and asked for authorization to advertise the open full-time position. The board authorized the sheriff to advertise; discussion noted the department’s six-person minimum staffing level and the possibility that, if local resources remain constrained, the county may explore consolidating dispatch functions with one or more neighboring counties over the next several years.

What's next: Staff will finish bridge surveys and submit CHBP applications; the sheriff will advertise the dispatch opening and report back on recruitment. The board asked staff to prepare a narrower capital-transfer resolution for action before the first large bills arrive.