County and city department heads are encouraging supervisors tomove swiftly on making renovations to the courthouse roof.

Sheriff Wiley Calcote and Brookhaven Police Chief Pap Hendersonwere among several department officials who met with the boardMonday, citing existing and potential water damage in urging theboard to act quickly.

“We’re trying to get things together to get a new roof as fastas we can,” Board President Bobby J. Watts said.

After hearing the list of problems many departments are having,County Engineer Carl Ray Furr said the county may have to look attemporary measures while developing a long-range renovationplan.

“A temporary fix, to keep them out of water, may be something weneed to do,” he said. “We need to look at it structurally and seewhat we’ve got.”

District One Supervisor the Rev. Jerry Wilson agreed the countyneeded to take a hard look at the problem and develop a course ofaction.

Henderson and Calcote cited numerous problems with leaksfollowing a rain and water damage.

Roof leaks had destroyed some investigative reports in the past,Henderson said, were causing continuing damage to the roof andflooring.

Calcote’s complaints were similar. He said at the new jail,which is only about five years old, water is collecting on the flatroof and “pouring into the vents.”

Temporary fixes there have not been successful in the past, hesaid.

“They’ve been up there to put on silicon or roofing cement orwhatever, to seal the vents, but it’s not working,” Calcotesaid.

Only office areas and the boiler room are affected by the leaks,he said. There are no leaking cells.

Also, he said, water runoff from the taller jail roof appears tobe running down the wall and leaking into the newer jail addition.That leak, he said, is within three feet of the county’s radiosystem, which includes the E911 and other importantcommunications.

“We built that room to house all the communications and it does.Now it’s in danger,” he said.

Later in the meeting, a supervisor questioned when the policedepartment might be moving to the old Mississippi Highway Patrolbuilding on Highway 51.

Wilson, a former alderman, said those plans were still in place,but there had been delays. The city owns the building, he said, butit needs some major renovations before the police department canmove into it.

In other matters, the board approved a request by Calcote tofurther secure the rear parking area, across the road from theAllen, Allen, Breeland and Allen lawyer offices.

“I’d like to put a 10-foot chain-link fence there with a slidinggate for security,” the sheriff said. “It can be done with HomelandSecurity money. There would also be a gate in the breezeway(between the sheriff’s and police offices).”

The gates would require keypad access and be monitored by videocamera. The fence would be topped with barbed wire, he said.

Homeland Security Director Clifford Galey confirmed funds fromhis office could be used for the project and estimated its totalcost at around $2,000. He added, however, that was a preliminaryfigure and may be inaccurate.

The rear parking area is not only used by sheriff’s deputies fortheir squad cars but also houses the vehicle garage, used insearches, and the sally port to the jail, where prisoners areadmitted to booking or taken into the jail for questioning.