The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors met Monday to discuss a renovation project at Liberty Road’s water park and the addition of more voting precincts in the county.

Plans to renovate Liberty Road’s water park are nearly underway after a $100,000 Coastal Impact Assistance Program grant was awarded through the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to improve the property for recreation purposes, County Engineer Les Dungan said.

Plans include installing a walking trail, a primitive camping area, a parking area, picnic tables and barbecue grills, Dungan said.

“One of the requirements that’s being made on the county in order to receive the grant money and use it to make those improvements is that a restriction be put on the property in order that it be set aside for the purpose of recreation and wildlife enhancement for the future,” Dungan said.

He gave the board a sketch of the property, which has been owned by the county since 1977, County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said.

“Ten to 12 acres of the parcel is in the flood plain of the Hobolochitto creek so it’s non-developable property. To continue with the project we need a decision that the property would be set aside for conservation and preservation and place a restrictive covenant. This will help us to have more control over what’s going on in the property,” Dungan said.

Construction is set to begin early next year and should be complete by the end of the summer, Dungan said.

The board approved the authorization for a restrictive covenant to be placed on the property in accordance with the CIAP grant.

Also at the meeting, the board agreed to give $15,000 each to the Nicholson and Henleyfield volunteer fire departments in order to create ADA-compliant voting precincts.

District II Supervisor Malcolm Perry said Henleyfield’s fire department is planning to build a sub-station on Rock Ranch Road and proposed that the county should help the station and add a voting precinct in that building.

“It would make it handicap-accessible and offer restrooms,” Perry said. “It’s a very inexpensive way for us to get a nice voting precinct in the community that will meet the standards that they’re supposed to.”

Board President J. Patrick Lee said he’s working with Nicholson Volunteer Fire Department to possibly help with the construction of their sub-station, including the addition of a voting precinct.

The board planned to create an agreement with the fire stations to ensure the county can utilize the buildings as voting precincts for years to come.

Later, the board agreed to meet on Nov. 9 with household garbage truck haulers to determine how to proceed with garbage pick up and ensure the trucks do not drop trash on the streets, Perry said.

In other news:

—Lumpkin gave an update about the renovations for the Pearl River County Courthouse in Poplarville. He said once plans are approved by Washington, D.C., they will be able to accept bids for courthouse renovations, which include refinishing the courtroom and bathrooms and making the entrances to the courthouse ADA-compliant.

—The board acknowledged Nov. 11 as Veterans’ Day.

—The board approved travel for the justice clerks to attend a mandated training in Jackson on Nov. 19 and 20.

—The board approved travel for the emergency management director to attend the Energetic Materials Research in New Mexico from Nov. 1 to Nov. 6

—The board approved travel for members of the tax office to attend the Collector of Revenue I School in Hattiesburg from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30.

—The board approved travel for a dispatcher to attend IAED Emergency Telecommunicator Course in Picayune from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30.

The next board meeting will be Nov. 2 at 9 a.m. inside the court facilities in Poplarville.