[0:08] Are we ready to get started today,
[0:09] y'all? Think
[0:11] » John make sure it's on.
[0:12] » Okay. All we got to do is put them on
[0:14] our phones. [snorts]
[0:34] There it is. Right up there.
[0:44] Okay, we'll get started today. Uh
[0:48] this uh this is a work session. We made
[0:51] some changes in the regular uh
[0:55] dates that we were going to meet because
[0:57] of conference last week. Uh and so we
[1:00] have wanted to be sure we had plenty of
[1:02] time to uh to prepare our agenda for
[1:05] today's meeting. So we changed the
[1:06] meeting. So we went ahead and changed
[1:07] today's work session also. So we're
[1:09] going to have the work session first and
[1:11] our work session we will uh set up the
[1:14] agenda then for incoming meeting. So we
[1:17] get through and that's the format you
[1:19] kind of got. So it'll take us a few
[1:20] minutes when we get through the work
[1:22] session to transition in. But I don't
[1:24] think it'll take us that long in the
[1:25] work session. What'll probably take some
[1:26] time will be after we get through with
[1:28] all that, we're going into a actual
[1:30] budget budget meeting to try to finalize
[1:33] our budget. And uh we're required by law
[1:35] to have that budget uh in the box and
[1:38] approved by October 1. So, we've got
[1:41] plenty time. We haven't got into
[1:42] September yet, so we can we can do quite
[1:45] a few things between now and then. Uh
[1:47] and every time I get a report from you,
[1:48] Michelle, it's got more money in it. How
[1:51] you how you doing that? Just just good.
[1:54] » I'm finding way I'm finding ways
[1:59] to get
[1:59] » Money around.
[2:00] » I learned some stuff down at that
[2:02] conference. I say to get us another
[2:03] about 375,000 to go back general fund.
[2:07] » We're going to pull it from somewhere
[2:08] else.
[2:09] » Y'all could save money by just asking
[2:11] Commissioner Parker to only go to that
[2:12] trumper once every three years. Comes
[2:15] back with too many ideas every time that
[2:17] he goes. But we'll get we'll get started
[2:19] in that. And uh the first thing that
[2:21] we'll try to do is to go through the
[2:23] engineers report work session and he'll
[2:25] give us an update on what he's got going
[2:27] on. And if you have anything in your
[2:29] districts or whatever to put on his
[2:31] plate, this would be a good time to do
[2:32] it. So uh county engineer Clay, I don't
[2:36] think he want to see me. I spent a whole
[2:38] day with him Monday.
[2:39] » Oh, you spent a You spent a week with
[2:41] Ricky last Monday
[2:46] to him every day at the conference.
[2:48] [clears throat]
[2:48] » Yeah.
[2:52] Yeah, we figured out ways to spend money
[2:55] for Monday.
[2:59] » Um,
[3:01] okay. Everybody ready?
[3:03] » Yep.
[3:03] » All right, go for it.
[3:04] » Number one, update on crews and
[3:06] projects. uh paving crew has been paving
[3:09] on Pine Pine Mountain area of the county
[3:12] and uh Monday they're moving over to the
[3:14] cut over road and in Shaw Creek uh
[3:18] Valley
[3:20] paving that
[3:22] » Are they about through on this end
[3:25] » This end of the county?
[3:26] » Yes,
[3:27] » We're just now starting the tar and
[3:29] gravel part.
[3:30] » Okay, that's right. You did some other
[3:32] » Yeah, we'll we'll do that until the
[3:36] paving season's over to or till we're
[3:40] » Finish paving all we got prepped for
[3:43] » Things there for Katrina.
[3:45] » Yes, sir.
[3:54] » Got to give her one more.
[3:59] [clears throat]
[3:59] » Okay. Um base crew, they finished the K
[4:02] Creek Road project preparation work. Um
[4:06] and speaking of the HR 5826 250, when I
[4:12] was at the conference, I I found out
[4:14] that u that project has been backed up
[4:18] to the December the 5th letting.
[4:20] » It won't be let in September 25th u like
[4:24] originally scheduled. So they're
[4:26] basically going to use next FY funds.
[4:30] That's what that's about.
[4:31] » And that's for your trip projects.
[4:34] » Yes, that was
[4:35] » That probably won't be a big issue
[4:36] because of uh you've got other projects
[4:39] working try to get them in this year
[4:41] anyway. We only got so many contractors.
[4:43] » That's that's
[4:45] probably running out of people to do
[4:46] them anyway.
[4:47] » That's true. That's true. Um
[4:52] and also uh September the 8th. Around
[4:56] September the 8th, we're scheduled our
[4:58] base crew to start on the Evergreen
[5:01] cover replacement project. That's a
[5:03] covert that US Fish and Wildlife because
[5:06] of TR Park Daughters. They're going to
[5:09] pay for the cover material and
[5:13] contractor put it in. We just got to do
[5:15] the prep pre-prep work for the project
[5:18] and do the road bed, get it back open
[5:21] afterwards. It's be second Now, we've
[5:25] done that. We did the first one on B
[5:28] Circle. So, I think it's it's a win-win
[5:32] for the county.
[5:35] [clears throat] Uh the next uh item is
[5:38] uh the U Sy Road uh
[5:43] a trip to uh 582
[5:47] 02258.
[5:50] Uh the dense grade base and paving.
[5:52] That's what uh the project is up to have
[5:56] needing that to be done. And uh Alabama
[5:59] Grading is the prime on it. And they
[6:01] also have a a a paving machine and
[6:05] everything. And they are doing the the
[6:07] dense grade and paving work for that
[6:09] project. And they're scheduled to begin
[6:12] uh next week, the September the 1, the
[6:16] week of September the 1st.
[6:19] » That's an ARIR project.
[6:21] » Yes. Yes, sir.
[6:23] » It's the county's uh it's one of the
[6:27] counties at projects that we sponsored.
[6:30] » Also, next is the Moody atrip uh two
[6:34] project dealing with the traffic lights
[6:36] at two different uh intersections and
[6:38] that project is scheduled to be let uh
[6:41] to bid September 25th, 2026.
[6:47] And then our CMAC, I apologize. The CMAC
[6:52] project is the Sandy Road US411
[6:55] intersection project. It's scheduled for
[6:57] a right now it's scheduled for a June
[7:00] 2027 leting.
[7:03] » You got to be kidding me. Uh well maybe
[7:05] it'll it'll speed up but here's the the
[7:10] caveats with that is uh the
[7:12] environmental technical service of ALDOT
[7:15] they have to come up and approve the uh
[7:18] the beaver removal uh dewatering uh
[7:22] process which involved removing beaver
[7:25] dams and relocating beavers.
[7:29] Uh
[7:31] once they uh once they approve
[7:34] uh approve that then uh they'll give the
[7:38] Old utilities the go ahead to get the
[7:41] water line relocated.
[7:43] » Does anybody see a trend here? You got
[7:45] the dry spot darters
[7:48] and relocating the beavers. So this
[7:50] project should have been let be as two
[7:52] years ago. I saw a murder of crows on
[7:54] the way here. We got any kind of
[7:56] protection on those yet?
[7:58] That's a murder.
[7:59] » Clay, are there any other animals in
[8:00] your report today
[8:02] » That were Hey, tell them Clay that's
[8:04] that ain't only the problem we had right
[8:06] there about beavers. What was the other
[8:08] that held us up for all that long time?
[8:10] » Oh, yeah. Right away is
[8:12] » No that there was something else held us
[8:14] up had to do with birds or plants or
[8:17] something
[8:18] » In there. A leather flower there.
[8:20] » I forget what it was. Something else in
[8:22] there we had held us up. Then core
[8:24] engineer got involved and core engineers
[8:26] kept it tied up till here a few months
[8:28] ago and they finally released it to him.
[8:32] » Consider the water the wetland and
[8:34] » We had to pay the guy who owns that
[8:36] property. We had to pay him to so we
[8:38] could go out there and tear the beaver
[8:39] downs
[8:41] » And relocate them
[8:42] » And relocate
[8:43] » The dams.
[8:43] » And we had to pay and we had to pay the
[8:45] guy to go out there and do that by hand.
[8:48] » Isn't there something extension service?
[8:50] We Ashley's come in here. There's
[8:52] something extension service can do about
[8:53] these beavers.
[8:54] » Probably not.
[8:57] We don't do [laughter]
[9:00] we can't help with that. Sorry.
[9:02] » Can you carry some over Taliga County?
[9:05] » Yes. Take them over there.
[9:08] » Okay.
[9:12] » Anyway, we'll be glad when the Sy 411
[9:15] project is complete.
[9:21] Let's get it done before we find any
[9:23] more animals.
[9:24] » Yeah.
[9:26] No more nonhuman animals involved in the
[9:29] rest of the proports
[9:34] and probably bats held us up.
[9:37] » They got the they had the grey nose
[9:39] disease or something.
[9:43] » Okay. Item number two disc um discuss.
[9:48] We'll have a recommendations for uh road
[9:51] workers. Uh the road worker one
[9:54] positions. We have six that are open and
[9:57] and uh in just a little bit I'll
[9:59] recommend four of the positions to be
[10:02] filled and uh the job is posted uh until
[10:08] filled until those six positions are
[10:10] filled. So, we'll we'll continue to uh
[10:14] to interview until uh till we get those
[10:17] [snorts] all field recommended to the
[10:20] commission.
[10:23] All right. Um,
[10:26] moving on to number three is uh um just
[10:29] to let y'all know that I I have
[10:33] Jennifer with HR uh at my request posted
[10:37] uh for the general labor position uh at
[10:40] our office. We have uh two that's
[10:42] available and I'm going to fill one of
[10:44] them uh within the next couple weeks.
[10:48] Hopefully we recommend y'all someone uh
[10:51] September 8th commission meeting.
[10:56] All right. Number four. Uh
[11:00] would like to discuss a request for St.
[11:02] Clair County to abandon rightway at the
[11:05] end of Hurst Road in the Odinville area.
[11:09] Um, I've received the uh
[11:13] a couple years ago I got a request from
[11:15] one of the property owners along
[11:18] adjacent to that rideway and um during
[11:22] the conference I got request from the
[11:25] other uh property owner adjacent to that
[11:28] rideway. There's only two so I won't
[11:31] have to send out letters to anyone else
[11:34] uh letting them know about it. But um so
[11:39] I'd like to u
[11:41] get permission to move forward on the
[11:43] abandonment of the rideway and and I'll
[11:46] coordinate with Tina and uh and Mr. Kurt
[11:50] old
[11:52] church go down. It goes out there in
[11:54] dead end.
[11:54] » Yeah.
[11:55] » Situation out there is what it is. This
[11:57] happened years ago.
[11:59] » The road goes down there in dead end.
[12:00] There's two houses out there. Our
[12:03] rideway
[12:04] half the road out there. He owns it. We
[12:07] only own half of that road and to the
[12:10] left of it. We got a ditch.
[12:13] And he's [snorts] got an issue with
[12:14] people keeps driving out there to his
[12:16] house during the night time. Think it's
[12:17] a parking place to come out there and
[12:19] park. the other lake out there. They
[12:21] come out there and they park up there on
[12:22] his on his property.
[12:25] » He's going he's going to put a gate up
[12:27] keep that and only way he can do that if
[12:29] we just go ahead and vacate that little
[12:31] bit of portion right away we got in
[12:32] here. Well, we have a similar problem. I
[12:35] think it's in your district off 144
[12:38] where we actually went out and did a
[12:41] road all the way to the end of the road
[12:43] and the guy now is complaining that that
[12:46] from somewhere where they've got a pipe
[12:49] out there, not the counties. You know
[12:51] what I'm talking about.
[12:58] Anyway,
[13:01] I'll get with you on that one. He says
[13:03] the end of that road was never dedicated
[13:05] to county. It was just done.
[13:07] » So,
[13:08] » Just down there,
[13:10] » Reverend Jordan,
[13:11] » We was going to put a we going to put a
[13:13] color sack down there right before that.
[13:15] We had where buses could turn around and
[13:18] yard trucks, but we only got one of the
[13:20] property owners who to give us
[13:22] permission. The other wouldn't. So, we
[13:24] best do like what we're talking about
[13:26] doing just vacate that let him put a
[13:28] gate up keep people from coming out
[13:29] there on his property.
[13:33] » So we'll have to advertise for 30 days
[13:36] public public meeting for 30 days and
[13:40] then we'll
[13:42] give y'all an opportunity to hear about
[13:44] it and then give an opportunity to uh to
[13:49] agree or disagree and then we'll have to
[13:51] advertise after that that the has been
[13:55] abandoned. That has been abandoned.
[13:59] Okay. Um number five, uh discuss
[14:02] approving an easement from Alabama Power
[14:05] Company allowing Alabama Power Company
[14:07] to provide power to the new uh SWAT
[14:10] building on the road department campus.
[14:16] And I've got that easement.
[14:20] They going
[14:23] down the side of your road to a pole and
[14:24] then underground to the building across
[14:26] the parking lot or what?
[14:28] » Yes,
[14:29] » There's an there's a pole on one of our
[14:32] drives that goes to our co-mix. There's
[14:35] already a pole there. They're going to
[14:37] span over to another pole on the right
[14:40] side of that drive. Then they're going
[14:42] to go underground as I understand uh to
[14:45] to the structure.
[14:47] That's what they're doing. Good.
[14:50] Did they give a cost to that? What's
[14:52] going to cost us?
[14:54] » The easement's not going to cost
[14:56] anything. And I don't know what the
[14:57] contract
[14:59] digging from polit
[15:04] as I understand it was part of the bid
[15:07] package.
[15:08] » What about gas lines? They gonna have to
[15:10] have easement to get run the gas line
[15:13] out there too.
[15:15] » I have I'm not aware. Roy's Rodney's got
[15:19] a lot of good connections with with fire
[15:21] » People.
[15:26] » He didn't say nothing about needing
[15:28] right away going out through there which
[15:29] they already got a gas line up through
[15:31] there. So they already got right away.
[15:32] » They got a gas line up there all the way
[15:34] all the way up through there.
[15:36] » They good.
[15:38] » That' be one one thing we don't have to
[15:39] worry about with gas coming. There you
[15:41] go.
[15:42] » Except it's a half inch line and it
[15:44] won't feed a heater.
[15:45] I just that's what happened to my house.
[15:50] » Okay, it'll work out.
[15:52] » So, the the easement though is a
[15:54] standard Alabama power easement as I
[15:56] understand.
[15:57] Kurt can take a look at it if y'all
[16:00] wish.
[16:02] I got that stuff. I had a chance to look
[16:04] at.
[16:09] » That's that's all I have. Commissioners
[16:11] have any questions for Clay?
[16:14] other than the ones we put on you as we
[16:16] went down the list. You can't get any
[16:18] help out of Ashley on the beavers. I
[16:20] don't know what you think.
[16:22] » We can hold a trapping workshop if y'all
[16:23] would like
[16:24] » A trapping work.
[16:25] » Yeah, because we hire we hire tra.
[16:32] » I heard you put a dead beaver on top of
[16:34] the d on the house and they'll leave.
[16:37] » Really?
[16:38] » That probably would work.
[16:41] So dead.
[16:43] » We can come up with dead.
[16:45] » What's that? What's that? A tri
[16:48] » Spot dart.
[16:49] » Could we put them in straight to poor
[16:51] moose to keep it? [laughter]
[16:55] » Get the straight moose.
[16:57] » Try spot dart.
[17:00] » That's it.
[17:01] » Build a bridge with that. Maybe open it
[17:04] up.
[17:06] » They're just not being creative. These
[17:08] are being county government.
[17:12] You might want to buck our military, but
[17:14] don't buck what you try.
[17:17] Some leather flowers on the side of the
[17:21] beach at the Straits of Hormuse and drop
[17:23] a few tri spot darters in snails in
[17:26] there.
[17:26] » Few snails. That place be
[17:29] » All right. Enough bushy so we can be
[17:32] done by some kind of reasonable
[17:33] lunchtime. Uh Rody Wolf,
[17:38] property manager, updates on properties
[17:40] and projects.
[17:41] » Rody, give them good news.
[17:43] » Yeah, tell us buyers.
[17:44] » Good news. EMA operation center gas
[17:48] lines already stubbed up. Sitting there
[17:50] waiting.
[17:52] » The corner's building. It is stubbed up.
[17:55] Sitting there waiting.
[17:56] » Good.
[17:57] » Only thing we got to do is get Clay to
[17:59] fix the payment down there [laughter]
[18:01] so the city don't jump us. Uh, and going
[18:05] back to the SWAT thing, I talked to the,
[18:08] uh, guy that's actually doing the wiring
[18:10] out there. Uh, he had already talked to
[18:14] Alabama Fire. They're about two weeks
[18:16] out of them setting the pole, which
[18:19] gives him enough time because he ain't
[18:20] got the meter set yet for him to do it
[18:23] anyway. So,
[18:28] » And then,
[18:29] » All right.
[18:30] » Yeah, I was building
[18:33] like pretty much done.
[18:35] » They should be done this Saturday.
[18:38] » We've already lined up on power to
[18:42] there's no reason required for that. And
[18:45] we already lined up on power to
[18:47] hopefully show up next Wednesday to
[18:50] start their process.
[18:56] » I'll check what Aaron because Pat done
[19:00] this one. The spire gas down here, but
[19:03] over the one in Asheville. So, I checked
[19:05] with him and see what where they're at
[19:09] that gas line.
[19:09] » We're in the mix on all that. The other
[19:11] one that we were uh didn't know if he's
[19:14] going to have to move anything or or add
[19:17] something out here at the museum just
[19:19] building when we move the uh Aaliyah in
[19:22] there. Are we going to run into any kind
[19:24] of gas line power line issues over
[19:26] there? We got data lines. Has all that
[19:28] been resolved?
[19:30] » Got anybody? We've had line locates done
[19:32] several times and there's nothing in
[19:34] contact.
[19:35] » Remove it some, but we we good on the
[19:37] data lines that's going in because
[19:39] they'll have to change all their online
[19:41] stuff.
[19:42] » I think Glenn and Emma's already been
[19:44] over there getting everything ready for
[19:46] it.
[19:47] » John and
[19:53] official meeting about two months ago
[19:55] with them.
[19:55] » Yeah.
[19:56] » Oh, Clay too. What did you get the
[19:58] survey done up there in Ash on the lot
[20:00] in Asheville?
[20:02] » Uh he he hadn't called me to let me know
[20:04] he's finished with it. I will call him
[20:06] today
[20:13] » And an update on the uh
[20:16] rescue squad building.
[20:18] have not heard back from
[20:22] not the guy that uh
[20:25] actually come out and looked at the
[20:26] building, but his who he reports to with
[20:29] CRS give me a call of the day and said
[20:32] he was going to run it on up to his
[20:34] boss. And then after that, then they
[20:37] would send the commission a letter
[20:40] saying what they were going to do and
[20:41] what what they were going to do.
[20:48] Is that just water coming in and
[20:49] wrapping back pretty much?
[20:51] » Uh,
[20:53] it's another one of them situations.
[20:54] Don't you remember on the sheriff's
[20:57] admin building behind the jail? Remember
[20:59] the 10 way the 10 come down on the one
[21:01] and the other just barely stuck up under
[21:03] that building is is the same way and
[21:06] they did not put no flashing to where it
[21:09] very easy for water to get blowed back
[21:11] up under is what it looked like to me.
[21:14] It lasted a long time for that to just
[21:17] now be a problem like that.
[21:19] » Yeah, it really did.
[21:23] » It's been a while.
[21:24] » Yeah, long time.
[21:26] » Other than that, that's what I got.
[21:28] Well, I guess all the other thing is I
[21:30] got the
[21:32] part of the project with Dan done in
[21:34] Asheville. I got the two fans and the
[21:36] cassette units replaced. Waiting on the
[21:38] coal to come in. uh which also reminded
[21:41] me that [clears throat] uh once that
[21:43] comes in, we'll have that replaced.
[21:45] They're supposed to be here this weekend
[21:48] replacing the two coils that's leaking
[21:50] in the children out here.
[21:54] » Everything is moving right along.
[21:57] » So, next at 7:30, you and I'll meet with
[22:00] the generator pick. Correct.
[22:05] » All right.
[22:06] » Let me know.
[22:09] Anything for me?
[22:12] » Whenever y'all get ready to talk about
[22:13] what we're going to do with the other
[22:14] generator, y'all giving some thought to
[22:17] that.
[22:19] » The old generator. I had uh cous water
[22:23] going for generator. I had them go look
[22:25] at it and uh he said ain't it ain't
[22:28] going to be big enough for them.
[22:29] » Wow.
[22:30] » Golly, that's a big generator.
[22:33] » I think that's the one that called me
[22:35] and that sort of shocked me.
[22:38] He he was talking about they needed a
[22:40] 400k.
[22:42] » He said they he was talking like they
[22:44] needed like a 400k generator to run
[22:47] their what they needed.
[22:48] » He said that there wasn't even
[22:50] » That big or something.
[22:52] » He said must be run big pumps.
[22:57] » It must be something big
[23:00] » Shot. We carry we carry it up to county
[23:02] shop right we carry it up there and set
[23:04] it up up there have to we use it hook it
[23:06] up that swap building any building clay
[23:09] then we got up there
[23:10] » That's at least close to a source for
[23:12] diesel fuel since that's a day on day
[23:22] one we [clears throat] get does as good
[23:24] as that one
[23:28] » All right that's all I
[23:31] I just got a text from him. He may have
[23:34] gone to the wrong place.
[23:43] That's what he did.
[23:45] » Bigger 10.
[23:50] » Yes, that's right. He's got
[24:01] I sent him a text. So, we'll see if that
[24:03] works out.
[24:07] » All righty.
[24:08] Moving on to Tina, county administrator
[24:11] updates and information from Tina.
[24:14] » Okay. So, I've been working with the
[24:16] staff and Kirk on the procurement cards
[24:19] and the credit card policies. We're not
[24:22] ready to move forward on that yet, but
[24:24] we are working on it and we'll bring it
[24:26] back up as another work session.
[24:28] » It's going to be
[24:30] » It's going to be a lot bigger than we
[24:31] thought. Um, but we can get through and
[24:33] I'm sure
[24:34] » Did y'all get some information from some
[24:36] some of those starting cross this bridge
[24:38] while we're at the conference. You get
[24:40] chance to talk to some
[24:42] » Conference.
[24:44] We didn't talk to anybody there, but but
[24:46] we've talked to other counties,
[24:50] you know, before we went to the
[24:51] conference and we've got material from
[24:53] several counties.
[24:54] » We've got material from Baldwin County
[24:57] » And Lee County.
[25:02] » Yeah.
[25:03] » They've had a long time.
[25:06] » Yeah. Um that they use for maintenance
[25:09] and stuff like that, but not for travel.
[25:10] » We're talking about travel. Travel is a
[25:12] different animal.
[25:14] And a lot of our accounting policies are
[25:16] going to have to be revised. And we need
[25:18] all of that in place before we put the
[25:20] procurement cards.
[25:22] » They can't go in effect 1 November
[25:24] anyway.
[25:24] » Yeah. So, we'll maybe have it by then
[25:28] » And we got to make sure our software is
[25:30] compatible, but we are working on it.
[25:34] And [clears throat] the next item, the
[25:35] Museum of B City will host Helen Keller
[25:39] Art Show.
[25:41] The reception will open Friday,
[25:43] September the 11th from 2 to 4. Museum
[25:46] hours are Thursday and Friday 10 to 4.
[25:48] Saturday 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admissions
[25:52] free. And you've got a fly in your work
[25:54] session.
[26:04] » I have any questions for Tina?
[26:08] » Thank you, Tina.
[26:16] Hold on just a second. Uh, and Dave, I'm
[26:21] appreciate you being here. Feel free to
[26:23] jump in here. Believe me, at any time if
[26:25] you if you've been thinking about some
[26:26] of these things, especially as we work
[26:29] on things, if they say it's going to be
[26:30] something get taken care of after
[26:32] November, that's going to be something
[26:35] that'll be on your plate. So, any of
[26:36] those if you have any comments you want
[26:37] to make, feel free to jump in there at
[26:39] any time.
[26:41] We'll uh we'll we'll work that out. We
[26:44] don't want to we don't want to leave a a
[26:46] list of things
[26:48] that surprise you. There'll be several
[26:50] things won't be able to be done for a
[26:52] while. How you doing, uh, Judge
[26:54] Ammeritus? You you need to address the
[26:56] commission on anything?
[26:57] » I was just taking some orders from Kurt.
[26:58] He had he said he needed he had
[27:00] something I hadn't done
[27:02] » And I'm and I'm taking care of it, Kurt.
[27:05] Notice where notice where Kyle had has a
[27:07] birthday today. Y'all got his birthday.
[27:09] [clears throat]
[27:09] » I'm about to send him I'm about to send
[27:12] him congratulations. So, he made another
[27:14] year just like you.
[27:15] » Amen. And that's always a good sign.
[27:18] » I'm headed to my daughter's wedding. So,
[27:22] » Anybody have any funds that they want to
[27:24] [laughter]
[27:31] » Imagine that she'll start sending money
[27:33] to you now.
[27:35] Yeah,
[27:36] » She married a lawyer at Bur Foreman up
[27:37] there. He's just new start. I mean, she
[27:39] ought to it ought to be okay.
[27:42] » You know how lawyers are. [laughter]
[27:44] » Congratulations on getting one off the
[27:45] payroll.
[27:47] » You never get them off payroll.
[27:50] » Okay. Any questions now? Anything for
[27:53] Tina? Uh
[27:56] I'm still a little concerned about the
[27:57] procurement card question, but we'll
[27:59] talk about that. Is is there anything we
[28:01] can do quickly? let us know uh to get
[28:05] that card in. I'd like I hoping we'd
[28:08] have them in in place [clears throat]
[28:09] even for travel by October one.
[28:11] » And we're going to try our best. It's
[28:13] it's just going to be a process. Um
[28:15] Okay. Um we've got so many policies and
[28:18] Kurt might want to speak of this. We've
[28:19] got so many policies
[28:21] » That references the county credit card.
[28:24] » Yeah. I mean, so there's
[28:27] » You're up next anyway.
[28:28] » I'm up next anyway. We're scooting up
[28:30] there where I'm supposed to be at.
[28:37] Um so there are um
[28:42] a number of policies. Um
[28:46] there we go. Um there are a number of
[28:48] policies that touch um credit cards that
[28:53] touch um you know the use of the credit
[28:56] card. I say credit cards that's singular
[29:00] credit card. But we're moving to the
[29:02] pecards and so we would just want to get
[29:05] everything in one place and everything
[29:08] that touches those things all you know
[29:11] calm all the tangles out and let's have
[29:14] one place we look for issues that relate
[29:16] to that and it there are um a number of
[29:19] policies there's several resolutions all
[29:22] that will be impacted that need to be
[29:25] you know either repealed and or replaced
[29:28] or you know the content moved somewhere
[29:30] somewhere else. Um, so it's just going
[29:33] to be picking all of that stuff apart so
[29:35] that we don't leave some something
[29:38] that's already dealt with, you know,
[29:41] abandoned.
[29:43] Yeah. So,
[29:46] » A bunch
[29:47] » Because it will not cover as broadly as
[29:50] the old credit card methods we were
[29:52] using. Is that what we're kind of
[29:53] finding out?
[29:54] » It it will not. No. Um, I think I
[29:57] mentioned the any of this federal money
[30:00] we get and I'm going to assume it's uh I
[30:04] I don't know whether it's whether it's
[30:05] tied in with federal money we get
[30:07] through uh DOT or not, but let's just
[30:10] say the million dollars that we've got
[30:12] in appropriation for the Riverside
[30:13] Bridge that that can direct
[30:16] appropriation federal money. There's a
[30:18] procurement policy on the federal level
[30:21] and in fact they require states to have
[30:23] a procurement officer
[30:25] and I'm not sure it be it probably good
[30:28] for us to designate somebody as a
[30:30] procurement officer
[30:31] » Right
[30:32] » To keep up with that and and it to me it
[30:34] would be better if they if they all were
[30:36] the same rules because he he he may
[30:40] spend some money that came from a
[30:42] federal grant or something and spend it
[30:44] under our rules but if they're different
[30:46] from the federal procure roots, we would
[30:48] be in trouble on how we bid it, how we
[30:51] advertised it, all of those kind of
[30:53] things.
[30:54] » Correct.
[30:54] » So that that
[30:56] if the commission thinks they can put it
[30:58] all under the same umbrella as
[31:00] requirements by the federal rules, it'll
[31:03] cover us all the way down,
[31:04] » Right?
[31:04] » But they may be too restricted. I don't
[31:06] I don't know how far they go.
[31:07] » Yes, sir.
[31:10] » Quite a bit of money comes through.
[31:11] Well, not just DOT. If we had a a
[31:13] tornado, that's that that's something
[31:16] that comes up. how we spend federal
[31:18] money from FEMA and all those kind of
[31:20] things just could be a surprise. And if
[31:23] we're spending it like we were used to
[31:25] and they didn't they didn't uh uh
[31:28] correspond with the way the federal
[31:29] government requires and we have a
[31:31] problem that wasn't necessarily tied to
[31:33] the old uh we pretty well know how to
[31:36] jump through the hoops. We're required
[31:37] to do this this and this on federal
[31:39] money but not if it comes off of a card.
[31:42] That's kind of got me concerned how we
[31:44] do a card.
[31:47] So if it can all be matched up, to me it
[31:50] looks like it'd be simpler. Yes, it may
[31:52] be more restrictive
[31:54] than we want to if it's federal, but we
[31:57] might not mind it being very
[31:59] restrictive,
[32:02] » Right? And you know one of the things to
[32:05] cons you know I think that you know the
[32:08] simplest thing right now will be just to
[32:12] deal with just the the procurement card
[32:15] policy rather than a like a
[32:17] comprehensive procurement policy across
[32:19] the board that would you know
[32:22] » Address everything. um just because the
[32:28] if if it were a matter of taking some
[32:30] something somebody else had done and
[32:32] swapping you know X county and put St.
[32:35] clear in um you know it it could we
[32:39] could we could have something ready to
[32:41] go tomorrow but there's it's tangled up
[32:43] in a little bit more than that like that
[32:46] policy that that that was developed
[32:47] somewhere else was developed in the
[32:49] context of whatever their history is
[32:52] that brought them up to this point and
[32:54] you know they untangled all those knots
[32:56] or presumably did
[32:57] » Really I think the first step is the
[32:59] clearing up the resolutions and the
[33:00] policies that we have currently in place
[33:03] that's step one step two may the more
[33:05] comprehensive uh policy we have about
[33:07] procurement,
[33:08] » Right?
[33:09] » I think we got to do one before we do
[33:10] the other.
[33:12] » Makes sense.
[33:13] » Yes.
[33:14] » So that's that's um that's where we the
[33:17] approach we're taking on that.
[33:19] » Okay. Um
[33:23] so um
[33:27] the um
[33:31] lodging tax we worked through that and
[33:33] that's ready for
[33:36] » Today.
[33:38] » Yes sir. It is. We have that ready to go
[33:41] today. I don't know.
[33:42] » Yes. And it's on the agenda. I put it
[33:45] effective December the 1st to allow our
[33:48] sales tax coordinator time to get
[33:51] letters out to all the hotels and motel
[33:56] if y'all are good with that. The state
[33:58] requires 60 days
[34:02] 90 days
[34:06] » And to keep from having to discuss it in
[34:09] in the meeting as such. Uh
[34:14] we uh
[34:16] we want to be sure that any of those
[34:18] taxes that are passed like that
[34:21] [cough and clears throat]
[34:23] like they need to be earmarked in any
[34:24] way. This money comes directly into the
[34:26] general fund
[34:26] » General fund.
[34:27] » Then the decision on how it's dispersed
[34:29] comes from whatever commission body is
[34:31] in place.
[34:33] » Yes.
[34:35] » So the only thing really that's changing
[34:37] on that is just the the rate.
[34:40] » Correct.
[34:45] Um,
[34:48] we've got a um
[34:51] memorandum of understanding about the
[34:53] folks from Aaliyah that are moving into
[34:55] the new Eegis building. Reviewed that,
[34:58] make few little adjustments to that.
[35:01] We'll get that sent over to their
[35:04] council to review and we'll get
[35:08] wrinkles ironed out of that here. have
[35:10] that ready to go pretty quick.
[35:12] » We need to take some legal action on
[35:15] uh I don't know what kind of hoops we
[35:17] have to jump through, but I was hoping
[35:18] we could put Aaliyah's
[35:21] seal on that building where it used to
[35:23] say St. Clair, New Zealand
[35:26] spot on the wall. [clears throat] It was
[35:28] there. Uh there's an official Aaliyah
[35:32] seal and I looked it up here the other
[35:35] day. We
[35:37] » Talked about it.
[35:38] » Yes, sir. Aaliyah sent me with a sent me
[35:41] what they're going to have on their
[35:42] door.
[35:43] » That's just on their door.
[35:44] » Yes, sir. But I talked with Lind Crow.
[35:46] He got us a quote to put it on the
[35:49] building as well.
[35:50] » That's good.
[35:51] » So, that's in the works.
[35:53] » I just figured it would might be better
[35:55] to wait until closer to when they're
[35:57] going to open over there so people won't
[35:59] be going over there thinking they're
[36:00] open.
[36:01] » You got a good You got a good point. And
[36:02] then the other way to think about that
[36:04] is get people as used to as as as used
[36:07] to it as as quickly as possible. That
[36:10] that that's where Aaliyah is because one
[36:12] of our problems here is [clears throat]
[36:16] Aaliyah does a great job in what they do
[36:18] and they're overwhelmed just like some
[36:19] of the things we do. But many people
[36:22] look at Aaliyah as a county agency.
[36:26] » So when Aaliyah has problems then it
[36:29] it's cost the countyy's not handling
[36:32] problem. So divorcing us from these
[36:35] other people that's that's not ours is
[36:39] good. You know, we've always fought for
[36:41] instance the issue on who are you going
[36:43] to pay for just something that simple.
[36:46] So it never ends, you know. So I have an
[36:50] inclination just put signs all up and
[36:52] down there. What you see in some
[36:53] counties county
[36:56] road maintenance stops here.
[37:00] They got them all over Jackson County
[37:02] » Because had the same issue. County road
[37:04] maintenance stops here. It's it's from
[37:07] here on in. It's somebody else's. I'm
[37:09] not going to tell you whose it is, but
[37:10] it's not ours.
[37:12] » We'd have to have a thousand signs.
[37:14] » At least we have to have at least
[37:15] » But in this case, at least people will
[37:17] get to know that's not a Slair County
[37:19] entity. That is Well, another one that
[37:21] comes to mind, they do great work. They
[37:23] do good work, but they're not ours. St.
[37:25] Clair County Health Department is not
[37:27] ours.
[37:29] And we get calls and Corey gets called.
[37:31] They get calls all the time problems
[37:33] with things that might relate to the St.
[37:35] Clair County Health Department. And I I
[37:38] wish that had a big sign over it out
[37:39] there, you know, state of Alabama,
[37:44] » Health department, St. Clair County
[37:46] minor chapter or something, you know,
[37:48] because that's those those are bigger
[37:50] issues than we think because they take
[37:52] up a lot of our time trying to explain
[37:53] to people the levels of government. I
[37:57] know it's You'd think by now everybody
[37:59] would know, but no, they don't. They
[38:01] don't know at all.
[38:03] » Uh, so anyway, that's sooner we can put
[38:05] a sign on that building, the sooner
[38:07] people will start saying that's a state
[38:08] agency that'll be moving in that
[38:10] building. But I see what you're saying.
[38:11] We don't want them going over there and
[38:12] stopping. But really, it may be all
[38:14] right if they go over there and stop. At
[38:15] least they'll start parking out back.
[38:17] » That's true.
[38:19] » I can Lyn's got the quote. We can have
[38:21] them go over there.
[38:22] » I would have problem moving forward with
[38:24] it.
[38:26] They going to park in the back parking
[38:28] lot, which is where we was always hoping
[38:29] they'd park anyway.
[38:32] » And there are set there assigned parking
[38:35] places back there. Three or four people.
[38:37] » Three of them.
[38:38] » Yeah,
[38:38] » We can put their memo when they open on
[38:40] the door as well.
[38:41] » Okay, that'd be good. Yeah,
[38:43] I'd like to see this move forward with
[38:46] Okay.
[38:56] Um, so I'm reviewing a um I'm looking at
[39:01] a contract for the um community
[39:04] corrections issue about the um ankle
[39:07] monitors. Um it's my understanding that
[39:12] the county is
[39:15] identified as the customer for that. Um,
[39:17] and I'm my
[39:20] inference is that um that that's just
[39:24] because of community corrections
[39:27] function and their um how they're
[39:30] organized here in our county. Um
[39:34] but anyway, I'm looking at that contract
[39:36] and uh that'll be circulated here pretty
[39:39] quick. I didn't have a chance to tell
[39:40] you, but I talked with Judge Weather
[39:42] Team this morning and they're going to
[39:43] have a board meeting corrections
[39:47] » Next week so we can put this on another
[39:51] work session and they're going to review
[39:53] the contract.
[39:54] » I see. Okay.
[39:56] » We can bring it back up at our next work
[39:57] session.
[39:59] » Okay.
[40:00] um
[40:02] the um
[40:06] flow forward initiative the um
[40:09] requesting information from the water
[40:12] correct the GIS mapping um thatou is um
[40:16] I've gone back through that and I think
[40:17] that's ready to be distributed to the
[40:21] authorities for their [clears throat]
[40:25] acceptance if they choose to
[40:28] » Sir
[40:29] » Good luck
[40:30] with that.
[40:31] » Yes, sir.
[40:35] » They're not going to understand
[40:39] this for years and years and years. The
[40:41] engineers that they have don't want us
[40:43] to do this. They want to control who
[40:46] knows where all those lines are.
[40:49] They're on our highway,
[40:50] » Right?
[40:50] » And uh and they're agencies that we
[40:52] created, most of them. Uh, so we we
[40:57] probably need to do a lot more
[40:58] communications to those people for them
[41:00] to know this is not a threat. We don't
[41:01] want to tell them anybody where the
[41:02] valves are located or any of that sort
[41:05] of thing. But when we do a when we do an
[41:08] application for a grant for instance,
[41:11] uh, we have to turn in information such
[41:13] as low to moderate income, the density
[41:15] of low to moderate income, where they
[41:17] are. uh we have to we have to do a lot
[41:20] of things that if we already had that in
[41:23] a box somewhere the mapping of those
[41:25] lines for instance u
[41:28] that really help us move on forward
[41:30] moving money into these systems and
[41:33] that's just going to be an education
[41:34] problem for a long time
[41:35] » But we are fighting against the maybe
[41:39] not a good term our our resistance I
[41:43] think comes mostly from their engineers
[41:46] they want hold on to that information
[41:48] like it's proprietary and some of it is
[41:51] but some of it's not. So that's just
[41:54] going to be a long time long time thing
[41:57] that's something D can straighten out.
[41:58] It's just it's only it's only a 30-year
[42:00] problem. Uh [clears throat]
[42:02] that's that we're we're trying to map
[42:04] where all the infrastructure is for
[42:06] water systems and uh a lot of reasons we
[42:11] we don't have that in our mapping
[42:12] system. Well, our individual water
[42:14] systems are saying, "Yeah, we don't want
[42:15] to give that to y'all."
[42:17] Wait a minute. First of all, it's
[42:19] probably public record. We get it if we
[42:20] make it. We don't we don't want that
[42:21] kind of relationship with them. But but
[42:24] some of that's because they just don't
[42:26] understand. We're not trying to get it
[42:28] for any nefarious reason. We We need
[42:31] that information for good things. But
[42:34] that's going to take a while to explain.
[42:36] Maybe a maybe a seminar with water
[42:38] systems a couple times a year or
[42:40] something like that. I don't know.
[42:43] That's something that uh Commissioner M
[42:45] said he was going to handle.
[42:47] » Yes, I'll take care of a case point
[42:50] would be just what we discussed last
[42:52] week. You know, we were talking about
[42:53] possibly crossing into cross that river.
[42:56] » Yeah.
[42:56] » And we have no earthly idea where where
[42:58] we would tap,
[43:00] you know, that would be something
[43:03] beneficial.
[43:05] » Where to start digging?
[43:08] » Washington DC to ask for some grant
[43:10] money for that. It's good to have a map
[43:12] showing where where we can cross the
[43:13] river to to legally tap on.
[43:15] » And I talked to Tommy Bowers on that
[43:17] subject. He said power companies okay
[43:19] that crossing years ago. You're aware of
[43:21] that?
[43:21] » It is. Yeah. We've got a we've got an
[43:23] approved crossing in a box, but that may
[43:25] not be one crossing.
[43:26] » No. No.
[43:28] Where that would come in handy?
[43:30] » Yeah.
[43:30] » And if I get that letter, I talk to New
[43:32] London.
[43:34] » Yeah. They'll be okay with it.
[43:35] » Okay.
[43:36] » Good.
[43:37] » I feel like they will. Yes, sir. I guess
[43:39] if we if we could
[43:42] we probably need to talk to Brian Price
[43:45] of he can communicate instead of in his
[43:48] technical manner some way or another we
[43:50] just communicate that that it's
[43:52] shouldn't be a threatening thing for
[43:54] them. Give us whatever you give us but
[43:56] give us something
[43:57] » Give us where your lines are located you
[44:00] know and do they run through pine woods
[44:03] that that kind of thing.
[44:06] That'd be good if we had all that in one
[44:08] » Right. It's not just municipal, it's not
[44:10] just the water systems there. It's some
[44:12] municipalities, too. But that's going to
[44:14] be up to their engineers,
[44:16] » Right?
[44:18] » For sure.
[44:20] Um and then
[44:23] with the exception of you had uh
[44:26] commissioner uh chairman, you had asked
[44:29] um about the to do some research about
[44:32] the amendment 909.
[44:34] Uh I'm happy to speak about that now or
[44:38] we can talk about it in the meeting time
[44:42] especially before I before I get going
[44:44] into retirement. Uh and it's also
[44:46] something that that
[44:49] other people will need to know
[44:52] and day what your what your options are.
[44:55] So what's that what does that amendment
[44:57] say? Well, so
[45:01] it was enacted as um a way for um local
[45:07] governments to be able to make decisions
[45:11] without having to amend the
[45:13] constitution. Um we're
[45:17] under the Dillan's rule which is u from
[45:21] the late 1800s and uh basically says
[45:26] local government you only have the
[45:29] authority that that the state gives you.
[45:32] So, um what amendment 909 did
[45:37] um was say here's the authority to act
[45:41] in these five ways and there's a list of
[45:45] five different thing categories
[45:47] basically that of um types of
[45:52] um
[45:53] matters that
[45:56] you can
[45:58] establish programs under those headings.
[46:02] um and there's a procedure that's that
[46:05] you required to follow to um be able to
[46:08] act in this way. So the five areas have
[46:11] to do with personnel,
[46:14] um litter and animal control, public
[46:17] transit and road safety,
[46:19] um county offices, so like elected
[46:23] officials and their roles, and then um
[46:27] emergency assistance.
[46:30] Um Uh this topic came up in the context
[46:34] of
[46:36] um possibly doing some sort of um you
[46:40] know retirement party if you have a
[46:42] county employee that's going to retire
[46:45] um and you know there there may be a way
[46:48] forward to do something like that. The
[46:50] ACCA has some materials about some um
[46:55] you know jump start for um you know
[47:00] employee recognition um and safety sort
[47:04] of things that um that you could put
[47:07] together. Um so there's some folks that
[47:10] are doing things. I found some
[47:12] information um that where Coleman had
[47:16] done Coleman County had done some
[47:19] um enacted something pursuant to
[47:22] amendment 909 but um the procedure that
[47:26] has to be followed is and you went
[47:28] through it when we were here last but
[47:30] » Doesn't it say in there you can that the
[47:32] local body can restrict it as restricted
[47:34] as you want. You don't have to adopt
[47:36] everything it says you you may do,
[47:38] » Right? You can adopt bits and pieces and
[47:40] and restrict them. For instance,
[47:42] » Uh when staff has to buy a frame for uh
[47:47] a certificate
[47:49] of recognition for someone
[47:53] uh we have a problem paying for the
[47:55] frame. So we have a tendency to run down
[47:59] to Walmart and pay 99 cents. Is that we
[48:01] got that straight? Can we pay that
[48:03] straight down?
[48:03] » Can we pay anything we want to?
[48:06] It's limit. I mean,
[48:07] » I mean, we can't go spend hundreds of
[48:10] dollars on one, I'm sure, but we can get
[48:12] decent looking. We pay a little bit more
[48:14] than 99, but um
[48:20] » And and the the certificate itself, I
[48:22] mean, we print them off of our computer
[48:23] in the office, and it may be something
[48:25] this something that uh
[48:27] » You've got an entity that's been working
[48:29] for the county for a long time.
[48:32] uh and and they need rec they're going
[48:34] to get recognition
[48:35] » Honor that and recognize them for that
[48:37] » With a with a professionally printed
[48:39] certificate
[48:40] and instead of I we do a good job but
[48:43] not what it could be if it were done
[48:44] through some entity that printed off of
[48:47] better stock. It's not just a flimsy
[48:49] piece of paper
[48:51] » That that starts out at that and it goes
[48:53] all the way up to where you could pay
[48:54] for the retirement party for a retiring
[48:56] judge.
[48:59] » Right. Well, right now we can't pay for
[49:00] cake or any type of food for a
[49:02] retirement party. So,
[49:04] » So somewhere in there, do you want to
[49:05] pay for the cake? You know, I think in
[49:07] 909 there may be a place in there for
[49:11] » But you can't buy you can't buy him a
[49:13] car,
[49:15] » Right?
[49:16] » Yeah.
[49:17] » That's the restriction. You going to
[49:18] give him a car as a gift for his
[49:20] retirement, you know.
[49:22] So, but the state had to go through some
[49:24] pretty big hoops when I retired from the
[49:26] state and they gave me my pistol and my
[49:29] badge. Isn't that a crazy thing?
[49:32] Policeman's going to retire and you give
[49:33] him his pistol and his badge. Well, he's
[49:35] not going to shoot anybody, arrest
[49:36] anybody anymore. He's retiring. Won't
[49:38] just give me my county, my state truck.
[49:40] You know, that's kind of what I suggest.
[49:42] That didn't go very, but that's sort of
[49:44] what fits in this category. What do you
[49:46] want to what do you want to do for
[49:47] recognition? That was one of the areas
[49:49] we really run into a problem with.
[49:51] uh
[49:53] let's say u
[49:56] a longstanding person in the counties
[49:59] uh
[50:01] does it cover for instance buying
[50:03] flowers for a funeral? Well, so my
[50:07] reading of it, and it's, you know, kind
[50:09] of the 30,000 foot view. Um, I haven't
[50:12] drilled down on it very far, but, um, my
[50:16] read is that it's it gives you a
[50:19] mechanism to establish a program. So,
[50:22] like a manner of dealing with this topic
[50:26] rather than here's Joe Smith that's
[50:29] retiring. let's go by his picture frame
[50:33] for the certificate. Um, so it's not
[50:36] that specific. I mean, maybe it could
[50:39] be. Um, it's, you know, I mean, it's
[50:42] it's broad. There's it covers a lot of
[50:45] lot of ground. Um,
[50:48] so
[50:50] » That something to be aware of. We've had
[50:53] option to do to use that amendment uh
[50:57] for many years and we've never done it
[51:00] and a lot of counties have because we're
[51:01] afraid of it. What kind of door are you
[51:03] opening up?
[51:04] » Pandora's box.
[51:05] » Not necessarily. That's what I'm saying
[51:07] is we shouldn't be afraid of it being
[51:09] Pandora's box if we set conditions. I
[51:12] think we can set some real strict
[51:14] conditions where you can't open that
[51:16] box. you can only do these things which
[51:18] is at least better than what you can do
[51:20] now which is almost nothing in those
[51:22] situations. You can't spend public money
[51:25] on those kind of private things. Um so
[51:29] u
[51:31] anyway I think it's valuable to know
[51:33] about it and and and bring it up every
[51:35] once in a while. Missions change and you
[51:37] may want may want to talk about it
[51:39] again. How how do we handle this? It not
[51:41] only helps commissioners make a
[51:43] decision, it helps staff make a
[51:44] decision. How we going? Golly, we sure
[51:46] we sure would like to be able to send a
[51:49] spray of flowers to the funeral.
[51:52] And used to we paid for it. You think
[51:54] it'd be simple. Why don't we just use
[51:55] the money out of the coke machines in
[51:57] the hallway because it's against the
[51:59] law. We used to do that. We used to take
[52:02] profit out of the Coke machines and
[52:04] candy machines in the basement and put
[52:06] that into a flower. We used to call it
[52:08] the flower fund, didn't we?
[52:10] » Yes, sir.
[52:10] » Yeah. We can't do that. The auditor said
[52:13] you cannot do that, but you can use 909,
[52:16] I think, to do that. And I don't think
[52:18] anybody's saying you shouldn't do that.
[52:20] » No, I don't think so.
[52:21] » So, you got an option to do that, but
[52:23] you can make it.
[52:26] Commissioner uh Parker's right. It could
[52:29] be something. You open the door, next
[52:31] thing you know, lots of money flowing
[52:33] through. But that's that's us. That's up
[52:35] to us. We can close the door, I think,
[52:36] about as tight as we want to close it.
[52:40] » Yeah.
[52:42] Well, the you know it it wouldn't have
[52:44] been enacted if it didn't serve some
[52:46] interest locally and at the state level
[52:49] too. And so the at the state level it
[52:51] cut down on how many constitutional
[52:53] amendments? I mean we had the longest
[52:55] constitution in the world the world.
[53:00] » This says something you know that that's
[53:02] how you have to operate to get business
[53:03] done. So I mean this is a good solution
[53:06] » We choose to
[53:07] » Right
[53:08] » And it can solve some problems that I
[53:10] think [clears throat]
[53:11] have until we till we adopt it.
[53:14] » Yes.
[53:17] » Thank you.
[53:19] » Yes sir.
[53:21] » All right. Any questions for Kirk?
[53:26] » Thank you.
[53:29] » Okay. Moving on now in our work session.
[53:32] Go back to Dean. He's here
[53:34] » Up. I didn't see him come in. I saw
[53:36] » Come on, Dave.
[53:37] » Come on up here. Dean Go forth. Dean Go
[53:39] forth is uh
[53:42] » The Sinclair County Airport Authority
[53:44] » And um he uh in fact he he one of the
[53:48] one of the ways he kind of presented
[53:50] that he would be interested in serving
[53:52] on that authority was that he would like
[53:54] to give annual updates to the county
[53:56] commission which formed the St. Clair
[53:58] County Airport Authority. Uh and and so
[54:02] we know what's going on out there and
[54:04] they know what we're doing and and try
[54:06] to try to have some connection between
[54:08] the county commission and the airport
[54:10] authority. We we appreciate your
[54:12] willingness to serve and your
[54:14] willingness to go this other step to to
[54:17] literally physically get some
[54:19] interaction between the two because the
[54:21] airport is a very valuable and what's
[54:25] what's its value? What do you think that
[54:26] place would cost if you had to build one
[54:27] today? that that is not a small a small
[54:30] idea out there. Uh so we appreciate the
[54:33] work that that you're doing on that
[54:34] board and it can spend a lot of money
[54:37] quickly
[54:38] in certain ways. So y'all have a printed
[54:41] report from Dean and the floor is yours.
[54:45] [clears throat] We're I sent some late
[54:48] » I didn't get those printed. I just saw
[54:50] them.
[54:50] » Okay. To them later. I brought a copy in
[54:53] case I want to hand it out. So first I
[54:55] want to say thank you. Thank you for the
[54:57] opportunityvious. Obviously, I love to
[54:58] fly and I've got a plane there, too. But
[55:00] I'm really interested in making sure
[55:01] that we
[55:03] for the all y'all know me and I tend to
[55:05] see things not just from a having fun
[55:08] standpoint, but from probably many times
[55:11] a business perspective. So, I want to
[55:13] tell you a quick story real quick.
[55:14] [clears throat] My first meeting,
[55:17] they thought I was a spy.
[55:22] I'm I we I knew there was a disconnect
[55:25] because we talked about it and you guys
[55:26] challenged me with bridge that gap, find
[55:29] out what's going on because we really
[55:31] don't interact and we don't communicate.
[55:34] Um so we were in our first meeting. It
[55:36] was I decided I was just going to keep
[55:38] my mouth shut and listen, which is
[55:40] sometimes hard for me. You don't say
[55:41] anything, David. [laughter]
[55:43] » I've never done that, David, by the way.
[55:46] » Um
[55:48] and
[55:50] about threequarters of the way through
[55:51] the meeting. I know Erskin, I know Ly, I
[55:53] know Ed. I didn't know I I just said I
[55:55] knew Wendy because I got a plane there.
[55:58] And we started talking about some things
[55:59] and I said, "Well, let me help you
[56:02] understand why I'm here. one, I've got a
[56:04] relationship with the commission, with
[56:05] each one of them, the chairman and every
[56:07] one of the commissioners, and everybody
[56:09] supports what we're doing here at the
[56:11] airport, but nobody really understands
[56:14] what we're doing and why we're doing it
[56:17] because nobody's communicating to the
[56:19] commission from the board. Um, I'm here
[56:22] to one understand what we're doing as an
[56:26] airport authority and how do we interact
[56:29] and what value do we bring to this
[56:31] county? It's one thing from a business
[56:32] perspective for me to say we're growing.
[56:34] Everybody knows it. This county is
[56:36] growing and there's a lot of growth to
[56:38] come. What a lot of people don't know is
[56:40] the value of that airport and and what
[56:42] kind of really gem it is for us. So, the
[56:46] more we talked, I've known Ed for a long
[56:48] time. He knows my story and other things
[56:50] that that I've done. And he looked at me
[56:53] and he said, "I think you're the missing
[56:56] link." I said, "Did you just call me a
[56:58] Neanderthal?"
[57:00] » [laughter]
[57:00] » He said, he said, "No, you've got the
[57:04] relationships with the commission and
[57:07] now being on our airport authority and
[57:10] we really feel like you can help us
[57:13] rebuild that relationship." That's
[57:15] really what I want to say. That's the
[57:16] most important thing I want to say to
[57:17] y'all today is that the airport
[57:19] authority is extremely interested in
[57:21] making sure that we rebuild that
[57:22] relationship. We share information.
[57:25] Sometimes I need to be quiet because
[57:27] they said, "Would you be that person?"
[57:29] And I was like, "Okay." Because I like
[57:32] building relationships. All that said,
[57:34] one of the things that I think you guys
[57:36] probably knew is in my first report, it
[57:39] would be pretty extensive, right? I
[57:42] believe if I'm going to if you if you
[57:44] challenge me to do something, I want to
[57:45] do the best job I can. So, the first
[57:47] thing I want to do is say thank you very
[57:49] much for the opportunity because I do
[57:52] feel like this is going to be a new
[57:53] partnership that's g that's going to
[57:55] help everyone. Um,
[57:59] I'll just start with with the things
[58:02] that I have on my agenda. There's a few
[58:04] things I left off that I I'll give you,
[58:05] too. But, um, if you just look at the at
[58:09] the economic
[58:11] impact report, and I think everybody
[58:13] should have a copy of that. You may not
[58:16] had because it was late yesterday when I
[58:17] sent it, but if you get a minute, look
[58:18] at that because it demonstrates
[58:21] something I didn't even know. Stan, you
[58:22] asked a minute ago, what's that airport
[58:24] really worth?
[58:26] millions [laughter]
[58:29] uh and the impact that it has here and
[58:32] what I see is the future not just based
[58:34] on this but based on the growth of
[58:36] industry and businesses and people and
[58:38] more and more people want to come and
[58:40] use this regional airport as opposed to
[58:42] going to Birmingham because like David
[58:45] Johnson and I were talking about the
[58:46] other day, you can't land in Birmingham
[58:47] or park your plane without worrying
[58:49] about a bullet going through it. I mean,
[58:50] it's crazy. um we're in the sweet spot
[58:55] for growth. So, there's a lot of things
[58:58] that that we can do from that
[59:00] perspective. Um grants, the first thing
[59:04] I did was was visit with Candace Hill
[59:07] and she's very interested because I said
[59:09] to her, "Can you explain to me why
[59:11] Bessemer got $4 million and we didn't?
[59:13] Did Katie come visit? Did we bring
[59:15] people here when we were applying for
[59:17] those grants? And if so, why didn't we
[59:19] why weren't we successful?" So that
[59:21] tells me there's money available. She
[59:23] said, "I'm very interested. If the
[59:25] commission so desires and and economic
[59:28] development says I can do it, I want to
[59:30] help." So, and she's gained a lot of
[59:33] experience over the years, as you guys
[59:35] already know, especially working working
[59:37] I sound like a country pumpkin donut,
[59:39] working on grants and things like that.
[59:42] So, I'm excited about that. The other
[59:43] thing uh that we all talked about is
[59:46] currently for whatever reason and and I
[59:49] chose not to go down the rabbit hole and
[59:51] create an adversarial
[59:53] situation between people on the board
[59:55] that may or may not have the answer, but
[59:57] I said, "Can you explain to me why our
[59:59] sheriff is putting our helicopters in
[1:00:03] Tallaladega County? Can somebody help me
[1:00:05] understand that?" Well, there was a
[1:00:09] couple of different thoughts behind how
[1:00:11] that happened, but the end result is
[1:00:14] they very much want the sheriff to have
[1:00:17] a place at the airport.
[1:00:20] Um, I looked at some information from
[1:00:22] 2023.
[1:00:23] I don't know that that's the budget that
[1:00:25] we need to work off of, which is why I
[1:00:26] put the request in here for the
[1:00:28] sheriff's budget. He's expressed he
[1:00:30] wants to move, but nobody really knows
[1:00:32] what's that going to cost. And I think
[1:00:33] we need to explore. We've already
[1:00:35] identified the land that we can use. So,
[1:00:36] I think the next step is what what are
[1:00:39] the next steps? Um,
[1:00:43] » Really?
[1:00:45] » Okay. That's not for me to decide. I'm
[1:00:48] just [laughter]
[1:00:52] [clears throat]
[1:00:53] » Well, I guess my answer to that is
[1:00:54] that's for the commission to decide.
[1:00:56] [laughter]
[1:00:58] » That end up being the sheriff's
[1:00:59] decision.
[1:01:00] » That's okay.
[1:01:03] » Well, I'm not going to get in the middle
[1:01:04] of that.
[1:01:06] » [laughter]
[1:01:08] » Um, I guess I could go either way.
[1:01:10] Everybody's got their opinion on, you
[1:01:12] know, aviation and things that you could
[1:01:14] do. One of the things that sheriff and I
[1:01:15] talked about was it's it's also about
[1:01:17] housing their drones and things like
[1:01:19] that as that department grows. The other
[1:01:22] thing I would add is having the
[1:01:25] sheriff's department there opens up the
[1:01:27] door for tons of grant monies that are
[1:01:30] also available at the state and federal
[1:01:33] levels. Um, I know that you guys go to
[1:01:36] Washington on a regular basis and part
[1:01:37] of the list that you've got in here, I
[1:01:39] provided some information that was sent
[1:01:41] to Joey. I've talked to him. I've talked
[1:01:42] to Bob. I've talked to you. I Ricky and
[1:01:44] Jeff, I really talked to you before I
[1:01:46] went on the board, but I hadn't seen you
[1:01:47] and been able to share what I'm sharing
[1:01:50] with you now. Um, so I think that's
[1:01:53] another venue that we can or avenue that
[1:01:55] we can look at for seeking funds and
[1:01:58] money. But if you don't go to the
[1:01:59] government with a plan or an idea of why
[1:02:02] you need it, they're just going to look
[1:02:04] at you and say, "Give me some details."
[1:02:06] But if we go with a plan, nine out of 10
[1:02:08] times they'll say, "Yes, especially when
[1:02:10] it comes to aviation, law enforcement,
[1:02:12] and those kind of things." Um,
[1:02:15] recent paving expense, I put that in
[1:02:18] there. That was uh what I'm trying to do
[1:02:20] is help you understand or see some of
[1:02:22] the expenses related to the operation of
[1:02:27] the airport. itself. I didn't come today
[1:02:29] and I did put some dollar amounts in
[1:02:31] here of some requests because I know
[1:02:32] we're looking at budgets, but they've
[1:02:34] never really come and demonstrated to
[1:02:36] you why or what what we do with the
[1:02:38] money. One of the questions was, well,
[1:02:40] the the commission used to
[1:02:44] uh
[1:02:45] allot a certain amount of money, but we
[1:02:47] don't know why anymore. I said, why do
[1:02:48] we know? Well, we we don't know. Well,
[1:02:51] it's because nobody's been in here to
[1:02:52] ask you.
[1:02:54] Now, they're now they're going to ask.
[1:02:56] are going to give you the information so
[1:02:57] that you can make a good business
[1:02:59] decision on an asset that you own
[1:03:02] inside the county. Um, but I just wanted
[1:03:06] you to see some of the that was an
[1:03:08] expense that just came up there. We're
[1:03:10] building a lot of new hangers there. And
[1:03:12] by the way, every single one of them are
[1:03:13] already spoken for when we get them
[1:03:15] open. How how wonderful is that? I mean,
[1:03:18] that tells you what kind of demand that
[1:03:19] every hanger that we're currently
[1:03:21] building is going to be occupied when
[1:03:23] it's finished. Well, while the paving
[1:03:25] people were there, we identified an area
[1:03:28] on the on the other on the back side, as
[1:03:31] I like to call it, of all the hangers
[1:03:33] that's just terrible. So, they agreed to
[1:03:35] give us a pretty good price since
[1:03:36] they're going to be on site to do that,
[1:03:38] too. So, we said yes. Um,
[1:03:41] [clears throat] capital expenditures. I
[1:03:43] think I included that with the email
[1:03:45] that Ike sent to Joey just to give you
[1:03:47] I'm not here to say, "Hey, we need to
[1:03:49] spend all this money." I I wanted you to
[1:03:51] see that so that you can start to
[1:03:54] develop how we how do we go to con our
[1:03:58] Washington start to say Congress. How do
[1:03:59] we go to Washington and ask for uh
[1:04:02] monies to help us and how do we help
[1:04:04] them understand why we need it? How do
[1:04:06] we go to the state? We talked about at
[1:04:08] the state level there's a whole
[1:04:09] department that I don't know that we
[1:04:11] really have that relationship with that
[1:04:13] if we develop it what's available to us.
[1:04:16] Um,
[1:04:18] the next thing was insurance costs. Now,
[1:04:21] I've warned the chairman's ear out about
[1:04:22] this because I really don't understand
[1:04:26] during Mr. Manning's tenure used to all
[1:04:28] the insurance for the airport authority
[1:04:30] was covered under the county. I don't
[1:04:32] know why or who or why the decision was
[1:04:34] made, but it was pulled out and they are
[1:04:39] now bearing the full expense.
[1:04:42] um you ask what the prop what the value
[1:04:44] of it is in that insurance information
[1:04:46] that I gave you. One of it is property
[1:04:48] insurance and it lists all the values
[1:04:50] all the different buildings. So it gives
[1:04:51] you a good idea from that perspective
[1:04:53] but then also some of the information
[1:04:55] that I provided and has been provided
[1:04:57] previously uh will outline things that
[1:05:00] we're going to have to do. One of the
[1:05:01] things that I'm going to give you in a
[1:05:03] minute and she can print for you is our
[1:05:05] inspection uh from aviation earlier this
[1:05:09] year. We we passed and they said your
[1:05:11] license is acceptable. However, there's
[1:05:15] some things that we need you to do. We
[1:05:17] may need some help doing some of those.
[1:05:19] I can't stand here today and tell you
[1:05:20] how much. I just wanted you to be
[1:05:22] prepared that they may send me back to
[1:05:25] say, can you see if they can help with
[1:05:27] some of this?
[1:05:27] » Yeah. And if I could start with that,
[1:05:29] let's go with the insurance one while
[1:05:31] I've got it on my mind.
[1:05:33] » Please. But I met with Sunny Bradfield,
[1:05:36] the executive director of the
[1:05:38] Association of Counties, and that's
[1:05:40] where our insurance through. I think uh
[1:05:42] » County reserve
[1:05:43] » All but about all but about six counties
[1:05:45] in the state have their their property
[1:05:47] insurance and all through the
[1:05:48] association of counties. We're
[1:05:50] self-insured. It's a multi-million
[1:05:52] dollar self-insured insurance company.
[1:05:55] Uh during the actuary portion every
[1:05:59] year, we have a report from an actuarial
[1:06:02] company that gives us recommendations on
[1:06:04] what's affecting our policy costs,
[1:06:07] what's the county paying for our
[1:06:09] insurance, and what's making it go up
[1:06:11] and what's, you know, what can we do to
[1:06:13] keep it stabilized or make it go down.
[1:06:15] One of the things making it go up were
[1:06:18] what somebody called uh uh things other
[1:06:22] than county direct county uh services or
[1:06:26] direct county property. Uh for instance,
[1:06:30] airports was one. We've had we had
[1:06:33] counties that had fairies.
[1:06:35] » Had what?
[1:06:35] » Fairies. They run ferry across the
[1:06:37] river.
[1:06:39] [laughter]
[1:06:41] » I was worried.
[1:06:44] They were running fairies across the
[1:06:45] river. Well, what's the what's the
[1:06:46] liability of a ferry?
[1:06:49] » It depends on what kind of ferry and do
[1:06:51] you have cars with people in them and
[1:06:52] what? So, it was affecting the rate the
[1:06:56] overall rate for what the association
[1:06:58] county commissions could provide
[1:07:00] insurance to the individual counties. Uh
[1:07:03] so it didn't during Commissioner
[1:07:05] Manning's term. It wasn't he didn't have
[1:07:07] anything to do with that, but it was
[1:07:08] during his term the association stopped
[1:07:12] paying anything other than direct county
[1:07:15] affiliation. It took them all out
[1:07:17] fairies not not too and uh uh airports
[1:07:22] and removed them. Now,
[1:07:27] in all likelihood,
[1:07:29] talking to Sunny, we were getting that
[1:07:32] insurance
[1:07:34] at a much lower rate
[1:07:37] through our insurance program. Maybe why
[1:07:40] they took it out. Then the airport has
[1:07:42] gone out into the private marketplace
[1:07:44] and got their own insurance because it
[1:07:46] went up tenfold. He said we were paying
[1:07:49] yada yada about that. He said for
[1:07:52] instance Charles airport it have a
[1:07:53] value. What's the liability? What kind
[1:07:56] of equipment do you have? Do you have a
[1:07:58] ALS system? Do you have what kind of
[1:07:59] systems do you have at the airport that
[1:08:01] you got to maintain? You know and and
[1:08:03] and and where are those liable for
[1:08:05] instance liable for that to be damaged
[1:08:07] or liable to to cause a plane to not
[1:08:11] land properly? uh the lighting for
[1:08:14] instance all all that's it's measured
[1:08:17] according to what the more you offer at
[1:08:18] the airport the more not just physical
[1:08:22] asset the more liability you have so
[1:08:26] factoring that in they took airports out
[1:08:28] the association county commission's
[1:08:30] liability insurance does not uh
[1:08:33] we can't even give them I said can we
[1:08:35] pay extra no to the actuarial study said
[1:08:41] best thing to do
[1:08:42] unless they're listed in your name, take
[1:08:44] them out.
[1:08:46] So, that's where that came from. Now,
[1:08:50] we could probably pay from the county's
[1:08:53] money because we took them out. It
[1:08:55] probably in the long run saved us money
[1:08:58] because of the liability causing the
[1:09:00] overall actuary to say your insurance is
[1:09:02] going up. So, we saved a little money
[1:09:04] taking it out. So, we could give that to
[1:09:06] the airport and and and break even. we
[1:09:10] would we would uh would be made whole.
[1:09:13] So, what was that figure? Well, let's
[1:09:15] just say that figure would be uh $4,200
[1:09:19] a year for a policy.
[1:09:21] Uh
[1:09:23] go out to the private marketplace and
[1:09:25] the airport authority in individual
[1:09:27] counties are now paying $20,000 for a
[1:09:30] policy that used to be costing us 4,000
[1:09:32] and something because in the private
[1:09:34] marketplace there's very little
[1:09:37] bargaining. It's every what kind of
[1:09:39] relationship that the person making the
[1:09:41] decision at the airport or the ferry or
[1:09:43] wherever has with the local insurance
[1:09:45] agent and sometimes they'll charge you
[1:09:47] more money
[1:09:49] » Because they can some of that has
[1:09:51] happened. So within that how much how
[1:09:54] much uh interaction between the airport
[1:09:56] people making that decision and the
[1:09:58] county commission does the commission
[1:10:00] want? In other words, if we let's just
[1:10:03] say we're going to cover that 42 thou
[1:10:05] $4,300 for insurance policy out of our
[1:10:09] uh out of our coffers, out of our
[1:10:12] revenue stream. Uh we be basically
[1:10:15] breaking even because it didn't go up
[1:10:16] that amount.
[1:10:19] The relationship starts breaking down
[1:10:21] though when there's no communication
[1:10:23] between we're going to burn $200 and now
[1:10:26] you're paying 20. we know y'all need to
[1:10:28] give us 20 if we don't have any
[1:10:30] influence or any kind of interaction
[1:10:32] between who chooses what insurance
[1:10:33] agent. That's kind of where that came
[1:10:36] apart. Well, you know, leave it alone.
[1:10:37] So, the best thing to do is give a pool
[1:10:39] of money to the airport based on certain
[1:10:42] figures. And I see Commissioner Crowback
[1:10:44] there, revenue commissioner, and he's
[1:10:46] very aware of this.
[1:10:48] Every airplane, as I understand it, uh,
[1:10:51] every airplane owner has to pay personal
[1:10:54] property tax.
[1:10:56] » When the county first started
[1:10:58] interacting with the airport on some
[1:11:00] money, uh, the uh the airport manager at
[1:11:04] that time came to me and he said, "We
[1:11:06] have got a lot of," this was years ago,
[1:11:08] 20 years ago, "We got a lot of airplanes
[1:11:10] out at the airport that they got chains
[1:11:12] on the door and and uh, your revenue
[1:11:15] commissioner What's in there?
[1:11:18] Why didn't it? Because the door's
[1:11:20] locked. Well, just unlock it. Well, we
[1:11:22] don't have a key. It belongs to the
[1:11:23] owner that has has the has a lease. What
[1:11:26] kind of planes in there? I don't know.
[1:11:27] It may be a broke down Cessna 150 or it
[1:11:29] may be a Citation jet. I don't know.
[1:11:33] Well,
[1:11:34] what what you what you think it's worth?
[1:11:36] Well, at that time, we wasn't bringing
[1:11:38] in but literally a couple thousand
[1:11:41] dollars a year in advoc.
[1:11:43] So, we gave we said, "How about we give
[1:11:46] you everything that y'all bring in for
[1:11:49] airplanes,
[1:11:51] whatever the county would get out of
[1:11:52] airplanes, we give all that to the
[1:11:54] airport." And that's what we did for
[1:11:56] several years. Well, it it
[1:11:59] within the first couple of years, it
[1:12:01] went from like $2,500 or whatever it was
[1:12:03] up to pushing 10 because now we know
[1:12:06] what airplanes are in there and the the
[1:12:09] the appraisers going out there and can
[1:12:12] get in the door. Why can they get in the
[1:12:13] door? Because you got to give the
[1:12:15] airport manager and the airport board a
[1:12:16] key to get in that. It's their hanger.
[1:12:19] So they open the door, let you see
[1:12:21] whether it's assessed on 150 or
[1:12:22] citations yet. Now you can go in there
[1:12:24] and based on the records from the
[1:12:26] revenue commissioner's office, we can
[1:12:27] assess a tax.
[1:12:30] And so that worked pretty good for a
[1:12:33] while,
[1:12:35] but what what happened was just like the
[1:12:38] all the rest of the growth in Slair
[1:12:40] County, the airport now has probably as
[1:12:43] many jets out there as they got system
[1:12:46] 150s. It's not that much, but it's it's
[1:12:48] really grown in the value of the
[1:12:50] airplanes. So, not only did we find a
[1:12:52] lot more airplanes out there, uh, not
[1:12:55] only did we find that we had a lot of
[1:12:56] airplanes, we found some hangers that
[1:12:58] had airplanes that didn't fly and hadn't
[1:12:59] flown in 30 years. And they had the
[1:13:02] airplane pushed over here in the corner
[1:13:04] and they were running their air
[1:13:05] conditioning business out of that hanger
[1:13:07] because it was cheaper to pay the
[1:13:09] airport that little bit of airport rent
[1:13:11] than it was to go into Pel City and run
[1:13:12] a building.
[1:13:14] So we had like 10 businesses being run
[1:13:18] out of the airport that had nothing to
[1:13:19] do with airplanes. So that let the
[1:13:21] airport board close all that down. You
[1:13:24] cannot run a business out if you don't
[1:13:26] have a flyable airplane or an airplane
[1:13:27] that can be maintained and put in flying
[1:13:30] shape certain amount of time. They've
[1:13:31] got a rule now. Well, now then you got
[1:13:32] airplanes in there that the revenue
[1:13:34] commissioner sends his people out and
[1:13:35] they put a value on them and that just
[1:13:37] kept going up. How much is it now?
[1:13:40] » The taxes we draw for abl taxes for
[1:13:43] airplanes. St. Clair County received
[1:13:45] about 4041,000
[1:13:47] » $41,000 now.
[1:13:49] » Soish.
[1:13:50] » Yeah. So, let's just say we were giving
[1:13:53] the airport authority $41,000.
[1:13:55] » Well, now it breaks now it goes back to
[1:13:58] breaking down. You know, we're giving
[1:13:59] them $41,000, but they're paying $20,000
[1:14:01] for insurance that we used to get for
[1:14:03] five.
[1:14:04] We need to set a value of what we
[1:14:06] thought the insurance was worth and put
[1:14:08] that in with whatever money we give the
[1:14:10] airport. I think that would solve that.
[1:14:13] you you got to shop your insurance. You
[1:14:14] can't just say, "Okay, we got all the
[1:14:16] money we can burn on that. We can spend
[1:14:17] it." So, that that covers whatever
[1:14:20] happened there. The other thing that
[1:14:22] happened there was the uh
[1:14:25] grant applications for
[1:14:28] the grants for federal money for
[1:14:30] airports. Every year there there are
[1:14:34] transportation
[1:14:35] monies through the FAA given out for
[1:14:38] different things at airports. And the
[1:14:40] FAA would like to have more and more
[1:14:44] uh
[1:14:46] better approach equipment and you know
[1:14:50] better lighting all that kind of stuff.
[1:14:52] Better runways, better taxi ways. Uh so
[1:14:54] they give you money. That is the best
[1:14:56] grant money other than a 100% grant that
[1:14:59] we have. It's a 95%.
[1:15:03] You get 95%. Let's say it's a $100,000
[1:15:06] grant. You get 95% of it for a 5% match.
[1:15:09] all it cost. Well, the state to
[1:15:11] incentivize airport authorities to do it
[1:15:15] was was paying two and a half% of it if
[1:15:18] the county pay the other two and a
[1:15:19] half%. Our city some cities own
[1:15:21] airports. So that incentivized
[1:15:25] airport authorities. We need to go after
[1:15:26] that money. It's almost free. In fact,
[1:15:28] it is free to us. We don't have to pay
[1:15:29] anything. County pays two and a half and
[1:15:31] the state pays two and a half and we get
[1:15:33] the grant. So that worked really well
[1:15:35] for a long time. Uh that money's moved
[1:15:37] around. has different figures. I think
[1:15:39] there's still 955% money out there, but
[1:15:42] I don't know that I I hadn't been
[1:15:44] involved in as a chairman. I don't know
[1:15:46] what they've asked for in grants had to
[1:15:47] come across my plate. Used to those all
[1:15:50] came across my plate because we were
[1:15:52] going to pay the 5 and a half% or two
[1:15:54] and a half%.
[1:15:56] Then we added that in what why the
[1:15:58] miscommunication started is we just said
[1:16:00] instead of giving them money percentage
[1:16:03] for that grant, they take it out of this
[1:16:04] tax money that keeps growing.
[1:16:07] So all right now along comes new
[1:16:10] chairman, new government and the
[1:16:13] airport. Now uh it today we'd be getting
[1:16:17] 41,000 if we were doing it like we used
[1:16:19] to without any discussion from the
[1:16:22] county commission or government. And if
[1:16:26] we kept doing it that way, there'd be
[1:16:27] plenty of money out there. But there
[1:16:28] wouldn't be a whole lot of incentive if
[1:16:30] you had that kind of money laying out
[1:16:31] there to to shop your insurance benefit
[1:16:33] for instance. Wouldn't be a lot of
[1:16:34] incentive to
[1:16:37] to go after some of the grant money. If
[1:16:38] you had any money coming in,
[1:16:41] it did it just came apart in in the way
[1:16:44] the function of the airport needed the
[1:16:47] money. They didn't need the money as
[1:16:48] much as they used to. And it's getting
[1:16:50] even more so. If you're fueling up a
[1:16:52] bunch of jets that uses, you know, 50
[1:16:55] gallons an hour to fly, then then
[1:16:59] you're making money because that's
[1:17:01] that's the only way they make money out
[1:17:02] there is selling fuel and renting
[1:17:03] hangers.
[1:17:05] » That's that's the only way. They don't
[1:17:05] have a landing fee that a lot of
[1:17:07] airports have,
[1:17:08] » Right? A lot of them have land ramp fees
[1:17:10] and all that stuff. The only other way
[1:17:11] that there's any money coming in is that
[1:17:13] adalorm tax on the airplane and that's
[1:17:16] the money comes to us at 41,000 and and
[1:17:19] yes, we can decide how to spend it. We
[1:17:20] even encourage pale city for instance.
[1:17:22] That's just the county's money. Avalor
[1:17:24] taxes goes to the county, the
[1:17:26] municipality where it's collected,
[1:17:28] school system, you know, if ever why why
[1:17:31] would anybody get any extra money out of
[1:17:32] the airport if you're not affiliated
[1:17:34] with the airport? just give it all the
[1:17:35] airport. If everybody do that, then
[1:17:37] there'd be plenty of money rolling out
[1:17:39] there. The school money that goes, it'd
[1:17:41] all go to the airport. Uh I don't think
[1:17:44] that'll ever happen, but that's the
[1:17:45] story of how it happens. That's that's
[1:17:47] the rules of how this money moves
[1:17:48] around. So, right now, we're sitting on
[1:17:50] $41,000
[1:17:51] that we could go back like we used to
[1:17:53] and give all that money that collected
[1:17:56] through the revenue office to the
[1:17:57] airport. Yet, the sheriff can't put his
[1:18:00] helicopters out there.
[1:18:02] Here we go. That's
[1:18:04] Literally, that's the way the discussion
[1:18:06] has been. We're We got to pay the
[1:18:08] sheriff's helicopter bill somewhere, and
[1:18:10] if we're not paying it out of the
[1:18:11] airport, we're going to take it out of
[1:18:12] the money that would normally have gone
[1:18:14] there.
[1:18:16] » In my in my mind, if if through the
[1:18:19] sheriff's office, we're able to get a
[1:18:21] grant to build a hanger that you can use
[1:18:23] not just for drones, helicopters, or
[1:18:24] planes, but the county is going to own
[1:18:26] it. I did a couple of things, too. Um,
[1:18:30] can I approach?
[1:18:31] » Oh, sure.
[1:18:32] So, this is one of the things I asked.
[1:18:34] » We're not like uh judges and and mayors.
[1:18:37] I just wanted to make sure we get abused
[1:18:39] a lot more.
[1:18:41] » That that don't ask me any questions. I
[1:18:43] didn't bring my glasses. [clears throat]
[1:18:45] » But I wanted you to see they're they're
[1:18:48] attempting to look at their financials
[1:18:51] because every month
[1:18:53] [laughter]
[1:18:56] Thank you. every month when we meet.
[1:18:59] Now, this is a a condensed version of
[1:19:02] the financials and kind of what we got
[1:19:04] going on, where the money is, um, etc.,
[1:19:07] etc. So, I wanted you to see that. Um, I
[1:19:11] am currently shopping the insurance.
[1:19:13] Some of it, I think the general
[1:19:14] liability renews in November, and the
[1:19:16] other
[1:19:18] in February or March, I don't know. The
[1:19:20] biggest one is a $38,000 one on all the
[1:19:22] property coverage for everything out
[1:19:25] there. The other one seems to be a
[1:19:26] pretty good price for the coverage. But
[1:19:28] I've got uh one of my folks that I've
[1:19:30] worked with a lot at insurance agent
[1:19:32] shopping it and they're pretty
[1:19:35] they're pretty big. So I'm hoping that I
[1:19:37] can identify something better going
[1:19:40] forward from a cost standpoint. If
[1:19:41] nothing else, I'm going to negotiate
[1:19:42] with the people that we currently have
[1:19:44] it with and see what we need to do. I
[1:19:45] don't know what our deductibles are. I
[1:19:46] need to read through that. So there's
[1:19:48] some more research I need to do and I
[1:19:50] got a little bit of time to do that. But
[1:19:51] I wanted you to be able to see by
[1:19:54] providing you with copies what the
[1:19:56] expenses actually are. It's one thing
[1:19:58] for me to stand here and tell you that.
[1:19:59] It's another thing when I can show it to
[1:20:01] you, right, and prove not that I have to
[1:20:03] pro you already trust me, but I wanted
[1:20:06] to validate. The other thing I did and I
[1:20:09] asked if we we've talked about um
[1:20:12] ownership. Here's the legal
[1:20:14] documentation. The way I read it, the
[1:20:17] county commission owns the airport
[1:20:20] authority. Now, I'm not the legal guy.
[1:20:22] Y'all are. I don't know how that works.
[1:20:24] The only reason that's
[1:20:25] » He's our legal guy.
[1:20:26] » Well, the only reason that's important
[1:20:28] to me is we talked about grants a while
[1:20:30] ago, and sometimes the grants are are
[1:20:32] given based on that. So, if there's a
[1:20:35] way that we can tie things together that
[1:20:37] open the door for us to go after grant
[1:20:38] monies as a combined entity, then that's
[1:20:42] » I understand. The only thing we do out
[1:20:43] there, we just point this. It's only
[1:20:46] control we have over the airport. We
[1:20:49] point the board.
[1:20:50] » Well, but that's up to us. We could put
[1:20:52] we could have done more than we have.
[1:20:54] » Uh
[1:20:56] we did give them the land. You probably
[1:20:58] got that document. I've seen that
[1:20:59] document one time. There's a we we the
[1:21:02] county government deed the property out
[1:21:05] there and it's what 140 acres, 16 acres,
[1:21:07] whatever it is. Uh it belongs to the
[1:21:10] authority.
[1:21:11] Uh
[1:21:13] » But the commission owns the authority if
[1:21:15] I'm reading the documentation.
[1:21:16] » Yes. Correct.
[1:21:17] » And the commission can there again get
[1:21:19] my using my Jeff State legal degree.
[1:21:23] If if we appoint an authority and they
[1:21:25] don't owe any bond issues or over
[1:21:27] overriding debt, we can claim that the
[1:21:31] reason we appointed it was repurposes
[1:21:34] have been met and we have no purpose for
[1:21:37] it anymore. It's been met and we can
[1:21:40] dissolve it.
[1:21:43] The the big thing holding us to not
[1:21:45] being able to dissolve a waterboard is
[1:21:46] if they owe money, which almost always
[1:21:48] do.
[1:21:48] » They always do.
[1:21:49] » Yeah. But same thing with the airport.
[1:21:51] So if the airport's doing great job and
[1:21:53] spend all their money and and they don't
[1:21:55] have any debt, then I think the way the
[1:21:58] law is set up for the appointing
[1:22:00] authority that set up the authority, it
[1:22:02] occur something about we can we can just
[1:22:05] dissolve it if there's no financial
[1:22:08] reason that we have to keep
[1:22:10] That's so oversimplified.
[1:22:12] » I'm not advocating that.
[1:22:14] » No, nobody I don't think we would be.
[1:22:16] The only
[1:22:16] » Job of course I don't get paid
[1:22:18] » Sense at one time when we really got off
[1:22:19] into the weeds on that was that the
[1:22:21] county and the city of Pel City may be
[1:22:23] joined together like they do in some
[1:22:25] jurisdictions where city appoints half
[1:22:27] the board, the county appoints half the
[1:22:29] board. We had that discussion. Well, how
[1:22:31] would we do that? Well, the county would
[1:22:33] dissolve the airport authority. then we
[1:22:36] would reconstitute it as a airport
[1:22:39] authority that the city and the county
[1:22:41] had the appointments that that could be
[1:22:43] done but that just somewhere know that
[1:22:45] gives you an idea of what can be done
[1:22:46] out there in that respect the airport is
[1:22:49] to me has always been really important
[1:22:52] Dr. John Eagerton was the was the head
[1:22:54] of the state aviation thing through the
[1:22:58] the Department of Transportation and he
[1:23:00] was he was very active with counties.
[1:23:02] He'd come see me and he'd come see
[1:23:04] commissioners and have lunch with people
[1:23:06] and they just did that all the time. I
[1:23:07] mean had a airplane free airplane to
[1:23:10] flew all over the state and just visit
[1:23:11] people and he kept us up to date on the
[1:23:13] grants those kind of things. uh
[1:23:18] that that process has not been in place
[1:23:21] since he left. It's not as much
[1:23:23] interaction between ever. I don't even I
[1:23:25] can't tell you who today is is the uh
[1:23:28] state the person with the state
[1:23:30] department of transportation over
[1:23:31] airports. I don't know who it is, but
[1:23:34] that that's where we got a lot of our
[1:23:36] our uh uh ideas and our uh guidance
[1:23:42] counseling is from that particular
[1:23:44] person. So that a lot of things happened
[1:23:47] during that time and uh I used to go to
[1:23:50] meetings all the time and commissioners
[1:23:52] some of the commissioners used to go and
[1:23:54] it's it's my fault I don't go I could
[1:23:56] have gone to any meeting out there I
[1:23:57] want to well it's one of those things
[1:24:01] where okay I got plenty of meetings to
[1:24:02] go to that seems to be running fine
[1:24:05] and uh it was until I get back and find
[1:24:08] out well the sheriff can't put a
[1:24:09] helicopter out there because of this
[1:24:10] business. So that's what we're trying to
[1:24:13] pull back together, of course, but
[1:24:14] within that is the money. And I was
[1:24:17] surprised you say that the the insurance
[1:24:20] just on the liability insurance,
[1:24:23] » The general liability is 3,800
[1:24:26] » And the other is 38,000.
[1:24:29] » Oh. 38,000. That's the reason I was
[1:24:31] burning you up.
[1:24:32] » Yeah.
[1:24:32] » Was when I saw that I was like, this is
[1:24:34] ridiculous.
[1:24:35] » Yeah. Now, we've got a lot of assets out
[1:24:37] there, but how can it be $38,000 a year?
[1:24:42] So,
[1:24:42] » And are we and are we insuring some
[1:24:44] assets that uh people that's got planes
[1:24:47] out there benefit from?
[1:24:50] » There may be there may be some things
[1:24:52] that if you got if you're getting that
[1:24:53] kind of benefit out of protection of
[1:24:55] your airplane, you ought to be paying
[1:24:56] more for your hanger rent.
[1:24:58] » They went up and I've got an airplane
[1:25:00] out there. So,
[1:25:00] » You don't want to go. [laughter]
[1:25:03] We went up last year. We did because
[1:25:06] costs are increasing. Here's what I
[1:25:08] would say. The board that's there now is
[1:25:09] doing Ed. Lyall worries about money a
[1:25:12] lot. If y'all know Lyall, he's and that
[1:25:15] and he'll tell you that every time we
[1:25:17] talk about something, it's like, okay,
[1:25:18] do we have the money to do that? Should
[1:25:19] we do that? So, that's great. So, we got
[1:25:21] a good mix of people on the board. Ike
[1:25:24] Newton sold his business last year, and
[1:25:26] that's pretty much his hobby. And he and
[1:25:27] Wendy are at the airport every day, and
[1:25:29] I think they do a pretty good job. him
[1:25:32] from a volunteer standpoint. Her
[1:25:34] » As the as it has Yeah. I mean, so I
[1:25:38] think we've got a good team. My proposal
[1:25:41] to the commission is let's combine
[1:25:44] forces and let's run this airport
[1:25:46] together as a team, not as separate. I'm
[1:25:49] not advocating that we get rid of the
[1:25:50] airport authority. What I'm saying is
[1:25:52] the airport authority is there to serve
[1:25:55] you and to serve this county. and we I'm
[1:25:58] going to be here on a regular basis
[1:26:00] updating you on what's going on. I I
[1:26:03] don't have the information on the grants
[1:26:04] and the hangers, but I'll come back with
[1:26:05] that so that you know u my message is
[1:26:09] they're they want to interact with the
[1:26:11] commission and they want to work
[1:26:12] together. And it's not just about can
[1:26:14] they get $41,000 in in revenue from Ken.
[1:26:18] It it's [laughter] now if you want to
[1:26:20] write a check for more, we'll take it.
[1:26:22] It's it's they're contributing,
[1:26:25] right? The money all comes to the county
[1:26:27] commission and you control it. They're
[1:26:29] doing some some good things to try to
[1:26:32] stabilize and support themselves. So,
[1:26:34] I'm not here to say, "Well, you write
[1:26:36] them a check for half a million dollars
[1:26:38] every year." I just wanted you to see
[1:26:39] what some of the expenses are. We're in
[1:26:41] the process of looking at budgets. Let's
[1:26:43] forge a new relationship, identify
[1:26:45] things that you guys can help with
[1:26:47] because it is aviation is one of the
[1:26:50] fastest growing industries, especially
[1:26:52] private aviation and things like
[1:26:55] extending the runway. I say little
[1:26:57] things. There's a cost to it, but
[1:26:59] there's grants available for it that you
[1:27:00] guys know the the ropes on probably much
[1:27:02] better than me. My job is to prepare you
[1:27:05] with the documentation that you need so
[1:27:06] that next time something comes up, it's
[1:27:08] not Bessemer, it's Fail City that's
[1:27:10] getting the $4.5 million. That's what my
[1:27:12] job is. So, thank you very much for the
[1:27:15] opportunity. Um, I hope it hadn't been
[1:27:18] too much information and I know I was
[1:27:20] only on there for 15 minutes. So,
[1:27:22] » Yeah, we we were ahead.
[1:27:24] » Yeah.
[1:27:24] » Yeah. We appreciate you doing it. I
[1:27:26] mean, we, you know, I've been sitting on
[1:27:28] his commission six, seven years. It's
[1:27:31] first time I've ever seen any kind of
[1:27:33] reports from airport.
[1:27:36] » And part of that part of that since I've
[1:27:38] been here is my fault. I I probably
[1:27:40] should have been going to meetings and
[1:27:42] get in and staying caught up and I
[1:27:44] hadn't I don't think I've been to one
[1:27:46] board meeting since I've been back four
[1:27:47] years ago. Like I say,
[1:27:50] » This I got plenty to do. It's just a
[1:27:53] pretty busy job. Uh but this is a pretty
[1:27:56] important entity of county government.
[1:27:59] The statement was made by Dr. Ingerton
[1:28:02] big meeting.
[1:28:04] By the way, only a few counties have an
[1:28:07] airport. That's why the county's
[1:28:10] insurance program doesn't furnish the
[1:28:12] insurance anymore because not all
[1:28:14] counties furnish it. So you you had to
[1:28:16] do the actuary with the seven or eight
[1:28:18] counties that have an airport and the
[1:28:20] other 40 said we don't we don't want we
[1:28:23] don't want that affecting our age. We
[1:28:24] don't have an airport. That kind of
[1:28:26] thing. So that's part of the issue. But
[1:28:28] one of the things he pointed out, we've
[1:28:30] always been compared somewhat to Coleman
[1:28:32] for instance. Coleman is a very fast
[1:28:35] growing hot spot. has been there for
[1:28:38] years and they're just now finding out
[1:28:40] how important their airport is. Dr. Eman
[1:28:42] made this this statement. An airport
[1:28:46] sitting out there is not the the thing
[1:28:49] that that if an industry's moved in
[1:28:51] here, seldom is an industry moving in
[1:28:53] here says, "Oh, wow. Y'all got an
[1:28:55] airport. I can land my airplane there."
[1:28:57] He says, "Most the industries that you
[1:28:59] recruit says, "Someday my industry be
[1:29:01] big enough that I can have our airplane
[1:29:02] and y'all got an airport." They're
[1:29:05] looking for that success level. And if
[1:29:07] you've got a good airport, that's an
[1:29:09] industry recruiting, too. If you don't,
[1:29:12] not saying, "Well, y'all don't even have
[1:29:13] an airport." No, but someday we're going
[1:29:15] to be good enough where we will, we're
[1:29:17] going to have us a citation jet. And and
[1:29:20] that's what helps bring it in. Now, in
[1:29:22] the meantime, with our growth with
[1:29:26] WKW and all these kind of things, the
[1:29:29] airplanes landing out there, I live in
[1:29:30] the flight path, my submission. There's
[1:29:34] more and more we do. My my business does
[1:29:36] business with Publix and I'm telling you
[1:29:37] they fly in and out. Walmart
[1:29:39] » Twin engine big twin.
[1:29:40] » They're looking for places they can land
[1:29:42] and people don't know there
[1:29:44] » Jets. I mean there's a whole lot of $5
[1:29:46] million plus airplanes land out there
[1:29:48] every day.
[1:29:49] » Um real real quick, this is another
[1:29:52] asset that you guys own. You can you you
[1:29:54] it's the Big Canoe Creek Preserve.
[1:29:57] We're going to they're going to do a
[1:29:59] better job of coming in and telling you
[1:30:00] what all they've been doing. They've got
[1:30:02] a ton of grants. Doug Morrison's done an
[1:30:03] outstanding job at developing
[1:30:05] relationships with the state. They've
[1:30:08] never been in here, I don't think, and
[1:30:09] asked for any money. Sprinkle's been
[1:30:11] supporting the majority of that. This is
[1:30:13] a fundraiser for the preserve. Right.
[1:30:16] It's going to be at Homestead Hollow.
[1:30:18] It's on September the 12th. All the
[1:30:20] proceeds go back into the foundation to
[1:30:22] help offset and pay some of the grant
[1:30:25] matches that we have. Um, I'm gonna
[1:30:27] bring Doug in, let him elaborate more.
[1:30:29] He's much better than I am at talking
[1:30:31] about those grants and ecological, which
[1:30:34] you very well know. So, I think you
[1:30:35] could probably chime in on some of that.
[1:30:38] But I wanted you to know this is
[1:30:40] something that that we haven't done a
[1:30:43] good job of making sure that this
[1:30:44] commission, who is one of the owners,
[1:30:45] understands what's going on out there.
[1:30:47] But I've asked Doug and Candace to get
[1:30:50] together and put some things together to
[1:30:51] come in and and explain to you the
[1:30:54] grants, how much, what's going on, so
[1:30:56] you know what this asset is actually
[1:30:57] doing for you as a commission. So this
[1:31:00] is on the 12th. If you want to come,
[1:31:01] please come. If not, spread the word and
[1:31:04] you should be getting a press release at
[1:31:06] some point.
[1:31:06] » Okay, good.
[1:31:07] » Oh, Pepsi. I don't know who provides the
[1:31:10] drinks in this building, but I got a
[1:31:11] relationship with Pepsi that goes way
[1:31:13] back all the way up to the leadership.
[1:31:15] They wrote a check for 25,000 and then
[1:31:17] subsequent to that they've given me two
[1:31:19] given us two checks for 10,000. So
[1:31:21] they're the primary sponsor of of this
[1:31:24] and I expect their willingness to donate
[1:31:26] more to get bigger and bigger as the
[1:31:28] preserve grows.
[1:31:30] » We
[1:31:31] » Yeah. Uh
[1:31:34] do we even we the only place we
[1:31:35] designate now or or we can designate
[1:31:38] what uh brand uses our facility would be
[1:31:42] at the arena probably.
[1:31:45] We can do it out there. Otherwise,
[1:31:47] » Can we do it at the courthouse anymore?
[1:31:50] » You have to bid it out.
[1:31:51] » You have to bid it out.
[1:31:52] » So, we just stay away we stay away from
[1:31:54] that portion of it because we don't get
[1:31:55] anything else.
[1:31:56] » I just wanted you to know they're
[1:31:57] supporting the county in ways that
[1:31:59] through relationships
[1:32:01] that I think are going to benefit
[1:32:02] everybody in the in the long run.
[1:32:03] » Everybody up here knows how active
[1:32:04] you've been in yourself and I appreciate
[1:32:07] that in a lot of ways. You found that
[1:32:08] out right after I was reelected and came
[1:32:11] back. You've been you cranked that up.
[1:32:13] He was just waiting on me to leave 12
[1:32:15] years ago. So you can jump in there and
[1:32:17] work. Go to work.
[1:32:18] » But Katrina's over there.
[1:32:20] » I think Candace is on this board.
[1:32:23] » She is.
[1:32:24] » With Philud
[1:32:26] and the commissioners give me a lot of
[1:32:28] leeway to do this so they won't have to.
[1:32:30] I think
[1:32:32] » Doug does a great job. He does an
[1:32:34] outstanding. I'm not going to say but he
[1:32:36] does a great job. Period.
[1:32:39] The cautionary thing that we have is I
[1:32:42] don't need to go to Washington DC and
[1:32:45] ask for the money it takes to really
[1:32:48] make a facility like this be what it can
[1:32:50] be acquisition of more land on the state
[1:32:52] level.
[1:32:53] » Going to need money if you do that for
[1:32:55] trails and all that. There's some trails
[1:32:57] grant money. And so I'll go to
[1:32:59] Washington DC and ask for money from
[1:33:01] some congressmen and senators that don't
[1:33:04] believe in global warming. So don't
[1:33:07] carry them entity up there that is
[1:33:09] protecting the tri spot.
[1:33:11] » I don't listen Doug and I have been the
[1:33:14] great thing about the relationship I
[1:33:16] built with him is
[1:33:17] » Money for roads.
[1:33:18] » You got to be careful.
[1:33:19] » Yes. Sometimes he and I go headtohead
[1:33:21] because he thinks in a different way I
[1:33:24] see from a business and how do we do
[1:33:26] certain things and he's like no we can't
[1:33:27] we got to protect the bank and I like
[1:33:29] Doug I'm not going to do all that. We're
[1:33:30] going to send a machine down there.
[1:33:32] So we I I understand completely, but
[1:33:34] that's the other thing that I think
[1:33:36] makes him being part of what we're doing
[1:33:38] and the relationships that he's built
[1:33:40] with US wildlife and other federal and
[1:33:43] state and in private industries is
[1:33:46] really where I think he is going to
[1:33:47] excel in the long run. And there's
[1:33:49] there's a lot of good things going on
[1:33:50] with education. Katrina, I'm sure, knows
[1:33:53] based on reports that he gives to to
[1:33:55] Springle on a regular basis. But that's
[1:33:57] that's another gem that what we're
[1:34:00] trying to do, and I'm speaking more as
[1:34:01] the chairman of that foundation, is
[1:34:03] we're trying to identify ways that we
[1:34:05] can raise money through grants, private
[1:34:06] donations to not necessarily always have
[1:34:09] the burden on Spring Bowl, but also not
[1:34:12] have to come here or go to the state.
[1:34:13] We're doing a better job of asking the
[1:34:15] state because they told us from day one,
[1:34:17] all you got to do is ask. Well, you know
[1:34:19] what? We've done a poor job of doing
[1:34:20] asking.
[1:34:21] » Now we're asking. Um they're proud of of
[1:34:25] what's happening out there. and I know
[1:34:26] that that you guys are too, the whole
[1:34:28] county is. I just wanted to take a
[1:34:30] minute to tell you what this is about,
[1:34:32] what it's for, and invite you out. But
[1:34:34] please spread the word, too.
[1:34:37] » Thank you very much.
[1:34:38] » Thank you. Any y'all have any questions?
[1:34:41] » No, other than the fact that when they
[1:34:42] do go, when Joey goes to Washington,
[1:34:45] » You need to go alone.
[1:34:47] » Oh, wow. Yeah. Let me
[1:34:49] » We send Candace. Well, we make We send
[1:34:51] the right person. We sending Candace.
[1:34:54] » You should consider going. Yeah, because
[1:34:56] coach is once coach gets in his chair,
[1:34:59] new chair, I plan on working with those
[1:35:01] relationships, too, to see what I can do
[1:35:03] to help, not just
[1:35:04] » Yeah.
[1:35:05] » But the county as a whole. So,
[1:35:10] » Relationship we have with state lands
[1:35:12] division,
[1:35:13] » All this those grant monies are out
[1:35:16] there. Candace has been really good at
[1:35:18] finding them. Things we wouldn't have
[1:35:20] even asked for. She said, "What about
[1:35:23] let's get this little $100,000 over here
[1:35:25] for this?" Well, we really don't have
[1:35:26] anything to do with
[1:35:27] » You seem to know a lot about all that.
[1:35:28] When you retire, won't you help us go
[1:35:30] snoop those out?
[1:35:31] » I'll just I'll just be happy y'all
[1:35:32] getting all you can get.
[1:35:34] » He may want to charge us a find or
[1:35:36] something. [laughter]
[1:35:38] I I November the 11th, I'll become a
[1:35:41] consultant. And and and Dave's already
[1:35:43] told me how much he's going to pay me.
[1:35:46] And there won't be anybody fighting for
[1:35:47] my consulting job.
[1:35:50] » Thank you very much.
[1:35:52] Thank you.
[1:35:53] » Okay. Uh okay. I'm glad we are caught up
[1:35:57] on that. Right here at budget time is a
[1:35:59] good time for that to happen.
[1:36:01] » Now then, Commissioner Parker, where do
[1:36:04] I go from there?
[1:36:05] » Back over here number one.
[1:36:07] » All right.
[1:36:10] » Now,
[1:36:13] okay. Now, we'll move on to the meat
[1:36:15] page of the of the work session. Item
[1:36:18] number one, discuss approval of the FY27
[1:36:21] Alabama Department of Youth Services
[1:36:22] Agency Grant Agreement Award in the
[1:36:24] amount of $343,431
[1:36:27] for the St. Clair County Day Program.
[1:36:29] The day program is a is literally a
[1:36:32] program when you arrest a juvenile. This
[1:36:34] is this is a thumbnail thing. You arrest
[1:36:36] a juvenile, you still don't get around
[1:36:37] the law that you got to educate 16 up to
[1:36:40] 16 years old at a government education,
[1:36:42] right?
[1:36:43] » So the day program is the public
[1:36:45] education for
[1:36:47] not be [laughter] in court.
[1:36:49] [clears throat]
[1:36:50] » And it's paid for out of a grant money
[1:36:51] that we have to do certain things to get
[1:36:53] the grant
[1:36:53] » Through Dys.
[1:36:54] » Yeah. Through Dys.
[1:36:56] » That money just passes through us to go
[1:36:57] to the D.
[1:36:59] » Okay.
[1:36:59] » So that's what this one will be.
[1:37:02] » Put it on. Put it on.
[1:37:03] » Put it on the agenda. Item two, discuss
[1:37:05] approval of three-year memorandum
[1:37:07] understanding between Sler County
[1:37:09] Commission, Alabama Law Enforcement
[1:37:10] Agency for the PE city location pending
[1:37:12] county attorney review. Okay. We ready
[1:37:15] to move forward on that? into your
[1:37:17] review.
[1:37:17] » Yes.
[1:37:18] » Item three, discuss doing the pro pronto
[1:37:21] track agreement. Let me back up a
[1:37:23] minute. Three-year memorandum of
[1:37:24] understanding between S County
[1:37:26] Commission and Aaliyah. I know we're
[1:37:28] restricted to three-year contracts by
[1:37:30] most entities. Let's just say a private
[1:37:32] entity that we we contract for. We can
[1:37:34] only do a three-year contract unless
[1:37:36] it's for the county engineers
[1:37:39] personnel contract. We can do his up to
[1:37:40] five. Most of them are three. Does that
[1:37:43] include if we in a state contract and
[1:37:45] did we do this on a longer
[1:37:48] » I do not know that something
[1:37:50] » But I know I know it is with with
[1:37:52] private
[1:37:52] » Yes sir.
[1:37:53] » But it may be we can do with a
[1:37:54] government entity
[1:37:55] » Right longer than that.
[1:37:57] » Yeah. And renew it. So I wouldn't have
[1:37:58] to do this. I mean they're not going
[1:38:00] anywhere until we tell them you know
[1:38:02] they'll ask us for another bill. Uh
[1:38:04] we'll look into that. Uh item three,
[1:38:07] discuss uh renewing the pronto track
[1:38:10] agreement for ankle monitoring for the
[1:38:12] chairman. Oh, it wasn't me.
[1:38:16] » This service is under the safety and
[1:38:17] security clause. We already put that on
[1:38:19] there.
[1:38:19] » Sir, can we move that to the next work
[1:38:21] session?
[1:38:22] » We sure can.
[1:38:25] » Okay. Move to the next work session.
[1:38:27] Item four, discuss adop resolution 2640
[1:38:31] to increase the dispersement of the
[1:38:32] lodging tax from 6% to 10%. Resolution
[1:38:35] 2640 replaces and repeals resolution uh
[1:38:38] 2025-51
[1:38:40] in to in totality and any and all other
[1:38:42] resolutions ordinances in conflict here
[1:38:44] with effective December 1st, 2026. Ready
[1:38:46] to put that on there?
[1:38:47] » Yes.
[1:38:48] » Okay. Item five, discuss transferring
[1:38:51] the following six uh Huelet Packard
[1:38:54] delete tablets from the commission
[1:38:56] office to the IT division. So, we'd
[1:38:59] actually be transferring them stays
[1:39:00] within under the umbrella of the
[1:39:01] commission, but it goes from the
[1:39:02] commission offic's records over to
[1:39:04] technology records. Right.
[1:39:06] » Okay. Ready to do that. Six.
[1:39:08] Request from asset manager Ashley Haye
[1:39:10] to purchase uh signage from Smart Sign
[1:39:13] for the Sinclair County Agricultural
[1:39:14] Mult224
[1:39:17] with the county credit card.
[1:39:20] » She got a pen credit card.
[1:39:22] » No, she has to use mine or I I make I
[1:39:25] purchase it for her.
[1:39:26] » I just check it.
[1:39:28] And chairman, let's back up to four if
[1:39:30] you don't mind.
[1:39:31] » Okay.
[1:39:31] » Um, anywhere except for City of Pel
[1:39:34] City, City of Pel City on that lodging
[1:39:35] tax will be nine will be 9%.
[1:39:39] » Are we Well, it's in the resolution
[1:39:41] though that takes care of that.
[1:39:42] » Yes, sir.
[1:39:43] » Okay.
[1:39:44] » Everywhere else will be 10%.
[1:39:46] » Then we probably have we we hadn't done
[1:39:48] this at all pending county attorney
[1:39:50] review. We probably need to pass this
[1:39:52] resolution pending your review to give
[1:39:53] you time to look these over. It doesn't
[1:39:55] come up.
[1:39:55] » I've looked I've looked at He's already
[1:39:58] reviewed.
[1:39:58] » But if we're going to say we're passing
[1:40:00] that resolution, it's passed. Period.
[1:40:03] » It It's already prepared. It's got um
[1:40:05] for the city of P City has got increase
[1:40:08] from 5% to 9% anywhere out of the city
[1:40:12] limits of P City is nine 6% to 10%.
[1:40:17] » Good enough.
[1:40:18] » Okay.
[1:40:21] All right. I think we're I think we're
[1:40:23] good to go on that. Mhm.
[1:40:25] » The word is like y'all want. Y'all be
[1:40:26] sure and look it over real good before
[1:40:28] we take action. Item seven, discuss
[1:40:30] request property manager Rod Wolf
[1:40:31] transfer a gun safe inventory 9042 to
[1:40:36] the coroner's office.
[1:40:38] » Why does he What's a carer need a gun
[1:40:40] safe for?
[1:40:41] » I don't know.
[1:40:42] » Was it on the maintenances?
[1:40:44] » I don't want to know.
[1:40:47] [laughter]
[1:40:48] » Not sure I do.
[1:40:51] » Like that sounds like a story. Let him
[1:40:53] have he shouldn't even be towing a gun.
[1:40:56] Say maybe he's running short for
[1:40:59] storage.
[1:41:00] » Been there ever since I've been here.
[1:41:01] » Yeah, that's true. That
[1:41:03] » Came about. Sometimes if they pick up a
[1:41:05] body in an accident, they like to put
[1:41:07] their personal belongings in the same
[1:41:08] place till they
[1:41:09] » He had a safe for that. But I'm talking
[1:41:12] He's wanting a gun safe, too.
[1:41:14] » He's already got it. It's just been
[1:41:16] under the maintenance.
[1:41:18] » It's been It's been he that safe he
[1:41:20] that's the safe he got. He's been using.
[1:41:22] Okay, you need to clarify that.
[1:41:24] » Cleaning up the inventory.
[1:41:26] » Transfer it to you.
[1:41:28] » Transfer it from me.
[1:41:29] » I think we can do that.
[1:41:32] » Item eight, discuss request propert
[1:41:34] manager Rod Wolf transfer HP Pro Book
[1:41:36] 455
[1:41:38] uh over to the IT division. Okay.
[1:41:42] Are we transferring usable items here
[1:41:44] and they're and they're deciding later
[1:41:46] to use them or what are we doing here?
[1:41:48] They may come back and they may not get
[1:41:50] rid of them. one. They've already It's
[1:41:53] already been in their possession.
[1:41:56] » They've had it. It's just still been on
[1:41:57] my inventory.
[1:41:58] » We're just cleaning it up. Good. Well,
[1:42:00] thank you for that.
[1:42:02] » Item nine, discuss request propert.
[1:42:05] The following. There's a copy in your
[1:42:07] folder. Office furniture vacuum gas
[1:42:09] compressor. Gas compressor.
[1:42:13] » I don't know what that is. Is that like
[1:42:14] laughing?
[1:42:22] Uh anyway, y'all look through the list
[1:42:25] right there. [snorts]
[1:42:26] » So all those are broke,
[1:42:29] nonusable.
[1:42:31] » Broke or have not seen it since I've
[1:42:34] been
[1:42:35] » Is that truck bed cover that one off
[1:42:37] that old truck used to belong to Rich
[1:42:39] Vowski?
[1:42:40] » No, that truck bed cover is the one that
[1:42:42] Lynn was driving. Oh,
[1:42:44] » Okay. That's the one used to be Rich
[1:42:45] Bowski, was it?
[1:42:46] » Was it?
[1:42:47] » I don't think so. Yeah.
[1:42:50] » Okay.
[1:42:51] » Yeah, it needs to go.
[1:42:52] » Well, it was gone. It's been gone.
[1:42:54] » Okay. This is cleaning up. You're in
[1:42:57] » Clean it up.
[1:42:58] » All right.
[1:43:00] Commission ready. Item 10. Discuss
[1:43:02] request revenue commissioner Kim Crow to
[1:43:04] issue a formal cancellation letter to
[1:43:06] the American Financial Credit Services.
[1:43:08] This request indicates desire to
[1:43:10] terminate the county's existing
[1:43:11] agreement with AFCS for delinquent tax
[1:43:14] collections. Okay. It's hard to out of
[1:43:17] here, but I believe that's pretty well
[1:43:18] self-explanatory. Good. Item 11, discuss
[1:43:22] request revenue chief clerk Tony Rich
[1:43:25] paid GoDaddy in the amount of $75.96
[1:43:28] can credit card for two-year domain
[1:43:30] renewal. Ready to do that? Item 12,
[1:43:33] discuss request EMA director Patrice
[1:43:35] Guski to accept the FY2025-26
[1:43:39] EMPG cooperative agreement. Uh the
[1:43:41] period of performance for this funding
[1:43:43] covers FY26.
[1:43:45] There are two amounts listed. The added
[1:43:48] amount includes uh included as 25 ES-1
[1:43:53] is one of five reset supplemental EMPG
[1:43:56] payments that will be made over a 5-year
[1:43:59] period starting in 2026 ending in 2030.
[1:44:02] Those EMPG grants are federal grants.
[1:44:04] That's one of the main things that a
[1:44:06] commission ends up in DC at the national
[1:44:09] conference level because the all the
[1:44:11] counties [snorts] in the United States
[1:44:13] fight for continuation of EMPG. That's
[1:44:16] pretty well that's that's some federal
[1:44:18] money comes down to have pay for EMA.
[1:44:21] [clears throat] Item 13 discuss Sheriff
[1:44:23] Murray to renew Randy Hurst employment
[1:44:25] contract for one year.
[1:44:27] » Yep.
[1:44:28] » Okay. Item 14, discuss request sheriff
[1:44:30] Murray to let bid to remodel the
[1:44:32] sheriff's office former bank building in
[1:44:34] Asheville. So Sheriff Murray can let a
[1:44:36] bid
[1:44:38] » And the bid will come back to the county
[1:44:39] commission for up or down
[1:44:43] » Based on the amount and based on what
[1:44:45] the the commission, you know, agrees
[1:44:47] with what's going on over there.
[1:44:48] » Okay. Item 15, discussion question.
[1:44:52] Sheriff Mary to let bid for build for a
[1:44:54] building to store the community
[1:44:55] engagement vehicle in Pel City. That's
[1:44:58] the uh the new uh mobile command
[1:45:00] » Mobile command building that's coming to
[1:45:02] Pel City and this will uh allow the
[1:45:06] sheriff to let a bid for that building
[1:45:08] and the same thing's true on that. That
[1:45:11] would be true on the one at Asheville.
[1:45:12] It's it'll come to the county
[1:45:14] commission. Y'all can look at it and see
[1:45:16] if that's what you want. [snorts] Item
[1:45:18] 16, discuss request district all harm to
[1:45:20] surplus disposal of the following
[1:45:23] inventory 48.86 86 the left return
[1:45:25] executive desk and inventory 509 a
[1:45:28] curvadenza
[1:45:30] » Put it on there
[1:45:31] » Put it on there item 17 discuss travel
[1:45:33] request be a copy of the travel request
[1:45:35] in there travel for this year sort of
[1:45:38] playing out a little bit um
[1:45:42] but you'll have the travel request
[1:45:43] [clears throat] in there for the rest of
[1:45:45] the year we'll
[1:45:46] » Well some of it's for next fiscal year
[1:45:48] too
[1:45:49] » Into the new budget
[1:45:50] » Yes sir
[1:45:51] » Okay item team discuss uh any board
[1:45:55] appointments.
[1:45:55] » Yeah, we don't have one.
[1:45:59] » What
[1:46:03] department
[1:46:04] » Human resources?
[1:46:08] » Okay. Yeah, we discuss that.
[1:46:16] Okay.
[1:46:20] Sanders reappoint to DHR. Any others?
[1:46:22] Anybody know of
[1:46:34] that one for somebody? [laughter]
[1:46:38] Oh me
[1:46:42] in 4A
[1:46:45] people are leaving us we go uh
[1:46:54] we we've had vacancies on those for a
[1:46:57] while. That's something that uh
[1:47:01] I I'll meet with Dave and he'll know
[1:47:02] what he may may or may not want to if
[1:47:05] you want to hold on some of these
[1:47:06] talking about a couple months. These are
[1:47:08] the appointments for M4A is the aging
[1:47:10] program we belong to. Uh
[1:47:13] » That'd be a good good appointment for
[1:47:14] Ashley sitting right there. Ashley.
[1:47:16] » There you go. Are you familiar with M4A?
[1:47:19] Ashley just Okay. Uh sit on that board.
[1:47:22] » I enjoyed it while I could.
[1:47:25] » That may be that may be something we
[1:47:26] look at. That'd be great. But it's going
[1:47:29] we don't want to stack it up for Dave to
[1:47:31] have to deal with these. M4A is the
[1:47:33] senior citizen program where the federal
[1:47:36] money flows through it. And M4A is four
[1:47:39] counties. Shelby, St. Clair, Blunt,
[1:47:41] Jeff,
[1:47:42] » Jefferson.
[1:47:43] » Yeah. So that's the four counties in
[1:47:45] M4A, which is a nonprofit entity that
[1:47:49] runs the agent program that the money
[1:47:51] flows through and we make appointments
[1:47:53] to that. Each one of those four counties
[1:47:55] makes appointments to it. Uh
[1:47:58] let's see. Josh. Yeah, Josh Taylor was
[1:48:00] on there. That's what I said. Jos was on
[1:48:03] there and he designed it. Ashley Ashley
[1:48:06] Katrina Katrina was on this as an
[1:48:10] » She
[1:48:13] got
[1:48:14] » Well, if you're good today and and
[1:48:16] you're good. I can't can't imagine a
[1:48:17] better entity and and really a better
[1:48:19] person because you're already aware of
[1:48:21] it and and working through your your
[1:48:23] know about the the programs they have
[1:48:25] and they they uh kind of dovetail into
[1:48:28] some of the things that extension does
[1:48:29] too.
[1:48:30] Okay.
[1:48:31] » Do you have to have an alternate member?
[1:48:33] » No, you don't have
[1:48:34] » I don't think so. You don't have to have
[1:48:36] » Okay.
[1:48:36] » We just made fill out of the seat.
[1:48:39] » We got
[1:48:41] We have a say on that.
[1:48:42] » Well, that's my appointment. So, you can
[1:48:44] quit talking about it. I'm going to
[1:48:45] recommend Ashley in this one of my final
[1:48:48] acts of official duty here.
[1:48:51] » Glad glad we got together on that.
[1:48:56] » Congratulations.
[1:48:58] » [laughter]
[1:49:00] » Train is going to congratulate me in
[1:49:02] November. [laughter]
[1:49:05] » Okay.
[1:49:07] » Very good. All right. Uh we've got a
[1:49:10] couple coming up, but we'll discuss
[1:49:12] those here. I want to discuss one
[1:49:15] particular one today before he comes
[1:49:16] back in. A couple that we've got right
[1:49:19] now, and that is the healthcare
[1:49:20] authority. The healthcare author is not
[1:49:23] on here because it doesn't have official
[1:49:26] openings, but we have anticipated a
[1:49:28] couple anticipated openings. And there
[1:49:31] could be and probably will be some
[1:49:33] pretty big activity going on with the
[1:49:34] healthcare authority because they own
[1:49:36] the hospital. St. Clair County
[1:49:38] Healthcare Authority owns the hospital
[1:49:41] and with expansion of things out at the
[1:49:43] hospital. That's they they would be very
[1:49:45] involved. So, we'll get together on that
[1:49:49] ready to move on that. Uh that's already
[1:49:52] had some input.
[1:49:53] » Uh I don't know of another one. We we
[1:49:56] put we threw you under the bus on Cus
[1:49:58] Valley.
[1:49:59] » Yeah.
[1:50:00] » Water. So you're on it.
[1:50:02] » I'm saving that one up there. Okay.
[1:50:04] Being saved.
[1:50:05] » You went to a meeting the other day, did
[1:50:06] you?
[1:50:07] » Were you in charge now? You got it under
[1:50:08] control.
[1:50:10] » We're selling water. Sell the water.
[1:50:14] » Somebody's going to have to step up.
[1:50:16] » Sell it to somebody.
[1:50:18] » Mental health.
[1:50:18] » Somebody's going to buy it.
[1:50:20] » Yeah. that mental health thing. Uh we
[1:50:22] had a really good meeting. In fact, you
[1:50:24] can see how important it was at the
[1:50:25] conference. The state director of mental
[1:50:28] health actually gave breakout sessions
[1:50:29] on about to about three entities. So, uh
[1:50:32] there's a lot of changes in mental
[1:50:33] health. Uh a lot of it facilitated or a
[1:50:37] lot of it
[1:50:39] actually stimulated by so much mental
[1:50:42] health problem in the jails. That's
[1:50:44] that's a problem.
[1:50:47] So, we need to we need I suspect that
[1:50:50] when we change administrations down
[1:50:52] there, I think you're going to have much
[1:50:54] more required discussion on the local
[1:50:57] level about what happens in mental
[1:50:59] health.
[1:51:01] It [clears throat]
[1:51:02] statement was made by her. They wanted
[1:51:04] more local involvement in the mental
[1:51:06] health problem because right now it it
[1:51:08] is a probate judge and sheriff's problem
[1:51:11] and and well, if it's somebody one of
[1:51:13] their problems, we have to pay for it.
[1:51:15] We have to figure out where the money
[1:51:16] comes from. So, it's going to be real
[1:51:17] important when that comes up. Uh
[1:51:20] Birmingham Metropolitan Planning
[1:51:21] Organization. Don't let Birmingham part
[1:51:23] scare you. Uh that that scares away a
[1:51:26] lot of people just because it has
[1:51:27] Birmingham's name on it. The
[1:51:29] Metropolitan Planning Organization is
[1:51:31] part of the regional planning commission
[1:51:32] and Katrina's probably is aware of this.
[1:51:34] Anybody working with the city, uh by
[1:51:37] law, St. Clair County is in the region
[1:51:41] that is covered by regional planning
[1:51:45] commission of greater Birmingham. By
[1:51:46] law, we would like to be just because of
[1:51:49] the working with the different entities.
[1:51:51] We would like to be part of the uh cous
[1:51:55] valley
[1:51:56] commission whatever it but it would be
[1:51:58] the people east of us. Uh I think that
[1:52:00] would be Tallaladega County and Calhoun
[1:52:03] County. But we can't. At one time we
[1:52:04] said we're just going to go over there
[1:52:06] and join them. Well, you can't. It's in
[1:52:08] the it's in the code what what regional
[1:52:10] planning district Slair County is in.
[1:52:13] and we are in the Greater Birmingham
[1:52:16] Regional Planning Commission and the MO
[1:52:19] which is listed right here is under the
[1:52:22] regional planning commission. So that's
[1:52:23] why that's important. Uh the MOO now
[1:52:27] covers it may cover all of our county
[1:52:29] when the next measurements there when
[1:52:31] the when the measure is that the county
[1:52:33] is not listed as rural anymore under the
[1:52:36] MO. that that that'll extend the entire
[1:52:39] county which means we interact with
[1:52:41] Jefferson County a lot more than we we
[1:52:43] ever have and probably wish to.
[1:52:46] » So we'll we'll work that out. That's all
[1:52:49] those anything else on here.
[1:52:53] » Before you go, I got a quick question.
[1:52:55] » Yes, sir.
[1:52:57] » Just for clarification as you are
[1:52:59] looking at the budgets and my proposal
[1:53:01] that we all combine forces together. if
[1:53:03] I need to come back and answer any
[1:53:05] questions. I hope what I gave you is a
[1:53:07] guide to our request at the airport
[1:53:09] authority for some kind of financial
[1:53:11] assistance. I'm not here. Well, I said I
[1:53:14] wasn't asking for a half million
[1:53:15] dollars, but you know what? If you find
[1:53:16] it, we would definitely use it.
[1:53:19] » Um
[1:53:21] last week,
[1:53:23] » So whatever you feel compelled is we
[1:53:26] would be more than grateful for. If you
[1:53:29] got any questions, let me know. And then
[1:53:31] once you make your final decisions on
[1:53:33] that, if you'd let me know, that'd be
[1:53:34] awesome, too. Thank you.
[1:53:39] » Get a regular budget ready.
[1:53:41] » Dave is having a meet and greet at uh
[1:53:44] Red Diamond tonight at 6:00. Is that
[1:53:47] right?
[1:53:48] » 5:30. I think
[1:53:52] » We found out something a long time ago.
[1:53:55] If you serve wine, people loosen up
[1:53:57] their pockets.