Overview of County Commission Meeting

By Sid Riley
Review of Tuesday May 27 Meeting
1. Presentation by Cliff Knauer, Washington County Engineer advising Commission of feasibility study that will be competed in August for the construction of a connector between Highway #77 in Washington County and Highway 231 in Jackson County in order to meet projected needs from growth in southern ends of both counties. Projected cost of project is $30,000,000.
2. Approved request from State Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel to move to old jail building when new EOC is completed and existing emergency operations function relocates.
3. Reappointed Caretha Everett and Bill Hopkins to three year term on Chipola Regional Workforce Development Board.
4. Denied request from Code Enforcement Board to clean up debris on private property abutting county road on Biscayne Road and Sunlight Road.
5. Heard presentation from Sonny Dean with Communications International on alternatives to resolve existing and future needs in radio communications systems for county operations. Could involve eight transmission sites costing $1,000,000 each for 95% coverage, five sites providing 90%, four sites providing 86%, or three sites providing 83% coverage. Discussed alternative of leasing space from existing towers vs. county building towers and then leasing space to other users. First priority was defined as Sneads area.
6. Accepted bid from Anderson Columbia for Church Street Resurfacing and Widening Project …$2,634,166.
7. Accepted bid of $15,951 from Milton Carpet Center for recarpeting of Jackson County Main Library.
8. Approved making application for Solid Waste Grant for Recycling.
9. Approved Tourist Development Council funding for Dixie Youth State Baseball Tournament ($6,000), Malone Pecan Festival ($2,000), and Advertising campaign on FOX 49 promoting day trips to Jackson County ($6,000)