By Rupert Howell
Supervisors agreed to allow Plaspros Inc. free port warehouse property tax exemption during Monday’s meeting in Batesville.

The authorization allows the custom plastic injection molding business a tax break on personal property or product inventory being shipped outside the state. Real property assessments remain the same.

Making the request was Attorney Andy Yelton and plant manager Mark Doner.

Yelton gave a review of the company’s Panola County history noting that the Illinois Company moved a plant to Batesville in 1983 to serve Lawn Boy that was then located in Sardis.

The company has grown and recently built a 44,000 sq. ft. facility on Corporate Drive in the Harmon Industrial Complex hiring 30 full-time employees and as many as 30-40 temporary employees during peak seasons.

Yelton also mentioned additional expansion through an additional company, M-tech, that would provide parts for Nissan.

Panola Tax Assessor/Collector David Garner was asked by supervisor board president Kelly Morris to comment and stated he was, “All for it.”

The request passed unanimously before supervisors moved to routine businesss that included reclassifying 2.8 acres of  property adjacent to the Airport Industrial Park from agricultural to industrial.

Flood Plain Manager Chad Meeks received permission to purchase a truck from Heafner Motors and reminded supervisors of a joint meeting with Panola County’s Land Use Commission later that day.

Meeks also told of changes to the land-use ordinance for the height of towers which increases the height from 35 to 180 feet before an exemption must be obtained. The change came about as rural residential customers would not have to go through a month long wait for a board decision of whether they would or would not be allowed a special exception to install a tower higher than 35 feet.

That measure passed as did a the hiring of a part-time jailer, Allision Tucker for the Panola County’s sheriff’s department.

Supervisors also reinstated the homestead exemption of a resident who had previously been denied. Tax Collector Garner explained the resident had been away on an extended stay to care for a sick relative and asked the exemption be reinstated.

Attorney Bill McKenzie was instructed to “move forward” with road abandonment proceedings for Robert Holder Road in the northwest portion of the county. McKenzie explained the Crenshaw family owned all property fronting the road and were in agreement. Supervisor Vernice Avant, whose District Two encompasses the road nodded her approval.

Supervisors set Monday, March 23 as their next tentative meeting although they had no business pending for that date.

“It’s a long time before the end of the month, we better set another meeting,” McKenzie suggested.