The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors met Monday and spoke with officials from the Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home about assisting in the renewal of the hospital’s line of credit with Hancock Bank.

The board agreed to adopt a resolution to renew the hospital’s line of credit for $700,000. Scott Alsobrooks, PRCHNH Board of Trustee Chairman, explained the line of credit expired in September.

“We were hoping we didn’t need to use it again thinking things were good so we didn’t renew it, but Medicare and the transition from the coding system from ICD-9 to ICD-10 has gotten really slow with reimbursements,” he said. “This is a national problem and with small hospitals like us. It really slows down the cash flow and business.”

Alsobrooks also said there’s a possibility that it may not be used if “we get caught before the next payroll. All we would use it for is for the payroll since we’re slow on reimbursements and sometimes this happens.”

Also at the meeting, board members signed an agreement presented by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which is necessary for the renovations to begin at the Pearl River County Courthouse in Poplarville.

County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said once plans are approved by the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., they will be able to accept bids for courthouse renovations, which include refinishing the courtrooms and bathrooms and making the entrances to the courthouse ADA-compliant.

Also, the board plans to meet next week with household garbage truck haulers to determine how to proceed with garbage pick up and ensure trucks don’t drop trash on the streets.

In other news:

—The board approved travel for employees of the tax office to attend a homestead exemption workshop in Clinton, Mississippi on Nov. 4 and 17.

The next board meeting will be Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. inside the court facilities in Poplarville.