County Commission - Regular Meeting

a promotion. We are now live. We can tell because there's a little check mark up here. We're getting some fancy. We got a little microphone so everybody can hear us. And I thought they was hearing us already. And I pressed it soon enough. Did I? Oh, did it go off? It's supposed to be It's It's live. Okay. I'm gonna text Glenn just to confirm. Don't touch it.

I'm afraid to touch anything. The sheriff's department and police department are swarm in here if I touch any of these buttons up here. Not sure what what I'm doing up here. Uh appreciate uh everybody being here today and we're going to uh uh get started here in a few minutes. This is a a regularly scheduled uh uh meeting of the Slair County Commission. We have commission meetings on the second, fourth, Tuesday. uh by law we're required to uh is that the beginning of a quadrant or beginning of every year where we set our policies of how to do the meetings every election

every election so now here it's every two years so uh we have to set policy and within that policy for years it's been second and board Tuesday and traditionally we have a work session Thursday before so we've had a work session and discussed pretty much everything that's on here last Thursday so we knew what was going to be on the agenda uh to address it. But we do have some flexibility there. We add to and take away things on our agenda. A lot of people think, okay, when you vote on your agenda, you're done. Well, no, you can you can amend an agenda anytime you that you need to to add things to it to take care of business. So, uh, want to make sure everybody understands that process. We we try to be as flexible as possible. But before I call us to order, if you will bow with me and I'll ask God to bless us to proceed to our need. Dear God, once again, we come before you, Lord, humble and and and so proud that you're our God, dear Lord, and so proud of your love for us and and especially proud of your grace, dear Lord. Uh we know we fail you, and uh we ask your forgiveness, dear Lord. We we ask you especially to make us uh aware of the instructions you give us as elected officials and and as citizens, dear Lord, in our responsibility to each other and our responsibility to you, God. We thank you for all the things that you do for us, your protection for us in all kinds of ways, God. We know that you're the source of all healing and all health. And we just ask you to uh go with us and be aware of our of our relatives and friends and all that have health issues. Uh we just lift those things up to you, dear Lord, for your for your for your healing. God, now uh be with us and keep us safe as we leave this place. Uh uh please guide our direction today that we will be pleasing in your sight. These things I ask in Christ's name. Amen.

Amen. Ask Mr. Lee Park algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. With that, I'll call the meeting to order. And uh you'll notice that we kind of have a a some people missing today and um we've got some sickness within our commission, at least enough that we'd rather they not be here coughing all over us, that kind of thing. So, we've got uh got some folks missing. But, you know, uh I I love county government history and somebody some people, especially in this game, look up here and say, "Man, they've only got three people." Uh, some people are not aware that there are some counties in Alabama that only have three commissioners. You think, well, I guess a little old county, like Winston County, only had three commissioners for years. And, uh, no, Mobile County, one of our largest counties only has three commissioners. They have a chairman and two commissioners. And Mobile County is sort of strange. They they uh sort of brag about this. They hadn't voted on a motion. They had voted on a thing to come before them in years. they get a motion and a second and move on to the next item. We we'd rather go ahead, as the judge said one time, we're gonna no matter how y'all think this election's going to turn out, we're going to go ahead and count the votes. I remember him telling me that one time. We we thought we knew what was going to happen. Well, that's the way this was. I'd kind of like to vote on these things. So, you'll see us, even though there's three of us, we'll have a motion in a second to get some action here, but we're going to go ahead and and and take a vote, make sure those are recorded uh as we do that. So uh the business of the commission can be handled by uh a majority of the commission which is three. And with that I'd entertain a motion to approve the agenda.

Motion second. Probably moved and second. Any discussion? All in favor say I.

All oppose. No. Motion carries. Uh and I noticed that at the top uh with uh the judge speaking. We'll do that in my report that you just put that up. Okay. Good. Uh next item on the agenda is to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of March 24th uh with and the called meeting of April 6th. Entertain a motion to approve. Have a motion properly moved and second. Any discussion? Any additions, deletions? All in favor say I. All oppose. No. Motion carries. Now we move on to the report section. Uh we open our meetings up to reports from different uh uh uh staff members and and commissioners and and and other people that come in and want to literally give a report to the county commission on some concerns they may have. And the first uh person we have on our report section today is uh Judge Wallace White Jr. retired probate judge as I just mentioned. That's that's Judge Wallace White Jr. Ammeritus. So, judge, we're going to let the podium be yours up here.

Thank you. I think I think the judge is going to discuss a a possible looney house reward tag fee, which is been an issue since the time the fiscal permits were taken away, and then some courthouse security issues. So, judge,

I'm off I'm gonna leave off the issuance fee for the time being. I'm gonna talk about two other things. Okay. So, uh, well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Certainly, it's an honor to meet with the county commission anytime. I've met with county commission many times through the years while I was probate judge, you know, and everything. And, uh, it's always a a pleasure, like I say, and an honor. And, uh, first thing I wanted to talk about is the uh, the John Looney House. And uh I understand of course that the county commission doesn't have any specific uh uh jurisdiction to investigate or anything like that. Not but on the other hand like I told Commissioner M the other day the county commission has jurisdiction over everything in St. Clair County. So, I wanted to talk about it and I want to say that uh we had a great uh landmark historical uh house here in St. Clair County called the John Looney House. And two or three years ago or or so, all of a sudden it just burned down. Just caught fire, you know, burned down and we and we lost it. And uh I understand that the state of Alabama is is is in supposed to be uh the one investigating. Now that's just what I heard. I don't know. And if anybody can give me any information on it, I I would appreciate the uh in information, but uh apparently the investigation, whatever it is, has gone cold, as they say.

But now we all know that somebody started that fire. That fire didn't start by itself. There was no oily rags around there or anything like that. Somebody started that fire and I believe that they did it for kicks, you know, that got get a big kick in kick out. And uh those old timbers of course burned uh you know would burn pretty good you know make great firewood you know and everything. I also know that c ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar arson ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar ar arson is one of the hardest things hardest cases to prove because most of the evidence normally is destroyed by the fire. Is that right? That right, your honor. They're tough cases. And uh so uh but sometimes though, good many times in fact, whoever is responsible, they'll let it slip. Sometimes they'll whisper to one of their buddies or somebody that and give them some information. So, the reason that I mention this today, reason I'm here is because I'm offering up $1,000 as a reward money to any person uh with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for burning down the John Looney House. And a reason I'm I'm here mention this before the commission is because if we can get David to put it in the newspaper, I believe there are other people I've already heard in fact that there are other people around the county who would be willing to uh donate a little money

as a reward. And I believe if we could get it up to uh a few thousand dollars, I just can't help but believe that somebody would talk a little bit cuz uh you know, we all need money these days gasoline. I'm I started to have to thought I was going to have to hitchhike over here this morning on account of the gas prices, you know. So, uh, but we have, we're honored, of course, uh, this morning to have the, uh, several members of the St. Clair County Historical Society with us. I'd like to introduce them if it's okay, Mr. Chairman.

Miss, uh, is it Miss or Miss, isn't it? Mrs. uh, Ann Sandy. Hi, Sandy. Sandy I'm sorry. She Oh, you're fine. She works at the library over at Jacksonville State University. you know that great. She's the president. And y'all all probably know Miss Copelan and Miss Reynold. And this is Frank Wade right here. Now his wife Carol is I believe she's vice president. Sure.

Trevor, she takes care of the money. Okay. So, and y'all know the Wade is a famous name in St. Clair County. a lot of athletes came came out of the Wade family. I played ball against them in the little league, Pony League, and high school. And uh we we'd win sometimes and they'd win sometimes, but they they were great athletes. So they're they're uh enthusiastic about this idea and so uh that's the first thing that I wanted to talk about. Did I Oh. Did I leave anything out or did I cover it? Pretty good.

I think you did very well. I I think I think that's admirable on your part to start to start this. I know there's a lot of people uh when that happened several years ago. Uh, of course, it it u it was special to a lot of people, even people that might not have been out there for for years. I know Frank Wade keeps up with the history of most of the county, but especially in the Springville area. And I think I saw where city of Springville donated the u the old was that the old uh gin gin

old the old gin over there that that has old old lumber that could be used in the restoration. Uh and I think the county commission pledged some money towards it back a while back. And in fact that was just that was just a token to get it started. I don't think the county commission really has any restrictions on what we would do to help restore it. uh once we find out it can be restored. That's one of the issues all along was engineering wise. Can it be restored? And uh uh I won't throw him under the bus, but I will throw him under the bus if we could get some people that own old log houses such as Skip Shaw maybe to donate their old we do have a few people with that own some log structures that maybe those structures might fit in to helping restore it. we we'll move forward with that. But I kind of hate to see the whole issue of the loot house be a cold case. It's it's if if it can be replaced and we would like to because there's not there's not many of those things. I was I was really afraid of Frank that the rock school was going to go away before some plan and y'all hung on to it for all these years and and lo and behold I believe the plan to put classroom I it is a school. Now it's going to have classrooms in it again for the Canoe Creek Preserve for for the natural things and all. So we don't have a lot of those. even if we spent money on all the ones we've come up with, we don't have a lot of them. And so there's not a whole lot of history in that area uh for us to be able to to keep. And I think I think this commission's aware of that and and would like to to help with that. But your your approach here, I think it's a good a good approach of of people that that would uh uh that would commit that

money uh would would help to build up a a reward and maybe stimulate somebody to talk get to talk back again and maybe bring that case back up to where it's not a cold case. That's so

Right. Right. Exactly. And uh like I say, we could all use a little extra money these days and and uh somebody knows something. Let me get an opportunity here while I can. The historical society and the historical commission are two different entities. I always like to take an opportunity to explain to people that the county appoints members to the Slair County Historical Commission and that is an entity that we can actually give money to uh and then the historical commission can move that money into projects. So as far as giving money but there is a way for the county to give money to those projects through the historical commission. You know, I just wanted everybody to understand uh historical society is usually the group of very very uh engaged and and interested people for our historical things around the county. But the money then would flow through the historical commission if if government money, but there is a way to get government money into those projects. So,

yes, ma'am. The historical commission will be meeting Friday at at Asheville. Be meeting Friday at Asheville. Be meeting Friday. Yes. But I'm sure y'all discussed the Lumi House and the Rock School and everything else. But uh y'all are aware we we could fund money through the historical commission and then y'all could come up with projects that you need to do it. That's just the way to go back and look. I think we did give them money. Sir, you have gave you gave 20,000 just to start. Yeah. And I think Larry, there again, that was just okay. Let's see if we can let's see if we can save it. Yeah.

Is where we are on that. But I kind of hate to see that that guy. That was the only double dog trot structure, not just in this county, probably the only one in man. The oldest oldest in the state of Alabama. It's only only double dog trot in the state of Alabama. three in the United States. There's two now. Wow. One of them's in Arkansas and it's and we need to redo ours. So, back to three. But, you know, some yo-yo that'll burn down a covered bridge in Blunt County will burn down a water house in St. Clair. Yeah. That's that's full of kind of place to live and that's that's terrible situation that just happened.

So, judge, before you move on, I'll match your thous. Okay. I will too. There there's there's judge, you've started a wave. I'm good for that. Appreciate you. There you go. $3,000. Uh we've raised in just a minute or two. And and when David puts it in the newspaper, I still believe I believe we're going to have some other people around. I've already talked to one gentleman. He said, "Yeah, yeah, I believe I would donate to that. I believe get several." And Dave, don't put this in the paper, please. We won't put it online here too much, but uh Commissioner uh uh Parker here said he will match everybody that matches.

Well, well, long as long as Jud say Here we go. Here we go. You don't have a good thing I don't have my hearing aids in the right. But Mr. I think this this is great. Judge

Mr. Park and I have the same kind of hearing. Don't tell anybody now. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and this honorable commission. And the other thing I wanted to talk about is uh all this what I call body searching that goes on over at the courthouse in Pel City. I met with the sheriff uh the high sheriff himself uh yesterday and the district attorney and we we talked about this a little bit and uh as I was going in to the courthouse over Pel I parked out on the street and I walked up there's a boy up there with a cowboy hat on. I looked and I recognized him as an old boy that uh I used to work in the woods with many years ago. And uh we we got to chatting a little bit and I said, "What are you doing?" He he said, "My wife Joyce had to go into the courthouse or something." I said, "When why when you go in?" He said, "I don't like to be searched and uh all that stuff like they do over here at the at the courthouse in Pel City." and he started explaining the last time I was here they made me uh take off my belt and they made me do all this stuff and he said it it just didn't and I said well that's what I'm here to talk about today but anyway that was just just happened I didn't ask for it just it just happened you know and uh Mr. chairman, you probably I'm sure you remember all this got all this searching business got started uh years ago when we had a judge over in Atlanta who was assassinated. He was sitting on the bench and a prisoner

who was on trial shot and killed him. He died instantly, the best I can recall. Well, uh, that prisoner, of course, he wasn't supposed to have a gun, but where did he get the gun? He took a gun away from a law enforcement officer and then ran into the courtroom and shot and killed the judge. Well, that made some of our judges here in St. Fair County got to uh thinking about it, they decided that they they thought we ought they ought to be uh ought we ought to search people going into court, which is all right. I I'm I'm not opposed to uh searching anybody that goes into court. Now, it's it's that's reasonable, you know, because uh you do have a lot of liability being a judge. Of course, you got liability being the chairman of the county commission or commissioner, any any kind of there's always a certain amount of liability that you uh have to assume if you're going to be a political person or or even a private citizen. Always liability. So, we started searching people going into court and then some of our uh some people got to uh talking and think about it. just said, "Well, uh, maybe we, uh, we we need to start searching everybody that goes into the courthouse. Search them, you know, body search them, as I call it." So, we started searching the everybody that goes into court. You can't even carry a a pocketk knife into into the court. And I and I do have a pocketk knife on me right now. Is that against the rules here in this building?

Those are not in this building. Okay. You can stick people in this way. That's why I got my pistol. That's why we got our pistol. Right. You brought a knife to a gunfight here, Judge. My my knife. It was a gift from one of my old college roommates and and uh everything. So, uh we've never had a judge going to drop knives. Cut blades. Blades. There you go. Yeah,

they used to say, uh, oh, well, you made me lose my place there for a minute, Mr. Chairman, but we've never had a judge assassinated in the state of Alabama. Never. Uh, and uh certainly not one here in St. Clair County, but like I say, there's a liability if you want to be if you want to shoot a judge. And heaven forbid, of course, but all you got to do is catch him coming in or going out of the courthouse. That that'd be that'd be the way to do it, you know. But we don't do but that's not going to happen. That's there's a such a small chance of that happening that it's ridiculous. And some of the excuses I've heard. One is, well, we might have we might have a robbery at the courthouse. got a lot of cash got a lot of cash on hand uh in uh in the courthouse which is true uh lot a lot of money on hand but we have never had of course a robbery at the courthouse in Slair County. I'm not aware of a robbery in any courthouse in the state. Jesse James never even robbed a courthouse. People rob banks, which you don't even hear too much about that anymore. They mostly rob these little convenience stores, you know, because it's easier and quicker and everything. So, uh, so we we've never had a robbery, but I tell you what, we we have had some embezzling. We've had some embezzling through the years. We've had people go to prison from St. Clair County for stealing tax money. That's a bigger threat of course than than that's the reason we have state examiners you know. So anyway

and I don't understand why are some people searched and other people are not searched. I was standing in line to be searched at the courthouse in Pel City. I'm standing in line and I look over here and all these people are just walking through over here. Walking through and I'm said, "What? What?" I'm thinking, "What's going on here?" I'm standing in line to be searched. They just walking on through. What? How's it going that happen? Are we we search everybody or just a few people? In fact, if we're going to search one person, we need to search everybody. And I had somebody tell me one time, "Well, lawyers are exempt." That's what somebody told me. Surely that can't be true. But uh anyway, nobody should be exempt if we spoke if we everybody's supposed to be searched. Let's search everybody. you know, over there at that Birmingham airport, even the pilots and the flight attendants, they're they're searched also. You know, there there's no waving, going through going through there. None of that going on over there. They search everybody if you're going to get on that airplane. And that's the way it should be here. If we're going to search one, search them all. And what I would like to see, of course, is the way it started out. If we just back up 10 feet, we'd still be searching the uh people that go into court. If the circuit clerk or the district

attorney wants their customers searched, we can fix it where that uh they have to we can search those customers. But the people that want to buy tags for the cars or pay their land taxes or buy their fishing or hunting license or renew their driver license, let them go. Now, I've looked around. I've been to Taliga County. Now, when you go to Taliga County, if you're going into court, you're going to be searched in Taliga County. But if you go into the get your driver license or your tag or buy your fishing license, you're not you're not searched. You just walk into the courthouse in Tallaladega on the square over there. Walk in and do your business and you walk out. Calhoun County, same way. You know, I I go over there to the uh veteran service office every once in a while. I've taken several veterans over there to uh to to consult with those folks. They're very helpful. You're not body searched. You just walk in to a veteran service office. Sit down. But there is a deputy down there out there at the front door and he's sitting there giving directions to people. He Yeah. Yeah. That's right down the hall. Go down there and see. No problem. Renew your driver license. Edawal County. Same way. Same way. If you're going into court, you're going to be searched. But if you're just going to get your driver license or tags or probate court,

you're not searched. I've been in Bobby Juncan before he retired. I had friend of mine had a case up there and wanted me to go with him. So, I did. We just walked right in to Bob Bobby Juncan's courtroom. Ain't nobody even mention anything about searching us, you know, in Blunt County. Probably my favorite one. when you walk in Blunt County Courthouse, walk in the front door and immediately you see great big old deputy sitting at a desk, you know, and he he's not bothering anybody or anything just sitting there. And when I say great big old deputy, I mean, but he he he he's not as big as Moose now. Don't not quite that big, but he's big. And he's sitting there just with and it just the message comes out. If anybody wants to do anything uh funny or illegal, you're going to have to deal with me, you know, and that's all we need here in St. Clair County at the courthouse in Pel City. Just a deputy sitting there at the at a desk would be all that we'd need here. Oh, how much money are we spending on this? You got any idea how much money that we spent on this so-called security?

Not right off.

Yeah. Well, okay. Well, uh, that's about it. Uh, Mr. Chairman, that's about that's about all I got. And uh but I tell you that the people of St. Clair County don't like it. It's an insult to the dignity of the people of St. Clair County. And that's the uh what I wanted to talk about this morning and I sure do appreciate the time and everything. Judge, I I I as chairman, I thank you for keeping this in front of us as a discussion. I really do. Uh I know some people say, "Oh Lord, here we're going to talk about this again." But uh as long as there are some citizens concerned about that process being uh infringing on their freedoms, uh then it's something we do need to keep in front of us as a discussion. And so I appreciate you bringing that forward again because there are people that are offended about having to be searched to go buy their fishing and hunting license, for instance. and and their citizens like everybody else. So, I appreciate you bringing that up. As such, the the the system has evolved over there in a certain way. And uh at one point we did talk about the uh the reason that it even started up. Uh I I think I think one of my concerns was uh all the money spent on a security vestibu so to speak as you come in and back then I'm thinking how many people got married on the steps of this courthouse that are now covered up in a security vestibu and uh uh so there are there are some concerns about how we handle the security of the of the court system. The court system itself is under I think we're still under an edict from the chief justice of the Supreme Courts Alabama Supreme Court to provide security for court and uh that but you're right that area

where that security is and the level of it uh is up to the county commission to provide in working with the especially the sheriff to provide security. So, it's something that I I think that that it needs to stay in front of us. We need to be aware of it and we need to be as flexible and unoffensive in that process as we possibly can. So, thank you for bringing that. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir. Secret cleric commission. Always an honor. Yes, ma'am. Got the we got the circuit clerk back there and uh where she has a vested interest in this. Her office as you come in the courthouse city is just turned to the left. It's right there. So, can I say something?

Sure.

So, we have not had any of our judges shot or stabbings or anything like that. And I attribute that to the fact that we do have security. And I think a lot of people don't realize uh and I'm respectfully disagreeing a little bit, okay? But um I don't think a lot of people realize that the people that we deal with in the clerk's office are the same people that are in the courtrooms. And we're not just taking papers in and filing those papers. Um there are people that come to our window with everything from domestic violence, protection from abuse, and active warrants. What are we going to do with these people that have active warrants if we don't have some security to help us? And um a lot of the people that come in there and and one of our main concerns is where our people come that we have to deal with is shared by the people that are buying tags and fishing license and going to pay their taxes. And my 89year-old mom goes in to buy tags right over here behind her are those people that they're not happy to be there. And a lot of them um have violent tendencies. And our deputies that have sat out there and have these people go through have found everything from knives, guns, even a hatchet before. And over here in Asheville, and it has not been too long ago, and it's not just criminals, we had a lady come in and she had her son with

her who was mentally challenged. And he got out of hand and and went for her throat to choke her. We had deputies that because they were watching the screens already saw what was coming. We didn't have to call anybody. They came up there to help her. It's not as much our protection as it is the people that are out in Pel City in that hallway shared with the people buying tax and everything else. And you think about times have changed from years ago. I mean, if you think back even in our school systems, we all went to school. None of us had SRO's. They do now. And a lot of that detours a lot of the people coming in with these weapons that could harm anyone in the courthouse. And our office, the people that are coming in there, like I said, is shared the hallways. And you can't really divide when you've got somebody standing at our window. all they got to turn do is turn around and they're right there with the people that are buying car tags. And you know, our main concerns are and it does make it easier on us when we do have um those deputies that are out there and I haven't ever seen them um you do go through the scanner but they haven't harassed people and they diffuse situations. They don't create situations and we're thankful to have them. And I really feel like that for the safety and security, it might be a little bit um it might be a little costly. It might be a

little bit of an inconvenience, but at the same time, we're talking about our people's safety, security, and the potential of someone's life being saved just by the mere fact that they went through the scanner and a weapon has been found. And so that's that is a concern of mine and I think a lot of people that are within all of our offices, not just mine. So that's all I was going to say. Thank you so much. That's a commissioners have any comments they want to make? In either way, thank you.

That's the two sides of the coin here that we're looking at. And uh uh Frank, I wish we was in the good old days. Not sure what those are, but I wish was in the good old days. Uh but we do have to be concerned about about

both directions. And uh the Slair County Commission has two major responsibilities. I've gone over these before. One of them is the security of the citizens through the sheriff's department. We're required to run the jail. And and that used to be a lot simpler than it is now. Security of the citizens and their well-being has been broadened so much. That's still the county's responsibility to furnish. We're required to adequately fund the sheriff's department, but the county commission is not by law allowed to dictate what level of that security is. It goes through the sheriff working with the court system and the DA. So, yeah, there's probably some things we pay extra money on that we might not have chosen to do early on. Uh, but it's been dictated by the change in times, by the change in the responsibility. we did not have the mental health issue that we've got today. The the biggest mental health officer in the in counties now is that guy sitting right back there that runs to jail. The next biggest mental health officer in this county is the probate judge, which used to be judge when he was probate judge, you didn't handle a whole lot of mental cases because we had a state system. We don't even have a state system anymore. So, we're struggling today. What do we do with the mental health issue? And and that's an unknown. We don't even know what that is. How How do I know? How did y'all know that if I hadn't taken my medicine this morning, I might be a little bit offensive?

Sometimes I'm offensive even when I take my medicine. Don't you don't have to tell them that. Uh but I keep extra pills.

He does. He gets a good extra pill or what or he kicks me. But it it is a different world and we long for the good old days in some respects. So I I appreciate both of y'all for bringing the different perspectives to this. It is something that I think it's important to us to keep in front of us to make sure that we monitor how we're doing this and to uh do this in the best way possible. Thank both y'all for your comments on that. Okay. And and I didn't recognize Ashley Thompson yet with our St. Clair County Extension Service. She's over there in baseball courthouse and she's running a really good program over there and we're proud of what you're doing. Uh got my newsletter this past week and a lot of information in on the 4 program and I'm still pushing pushing 4 and FFA and a programs for these kids produce more work ethics benefits than anything I can think of. And that is another one of the responsibilities of the county government. We spend millions of dollars soliciting the company to come to St. Clair County to build a factory and then we can't even furnish them employees because a big chunk of them don't know how to get up on time, don't know how to read and write and really don't care to. They'd rather be on their telephone. And your program is very important in that respect. Whatever else you do, we're you know that's what y'all do a lot of things, but that's one of your programs that I'm just completely sold on and I thank you for what you do there.

Thank you. And we've got a new agent starting in a week. So for that. Yes. Yes. All right. Hopefully we've got even more going on. Well, we'll we'll see if we can't accommodate that program then. Thank you for what you do. Okay. Moving on now. Now Dan Donkeyy's not here, but but Blake's here and actually we actually went we we've had the the B team here a lot. Now we've got the A team. Blake is C.

There you go. He's he's the one they turn to to actually get things done. The other ones draw and you talk and that kind of stuff kind of like me. But when when it comes to getting the work done out there, Blake is very efficient at that. Would you a sergeant in the Marine Corps? Not that you could have been. I tell you that right now. Anybody? Okay. This is the engineers report. Thank you, Stan.

All right. We got two paving contractors in the county right now. Um Charlie Watts is putting a scrub seal and APS is coming behind him covering them up. Charlie did County Road 33 Thursday. Logan Martin Dam Road yesterday. They're on Pope Chapel the east half of it today. They'll be on Wolf Creek Road South tomorrow and then Tunnel Mountain after that. Is all of that scrub sealed? That's all scrub sealed. Will we come back on any of those with any other paving or is that going to be scrub sealed? APS is covering it up on 33 today. Okay.

Hopefully they'll finish that tomorrow and they'll probably go to Pope Chapel after that, but I don't know. Some roads after they told me that they would cover every bit of it up before they left. Some roads once we get through just the scrub seal itself, it it it it's as nice just about as an asphalt road, but some of the bigger busier roads we actually put another surface on. Then you go to striping and even that's a lot of things. Some striping is our kind of striping which what we put 4 inch down what but certain roads require now 6 in striping. Some of it they're a little more proud of than others.

There you go. Thermal plastics very expensive with reflectors in the road. Wish they could all be that way but a lot of things a lot of things factor in. They're not wide enough for one thing. So but appreciate what y'all are doing on those. We got our base crew out in front of them clipping shoulders back, knocking off the pavement markers. Got our paving crew. They're on Tunnel Mountain today milling and filling any mashed out bad places. So basically right now we're just trying to stay in front of the the contractors. Okay. Still got a base crew down on Sandy Road building pads for Power trying to keep Sandy Road open. How close are we on getting that project? I know you've struggled with since

this past week. We got about a week left and then that's about all I can do. Okay. It's coming. you've been over. I'm sure they they'll probably have four or five left that ain't nothing I can do. They It's coming along and and one good thing about they getting the word out there about I've been looking at the I've got they sent me a thing the other day on times and and possibly periods of time the road be

probably going to be a couple weekends but we've got it down to that. pretty smooth what we thought originally over there. So I think by having a meeting with them and going over there and us meeting with them looking at the stuff we did and us on some places I think it's worked out great. One of those things that's going to happen the quicker it can happen be done better.

Yeah. Just get it over with. um they would like to consider agreement with First Step or the company that grades our roads for the fiscal year 26. It's in the amount of 52,000 and it's already in the current budget. I might mention too, I actually uh you know, it's our political season. Uh but I might mention I heard a I heard a a person the other day in the political process say, you know, we're paying a chunk of money out some people to grade our roads to give us a grade and to inspect our roads and you know, why don't uh why don't we do all that? Why don't we write? Well, we do that. But some of our roads are required to have just like at striping is required to be a specific kind by federal law so we can get grant money. Uh we have to do this on our roads. We when we say grade, we're not grading with motorator. We're giving it a grade and that grade's very important and it's a it's a specific process. It is an engineering process.

Well, it doesn't hurt to have somebody from outside look at them too to make you make sure you're not missing something. Not to mention they video them. I mean, I've got videos of all the roads. It helps us with liability. It helps us with our plans to resurface and everything. So, it's very much worth the effort to get a professional team in to actually uh drive all over our roads and give us an estimate of their what they think it need. Uh they'd like to consider the agreement with the regional planning commission for an apple grant. You want to handle that? Let's handle that first. We need we need to do that one first. Got a recommendation for an agreement with first step data stream for the FY uh 26 to entertain a motion to approve that.

So have a motion probably moved and second that we spend the amount of $52,000 first step data stream for FY26 uh road inspection process. So 670 mi rightway is inspected for that amount of money. Yeah. They do they do the city.

So that's we appreciate that. And if we go if we go ask for money and Don's group helps us with Candace is real big on our grants. They they'll throw a little surprise at you. What's that road graded as? Well, you better know what that is. That helps us really get grant money. Regional planning commission get money from regional commission different things. So that that process is very important. It's a new process but everything we do every time we turn around I think it's very important. Any more discussion on it? No. All in favor say I. All oppose. No. M post motion carries.

Consider the agreement with the region planning commission for an Apple grant to study and plan to relocate intersection of Sandy Road and Argo Margaret Road. Total cost being $74,9207 with the county's portion being $14,9845. So, for $14,9845, the county gets a uh regional planning commission uh grant application set up for an Apple grant. So, I do have a motion. Second. Probably moved and second. Any discussion? All in favor say I. All oppose. No. Motion carries. I'd like to consider the recommendation of Andy Olsen for the vacant sign chief position.

Heard the recommendation. Have a motion. Have a second. Second. Probably moved and second. Any discussion? That's another place. Signs, the sign chief and the sign team used to they just went out and drove up a pole, put a sign on it. Now the signs have to have a certain reflectivity and we have to have a date on the back of every sign. So you know when it was put there and it has to be put a certain distance across out from the pavement and certain height

certain height that all of these this sign chief guy used to go out there with a sledgehammer and a post and put up a sign now then it's quite uh complicated but it's required if we're going to get the federal money and counties that are not doing this are not getting their share of the state and federal money they should be getting because they hadn't jumped through those hoops. So have recommendation uh with that. Any u uh we got a first and second. First and second. Any other discussion? All in favor say I. All those no. Motion carries.

All right. So last week there were no bids received for the public work bid 2026 25. That's the Wolf Creek cleanup project. They got one bid but it was 15 minutes late and couldn't accept it. So without any timely bids, we're requesting authorization to proceed to negotiate procurement as authorized and Alabama Public Works bid law. The plan is to reach out to contractors that attended the pre-bid meeting. They checked with the NRCS and they're in agreement with that. Okay. Yes, sir. That's that's the way to proceed.

That is the process. Okay. Uh that's the process. We will reach out for quotes then to do that job. Uh the NRCS is a federal agency that's going to help us clean up the debris, storm debris uh in is that Wolf Creek? Wolf Creek Wolf Creek Road. Okay. Uh entertain a motion to approve that process. Second. Properly moved and second. Uh any discussion? All in favor say I. All oppose. No. Motion carries to do that process. And they would like to consider awarding the public works bid 2026-35 for the equipment storage building to Jones Contracting for $275,697.

Yeah, we know we know it's a lot more than it used to be. And this is a this is not a pole barn, though. This is a steel frame building very similar to our arena, wouldn't you say, Bob? Yep. Red iron got told by the material price will come up 30% 30% of that sewer line PVC P 30%. And it will stay there until something sells with fuel

anything to do with patrol. Well, I I'm I'm betting on the president opening up the the straight of Hormuz or whatever you call that place over there and we're just going to have so much oil flowing in here. Won't know what to do with we make more plastic pipe. But you you probably not in favor of plastic pipe anyway of having retired from say you got to have that built. Uh so have a motion to award public works project to uh Jones Contracting 275697 for the equipment storage shed which is a long steel building that we're going to be able to build uh our construction equipment and road department. I second

properly moved and seconded. Any more discussion on that? I appreciate the commissioners working on this and getting this ready for bid like that and y'all's process out there also. So I think this is going to be a big addition to what we knew the council out there has. Yeah. Okay. Any other discussion? All in favor say I. All oppose. No. Motion car. That's all I got. Come in Thursday. Any questions from the commissioners for Blake? I know. Thank you. Thank you again. Second shift here. Is this the second shift? He was with Judge James Hill this week. We wear out we wear out attorneys, you know, pretty fast around here.

We We give them a lot of challenges on whether or not this is legal. We only going to pay for one of y'all. Fair enough. Fair enough. Thank you, uh, Phil Cwire. Thank you, chairman. Thank Thank you, Commissioner and Tina Special. Okay. Now then you Tina, they had to bring in the big guns for your report. Not sure what that's saying about you, but uh we'll know here in just a minute. Uh commissioners, you have a copy of the administrator's report in your file, so we'll refer to that.

Okay. I'm going to put item one and two together. We had um approved an agreement with Terara Engineering LLC on February the 10th and we need to amend that agreement um and change the amount from $2,500 to $7,250. And since then, Terra has also provided um plan amount of where he went out and inspected the property. And chairman, you might want to speak on that, but um

we received a copy of the plans and drawing of the property and uh since he wasn't uh able to engineer a project out there because his recommendation is I can engineer it and charge you this other money, but right now you need to check on putting the sewer out there, which we've done. So, we're moving on towards the sewer line and uh would this be a time y'all y'all actually met with some of them out there and talk about that sewer line? So, we're Yes, we met here actually last Thursday. Great. That's great. So, it might be either as cheap or cheaper

and it definitely be better for us to end up on Oldville sewer system instead of putting an on-site system out there, but we know that for sure. We have a report and that report and that process cost us $7,200 is the amended version of this. Correct. So, the request is just to amend the agreement to change the amount from 14,500 to 7,250. All right. Have a motion and a second. Any more discussion? All in favor say I. All those. No. Motion carries. Thank you. Next item is justformational item for the minutes. Public transportation director Janet Smith has hired four new drivers. Johnny Culver, Johnny Deose, Debose, Jacqueline Gunnison, and Laura Spratlin.

Okay. That's in our public transportation program. All of our drivers out there are listed as parttime. Parttime. Yes, sir. And uh but that program has been an excellent program and continues to be under the leadership of uh uh Janet Smith and and her assistant Janet Smith and Janet Smith. Janet and Janet.

Yeah. So uh we appreciate that program out there and it is really uh contrary to what the chairman thought it was going to be at the time. It's a pretty good program. I was afraid we was going to have empty buses sitting all over the county, nobody on them. But that program has been great for senior citizens. People going to the doctor. It's just one of those programs that I hate federal programs. I was always leery, but I have to say that our team money made a made a good program out of it. So, thank you for that. All right.

Next item is going to be anformational item. Also, John Meyers, um, one of our city employees, his office is in Pel City in the basement beside the elevators. L Crow is going to put up a wall for him to divide his supplies, make them organized, and make an office space in the amount around $600. Put an interior wall, the door, and that sort of thing. Yeah. Yes, sir. So, that's justformational. And next one is to consider adopting a resolution for Confeder Confederate Memorial Day.

Okay, this is this is actually Confederate Memorial Month, I think, as such and we traditionally do this every year. This county has a really deep Confederate history. Uh so with that, I'd entertain a motion to to adopt the resolution honoring Confederate Memorial Day. Motion second. Probably moved and second. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. All oppose. No. Motion carries. Okay.

Okay. And the next the rest of the items is justformational. The mayor's breakfast city of Moody is Tuesday, April the 21st at the Moody Civic Center. Children's Place lunchon will be held at the Beacon Building of First United Methodist Church in Pel City at 11:30. We need on April the 21st 11:30 to 1. That big. Yeah. Yes, we do. That's a good cause right there. The vocal annual blood drive is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. until 400 pm at the fell city courthouse April the 24th. Vocal is a victim's assistance program through the district attorney's office and they're having a blood drive. You remember what that was? Yeah.

Okay. Meridian waste purchased a routing software to aid drivers during their routes. As a result of the new software, some customers may experience a change in their collection day. The changes go in effect on Monday, May the 4th. I'd like to point out that I I really appreciate our staff. We have particular staff people assigned to uh answer uh questions and issues that come up about the waste collection. St. Clair County contracts for unincorporated area uh household solid waste collection. And the bigger the county gets, the more complicated that process gets to be. and uh they they regularly miss people uh because of the same calls all the time.

One of the reasons I think too is everybody is having trouble with um employees. How do you keep employees working and so they have a turnover big turnover in companies like that. So one guy that's about time he gets used to a route he gets offered for a better job somewhere else he leaves me have to train another one. So part of it is that part of it is just the complications of delivering uh household solid waste garbage service in an unincorporated area where it may be a long way between houses that you pick up and who's we don't have mandatory. So who has service and who doesn't? So we we we constantly miss people on that on that route. So they've uh actually purchased some routing software. Hopefully that'll assist with that process. two last week. Yeah,

we get the report week. Next item is just a reminder. If you have not filled out your economic development interest, um do it by April the 30th. All elected officials and employees of a certain category have to fill out a statement of economic interest due by April 30th. Judge, when you retire, do you still have to fill those out? And can you get away from that now?

I think uh no, you don't have to fill. In other words, you had filled yours out, so you probably don't have to. I don't I think when you retire, you don't. Now, uh all government employees though have to fill out a statement of economic interest uh so that we can keep up with with our uh government employees and officials and where where they're actually uh making their money. So, that's that's a good process. Okay, that's all I have, chairman, unless y'all have any questions for me. Question for the commission from the commission for Tina. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Tina. You're welcome.

Okay. Moving on now to Kurt Walker. He got here just in time for the report report from the county attorney. I don't have anything really to report. Well, now the other guy did. Do you want to give report? So, I've I've reached out. I have not made contact yet, but um but I want to know that. Thank you. Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you, Kirk, for what you do on on a daily basis just like everything else we do. The uh we deal with our county attorney now uh a lot a lot.

And uh and it's not just the commissioner and it's not just the administrator, it's the entire staff, it's the probate judge, it's the sheriff, it's the jail, it's central dispatch. So, we we deal with the county attorney a lot more than we did a few years ago, and we thank y'all for what y'all do. So, y'all y'all so far, you kept uh most of our commissioners out of trouble and all of them out of jail. That's pretty good. You're not going to get a 30% increase. No.

Okay, moving on now to the report by the chairman. Uh uh I think uh I've we've had great reports from the other people today and we thank you for that. Um, do we have everything we need down for Freddy? I need to plug him into that particular part. If you want to plug him into the item number seven.

Item number seven. Me read that. I'll just read that. Freddy, you want I'll tell you what it is first before you just come up here and start talking to number nine. You told me that really without these two. Did they glue these together? Just on purpose for me. Item number nine, consider request Billy Murray to add and hire two telecommunication positions to train for future changes. This will require a budget amendment. Now, is there is there any kind of announcement you need to make today or

Yeah, we just want to see if we get I mean after you get that out here start. Okay, give you a copy of the letter and the job description did for There you go. The job description was older like 1993. So, we did it. So, made it more up to date. We'll make sure that it's up to date and we'll re remand the job description. Our attorney make sure it has all the legal things. We hadn't done that yet, but we'll we'll if we adopt it, we can adopt it subject review by the county attorney and staff. It would need to add it like consider revising job description and the name of the job description pending the county attorney's review and payroll division review. Okay. We can work with Jennifer Miranda in our payroll division on the job description. Okay.

If y'all choose to do that. What's led to all this? Freddie getting ready to train you. Captain tell us what retiring. Yeah. What? That's what it Freddy Tarantine is our uh telecommunications director and he he is retired or retiring.

Uhhuh. You know, a few months in in advance, but he's got one of those jobs that I don't we we know we can't just go out on the street or we can't even go in house to our deputies and say we're gonna replace Freddy just like the same situation when Bill Richvowski was here. It's that dispatch has become a very technical position also and Freddy is in charge of the dispatch center which also handles all of our 911 communications. Um uh and and Freddy's going to be leaving us. He's he's been here he says long enough and he's ready to retire and we're we're going to have to bring some people in to train in that position prior to Freddy leaving you. he'll train his replacement that's chosen by the sheriff as such that position uh but it's it's it's funded according to the county commission's uh requirements there so I set the stage for that freedom and we'll have a discussion about your retirement later on that's what's precipitated this

yeah and it's been needed for a while uh when I was there in 96 we had four four uh assistants or whatever supervisors and now we just have we have four still, but we need back then we had three shifts and a fourth they call shift supervisor shift floor supervisor. So that will help with with this transition also and with picking up leads possibly a lot of training going on stuff that really help them and help me a lot now going to four. We have four going to five and that's the that's the request and that's what the hold up will be and what what do we need to do on that? What part are you talking about now? You talking about number nine talking about the two the agenda. It's not on there. It's it's something plugged in with this letter.

Y'all choose to if we have to amend the agenda, add this for ahead. Which request we talking about now? Two requests on here. It's hiring a supervisor, floor supervisor, and the money part of it topped out people 38 an hour difference in the pay for the So to update everybody, we got this request from Freddy on Friday of last week after Thursday's work session. So, I was going to request for it to be on the next work session after but we wanted to bring it up today because of the other things coming up and then not taking action today means we can table till next meeting. That gives us two weeks

or whatever the next meeting in two weeks that gives us two Well, we're going to change that. No, not this one. Not this one. Not that word. So, that give us two weeks then to table it. So, we'll table it to time specific. We got to entertain a motion to table action on creating that position for two weeks. Have a motion? I got that motion right here. You have that promptly moved and second that we table. No discussion on table motion and it'll be done and then you discuss it in the house. I think we need to add it to the agenda first because it's none agenda yet. We need to amend the agenda. Entertain motion to amend the agenda to add this to the agenda. So motion properly moved and second. All favor say I.

All post no. It is now on the agenda. Now then entertain a motion to table it on the agenda. So second property move second to table this legally though puts it in our records in our minutes and it'll be on the agenda then too. That'll give us two weeks to look at this. If you have any questions call me. Let me mention before you leave and I know there's no discussion on it as such but just so everybody knows it only increases to go from a telecommunicator to this position is $1.38 an hour. So it's not like we're adding some big big up. Go ahead and talk about number seven, Freddy. All right. Number seven. Can we go back to this one? So Freddy, what we got to talk about on this when we get together, but

you can bring it in then we can talk because they've got another work session to go through then. Go ahead and explain to everybody on a sudden you got a thing in front of you. That's where I'm retired and get temporary. Go ahead and go ahead and explain that how that works. Well, I told the sheriff I was retiring. He agreed that we need to put get somebody that he's going to appoint in in this position and make me a temporary training captain to train the new person for five. Your position will be a temporary training captain. Yes. Mine's the same. Same page. Yes. And then whoever the new person is will be in that position as I train him and when we get done training when I when I leave off the books in December and this position goes away. Right. That's right.

Well, we good. Main thing let me say something on this. We got to get somebody else in that position because it takes you can't learn Freddy's job overnight. It's gonna take months and months to learn this what all he does. And the other thing I've talked to Freddy about is he's willing to come January after he retires, come January, he's willing to step in and help us. Yeah. With that. So, uh, we're going to need it because they've only people don't realize since we have had central dispatch, we've only had two people that's ever run that facility.

Bill Fowski and when he retired Freddy, they've only been two people that just run this whole system in all the years it's been there.

And and we we're different from almost every other county in Alabama. Our central dispatch is our 911 center. And therein is the complication. 911 requirements under federal and state laws requires that a 911 call taker, they're not even call dispersectors, has certain qualifications. One of those is they have to be able to do CPR over the telephone. You know, it's it's a it's but those are requirements. If you're going to get 911 money under these guidelines, you have to do those things. So, our dispatchers are 911 call takers and their end is what's bumped it up to be so complicated. But their screens are monitored uh for the NCIC system, which is the National Crime Information Center. That's a restricted screen. You can't just you can't just walk into Central Dispatch and start reading stuff on the screen. Judge, that is one of those things. It is it's it's it's not public record. It's literally protected because of sensitive things that might be on there about juveniles, about uh all kinds of things now that the law has required us to basically make private

right in the dispatch program. So that position does that. Is the deputy in number seven hiring any deputies in my place? Yeah, we're going on. That's number eight that you while we there. We're going to go on down seven, eight, nine. So all this ties together. So So the sheriff would like to hire a deputy at the at the when he moved somebody up. Move somebody up. That's going to leave the deputy slot open. He'd like to go and replace that place that slot now. And I'll take a budget amendment. Sure. There you go. Number nine.

And the two telecommunicators we talked about earlier uh in the week. Me and the chairman's got to go to Blunt County to uh Thursday morning to meet with the 911 board up there and then we know for sure what the process is. It takes 6 to 8 months to train a telecommunicator. Yes, sir.

Uh anyway, they go through a lot of training to be able to to to meet the minimum requirements to to be a 911 uh call taker. Uh, I would like for us to hold off on those two positions there. Again, table it to time specific because we've got to meet with Blunt County. We don't I know that sounds confusing, y'all. We're going to start dispatching leads. So, we got to go meet with Blunt County.

Well, believe it or not, Blunt County 911 dispatches leads. Some kind of arrangement that was happened years ago. 911. The leads 911 is the telecommunicators for that are in Blunt County and this is a process to try to move them more over here under our where our area is and it's complicated because how you have to move 911 money and leads pays Blunt County. They're going to pay us. So if you will, I'd ask that we table that for two weeks specific just like the other before. All right. So number nine is I make the motion to table. All right. And I second that.

Probably moved to second to table that. Yeah. Number eight is go back. All right. All in favor say I. All right. Go back to number seven. Go ahead and vote on it. 78. That's right. Yeah. All right. I'll make a motion on number seven. I'll second that motion. Probably moved to second. Any discussion?

That is to hire. We've tried to discuss. I've had some people say we don't like you to just say number seven. We don't know what it is. Well, we just went over what all is retirement. Yeah. All in favor say I. All post, no. Motion carries. Number eight. Have a motion to uh to approve number eight, which is to consider request to add and hire one deputy sheriff position. This will require a budget amendment. So, this will require budget amendment also. It includes that. That's right. Motion a second. All on favor say I. All those? No. Motion carries. Okay. And it's also National Telecommunicator Week if you get your chance to talk. That's right. Go by and tell.

And we also want to mention that that you he has done a phenomenal job with our radio. We've been there 8.5 million dollars. You're the one million took us 8.5 million. Radio still pay. That's the cheapest I've ever asked for $138 an hour. That's the cheapest I ever when you come back the first year. We still appreciate Okay. What a salesman. Thank you. Appreciate you. Are you going into sales at Sears Robuck?

Okay. Well, back now to the back now. I had a long report. I'm so sorry. Mr. Brown's uh not here today. Mr. Ricky Parker, your report.

Well, talk a little bit about mine, which I try to keep up with. Alabama fire stuff going on on Sandy Road over there. get out the citizens when they going to be at lane blockage and all that and Margaret's really done a real good job with that get out there on Facebook. I thank them thank you because they really stepped up to help them keep from closing the road down 6 hours. So we've come down and help another project down there on 411 cur road. Will you ever hear anything back to state on that? Do you know whether or not they give them permission to go ahead and start back to work?

No, I haven't been involved in that, Ricky. Well, we got down there. We got 41 cur road where we put in turn lines. We moved the water lines. We had to put a pipe in under the road. Not being real happy with the pipe after put that pipe in under road down there. I'm going back down today to see if they fixed that. They piled up a bunch of dirt. The only complaint I've had was from some politicians that they hid their signs. We need that. We need that dirt. They took they put we get more dirt.

They cut cut had to cut under four and put a pipe in because we adding adding three lanes down. We had turn anyway. They took put the pipe in. Well, they dumped them some cold mix down there and it took a a bobcat just took Bobcat go up there and dump it and just spread it with Bobcat. Well, guess what happens after? It gets hard. No, but it sinks. And people running down through there 50 mph. Well, guess what? Yeah. Down the hole. Well, one side of it, they left a big pile of it. Look like a speed burger. They put a spring burger out right out there. So, they went back down there yesterday, cleaned all that out. So, they don't try to refix it. So, I'm going back today and see if they got it fixed.

Can I tell the politicians they're going to be moving that dirt? They're going to move all this. the the dirt in front of the politician signs. Oh, no. They ain't moving. No dirt. Do y'all know what those signs cost? Now a two foot by 4 foot sign cost if it's two-sided cost $47 plus two post to put it in. Cost another five. That's $52 for one sign. Judge, remember when we were running, we had a little cardboard sign. We stapled it on a stick. Yeah. You're the last politician in St. Fair County to use paceboard sign. Paceboard sign. That's right. Got 6,000 1986.

But anyway, that's basically basically about all my report is is very busy. Very busy district, Bob. Very busy. He needs an assistant commission. Yeah, I know. I need secretary. But I was just going to point out to Blake, you know, we talk about the big rideways and all, but I've gotten more compliments from Pine Mountain. That's not it. And they are tickled to death with what y'all done for them. They're outline, but hey, it doesn't go unnoticed. Good news. Yeah. So, they're tickled. Thank y'all. And Commissioner M's report. That's about it. Appreciate y'all.

Commissioner Stevens is under the weather today. All righty. Great. Uh, moving on to no business. There is no old business to take care of new business. We'll move right into that. Consider rescheduling the Thursday, May the 7th, work session in Asheville, uh, due to the ACA, that's the Association of County Administrators of Alabama's conference, who which is also lined up with the Association of County Engineers Conference. They finally instead of scattering these out where everybody got to go this week, 3 weeks later go to another one, they put those together and they overlap. So, uh, so you'll see us moving some things around to make sure we accommodate the engineers and administrative staff for their conferences. Uh, part of their conference includes, uh, uh, continuing education, uh, credits for them to keep their certifications. Uh, so the work session will be rescheduled Tuesday, May the 12th at 9:00 a.m. in Asheville. Uh is that the one that we will also have a discussion on subdivision regulations today?

23rd. 23rd this coming April Thursday week. Okay. There we go. So this one is a regular move. Resched Thursday May the 7th to Tuesday May 12th. Right. Then a regular meeting. There we go. Can take a motion. So second proper moved and second. All favor say I. I. All motion carries. out of two. Consider approval of proposal from Privatizer Technologies LLC to repair and replace commission office check printer in the amount of $919. We need to pay $919. So we can print checks. Motion motion and a second. All in favor say I.

All oppose. No. Motion carries. I'm not missing something. Are they on there for their good? Yes, sir. Okay. Item item three, consider adopting resolution 202622 recognizing April 2026 as fair housing month. And that is because we get CDBG grants. CDBG money fair housing month. Do I have a motion to adopt that resolution? Motion.

Second. Probably moved and second. Any discussion? Yes, there's some discussion as there always is with me. I'm so sorry. Fair Housing Month reminds us of the Fair Housing Act out of Congress that really restricts on what we may or may not want to do on sub. That correct? That's right.

There are certain things you can restrict people from doing on their own private property. There's other things you cannot. Uh, somebody says, "Well, we don't want any more of these cookie cutter houses with the thieves touching." And you might ought to wait and see what the federal law says you can do to have subdivision regulations that puts restrictions on a person that owns his own land. Can he put houses on his own land that the roof lines are touching? Maybe so, but it's not just don't just do it. You have to jump through certain hoops. And part of that has to do with the Fair Housing Act. Did I Did I set that up? Kurt, honestly enough. Okay. So, this is fair housing month uh resolution. I have a motion in a second. All in favor say I. All no. Motion carries. Item four. Squest. Do I want to plug that in on the Oh, you already did.

Yes, sir. Number four, consider request probate judge Andrew Weatherington renew the municipal voting contracts for three years pending review of the county attorney. I have a motion. Motion second. Probably moved and second. U any discussion on that? All in favor say I. All oppose. No. Motion carries. Uh item five. Consider request IT manager Glenn Morgan to renew the think guard contract for three years in the amount of $49,21.68. This provides a service to back up the commission offic's server which carries a lot of load. Right.

Yes sir. Okay, this is a backup for that server. We do not want to lose that uh information and in today's world where information is stolen, this kind of helps to keep that from happening. So, we have a backup for that. Have a motion. Have a second. Second.

Move to second. Any discussion? All in favor say I. Oppose. No. Motion carries. Item six. s request Sheriff Billy Murray to approve contract with Clear View in the PR-rated amount of $7,000 pending the county attorney's review facial recognition tools that allow for the potential identification of suspects within surveillance images and videos. The differentiator of Clear View versus Biometrica is in Clear View's ability to compare images beyond those of jail booking photos via social media, news media, etc. In today's world of AI, if uh you better go get your face fixed or something if you're going to commit a crime because if you went through a red light that had this, we done got your image. Is that right, Mr. Jaylor back there? We definitely had it when you went into jail. But I know that's an infringement on privacy, but it sure has helped catch a lot of criminals. And uh it's it's surprising how many criminals that we've got a I'm not going to say where it is, but we've got a couple of cameras that have told us there's a criminal we have warrants on located in such and such parking lot. We run out there and get him and he may have been a child rapist. He's on out on a warrant. We missed him. But if it's identified those felony people and we don't we don't go out and grab up somebody that's innocent. We only grab up somebody that this has tagged and we verify there's an active warrant for that person. So, it's a complicated world. No, I don't understand it, but I do know that it's helped get some criminals off the street that we're getting used to. Have a motion.

That is a budget amendment. It's not on there. $7,000. That's an upgrade to what the sheriff's doing now on his facial recognition. All right. Uh any discussion? All in favor say I.

All oppose. No. Motion carries. We handle 789. Number 10. Consider a request from jail administrator Philip Bernard who's back there in the back. Philip, appreciate you being here to approve a contract with Key Track in the amount of $3,959.80 per year. The Key Track system stores keys tracks the checkout of keys minimum uh it maintains an audit system for security full key control infrastructure system for the jail. This will also require budget amendment of $3,959.80. Have a motion? So, second. Probably moved and second. Philip, you have any comments on that? Now, that's just for your keys, right?

No, we also use it for our spare cars and things like that. So, we have two boxes, but our keys that we've got in a key office here, a key closet. That's not part of it, is it? No. Okay. Could it be? It could be. Yes. The system can be expanded.

This may be something we look at. That's another place somebody breaks in here and goes into the probate office and changes some records or steals some records. You know, we had never had to worry about that judge too much over the years, but we worry about that now. Could have big implications. All right, who has a key? It's first thing we want to know, who has a key because it didn't break a lock. So, we have to keep up with keys. Now we've slowly transitioned to keys that are just a card or key code keypad. We we transition that you don't keep on till you you know what is the eye like James Bond the iris you look into I mean does it I saw where somebody pulled out somebody's eye and just used the eyeball

well thanks for sharing staff it's a weird word or cut off a finger so you can use the finger please I'm sorry I get sidetracked to keep you straightened out here all in favor say I all those notes Motion carries. Item 11 is a request serve beer to enter into a food procurement agreement with Summit Foods pending review by the county attorneys. He approached you with that already. I believe I believe I've received the document. I have not. And this also is a budget amendment. We don't know the amount. Yeah, we don't think we have a set amount.

So, I'll make a motion. Okay. Motion a second. proply moved and seconded. There is a fixed amount u and we'll we'll uh if we would we'll amend this to include that amount if it's something we can next meeting so we can put an amount on the out there publicly. Uh any other discussion? All say I no car. Item 12, consider request from the city of Argo for a grant match in the amount of $37,5250 for a generator system to power the municipal complex in case of an emergency. This will require budget amendment. This a request from city of Argo that will help them acquire a generator system that will run their they're they're lucky that everything y'all got in that one place. didn't some people's stuff scattered all over the place, but y'all run all of yours with one generator system. We do not have a generator that would uh that would serve that purpose. So, do we have a motion to approve that?

I make that motion. Have a properly moved in second. That was easy. Y'all y'all have any begging you want to do? Come up here. We sure do. Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you so much. Twisting your head. I would have, but now I don't need to. I've seen you gravel before.

Stan, don't get him to talk. Well, I understand that, too. Me and him together, we would be here for the rest of the day. All right. Any other discussion? Thank you, Argo, for working with us. And uh we appreciate what you do. Y'all have a another one of those communities that just blowing out at the seams. You have a huge traffic problem at go to work and get off work time. We know that. You have a huge problem on federal US Highway 11/state. uh you have a problem because it's right up against the rightway or that road's right up against the railroads right away. It's not ours and it's not yours. So, there's some complications over there. I wish I wish it was so easy. We could just drive in there between the county and the city of Argo, put in a turn lane. We'd already had that done, wouldn't we, Corky?

Yeah. But it's a little more complicated than that. So, we're working through those complications. said, "If you if you think there's a bureaucracy dealing with the state and federal government, y'all deal with the railroad." We are. We are. We're waiting for the railroad. There you go. Well, maybe they won't hold you up as long as they held us up over at Trails Ne. Oh, lordy. All in favor say I. All know years now. We do. Thank you.

Thank y'all for working with us. pretty uh consider request from Partners by Design uh uh proposal ad campaign the amount of $6,000. Uh this is uh we talked about this in the past at the budget time. We took it out of the budget. We put something back in the budget with u uh the radio uh station and at this time I'd like to mention this request for $6,000 for finishing out the year's contract. But I'd also like for us to look at David's. It's hard for us to get information out. Uh David's doing all he can and and you're doing a great job with what you got, but today's world selling print media is pretty difficult. So y'all even gone to an online presence and some of yours. Is that correct?

Correct. Uh, so as we struggle with how to get public information out, we'd like to just say y'all go to sclairco.com our website and it's all on there. You're not going to do that. I wish I wish everybody would, but that's not going to happen. People don't keep us saying, "Well, I didn't know that was a deadline for car tags. I didn't know that was so and so." It's there, but we've got to put it everywhere we can think of nowadays to get that kind of information out. Cities are running into the same problem. So, this is just for Partners by Design with their two magazines. I went through the two this month's at uh economic development council meeting yesterday. They they keep information in there also. Uh so that's what this request is for. Have a motion. Probably moved and second. Any discussion? That's what this is about though during all that discussion. And David, if you want to talk to us about a plan you would have to move your forward with an ad, what can we do to get more information out there in that kind of format? Just let us know. You'll put your thank you cap on because it's a it's it is a struggle. Uh any other discussion? All in favor say I.

All oppose. No. Motion carries. Item 14. Consider request from Rody Wolf, property manager, to surplus and dispose of a broken Dyson vacuum cleaner. I didn't think those things ever broke. I got one out of a garbage dumpster one time. Cleaned it out and I sucked. What were you doing in the garage? I saw the Dyson handle sticking out of there. Okay. I went dumpster motion. I have a motion that second moved. Second. All in favor say I. I'll post no before he gets rid of that building. Item 15 consider consider approval of travel request. So may second

properly moved and second. Any discussion? All in favor say I. All no motion carries. Item 16. Consider board appointments. I think y on Cook Springs authority. Cook Springs Water Authority. Coron. Coorgan. Yeah. a while that motion probably moved and second to reappoint him to the Cook Springs Water Authority. Any discussion? All in favor say I. All those no. Motion carries. Okay. Do we have any other appointments?

We got a couple coming up on some uh we have anything done on county ID board. All that's going right now and the EDC our responsibility there is good. uh healthcare authority. We got one that possibly will come up on that and that's coming up into Don's Bailey wick because uh the healthc care authority is going to be working with Don on expansion of health related things on his what I guess I would call the the uh what do we partnership park

the partnership park which is uh medical and those kind of professional things where Jeff State Hospital and that sort of thing's located so at some point in time we'll talk about the healthc care authority having more of a role in that because of some possible monies coming in for expansion over healthcare delivery stuff. Is that right? Okay. Uh any other appointments Don before I move on do you have anything to bring up as one of our agencies? Um, I've seen a bunch of y'all at different ribbon cutings and groundbreings. And this month, uh, at the end of this month, we'll have QT. I think it's on the 30th, bright and early at 7:45. Asheville.

Asheville's extremely excited about that. So are we. I think that'll be a spark of the interchange that's going to get a lot of additional investment moving forward. Uh, the park in Springville is going well. Should be done in about two months. That is a what's the name of that? Race, not raceway. So, uh, Speedway, Speedway and Steel is probably is about about 60 days out. Okay. A lot of things going on in St. Cloud activity on 59. We're excited about And I'll take this opportunity to mention, I know I dragged these out. I'm so sorry. Uh, but I didn't take as much of my medicine today as I should have. Um, some extra kids.

There you go. Don doesn't just come in here and say, "Uh, I recommend that y'all support helping put in a turn lane for a a service station that that service station or truck stop's going to steal all the traffic from the service station across the street or whatever." He checks on what he calls what do you cannibalization. Cannibalization. If if something we're going to put here is cannibalizing somebody else, he recommends against it. You know, it's it's got to somehow balance out. Will it create more traffic for everybody? Then we move on. If it's going to put somebody else, small business or whatever, out of business, then there's a lot of discussion goes on with that. So, thank you for your your your work on that, which is considerable.

Okay. Okay. And Ashley, do you have any kind of report on the extension program other than we got the new person coming in? Yeah, we got a new person coming in. We did a um big women in a event this last week. Um it was really good. We had about 30 a little over 30 people there. So, um that went really well. Two-day event and um this is extension week. So, just so y'all know, this is an entire week across the state of Alabama that we are celebrating and promoting the work that we do um in extension.

Something we did a few years ago that fired me up anyway, and as old as I am, it doesn't take a whole lot. Uh exercise walking. What was that about? Um so as part of our SNAPED program that is no longer um we had what was called live well Alabama and so this month was like live well Alabama month and so we promoted um health and physical activity. So we had a move Alabama challenge. Move Alabama. That's what it was. And we did it in Pel City where you had these little things. You go to different stores and pick up little things and get prizes or whatever. and we said, "Why don't we do this in every community that can accommodate walking?" Yeah.

And we look at that even though we don't have a particular uh snapid person. Yeah. Can we still do things like that? Absolutely. Yes. And there are a lot of counties that do. Um we just didn't hear this year. Sorry. Gotcha. Okay. Well, didn't want you to get I didn't want you to get slack over there. I wanted to be sure you had plenty to do. Okay. U Thank y'all. All right. Pay the monthly bills. We going to do I on this. Oh, all in favor say I. I

on the appointment. All oppose. No. Motion carries. Now then, consider payment of regular bills. Post the regular bills. Have a motion and a second. Our motion and a second to pay the regular bills. Comes with a caveat that any commissioner can stop payment on any bill up until 5:00 today. It gives us time to look over these bills. We don't just rush through it. We make sure we can look at it before we do. All in favor say I. All post. No. Motion to adjurnn. Have a motion. Probably moved to second. All in favor say I. All oppose. No. Motion carries. County commission will be here. Uh do you have any kind of comments or whatever?