By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

The Chilton County Commission voted Monday to allow Engineer Tony Wearren to begin the process of installing a three-way stop at the intersection of county roads 152 and 157, near Smokey Hollow restaurant and Interstate 65 Exit 219.

Wearren said those driving north on 157 have a difficult time seeing oncoming traffic on 152.

The commission voted unanimously to install a three-way stop.

In other business, the commission:

•Heard from North Chilton Fire Department Chief Jason Scott about homes in Bibb County that his department has provided service to, because the homes are on roads that originate in Chilton County and dead end in Bibb, making North Chilton the department able to best respond to emergency situations.

But Scott voiced concern about providing service to the residents because they live in a different county and therefore do not contribute to Chilton’s funding for fire service.

Commission attorney John Hollis Jackson said he would ask for an opinion from the state attorney general on the matter, and Scott would continue providing service to the approximately 16 households in the meantime.

“I think it’s a serious issue, and it needs to be resolved,” Jackson said.

•Discussed a severe weather warning siren being down on County Road 28. The commission voted unanimously to proceed with putting the siren back up. It was taken down without their knowledge during the construction of a new East Chilton Fire Department building.

•Went into executive session to discuss the good name and character of a county employee but took no action afterward.

•Heard from a resident on County Road 455 about the need for the road to be paved.

•Heard from Ted Chapin, the new executive director of Chilton Medical Center. Chapin said he just wanted to introduce himself to the commissioners.

By Theadoris Morris | Staff Writer

Vanessa Hendrick, Chilton County administrator, requested to go into emergency spending mode at the Chilton County Commission meeting Monday.

Any and all purchases must have a purchase order and all requests will be approved or denied by Chairman Tim Mims.

“Gasoline and 3R funds (restoration, resurfacing and rehabilitation) are short,” said Hendrick. “I’m afraid we are going to have to offset those funds in general funds to make it through the year.”

After looking at figures of what was spent and how much remains, it was determined more money had been budgeted than was available.

County Commissioner Red Turnipseed made a motion to go into emergency spending for the rest of the year.
“I’m scared we are going to come up short,” said Turnipseed.

The commissioners in attendance approved the request unanimously. Commissioners Heedy Hayes and Greg Moore were absent from Monday’s meeting.

In other business, Walter McKee, the architect for the Chilton-Clanton Library roofing project, presented the commission with the bids he received for the reconstruction of the library roof.

McKee suggested approving Steel Built Systems from Maplesville because they offered the lowest price and have performed other roofing jobs in the county.

Turnipseed made a motion to accept the bid with Steel Built System and the installation of a fire alarm system and “let them get started on it.”

“That building has an average of 51,000 [visitors] a year,” said Turnipseed.

Commissioner Allen Caton seconded Turnipseed’s motion. The commission voted 3-to-2 against the measure with Mims and Commissionerr Joe Headley in opposition and Turnipseed, Caton and Bobby Agee for it.

Mims explained to McKee the reason he voted in opposition was because he wants to relinquish control of the building to the city of Clanton.

“I feel like they should have helped us on this project,” he said.

Agee made a motion for the measure to be carried over until the next meeting, Caton seconded the motion, and the commission agreed to carry over until the next meeting unanimously.

The commission unanimously approved allowing county Engineer Tony Wearren to resurface Peterson Street and side-cut city streets in Thorsby.

Mayor Dearl Hilyer and Thorsby’s council have approved the work and will compensate Wearren at an hourly rate.

Also, EMA Director Bill Collum submitted a letter of intent to install three small community storm shelters strategically–the installations would mean there is a shelter within a five-mile distance of every county resident–across the county.

By Scott Mims

Chilton County Commissioners are tired of seeing litter on the lawn of the county courthouse — specifically, cigarette butts.

The commission agreed Monday to put up more “no smoking” signs, particularly at exits used by courthouse personnel.

“When I walked in today, I bet you the ground was covered with cigarette butts,” Commissioner Allen Caton said during Monday’s meeting. “That is a reflection on us.”

People have also started smoking on the landing outside the front of the courthouse, where smoking is prohibited, Caton said. Also, several signs previously located in the area have gone missing.

“We’re down to one sign out there,” he said.

Caton said he didn’t have a problem with people smoking, but the commission expects people to properly dispose of cigarette butts in the receptacles that are provided.

“I’m not against people smoking. That’s strictly their business,” he said.

Caton threatened to ban smoking on the premises if the problem could not be fixed soon.

In other business, the commission voted to name a portion of roadway off County Road 51 after Edward Chandler, at the request of Mt. Springs Church. Chandler was a former pastor of the church.

A provision was included in the motion stating that in all future such decisions, the street sign or signs would be installed at no cost to the county unless approved by the commission.

Commissioner Bobby Agee suggested that anyone who requests a street to be named should be given an opportunity to pay for the signs. If the person or group were not willing to do so, it would be up to the commission.

“If the county grants it, I think we should pay for it,” Agee said.

Annual bids for the Road Department were approved, including the following:

•The bid for plant mix and asphalt went to Wiregrass.

•The bid for liquid asphalt went to Hunt Refining.

•The bid for diesel fuel went to Thomas Oil.

•The bid for highway striping went to Highway Management Systems.

•The bid for corrugated pipe went to Acme Building Supply.

•The bid for treated lumber went to Tri-State.

•The bid for signs went to Traffic Signs, Inc.

The commission also:

•Awarded the low bid for janitorial supplies to COPACO of Montgomery.

•Awarded the low bid for gasoline for the Chilton County Jail to Wilson Oil at a profit margin of .0599.

•Changed a county holiday from Dec. 31, 2010, to Jan. 3, 2011, so that the county tax offices could be open on New Year’s Eve.

•Agreed to return $862.94 in property taxes to Paul Grober due to an error.

•Approved an emergency hire for the Tax Collector’s Office with retroactive pay going back to Oct. 3.

•Granted American Legion Douglas Glass Post 6 permission to use the courtroom for its annual Veterans Day event due to the need for increased parking space.

Five out of seven Chilton County Commissioners voted in favor of the 2010-2011 budget.

Chairman Tim Mims, vice chairman Allen Caton, Bobby Agee, Greg Moore and Heedy Hayes all approved of the budget, which includes level funding for all county departments and $5.3 million in the general fund.

Commissioner Joe Headley voted against the measure, and Commissioner Red Turnipseed abstained, making the vote 5-1-1.

“I feel like there wasn’t enough money put in the budget for the Road Department,” Headley said in a phone interview.

Aside from the amount of money budgeted for road repair, Headley said, everything looked “pretty fine.”

As projected, revenues are down by as much as $152,000 for the Sheriff’s Department and $230,000 for the Road Department. County Commission Administrator Vanessa Hendrick said the 3-R gasoline tax, which goes to the Road

Department, dropped from $1.6 million in revenue in 2008 to $769,000 in 2009 and continues to decrease steadily.

In order to meet level funding in the two departments, more money had to come out of the general fund, Hendrick said.

One exception to the level funding was that health insurance costs increased by about 3.5 percent, and there were also increases in workers’ compensation.

Caton said he hopes more money will come in than what was projected for county departments.

“Right now, I don’t know of any wasteful spending,” he said. “This county is operating within their means. We’re not going into debt; we’re not going out to borrow money to build a building. We did borrow some money four years ago to pave some roads, but it had to be done.”

Caton wanted to thank all department heads for their cooperation with the budget.

“We could not have passed this budget if it had not been for Bobby Martin, Tim Little, Tony (Wearren), the sheriff, Rex Cleckler and all of the department heads,” he said.

Chilton County Commissioners and Sheriff Kevin Davis say they would like to see more updated information on the county’s website, chiltoncounty.org.

Monday night, the commission tabled a decision to renew the contract for the website at a rate of nearly $150 per month. The site is currently being maintained by Racon Marketing Group.

Allen Caton made a motion to allow County Administrator Vanessa Hendrick to get prices from several vendors.

“It doesn’t ever change. It’s the same old thing,” said Commissioner Joe Headley, echoing Davis.

Davis said statistics for the sheriff’s department are out of date. He also indicated the department didn’t have the time or personnel to keep the information updated regularly.

Davis pointed to the Cherokee County website as an example of what he would like to see on the local website. He said the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department posts all its media information on the site and gets about 12,000 hits a day.

Caton said he would also like to see pictures of county commissioners on the site.

“People want to know what we look like,” he said.

In other business, the commission will hold a work session Tuesday night and a special meeting Thursday night to discuss and pass the annual budget. Both meetings will begin at 6 p.m. in the boardroom on the bottom floor of the courthouse.

Caton also announced he was appointed to the Finance and Taxation Steering Committee of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama.

By Scott Mims

Chilton County Commissioners and other leaders will have the opportunity to meet CEOs of several Scandinavian companies next month when Chilton County hosts a trade mission.
The businessmen plan to stay in Clanton from Oct. 13-15, leading up to the Thorsby Swedish Festival on Saturday, Oct. 16. They will attend the festival as well.
During their time here, the CEOs will look at property for the potential expansion of new industry.
“We’re looking for 10 to 12 companies. We’ve already got five confirmed,” said Tracia Bussey, chairwoman of the Thorsby Swedish Fest Committee and board member with CAWACO Resource Conservation and Development.
Bussey extended an invitation to commissioners during Monday morning’s regular meeting. She said participants would get to see a presentation of industry and technology the companies could bring to the area.
In a similar venture, she said, five companies came to the U.S. in 2009 to look at potential property in the Southeast, and one located to Louisiana.
“We thought if we could bring them in and concentrate their attention here–if we could get just one company it would open the door for others,” Bussey said.
Bussey is also a board member of the Scandinavian-American Economic Development Alliance, which has been successful in getting green tech companies to locate in other states.
The effort is sponsored by CAWACO and is being funded through sponsorships and donations, Bussey added.
In other business, Tax Assessor Rex Cleckler submitted a contract from The Atlantic Group for updated aerial photography of the county to be done this winter.
“It’s something that the state requires to be done,” Cleckler said, adding that money was available in the department’s budget.
Because the item was not subject to bid, the commission voted to go ahead and approve the contract.
The commission also:
•Voted to hire Chris Moore as chief appraiser at the request of Cleckler
•Voted to fill the position of personal property appraiser, after the retirement of Lynn White, at the request of Cleckler
•Allowed the hiring of an employee to fill a vacant slot in the Tax Collector’s Office at the request of Tax Collector Tim Little
•Voted 4-3 to fill a vacancy in the commission office as requested by Administrator Vanessa Hendrick (Allen Caton, Red Turnipseed, Bobby Agee and Tim Mims voted in approval)
•Entered into a contract with the Shelby County Detention Center for the housing of juvenile offenders.

By Scott Mims

Nearly 40 people attended the first of several public hearings Thursday night organized by the Chilton County Commission on a proposed 1-cent sales tax increase.
The commission presented a plan outlining how the tax revenue would be used if approved by a majority of voters — one third to resurface paved roads, and two thirds to construct new road projects, including bridges.
“A sales tax is probably the fairest tax there is,” said Commissioner Red Turnipseed. “Everybody buys stuff to use.”
Turnipseed estimated the tax would generate annual revenue of about $3 million. County Engineer Tony Wearren said the road department operates on a budget of about $3.2 million.
Wearren said since 2002, the average increase of the cost of paving materials has been 99 percent.
“It’s almost doubled in eight years. In that time, the road department budget has either been level or reduced,” he said.
Wearren explained that chip seal roads, like many of those in the county, are intended to last seven to 10 years. Some in Chilton County are nearing 40 years old, he said.
In addition, there are 110 bridges in the county, 18 of which are 50-plus years old and an additional 19 of which are 40-plus years old.
Currently, five bridges are closed and 16 are rated at a maximum weight of three tons, which is the minimum rating a bridge can have before it must be closed.
“We have a major concern coming up in the next eight or 10 years on what we are going to do with our bridges,” Wearren said.
Most commissioners expressed full support of the increase; Greg Moore and Bobby Agee indicated their ultimate decisions would be based on what the people decided.
Joe Headley said he was not 100 percent in favor of raising taxes. Upon hearing this, resident Pat Glenn asked if he lived on a dirt road.
“You need to live on a dirt road for about 20 years, and then you’ll be in favor of it,” said Glenn.
Commissioner Heedy Hayes pointed out that the commission currently does not receive any sales tax revenue. The percentage allotted to the county goes 100 percent to schools.
Rep. Jimmy Martin confirmed this.
“We don’t get one cent sales tax — not one penny,” Hayes said.
Jemison Mayor Eddie Reed spoke favorably of the proposal but said municipalities should be able to benefit from the tax since the majority of Chilton’s businesses are located within cities and towns.
“We face the same (road) issues that Chilton County faces,” Reed said.
Hayes said the county has helped towns with paving projects, such as County Road 50 that runs into Thorsby and County Road 42 that runs into Jemison. He said the commission could have stopped short in these instances.
Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer echoed Reed’s concerns, as did others.
“I would be for the tax, but I’ve got to stick with our mayors,” said resident Margaret Cobb.
Resident Carl Headley asked if the county could explore alternatives, such as taxing alcoholic beverages.
“It seems a little bit unfair to me that we would consider taxing the necessities of life,” he said, adding he would like to see a percentage of the money go to a capital reserve fund.