[0:00] It was about for a week. Commission meetings used to scare me to death and they no longer scare

[0:06] me to death because y'all don't bite me quite as often as I expected. But what I'm going

[0:13] to say right now has affected my life when I was mowing grass, when I was weed eating,

[0:18] when I was sitting down, when I was standing up and because I don't want to mess up on it.

[0:25] this is not about me pretty clearly I will say that I say it all the time I say it

[0:38] on the radio I say it all over but we are blessed to live in Lee County and because

[0:45] of these seven people I need to tell you the story before we go as the folks in

[0:52] office would say, I'm going to go rogue and say this before we do the pledge of allegiance

[0:57] of the prayer or anything else, partly because I want to honor them because it's a spectacular

[1:02] thing and also because they want to go home to their babies. So we're going to take care

[1:06] of it.

[1:10] On Monday, I even wrote it down myself. On Monday, August 24th, there was a lady that

[1:18] came in to get her driver's license. She came into our office downstairs and she sat down

[1:26] in a chair and while she was sitting there, a young man and Mr. Grady Lattimore when she

[1:33] stand up for me, buddy.

[1:41] Mr. Grady Lattimore, I ain't going to keep you long so you can stay

[1:44] standing for just a second. Mr. Grady Lattimore was wise enough or God worked on him to see

[1:53] that something was wrong with this lady so she was having a medical emergency and at some

[1:58] point she fell out of her chair and while she when she fell out of her chair across the

[2:05] hallway Miss Willie May Lilly stand up

[2:14] Miss Willie May Lilly alerted the other office staff.

[2:20] Now everybody is equal heroes in this but I specifically I need to recognize

[2:29] Deputy Pierce Moore.

[2:36] He's already standing up in case y'all get out of line.

[2:39] And Carolyn Golden, stand up,

[2:46] because these two individuals commence doing CPR on her.

[2:53] And I don't think that there's any question she would not be with us today

[3:00] if it weren't for this crowd. Along with them, Mr. Mary Arnold,

[3:12] and Mr. Ed Brown

[3:14] were involved. Ed was calling 9-1-1 and Mr. Mary was directing traffic, keeping

[3:19] people out of the driver's license division. I understand it and Sheriff Jones is

[3:27] in here and Deputy McElroy and they live in a world where people are heroes and

[3:34] they run into situations like this, that's not my typical day.

[3:42] It's abnormal to me to

[3:45] think someone's in need and I'm running in there to do CPR. I'm a pacer and I'm a

[3:50] prayer. I'm not a running there in do CPR person. And because of this crowd, because

[3:56] of those seven people up there, along with Mr. Lattimore, this lady is doing spectacular.

[4:03] her. We lived under the belief for about 24 hours that she had passed away. And then I

[4:10] received a call from Carolyn saying she was alive. And y'all, we can talk about Lee County,

[4:18] we can talk about how wonderful things are here and all of this. But had this lady been

[4:23] at the corner of second Avenue and eighth street in her car, she'd be dead.

[4:31] If she had

[4:33] she may not be with us now and everybody on this commission is experienced

[4:38] medical issues and everybody out here in the crowd has to but this could

[4:42] been your mom your grandma your wife your you and um and I can't thank them

[4:50] enough for being heroes so if y'all join me in thanking this crowd if

[5:14] y'all see

[5:14] them leave us because I promised them they didn't have to stay so when we can move

[5:18] I didn't expect them to sit on the front row in Italy, but well, we can do that.

[5:24] So thank y'all.

[5:25] Thank y'all.

[5:25] Pierce, thank you very much, buddy.

[5:27] Thank you for what you did.

[5:30] It's a special time.

[5:34] All right.

[5:35] Thank y'all for your patience on that.

[5:36] It was super special, so we will stand for the Pledge of Allegiance along with invocation

[5:42] from Commissioner County.

[6:05] Now I hear his please.

[6:07] Gentlemen, thank you for this day.

[6:08] Thank you for our law enforcement public service and first responders, first of all, thank you for our health.

[6:13] Thank you for the prayers that you give us each day. Let's touch the sick.

[6:19] This, remember our school started back. This, remember our SROs who watches after our kids each and every day.

[6:24] Let's thank for this commission and chairman that we have.

[6:28] I want to thank you for the Lee County employees.

[6:30] Just got us tonight as we conduct county business.

[6:33] Your name would probably amen.

[6:38] Now, you know I'm a stickler for the clock, so thank you all for letting me go row there for just a second.

[6:48] Everyone's here, so we're ready to roll.

[6:50] I understand there's no public comments.

[6:52] Is that, that's correct, right, Shannon?

[6:55] All right, public officials, we have an attendance.

[6:58] We have Miss O'Lean Price, the revenue commissioner.

[7:01] along with Mr. J. Jones, Sheriff, anybody, any other elected officials that I do.

[7:08] I did not see you on the Mr. Jessica Venturi is here from the District Attorney's Office.

[7:17] Thank you all very much.

[7:18] We have news media tonight.

[7:21] After all my talking ugly about you all ignoring us from now on, didn't you?

[7:26] Yeah, yeah, like big brother watching us, I know.

[7:29] We have Mr. Michele Key from the observer here today.

[7:34] Presentations and awards.

[7:35] First up, we have Mr. Justin Hardy with Mr. Denver Brooks.

[7:46] Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the commission.

[7:48] It is my pleasure tonight to recognize Mr. Denver Brooks

[7:50] for 25 years of dedicated service

[7:53] with the Lee County Highway Department.

[7:54] I'd ask Mr. Brooks if he would join me, please.

[8:02] I began with Lee County in January of 2002.

[8:05] And when I came in, Mr. Brooks was a customer service clerk

[8:07] in the Lee County Highway Department over on Auburn Street in the Old

[8:11] Building. She immediately welcomed everyone that came in that door. She welcomed

[8:16] everybody on the phone with the purest the purest intent to serve. Over the last

[8:21] 25 years she has grown in her roles with Lee County, her ability to serve, her

[8:25] desire to serve this county and her community. She's done so impeccably. She has

[8:30] risen through the ranks of almost every administrative position within the

[8:33] highway department over that course of time. She's taken on task, she's seen this county

[8:38] grow, she's seen it change, she's seen commissioners come and go, she's seen county engineers

[8:43] come and go. Countless staff, Miss Deborah and I and one other person are the only three

[8:48] remaining. The day I started work with the Lee County Highway Department and she's retiring

[8:52] today. After years of service. Y'all have heard me praise Miss Brooks over the years for

[8:57] what she has done. She has served, served this county through countless natural disasters

[9:03] Countless tornadoes, countless floods, countless frozen ice storms, countless hurricanes where she has worked with our EMA staff and worked with our highway department crews and staff making sure all of the paperwork every I was dotted, every T was crossed for Lee County to get hundreds of thousands of dollars back from FEMA and making sure if eligible dollar came back to the county through her work. She did all of this with her staff by her side working with her to make sure that daily operations of the highway department did not see

[9:34] because with certain storm, people aren't affected in other parts of the county and they want their road resurfaced, they want that pot hole fixed, they want that grass cut.

[9:43] And Ms. Brooks no matter what her task was, she answered the phone promising that they would get just that service through the proper work order system and communicating with the county engineer's office and the commissioners on those tasks.

[9:54] She has helped countless people with their insurance claims and situations where they're saying the county has done them wrong.

[10:00] And she's helped them fill out their paperwork, help them get it processed.

[10:04] From a staff standpoint, for more than a decade, I don't know exactly when it was you

[10:09] started this, but for more than a decade on anyone's office, anyone in the highway department's

[10:13] office, if it was their birthday, they could count on them.

[10:17] Brownies or lemon cake being brought to the office with a little message board in the

[10:20] break room telling them happy birthday, showing them they meant something, showing them

[10:25] they were known, they were seen, they were appreciated.

[10:28] I've referred to Ms. Brooks more than once as the heart and soul of the highway department.

[10:32] She's been just that.

[10:35] She and I have celebrated growth of family together.

[10:39] We have mourned loss of loved ones together.

[10:45] There is not a more dedicated, loyal, sacrificial employee of Lee County in my opinion.

[10:52] And we have several wonderful ones, many of whom we recognize tonight, and I take nothing

[10:56] away from them with my statement about Miss Brooks.

[11:01] It's going to be a different highway department tomorrow, when she is not in it, and she is

[11:05] not present.

[11:07] Her spirit will still be there.

[11:09] Those who have learned from her, those who have benefited from her will still know.

[11:15] I just wanted this commission to know this, hear this.

[11:19] It be on the record of my public appreciation for what she has done for myself personally,

[11:23] myself professionally the county staff in the department's under my charge. She has served each

[11:29] of them wonderfully.

[11:32] I thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Everett.

[11:40] How

[11:48] do I follow that up?

[11:51] Sure, it's more. You've been very gracious. Well, Justin, you've been very gracious and I thank you.

[11:59] I would like to say a few words. Kind of give you a background of how I started. I started with A1

[12:04] unemployment as a temp and how that came to be is they called me and asked me to show

[12:10] up the highway department they needed to call you and kind of do those.

[12:13] The paparazzi can get your picture.

[12:15] Yes.

[12:16] And so we had just gotten back from vacation my family and so my immediate response was I

[12:21] needed to get things in order so I said no something stopped me and I thought call them back.

[12:29] So I did, and I went, and I'm here today.

[12:34] So that was the process of starting.

[12:36] That was June of 2001, and then with my work,

[12:39] they saw possibilities, and I filled out the application,

[12:42] and I became an employee on the 20th of August, 2001.

[12:48] I became administrator in 2010, but going back a little bit,

[12:53] sliding the air, you know, we all make mistakes,

[12:55] and I have made many in my career.

[12:57] But I've learned much, and I tried to pour out into others much when I've learned.

[13:02] And so, a little funny, when I was up in the very front desk, we had to answer the phone.

[13:08] The requirement was to get in on the first ring, and so we would have multiple calls, and

[13:13] so I just got, so you just say, Lee County Highway Department, how may we help you or how

[13:17] may I help you?

[13:18] So I had this one called, and jumped and grabbed the phone real quick, and I said, Lee County

[13:22] Highway Department, can you help me?

[13:26] And I was like, and he started laughing, I started laughing and said, well, I don't know

[13:31] if I can but I'll give it a try.

[13:33] And that was just a funny moment because it just came out so quick so we could make mistakes

[13:38] that quickly and easily.

[13:39] What Justin's had said is I have gone through many things, help any employees.

[13:44] We worked together at the highway department.

[13:47] Our mission is to provide courteous, to provide courteous and professional service for the citizens

[13:54] and provides safe and efficient infrastructure

[13:57] for the traveling public.

[13:58] That is our first charge,

[14:00] and that's our first consideration.

[14:02] We've done many projects for the commission

[14:04] and many other things,

[14:05] but we always did it with the excellence,

[14:07] and I must say our crews,

[14:09] they are the heartbeat of this county.

[14:11] They have do so much and do it so well.

[14:14] That's why they got asked to do so many things,

[14:17] but our charge is for the safety of the traveling public,

[14:20] and that's where our heartbeat is today.

[14:22] So I ask that you listen to your professional staff and advise because we've been through

[14:29] so many different things and there's a lot of history there, there's a lot of education

[14:35] there.

[14:36] There's a lot of why we do the way things the way we do and it's from experience, what

[14:40] work and what didn't work and tried to move forward.

[14:43] So commission, I want to thank you, I want to thank God for His eternal letting me be here.

[14:49] I thank the commission and I thank the county for my employment here of 25 years.

[14:55] It has afforded me my home, my car, my washer and dryer, my refrigerator.

[15:00] Reader, it has afforded me helping my children get an education. It helped to afford me also to help them have a means of travel. I take it not likely. The food I eat, the clothes I wear,

[15:15] it's all paid for by the county. And I think that not for granted. So I'm eternally grateful. Thank you all. And thank the county for my employment and my service here. Thank you. Understand something Mr Brooks before you go. The county may have given you those things.

[15:31] but what you gave the county dwarfs all that other stuff.

[15:36] We're a better place, the highway department's a better place

[15:38] because of Denver Brooks, so we can't thank you enough.

[15:42] Well, I'll let you know.

[15:43] I'm leaving it in good hands.

[15:44] They're going to carry on.

[15:46] They're going to carry on.

[15:47] Thank you so much.

[15:48] Yes, ma'am.

[15:49] Thank you.

[16:00] Mr. Denver,

[16:06] I'd like to just say something

[16:07] that I'm truly going to miss working with you.

[16:10] And you are a classic example while I say that

[16:12] Lee County has the greatest co-workers in the world, so thank you for all you do and you're done.

[16:26] That's more or the best.

[16:28] All right, moving on to the consent agenda.

[16:29] In your package, you have the minutes from the meeting from August the 10th,

[16:32] as well as long as listing the claims that have been paid, but need to be ratified,

[16:37] and the procurement card transactions.

[16:39] In addition, we have the first of two positions with the Lee County Youth Development Center Board,

[16:46] Board, is there any discussion on the consent agenda?

[16:50] Move for approval?

[16:52] Second.

[16:53] Further discussion?

[16:56] All those in favor?

[16:57] Aye.

[16:58] Any opposed?

[17:04] Under old business, we have the second reading of the three positions on the East Alabama

[17:08] Health Care Authority Board.

[17:11] We handle this, I think, on the August 10th meeting.

[17:14] Yes, sir.

[17:14] Now I make a motion we approve the three positions from the East Alabama health care authority board second

[17:22] further discussion

[17:24] All those in favor

[17:26] any opposed

[17:32] Under new business we have the education reimbursement sheriff Jones

[17:38] Judge

[17:39] Judge.

[17:40] Mr. Speaker, I have a request for educational reimbursement for Lieutenant Pam Rebels.

[17:46] We've been all familiar with Lieutenant Rebels, she's one of our school resource officers.

[17:52] She's, she's in to continue to advance her education.

[17:55] She's already available herself of several opportunities with the commission's help to further education

[18:01] and this will, we've reviewed the courses that she submitted and they do fit in with her

[18:08] line of work and her duties and responsibilities.

[18:13] I make a motion for approval.

[18:18] Second further discussion.

[18:21] She does a wonderful job.

[18:23] We are very blessed to have her also.

[18:25] All those in favor?

[18:27] I have.

[18:27] Any opposed?

[18:31] All right.

[18:31] Moving on to the next one, Sheriff Jones, vehicle maintenance.

[18:35] Yes, sir.

[18:35] We sent nine bids out to vendors or to bids to nine vendors rather.

[18:41] For all changes for FY 2627, we received only one bid back from Auburn's Target and Generator

[18:48] Service and would ask commission to approve.

[18:53] It is certainly at a competitive price and would ask the commission to approve this bid

[18:59] as received.

[19:01] A move for approval?

[19:03] Second.

[19:04] Further discussion?

[19:07] Ed, it has a great job there.

[19:09] It is a great great place. This is not who do them last year there was it. No, I don't

[19:16] blink so much. No, he's one of the Tiger Tum did last year. Yeah, this is the one right

[19:20] over the railroad track. Oh, yeah, I've been there. Yeah, they kept on 1980 Volkswagen

[19:25] Shoraco going. That's right. With this in college. With this evening seeing it being a meeting

[19:30] with accolades, I would ask the judge to grant me privilege for just one second. Absolutely.

[19:34] So even though we only received one bid, as you pointed out, Eddie Guren is the owner operator

[19:40] of Auburn's daughter, Generator, no criticism of any disclaimer on any of our many, many,

[19:49] great service providers in Auburn, up like in Lee County area.

[19:53] But if Eddie tells you something, he does it right and gets it right and will not let it

[19:57] go out that door unless it's right because he knows he's deaf, he's depend, having

[20:01] and safe vehicles to operate, and he's been exemplary in our respects in that regard

[20:05] for many years.

[20:06] So he will lie to you about a fish though, right?

[20:09] He might lie to you.

[20:10] Lie to you about a fish.

[20:13] I have a motion and a second, all those in favor?

[20:17] Any opposed?

[20:18] Thank you sir.

[20:19] Thank you sir.

[20:21] New Alcohol License Levy, Mr. Bebe.

[20:24] Yes you have.

[20:51] What is a hybrid craft alcoholic beverage complex?

[20:55] Next.

[21:01] I didn't know he'd done.

[21:10] Okay.

[21:20] I'll make a motion.

[21:21] We'll approve.

[21:23] Second.

[21:24] Further discussion?

[21:26] All those in favor?

[21:28] Any opposed?

[21:30] Thank you, sir.

[21:33] County Transportation Plan, Mr. Harder.

[21:36] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[21:36] A move is commissioned.

[21:37] As mentioned in the work session, this County Transportation Plan

[21:40] The plan included in your package is part of the requirements of the Rebuild Alabama Act for the transparency of the money that was raised with that gasoline tax.

[21:47] Mr. Harville is working with our staff and working with information from the commission is with this list together for what the plans are for this upcoming years.

[21:57] A lot of the Rebuild Alabama funds would ask him at this time to step up and answer any questions you may have with the information that was presented to you.

[22:04] I think Mr. Hardin went through the how the roads were selected with the county's grading process and the pre-meaning, you guys have any additional questions for me or would like me to go through any more details on the projects,

[22:23] as you're aware, this is the rebuild album of funds created in 2019 passed by the legislator, partly accountability and prosperity requirements, transparency requirements of the act that the county transportation plan be approved each year.

[22:38] by the commission and then we post on the county's website the courthouse and some other

[22:43] areas to make sure it's available to the public. I would ask the county commission to

[22:48] approve the FY 2027 county transportation plan as presented. Patrick I want to thank

[22:57] you for the work that you did on it and getting all this together and I know it's a lot every

[23:02] years with so many roads and be able to select the roads that we have to do and go through

[23:09] and that whole process is lengthy. So I appreciate the work you do on it. And with that I'd

[23:17] like to motion for approval.

[23:21] I wanted to also say I'm glad to see the

[23:23] Lily Street and Park Street on there. So good job.

[23:29] A second. Got a motion in a second.

[23:32] any further discussion? I'm just just a question. I'm not going to say anything about this

[23:38] too, not having roads on there with them. We just did, buddy. Well, I just did. No, but there's just

[23:45] anybody who's looking at this and says it's 15.8 miles, but there's other funds. This is just like

[23:51] you said, the Rebele Act. So if anybody's curious, we actually do more roads than this, but from other

[23:58] they're funding MPO and that kind of thing.

[24:01] So if you want to, it's an opportunity to kind of explain

[24:04] that this won't be the only 15 miles that are.

[24:07] Okay, absolutely.

[24:08] These are the funds generated by the 2019 Rebuild Album Act.

[24:12] And so it's the Rebuild Album of Funds,

[24:14] as well as the federal aid change funds.

[24:17] We also have additional gasoline tax funds

[24:21] of the Howard Department receives

[24:22] through the county commission,

[24:24] called the three ore funds.

[24:25] And those are resurfacing in restoration

[24:27] and rehabilitation. Those are also spent on gang roads. In this year, the Rebellion Albama

[24:34] funds told about $4 million. We also got another million dollars in the three R funds.

[24:41] We use those funds to partner with the MPOs in the area, or is the Albina Pollack MPO

[24:47] that we get federal funds through, or the Clump Speaks City MPO that we also get federal

[24:52] funds through. We're responsible for 20% of the project calls whenever we get those federal

[24:56] funds so we use the 3R funds to match that and leverage our money to go four or five times

[25:02] further than would if we just spent it alone. But now these are not the only funds we've received,

[25:06] these are just the funds in array of the 2019 Viva del Dalton Gasoline diesel fuel tax.

[25:16] Good job. You got a motion in a second. All those in favor?

[25:20] Any opposed? All right. Thank you. Thank you, Patrick.

[25:25] Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[25:26] Mr. Raider Smith.

[25:31] Good evening again, Chairman and commissioners.

[25:33] This is, this is Justin's fault.

[25:35] Yeah.

[25:35] Mr. Davis, actually.

[25:38] As discussed in the work session,

[25:40] this is our EMPG agreement to receive $84,821.

[25:46] And I just need commission approval for the Chairman to sign,

[25:51] so we can start submitting our claims for reimbursement.

[25:53] I

[25:56] make a motion that we approve so we can receive the funds.

[26:01] Second.

[26:03] Further discussion?

[26:05] All those in favor?

[26:06] Any opposed?

[26:08] Thank you.

[26:08] Thank you, Ms. Reader.

[26:11] It's been a yes ma'am right there.

[26:17] It's been a meeting of celebration.

[26:20] And if you have anything from tonight, it is, go home to your loved ones and hug them

[26:26] because you don't know what tomorrow brings.

[26:30] Commissioner LeGrand reminded me appropriately so that I should announce and mention the

[26:38] passing Mr. Charles Wattley, as Wattley served two terms in the House of Representatives and

[26:44] has been ever present in Lee County politics for many years.

[26:48] and we, we, we hate for the passing of, of Mr. Wattland. I know Governor

[26:54] ordered that the flags be at half mass over the weekend and we just, we, we,

[27:00] we mourn the passing of Mr. Wattland. So, with that said, do I have a motion to adjourn?

[27:07] So moved. All right. Thank y'all very much. Thank y'all.

[27:10] Good evening.

County Commission Meeting

Transcript