Chancery Clerk Tillman Bishop opened Monday’s Lincoln County Board of Supervisors meeting with a request to fly flags at half staff today in honor of Steven Melançon who died Friday.

“His death came as a shock to everyone,” Bishop said, “he has been a highly valued member of this community and we are going to have a hard time finding someone with the knowledge he had to serve our area veterans.”

The Rev. Jerry Wilson, District One supervisor, said the candidate for new coordinator must be knowledgeable of the Department of Veterans Affairs requirements.

“They will need to know the process they have to go through in Jackson,” Wilson said. “They will have to serve as a guide.”

Melançon was serving as Veterans Affairs coordinator for Lincoln County. The most important aspect of the job is serving area veterans as a liaison or guide between veterans and the sometimes baffling bureaucratic maze required of veterans and their families to attain medical, educational or financial benefits.

Board members agreed to honoring Melançon, noting his service to veterans. They also discussed the need to begin advertising for the position.”

Board president Nolan Williamson of District Three agreed, saying, “they will need to be highly knowledgeable of veteran’s benefits and how people can get access to them.”

Bishop said the board needs to consider what people need from the VA when thinking about a candidate.

“We need to think in terms of what people need,” Bishop said. “This spills over into the everyday lives of so many people.”

Board members agreed to begin advertising for the position and will discuss candidates at their September meeting.

In other business, county engineer Ryan Holmes reported that the current mapping process is nearing completion.

“David Rankin, who has been doing our aerial mapping and photography has put a lot of time and work into this project,” Holmes said. “As soon as we get our maps done, we can conclude our tax assessor and districting maps.”

Holmes then reported that the city is currently putting a micro-seal on several roadways. Micro-seal is a new polymer-modified asphalt mix that remedies a broad range of rural and urban road problems and creates a new, stable surface that is resistant to rutting in summer and cracking in winter.

Holmes said crews have completed West Lincoln Drive. Other roads currently in line to be micro-sealed are Jackson Liberty Road, Montgomery Avenue and Arlington Ave.

“Crews should finish in next two weeks and then striping work will begin,” Holmes said.