Local pastor and insurance adjuster Steven Quarles will take on a new role starting next week as Lafayette County’s new Emergency Management Director.

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors met Wednesday morning to vote on a few matters, including Quarles’ hiring.

Supervisor David Rikard said Quarles is “very organized.”

“We expect him to do a good job for us,” said Rikard, who was on the panel in the interview process to find a replacement for David Shaw, who recently took a position with the Mississippi Emergency Management Association.

Quarles is expected to begin his new job on Nov. 1.

Other matters

The board approved lifting the temporary weight limit for trucks entering and exiting Shelbi’s Place subdivision. The supervisors had imposed the temporary weight limit in August after complaints from residents who were upset with concrete trucks and large vehicles using the main entrance to the subdivision located on Highway 7.

Some much needed ditch work in the Brittany Woods subdivision will have to wait a little longer after county engineer Larry Britt suggested the board take under advisement rather than table bids for the project they were hoping would be in the $50,000 range.

The county is hoping more funds could be awarded to the project, which is very difficult to get to due to its location and Britt believes that may be driving up the cost to do the work.

He was also asked by the board to see if county work crews could possibly do the project instead if more government funds are not allocated.

Bids were also opened on several road projects and the board is expected to take up those matters in their meeting today at 4 p.m. where they will also hear a presentation from Mike Slaughter and Associates on land use maps that are being developed for the update of the county comprehensive plan.