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County Commission approves courthouse renovation
By David Goodwin
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The Elmore County Commission voted Thursday night to approve an architectural agreement aimed at completing revovations at the old county courthouse.
The motion passed Thursday night approves an architectural agreement with Seay, Seay and Litchfield for courthouse refurbishing. The focus of the project, county administrator Jeanette Medders said, is to stop the seepage of water into the courthouse by cleaning out and replacing age-old grout in the building’s basement and first floor.
“If we don’t do this,” Medders told commissioners, “it will ruin the inside of the courthouse.”
The project of modernizing the seat of county government, chairman Joe Faulk (District 4) said, is “something that’s been worked towards during the entire tenure of this commission.”
Medders said the advanced age of the courthouse waterproofing makes for a complicated task. The current process will move the project to “contract status,” according to the motion that was passed, and allow it to be carried over into the fiscal year 2009 budget.
In other business:
• Three nominations were made to the commission’s Petroleum Study Committee, which was formed last month to explore ways the county can reduce the costs associated with high gasoline and diesel prices.
Faulk nominated Ron Harris to the committee. Commissioners Don Whorton (District 3) and Earl Reeves (District 5) nominated themselves to serve on the committee. Members of the committee will meet with Probate Judge Jimmy Stubbs, Sheriff Bill Franklin, Revenue Commissioner Mike Harper, County Engineer Richie Beyer and Medders to explore methods for reducing petroleum costs, from the points of view of the taxpayers and county employees.
• A liquor license application for off premises retail beer sales, by Joe Giddens Jr. for Rock Springs Grocery on Redland Road in Tallassee was approved unanimously.
• Medders was approved to “accumulate documents and report status of county coroner expenses for a three month period” in exploration of coroner Tim Ellison’s request for a $650 per month stipend for storage or transport costs. Ellison requested the stipend more than a month ago, but Medders said she’s been unable to verify how the coroner spends his current allocation of around $6,000.
“This gives us the opportunity to have some data and come back with a firm amount that can be justified,” she said.
• Tallassee resident Jack Solomon was granted a license to establish a private cemetery on Blackjack Road.
• The 2008 Emergency Management Performance Grant cooperative agreement was approved, so the county EMA could receive project reimbursements from U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• United Rentals, Inc. was awarded the bid for a trailer mounted generator for the county EMA. The purchase was fully funded by U.S. Homeland Security.
• On the consent docket, chairman Faulk and any other commissioners who desire were authorized to attend the summer conference of the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers Sept. 15-17 in Orange Beach.
Deputy EMA/HS Director David Brunson was authorized to attend a Response and Recovery Workshop in Clanton July 29-31.
The resignation of tag clerk Winifred Reid was accepted, effective July 3, and approval was given to hire her replacement.
