Lafayette County Saw Growth, New Comp Plan and More in 2018

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Lafayette County Chancery Building

The year 2018 was a busy one for the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors, according to County Administrator Lisa Carwyle who presented a recap of the year Monday after the supervisor’s first regular meeting of 2019.

Kicking off 2018, the Supervisors adopted a new Zoning Ordinance – the first for the county after nearly two years of planning and several public hearings.

With the zoning ordinance in place, buildings, structures and land uses will be regulated “to promote the general welfare of Lafayette County citizens.” The zoning ordinance identifies whether an area can be used for commercial, industrial, residential or agricultural purposes.

The Supervisors joined with the city of Oxford and the University of Mississippi to conduct a Comprehensive Transportation Plan and later joined again with Oxford to extend the interlocal agreement between the two school districts for the Early Childhood and Reading Development Partnership to help improve kindergarten readiness for all local children.

Rendering of the proposed Lafayette Lower Elementary School. Graphic provided by Innovative Construction Management

The Supervisors also leased 30 acres of county-owned land to the School District to build a new elementary school after county citizens voted in favor of a $24 million bond referendum for the new school.

The board awarded contract bids on the new Lafayette County Business Complex and Multi-Purpose Arena that is expected to be complete in March. On Monday, the board voted to approve a five-person committee to review ways to manage the multi-purpose arena once it’s open.

Also in 2018, the county completed the construction and opened Fire Station No. 17 on Highway 6 East and continued progress on the construction of West Oxford Loop Extension, expected to be complete in the late spring and early summer of this year, and Sisk Avenue Extension, expected to be complete in the early to mid-summer.

The Supervisors worked with local and state government on legislation for a Lafayette County Utility District, joined in a class action opioid lawsuit and approved a franchise agreement with MaxxSouth.

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors look over a contract with MS Critterz in November 2018. From left, supervisors Mike Robert, David Rikard, Jeff Busby, Chad McLarty and Kevin Frye, and County Attorney David O’Donnell. Photo by Alyssa Schnugg.

While the Board of Supervisors has given money to the animal shelter in Oxford for many years, in 2018, the board, for the first time, signed a contract with MS Critterz, the organization that took over running the shelter in 2018.

County officials worked with the Economic Development Foundation and approved a contract with GreenServ to purchase land in the Max D. Hipp Lafayette County Industrial Park that will bring additional jobs to Lafayette County and approved a tax increment financing agreement with the city of Oxford to provide funding for improvements at the Sisk Avenue and Highway 7 interchange.