Those discussions with FEMA are ongoing, and Grennell said he believes that is in part to the lobbying he did for the county in the nation’s capital.

Hutchins said she believes those who attend the conference get valuable updates on issues that can affect counties at the local level.

Grennell and Hutchins were also the only attendees at a meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus in Tunica. They were reimbursed for identical bills of $1,229.40 for the four-day, three night conference, which included a $400 per person “gold package” registration fee.

Rep. Bennie Thompson organizes the black caucus meeting, Grennell said, and representatives from all counties are invited.

This year, discussions at the caucus conference included education, how the Affordable Care Act was going to affect health care and grants available to counties.

“The networking you get to do there is one of the best aspects,” he said.

Grennell and Hutchins were also reimbursed $453.93 each in meals, mileage and tips for the four-day Mississippi Association of Planning and Development Districts Conference in Biloxi.

Grennell said Southwest Planning and Development District underwrote the cost of attending the conference itself. SWPDD administers Adams County’s grants.

Grennell, Hutchins and Murray were each reimbursed $277.60 for meals, tips and mileage for attendance at one day of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors’ educational session in Vicksburg in October 2013. The session for 2014 was hosted in Natchez last month.

County records indicate Grennell was reimbursed $433.76 for a solo trip to the Mississippi Economic Development Council mid-winter conference. Grennell said he had originally planned to attend the conference, but a scheduling conflict ultimately kept him from doing so and he was not reimbursed for it.

Supervisor David Carter said some members of the board don’t have the ability to attend all events, but he doesn’t mind if only one or two members go as long as they can bring back something of use to the board.

“I feel confident Darryl can handle the county business, and if he needs me to go to something he will ask me,” Carter said. “He represents us well.”

Butler agreed, saying the county may need some representation at such conferences without needing to send the entire board.

“When they come back they can give their report and everybody can come up to speed,” he said. “Whenever any of us goes to a different or separate event, even locally, we will share what we did with everybody so we can all have the same information.”

Quorum conferences

Three conferences were attended by a quorum of the board.

The second most expensive conference — a NACO event in New Orleans — cost a total of $4,275.63. Butler, Grennell and Hutchins attended the conference, which ran from July 11-14.

During the New Orleans conference, Butler and Hutchins stayed at the Downtown Marriot, while Grennell stayed at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel.

Butler’s room was charged $179 a night, while Hutchins’ room was $159 nightly. The nightly rate for Grennell’s room was not available in county records, but the total cost for the room was $779.71.

Hutchins, however, also asked for $263.78 in reimbursement for one night in the New Orleans Hilton Hotel for the first night of the conference.

“(The conference) had booked me in one hotel, and when I got there they had overbooked the hotel, so I had to go find another room (at the Hilton) and pay for it for one night,” Hutchins said.

Butler, Grennell and Hutchins each submitted reimbursement requests for $205 in meals, $41 in tips and $213.25 for parking fees for the New Orleans conference. Butler and Hutchins requested $199.26 for mileage, while Grennell requested $203.86.