The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a cooperation agreement between the
county and Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association that will require the association to obtain
proof of compliance with county codes before installing electrical power service.
NEMEPA has long been a provider of electricity in Lafayette County, but the new agreement will require
them to obtain proof of compliance with county codes from prospective customers before they are
allowed to install any services.
The association must ensure that prospective customers are in compliance with county building permit
requirements, permanent power inspection requirements and on-site wastewater requirements.
In exchange, the county will grant NEMEPA use of the public right-of-way without charging any fees or
bonds.
NEMEPA had already agreed to enforce the guidelines outlined in the agreement, but Director of
Development Services Joel Hollowell said it was important to secure an agreement in writing and provide
adequate compensation for NEMEPA’s services.
“They would help us by not providing temporary power unless they were compliant with our permitting
guidelines and they’ve been very helpful in that regard,” Hollowell said. “They do this service for us and
it’s very valuable. If you thought about how much time we had to be out policing areas to make sure
these things were getting done without their help — it’s certainly an even exchange.”