The Lincoln County Emergency Management office, which recently relocated to Hwy. 51, will soon be able to keep its lights on, even if surrounding areas are in the dark.

Director Clifford Galey told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday he has been working with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to procure a generator for the office. MEMA recently approved Galey’s request, and he hopes to be able to pick up the 140,000-watt generator this week. The used, trailer-mounted generator is going through final checks before ownership is transferred from the state to the county agency, at no cost to the county.

The office moved earlier this year from 212 East Chippewa St. to the larger facility.

Galey said he intends to have the generator permanently mounted at the building. It will allow Galey and his crew to operate efficiently in case of a power outage or other emergency where electrical power may not otherwise be available.

The board voted unanimously to accept the transfer of equipment, 4-0. Jerry Wilson, District 1 Supervisor, was absent from the meeting.

Supervisor wants a seat

At the meeting Tuesday, which was the second of two payroll meetings scheduled each month, District 2 Supervisor Bobby Watts asked the board to consider allowing him to keep his board chair upon his retirement at the end of the year.

Lincoln County Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop, at Watts’ request, told the board that Watts had approached him earlier to ask if he might be able to keep the chair. County Administrator David Fields advised he could not approve gifting the furniture, but could offer it to him for sale — the board would need to decide otherwise.

Bishop reminded the supervisors that Watts had served on the board for a total of 16 years and was now 88 years old. Watts was requesting the chair as a gift in honor of his tenure.

District 5 Supervisor Doug Falvey said he was in favor of giving Watts the chair, if another one just like it could easily be found to match the remaining chairs in the conference room. Replacing all of the furniture in order to gift the chair would not be a good idea in his opinion, Falvey said. Nolan Williamson, District 3 supervisor, agreed that Watts should be able to take the chair upon his retirement, if an identical one could be found to replace it.

Fields said he would check on a replacement and report back to the board at the next regular meeting, Nov. 4.

In other business Tuesday:

• Supervisors approved the county payroll, after ashort discussion for clarification on a few line items.

• Galey advised the board to be prepared for some damage across the county due to expected inclement weather Thursday.

• The board voted unanimously to cut a tree located on private property in District 4 in order to prevent adverse effects to county-owned property.