By Rupert Howell
Panola County Supervisors left two appointments to the County’s Land Planning Commission hanging Wednesday after a discussion if one of the nominees was aware his business might suffer.

Meanwhile, the board did appoint Arleen Simpson of Sardis to the Mid-State Opportunity board to fill a vacancy after Supervisor Cole Flint asked to be removed.

The names of Kirk Rowsey  from District Three and Woody Drake of District Five were nominees discussed during Wednesday’s meeting for those Planning Commission positions currently held by Danny Walker from District Three and Bob Haltom of District Five. Walker currently serves as that commission’s president.

The Planning Commission makes recommendations to supervisors for changes in zoning classifications and can issue a temporary zoning variance.

Decisions of the Planning Commission Board can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors. A petitioner who is not satisfied with those results can take the appeal process to Circuit Court.
During last month’s meeting, the Planning Commission’s enforcement director Chad Meek asked members to fill out  forms revealing if they wished to serve another term. Results of that survey were not revealed, but commissioners and some of their decisions have drawn public criticism from some supervisor board members over the past few years including Cole and Thomas.

The 10-member Panning Commission Board is comprised of two members from each supervisor district nominated by that district’s supervisor.

Supervisors’ concerns Wednesday were that Panola County depended on Big-Delta Honda for purchase and repair of equipment used within county government and that Rowsey’s family interest in that business might qualify as conflict of interest if he served on that county board.
Board attorney Bill McKenzie was not present during Wednesday’s meeting and supervisors voted to table nominations until the regular meeting Monday morning to act on the nominations when they could receive legal advice.

Current members other than Haltom and Walker are: Danny Holland, Danny Jones,  Wanda Carmichael, Arleen Wilson, Fred Carter, Sledge Taylor, Verna Hunter, and Tim Holloway.

District One Supervisor James Birge nominated Simpson for the Mid-State board. Mid-State Opportunity provides assistance for low-income people and operates programs in six northwest Mississippi counties including DeSoto, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate and Tunica.

 Mid-State’s Board of Directors is made of up of 18 members representing all counties equally.