County Commission Agendas - Regular Meeting

At this time, I'd like to call to order the April 13, 202 commission meeting. Thanks for everybody being here. We have uh tonight several things that uh that we will be taking up. First of all, I think we have a resolution from Victoria's American resolution that they're requesting that the commission sign and we look forward to doing that. We have a number of items on our new business portion of the meeting for vote and approval tonight as we do have several items on our work session. Uh with that, I'd like to ask Miss Willis, our county administrator, to please call the role estate. We're going

present. We do have a quorum and if everyone could please stand I'd like to ask foration and I will lead our Let's pray together. God our father in heaven, we're truly blessed to live in this wonderful country and this wonderful county. So thankful for the natural resources we see all around us, especially on a day like today where the sun is shining and the cool breeze blows. So God, we're thankful for these things. We're thankful for this country that we've had and the freedoms that we have for 250 years. God, we're thankful for those things. But right now, God, we're especially thankful for the men and women in the armed services who are in harm's way. We pray that you'll be with them. We pray that you keep them safe. Pray that you'll be with their families as they're away defending our freedoms. God bless continue to bless this country and bless this county and all that serve us each and every day in such a public way. Pray you'll continue to watch over us and guide us. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Attention. Salute. Pledge. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic which stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

I'm so sorry. I came through the marsh hill construction on causeway. We understand. I'm sure you'll understand. Thank you.

Uh in your packet is the agenda for tonight's meeting. We I'm going to make a couple of amendments to adjust the uh the agenda. Uh first is uh the amendment to revise items six new business aid by removing uh the March 23rd meeting and work session for approval. And secondly, u we will amend item six, new business C. Um the contract that we have to sign with the ALDOT form 452 also has a resolution that needs to be approved tonight. And so we will add to the motion uh the words um and approve the resolution. With that, do I have a motion to approve the April 13, 2026 U agenda?

Make motion approve as amended. We have a motion. Have a second. We have a second. All in favor say I.

Motion carries. We do not have any awards or press on presentations tonight, but we do have public comment. And uh we have guests tonight from the Daughters of the American Revolution. And uh want to say thank you for being here. And I know you're celebrating our 1050th anniversary of this great nation. We have a great purpose to live in. So, thank you for doing that. I know that you all the volunteers and you work to really uh promote historical preservation of our nation and uh we really appreciate you being here for that report. So, let me give you a few minutes to to say a few words and like his podium there. And so, thank you for having us and I I want to thank um Lori additional guest here who's who's come over from Gunnersville because she's the one who who ramrided this and got got it all set up so that we could uh do this. This is an activity that I know is being promoted all across the United States for all of the chap local chapters uh to show our involvement and our even if we're not going to be in Williamsburg like my fellow member there is going to be on July 4th or in um Boston or Philadelphia or someplace that's uh going to probably do it up big. But um I think we'll all we'll all be celebrating in here and regardless of where we are and all and uh I really do appreciate you're helping us be able to check this box off. So well I would I would like to add if it's okay. I'm Lori B. I'm from the Governor Heroes of Kings Mountain chapter. So, we

all work together and our state society has encouraged us to either get uh our mayors to sign proclamations for their cities or our county commissions to sign proclamations for the counties or both. So, uh and Titans Land, we have two chapters in Marshall County and we're seeking the mayors and the commission. So, but they've all been as gracious as you all have because we feel like it's the daughters of American Revolution to sort of it's sort of our calling to bring attention as you said. uh chairman Nance to the 250th. So even though we're not planning any big parades or anything in Marshall County that we are conducting, they're doing their own thing. You all are probably having a celebration with the cities and Scott and everything. We just felt like as chapters. So we've enjoyed working with Titan Slain. We're all daughters together, but our Alabama Society has encouraged us to seek these proclamation signatures. So we appreciate it very much. Appreciate it.

Thank you very much. If you don't know, I'll read the proclamation. It says, "Whereas on July the 4th, 2026, our nation will commemorate the semiquincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And whereas the journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to reflect on our nation's past honor the contribution of all Americans and look ahead to the future generations who will carry forward the ideals of democracy and individual liberty that make the United States a unique nation in the world community. And whereas the great state of Alabama played a role in the American Revolution with the battle of Fort Charlotte also known as the siege of Mobile in 1780. saw Spanish forces successfully seized the fourth from the British and whereas the National Society of Orders of the American Revolution is a non-political women's service organization established in 1890 whose members are linearly descended from the patriots of the American Revolution and whereas through the president general's leadership over the next three years all daughters we will illuminate our legacy through commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America with intention and purpose by reflecting on the values of liberty, democracy, and the sacrifices made by those who came before us. Whereas from the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in 2023 until the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 2033, Daughters are celebrating our nation's rich rich history and diversity of experience by honoring all men and women who achieved American independence. These patriots believing in the noble cause of liberty fought valiantly to establish a new nation. And whereas the

Alabama Society Daughter orders of Americans revolution and the Titans Lane chapter which was organized in Scottsboro, Jackson County, Alabama in 1927 recognize and proclaimed the significance of the meaningful occasion of this semicentennial celebration year of the United States of America in our community. Therefore, be it resolved that Bill Nance, commission chairman, on behalf of the Jackson County Commission, commend and proclaim this commemoration to all our Jackson County, Alabama residents in testimony thereof, I hereby sit my hand in an official seat.

I'd like to add one more thing if I may. Um I since our society has has decided that we would like to in every county we have a map a county map that says we have a red star if we've got a chapter that has committed to try to get a proclamation signed and and again as you all have so graciously done and a blue star that says it's completed. So our good friend John Anderson Stephanie his wife is a member of my chapter. They have just built a house in Jackson County. They are now Jackson County residents and I noted that you and John work together. So Stephanie knew that we were working on Marshall County and she said I John knows the chairman of the county commission in Jackson County. Would you like to see if we can maybe help them? So I called Miss Judy McCra several times and she has had a health event. She's the regent of Titans Lang. So these ladies have really stepped up. Judy had planned to come and pursue this on her own. So, we're thankful that everybody we we're our thoughts and prayers are with her, but when I couldn't get in touch with her, I called Miss Tammy and I called the state chair and I said, "We're going to work on Jackson County and she said, "Miss Judy has committed." But when she had her health event, so I wanted to let you know that's a little bit of the background. So, we are so proud of this chapter and excited to work with them and thank you for uh allowing John to approach you about this and Stephanie, we appreciate it. Is there room for the chapter ladies to get back in between you gentlemen and take a picture? Would that be okay? Would y'all mind doing that? Yes.

I'll get if that's okay. Nathan, get back there. Get some pictures. So, yeah. Please, please, please. But you were you go ahead and get your picture. Y'all want to get in between maybe the gentleman? Maybe that'll work out a little better. Yes. And then look at look at our paper photographer first and then I'll get a couple. Thank

I'll get a couple. Okay. Thank you. One, two, and three. And this will be on our state society website and Facebook page. Move over just a tad. That way. Yes. Thank you. Is that Tammy? I've talked to them on the phone. I haven't met them in person. So, all right. I think we've got it. Okay. Thank you. Sorry. Okay. Absolutely.

Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you gentlemen very much. We appreciate it. This time we will move to the new school agenda and we have you know covered a number of these work sessions through them. First, do I have a motion to adopt the minutes for the March 9th, 2026 meeting work session? I like that motion. We have a motion. Do I have a second? Have a second. All in favor say.

Motion carries. Thank you. In your packet, you also have information regarding the striping of County Road 53 uh that was discussed in last work session. Total cost of that is $3,870. Um, so do I have a motion to approve the striping at County Road 53? I make that motion. We have a motion. We have a second. Second. We have a second. All in favor say I.

Motion carries. Thank you very much. Next item that's in your packet is the contract that we have with the state on the uh county for counting for paving county road 452 in Bucks uh from the brow the mountain uh county road 152 to the c to camp cattle line. Uh the cost is being provided by the state is 220,000 titles and u in the packet also is the resolution that is required by the state. So with that do I have a motion to approve and sign the construction agreement uh for county road 452 and approve the resolution.

I'll make the motion. Have

a motion. Have a second. Second. All in favor say I. I. Motion carries. Thank you. About a month and a half ago, our county administrator uh uh came to my office and uh submitted a letter of recognition requesting to resign this division. Um and so we will be in the process of hiring a new county administrator. Um, in the interim, we have appointed uh Miss Willis to be the interim county administrator until we can get through the process of advertising and uh doing a selection of a new county administrator. Um, we have several actions that we need to take tonight in doing that because we have to make sure she has authorities uh as a county administrator. And uh so there are three actions regarding that. First I want to say I want to thank Mr. Henrik for his service to Jackson County. Unfortunately he can't be here tonight to his wife was on the way home and had a breakdown in the car and so he he needed to leave to make sure he took care of it. So we hope everything goes well with that. Um so first of all that we have to approve signatures to warrant which is the ability to sign the new protection for the county and to do that we will have to remove uh Mr. Henrik from that authority and in place of add Miss Willis as the county interim county administrator of that authority. So, do I have a motion to approve signatures for warrants checks issued by the county effective April the 14th, 2026 to remove Matthew Ham and add Michelle Willis as Inland County Administrator?

Motion a motion. Have a second. Second. We have a second. All in favor say I.

Motion carry. Another action that we're required for this process is uh is the signing of the res resolution designated as well as as the interim government to carry out the directives of the open records acts that is required by the state. And so that resolution is in your packet. Um and it in effect provides her the um the uh authority uh to act as uh in this capacity as the records act administrator for us. Uh so do I have a motion to approve and sign the resolution designating to share Willis the interim county administrator to carry out the directives of the open record act as amended by Alabama act number 20 2024-278.

I'll make a motion. We have a motion. Have a second. Have a second. We have a second. All in favor say I. Motion carries. And also with that we have to approve a resolution for for that that adopts the procedure for accepting public records request. So do I have a motion to approve and sign the resolution adopting the procedures for accepting public records request? Motion. We have a motion second. Second. We have a second. All in favor say I. Motion carries. Thank you.

Last item on the agenda with the elections coming up. We have a responsibility to make sure that we test all our receipts and make sure the proper documentation is entered. Every year we have been benefit and and thank goodness for Mr. Mike Ash who has worked for us to do that so that we are ready with our voting machines for the county elections. This one certainly is for a primary that's coming up on the 19th of May. Uh there is a quote that is in your packet. There's a quote for loading the ballot information um and testing each of the machines that will be used from the pre and quote includes being on call from 6:00 a.m. until closing of the poles in the event that a machine requires repair or replacement. The total charges for this activity is $2,650. So with that, do I have a motion to approve the quote from Mr. Mike Ashton for voting machine custodian 2026?

I'll make a motion. We have a motion. Second, all in favor say I.

I. Last item on in our new business portion of the meeting will now move down to the uh work session portion of the meeting. Um we have a a vote a business that is interested in uh now taking over the uh store at the Jackson County Park and the boat rental business. And uh we do have a contract here that uh has been reviewed by Mr. Porter. It is uh very similar to the contract that uh has been in place for number of years with a previous custodian of that that uh so um you will notice that is in the lease agreement. It is between Jackson County and Islands Boat Real LLC who here will be called the tenants. uh the rent uh that the tenants at Island Boat has agreed to uh pay the landlord a monthly rent payment of $1,100 during the months of April through October and $400 through November to through March. They've also rented both the three boat slips and that would be at cost of $250. And the agreement of the renewal is that there are five years of renewal options uh that can be exercised by the county and island. But each year renewal option would have a $5 increase in ru

I'm sorry 5% much better than $5. All right. Uh so the rest of the uh contract has the uh sort of the due diligence items that are in there to include the maintenance and repair responsibilities um as well as the responsibilities for any damages or losses. So let me turn it over to Doug. Any comments, Doug?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and commissioners. Yes, we've after a lengthy search, we've identified a a a good company that's an existing boat rental company. Uh they know what they're doing. Uh they they've agreed to the terms of this lease. And with the season upon us now, warming up, we're already getting calls at the office about people want boats. Uh we'd like to speed it up and set aside the rules if possible to to get them in there now as soon as we can. They they'd like to start uh 15th of this month with the lease ready to rent boats by May 1st.

Okay. Any questions, comments? Number two, at the bottom there, we're talking about the ground fees. Yes. April through October. What happens to those boats between November and March? Uh they'll they take them out of the water. Take them away. Yeah, they'll take them out of the water. What happens to no sweeps? They they'll be empty unless somebody wants to rent those slips. They'll be available for rent.

They'll be available for rent. Both any other questions um to move forward with this? Any objection to setting aside the rules and Okay. With that, do I have a motion to set aside the rules?

I'll make a motion. We have a motion. We have a second. I'll second. We have a second. All in favor say I. I. Motion carries. Do I have a motion to enter into a lease agreement between Jackson County and Island Boat Reynolds LL LLC or the boat store Jackson County Park? I'll make that motion. We have a motion. Do I have a second? Second. We have a second. We have a second. All in favor say I.

Motion carries. Thank you. Thanks, Dad. I know you've been working on this for quite a long time and appreciate appreciate the work. Uh, next item on the agenda is disposal of some of our older Aldot transit vehicles. So, let me turn it over to director Jeff. Thank you, chairman and commissioners. ALDOT has been going through their inventory and they have requested that um we sell five of the older vehicles that have reached their mileage or useful life span which is 200,000 miles or seven years. So we have five of those that they've identified that they're requesting for us to sell. We get rid of these five. We still have 10 in our fleet. So we have to have three emergency vehicles at all times. So we still meet that requirement and they request well part of their requirements are that we use gov deals the auction site to to do this. So these vehicles were approved through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. So there was no cost to the county at the time they they were given to us through ALDOT. So if we when we sell them anything under $5,000 ADOT allows us to keep. So it's it's free money for us. Anything over 5,000 put 6,000 we have to give a,000 back to ALDOT. But previously we've done this and the vehicles usually went for 1,500 to 2,000. So we're estimating 7500 to 10,000 profit when we do this. So I don't I'm not sure, Mr. Porter, do they have to vote on this as these are ALOT vehicles and we have no money and ALOT owns the title to this? to these

old title and we don't have to Okay, that's that's what I thought. This is just me just giving information to let you guys know and we're going to make a little profit off this. Any questions? Okay. Uh how will you sell them? You have deals. Deals. Yes, sir. Okay. They'll be posted. Appreciate it. Yes. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you very much. Um next item. Uh as everybody knows, we've been we've been investing in uh uh taking care of the lawn for our courthouse as as well as the uh uh courthouse annex. And uh also we have had some issues over the past year about certainly the last year and a half of some of the large limbs falling on some cars that are parked around the courthouse. And uh so uh director Gan has reached out to a landscaping and tree landscaping service and the tree service and he would like to bring that capital.

Thank you chairman. Thank you commissioners. Uh I'll I'll start with freeze. I've reached out to Alabama Arbor uh and they had after talking to them there there's a couple of things that we we probably need to look at with a lot of these historical trees and u they suggested we did a a risk assessment a level three risk assessment on those trees. What we want is we want to go in and we want to cut some of the limbs that like the dead limbs and stuff off the trees and stuff. Uh but they suggested in order to do that we probably need to do a tree assessment. This is done by a certified arborist on these trees to see the kind of condition the trees are in, if they can handle the cut, how much how much they can't handle. uh on this quote uh on the first part of the quote that's in here that talks about the threat assessment. This is only for the the bigger trees, the five oak trees and then the three pecan trees that are located in the front. Um this is a full this it's fairly intensive assessment. They'll they'll drill some really like 1/16th size holes into the tree, take samples, send those samples off and and and get all the information on the tree. They also fly drones around them to make see what identify limbs that could be cut if we can cut them, limbs that have died on the tree. And this all happens before,

you know, the process before we would go about cutting the trees. The other part that's on here is a is a tree inventory. and and and we added this in here on this quote uh and this this would cover every tree that's in our area and it would give us a full inventory all the data on the trees. It also checks the health of the trees, what we need to do to maintain the trees so that they don't suffer from disease and stuff like that. And it would also give that we we would have full access to this inventory with all this information that would allow us to set up a maintenance program if we wanted to or you know if we want to do it through them we could but it would give us information that we could do a lot of it ourselves too as well.

Any questions regarding taking a look at this? Um one thing I've got this probably that you Yes. I mean, if you want to reach out to this is the only one that I would like to see some quotes from Jackson County business. I know this county. He's a state there's no state certified arborists in Jackson County. That's that's why I reached out. It's really hard to find one. There's one in North Alabama, there's one in Montgomery, and then there's the rest of them are out of state. I I I agree with with uh Mr. Gully. I'd like to have as many options as we can and if it's not it's not but I definitely don't want it to be

I mean I can do that I would just let that's the only reason I can't with this we need to get a couple more quotes okay that's what we're looking for well if there's if they're not available in tax county just at least get a couple okay next item is the lawn care

yes this this is a a pretty much it's an intensive weed and feed service that's offered. Uh I got this just to throw it out there as an option on things. You know, we're at some sometime soon we'll have the rest of the sod finished around the courthouse and if we want to keep it, there's a lot of it we can do ourselves. Uh but for the price that that these these this company offers to do it on it's it's really hard to beat for what they're doing. This is this is cheaper than we can do it for going and buying products and stuff like that. That was my question. Is this application plus product?

Yes, this is application plus product plus testing soil samples and a lot of other good stuff involved with that. Uh it's it's it's it's a really really really good price on it. Again, it this is there there are some some local companies that do something very similar to this, but they do other jobs as well. This is all they do is work on the health care of the grass itself. It's not it's not about cutting or anything like that. this part of the company all they do is is deal with the the fertiliz fertilization and getting things getting the weeds out and all that. So this is one year contract. Yes. Yes. This is Yeah, it's one year.

It's a one-year quote. Yes, sir. So So for me, the same thing would apply. I mean uh and this is this is fairly specialized. So not to not to steal from them, but in general terms, this is what we would like to get a quote on, right? if you could get that and and again to to the earlier point if we could if we could make sure that that this goes to all the local providers to give them opportunities to to do that. Right. Okay.

All right. Thanks very much. I appreciate it. Um next item on the agenda is to revise uh I'm sorry the Hback the Hback. the HVAC uh the change order. We had some money left over in our contingency money and these are some items that were identified that would uh that would definitely help the system out. And these these items are part of the old system, not the new stuff that was put in the old existing system that was there. We've got some evaporator coils that need cleaned and we have some dampers that that needs replaced and that's what the change order covers on. But if this doesn't go above the the contract price, this is funds already in the contract. So we're not having to adjust the contract

or scope. Yes, sir. Okay. But we do need a few. So let me open up for questions, comments. Is this something you need approved tonight or can this wait till the next meeting? No, we do not have to approve. We'll put this on new business.

Next meeting. Yeah, this is one we have to get closed out by the end of the year so we have full time with this. All right, so we will put it on new business for the next meeting. Okay, thank you. Um, next item is the job descriptions for the county administrator. Uh, think everyone has had a chance to view the job descriptions. We updated the job description to make sure that we were fully compliant with the state requirements for county administrator. Uh there's been some recent changes to that and so um and so we just want to thank you for reflecting in in the child description. Uh this revision is uh the app is pretty standard. It provides us a broad flexibility in the roles and responsibilities for the county administrator and uh that uh I think we need to have this approved before we go through the hiring process. So that this is the job description that we are hiring to. Uh so let me open up any questions. One last one last thing. We did include in this the uh the role and responsibilities of our uh county administrator to uh carry out the directors of the open record plan. That was that was this administration. Any question? If not, tonight we to I am proposing that we put a a application uh posted tomorrow morning for uh to accept

applications for the county administrative procession that would run through April the 14th through the 28th. And uh so there are uh I will provide you guys into a uh a posting uh for that uh that we will use. Uh this doesn't have to be posted as a post but uh we do need to proceed to set aside the rules if we're going to post tomorrow. Set aside the rules and uh and approve the revised county administrative job description. Um, any objection to approving the job description tonight?

The the not it's not an objection, but just just what what exactly was changed in this? I mean, is there is there something that we can say? What was changed here? What I mentioned to you, we've added in the performance of the open records act that the county administrator was responsible for the what was the uh to make compliant with the state requirement. Those requirements were in there but the wording was not exactly the same and so I wanted to use the exact words that was in the state not a summary of the words those were the changes I would make to so really not substantive changes just

did not change duties responsibilities and those things perfect so with that do I have a motion to set aside I I'll make motion to do that I have a Second. We have a second. All in favor say I. Motion carries. And we have a motion two. Go ahead. We have discussion on one one thing here. Minimum starting salary. Could that be worded differently where if we hire someone that does not have the experience that

we're not going to hire anybody doesn't have experience? Well, remember the last time? Last time the applicants we had. So, so remember our discussion, we will post this until we find So, we will put an extension on the post. Absolutely. We will repost as necessary to find qualified person. I'm happy with that. I'm glad I'm glad you you brought that be very important to us if we proceed to hire a new county administrator

that we get qualified county administrators and we prefer to have county administrator that would allow us to expand in the roles of the county administrator beyond what we got typically over the last several administrators had as a role and it may take us a while but we're on the same page you know we are Okay. U do I have a motion? You had a motion. Second. I think you had a motion and a second. Motion approved. Okay. All in favor say I.

I. Motion carries. Do we have a motion to approve the revised job description for the Jackson County Administrator? Motion we have a second. All in say thank you very much and we will proceed tomorrow morning with posting and that for folks to call the Jackson County that's the last item on through this month public works uh item uh update on the creation of the truck route for Brock Cory. Let me turn this over to Jesse B.

Well, it's not necessarily the creation of the truck route. more restricted trucks on certain roads. But, uh, after discussing with the chairman and the public work department, county engineer, uh, we're going to do a study and put out counters on the roads affected in that area and gather the data and get with the school board and and identify all the bus stops on those roads and try to gather all the data we can to uh to count the traffic on those roads. uh and discuss this again at a at a meeting next month sometime.

Okay. Jonathan, uh can you get traffic counters out on on the affected roads? Absolutely. All right. Any other comment? If not, uh we will proceed with that. And so our next uh that's the last item that we have in our work session. So we will we will have reports from the staff county administrator, the interim county administrator. Any comment?

County engineer comments. Tomorrow uh starting tomorrow between the hours of 7 to 8 a.m. County Road 3 will close complete. So this is announcement that you may have seen in your inbox last week. We took it a step further and uh placed a bearable message board at the intersection of County Road 3 and State Route PC5. We have received some calls. We feel like we've worked through the concerns with folks. As you know, that's one way in and one way out and there's a population that resides on top of Tut Mountain that will be affected by this closure. So, if all goes as planned, it will be one day closure. The advertisement reads that it may last for two days. Um they have taken extra steps to make sure materials on hand that we could fill in that excavation should an emergency arise. There's a backup excavator in place should a breakdown occur. Materials are pre-staged so that we can start once bus traffic has proceeded in and out. So, uh, we need your fingers crossed it all goes to plan tomorrow and we hopefully by the afternoon everything is restored for traffic, but this is in advance of the resurfacing that was selected by you all for that section of county.

Okay. County attorney, I don't have anything. Thank you, sir. Okay. Thank you. Uh, comments from the commission, Commissioner Gold. Uh, I don't have anything. Again, we just appreciate everything everybody doing. Great job on the county park vote. I think that's what I did during the right times of seasons. Don't ask that question while I appreciate all that everybody. Commissioner, uh, nothing nothing to add. Thanks, sir. Commissioner Brown, nothing to add. Thank you.

I have nothing to add tonight. Thanks for everybody being here to work on our 7:30. Our next meeting date is April the 28th. That's a Tuesday. and it's on Tuesday before that meeting because Monday is a state holiday. Um and so with that I have a motion to be motion motion that say I motion Thank you. Susan real quick.