Financial assistance for two bridge projects in Jones County is available from the Jones County Soil Conservation Service, the board of supervisors was told at its Monday meeting.

The two projects are on Doncurt Street and Fifth Street. The Doncurt project is estimated to cost $150,000 and the Fifth Street project near Wayne Farm is estimated to cost $750,000, a figure which can be scaled down if only certain work is performed.

The work is available at an 85-25 match, in which the county would be responsible for paying 25 percent of each project. The county’s share on the Doncurt project would be approximately $23,500. A Soil and Water representative told supervisors that only a small portion of the Fifth Street project can be performed, which would repair the bridge and the ditch.

The representative said the county can get up to 50 percent of its 15 percent share paid for by the Pat Harrison Waterway District.

Supervisor Jerome Wyatt made a motion that the county submit an application to the waterway district to see if the projects would qualify for partial funding. The supervisors will get a revised estimate of the Fifth Street project at its Oct. 20 meeting.

Supervisors gave the Jones County Fire Council permission to purchase 20 laptop computers and software for each of the county’s volunteer fire departments. The estimated cost of $59,290 for the computers and software is available in the fire council’s budget.

“The software will enhance the ability of our volunteer fire departments to provide necessary fire reporting, maintain training records, personnel records, maintenance records, etc., which will help enhance the county’s Class 8 fire rating it now enjoys,” Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna said. “Right now there is a tremendous amount of paperwork that needs to be developed for the rating bureau. The data on computers will provide triple backup in a secure manner, and eliminate all that paperwork.”

The computers will be purchased on state bid for $39,900 and the software from ACS Government Solutions in Texas will cost $19,390.

Board president Andy Dial asked Charles Miller, county administrator, and Wayne Thompson, board attorney, to see if the county is owed back oil severance taxes from the state. Citizen Henry Thompson told the board records indicate the county is owed nearly $4 million for the past four years.

The board approved the purchase of a $2,500 sound system for the courtroom at county court; accepted Rebel Lane into the county road system; approved the $35,995 purchase of a self-propelled broom (street sweeper); received a one-year guarantee on new lunch stands at the fairgrounds; and approved a bigger water line at Merchant Park at a concession stand under construction be tied into the Pleasant Ridge Water Association system.