[0:16] I'd like to read from Proverbs 16:33.
The fear of the Lord is instruction in
[0:21] wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Heavenly Father, we know that human
[0:24] nature is to be haughty and prideful,
but the leadership of this county,
[0:27] including me, practice humility and
honesty. Thank you. In Jesus name.
[0:31] Amen.
>> Good tune.
[0:33] Salute
the flag.
[0:35] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America, and to the
[0:40] republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:47] justice for all.
[1:09] » Thank you.
[1:12] We have a problem with stray animals,
and uh
[1:16] Mr. Ford had for some time now
3 years ago, my neighbor's daughter was
[1:20] out running and was attacked by dogs. It
was in District 4. You saw him I know
[1:24] you saw him back then. He was present at
that time.
[1:27] I came into contact with this problem
not so much where I live, but in
[1:32] campaigning going door-to-door, it was a
big concern of a lot of our residents.
[1:37] I was in District 4. I can't speak for
the other districts.
[1:40] I also saw it firsthand. I saw several
strays running out most of the night.
[1:44] Most of them wouldn't attack you.
They're just dogs that are out there on
[1:47] the street.
I had couple of times I had to reverse
[1:51] course and go the other way. It's a big
enough problem to where
[1:55] Dade bill is to work out its own
solution. Dade
[1:58] Mayor Ledbetter is in the process of or
I'm not sure I haven't talked to him in
[2:02] a little while if he's done it yet but
hiring an off-duty police officer
[2:07] to be an animal control officer.
He's running into another problem that
[2:11] there's nowhere to put the dog when you
pick it up.
[2:14] Uh
I have been a few times out to the Lake
[2:16] Martin Animal Shelter. Lake Martin
Animal Shelter is
[2:20] have they have a hard time. They do the
best they can with what they've got but
[2:23] they're underfunded. They don't have
enough space. They're also under
[2:26] contract with the city of Alexander City
and if you want to take a dog out there,
[2:31] good luck because they're usually not
accepting dogs.
[2:35] That leaves you with nowhere to go. So,
Mayor Ledbetter
[2:39] is working an arrangement with Lee
County to pay a uh
[2:45] a
pro rata share
[2:48] and so he can take his dogs and they can
take the dogs from Dadeville all the way
[2:52] out to Lee County.
That
[2:56] That shouldn't be happening in this
county.
[2:59] We have
[3:02] This is
a copy.
[3:06] Now, I think you guys are all aware of
it. I know y'all have a
[3:10] a plan for a humane society or shelter
uh
[3:15] in your offices. I saw that.
Uh
[3:18] Alabama Code 3-78-7
requires every county to maintain a
[3:23] suitable animal pound and county office
officer for dogs, cats, and ferrets.
[3:30] Running at large.
Uh it goes on to talk about
[3:33] municipalities over 5,000 which is
Alexander City.
[3:37] I don't know that we have
a holding facility if we got an
[3:40] impoundment facility or we have an
arrangement with
[3:44] kennel somewhere. Is there something
There's such a thing in the business?
[3:53] Is there a plan?
Or if you make shelter.
[3:57] There is. Where are we on
>> I'm not sure to tell you.
[4:01] I mean, it's a valid question.
[4:05] » Um
I know we should have funds now. We're
[4:09] not
We're not putting away funds anymore. Uh
[4:12] so,
those are not being withheld from the
[4:14] county budget. That's a million dollars
a year that we should have available.
[4:18] This I think should be a priority.
Although, it is it's not just for safety
[4:23] of people, but safety as far as price.
Rabies is not eradicated in in this
[4:29] country.
Uh Lake County experienced 21 cases from
[4:33] 19 2019 to 2023 of rabies season.
Confirmed cases in animals, not people.
[4:39] It is a rare disaster disease in people.
Elmore County, 17 cases. Caloosa, we
[4:44] only had three, but I understand we had
one
[4:47] last week, not one
last year. It was in
[4:52] Uh she has a name, but it was uh there
was a case
[4:56] local enough to be
a positive rabies case.
[5:02] Um
Here are the 10 human deaths from rabies
[5:05] every year. So, it's not a big
number, but it's a very severe problem.
[5:13] I would just ask that you look into
that.
[5:19] Also, in there
[5:22] my information, if you were to decide
that you want to go forward with this, I
[5:26] do have experience with animal control.
Two cities, Hoover and Vestavia, used
[5:31] our clinics to impound animals. They
didn't have their own impound facility,
[5:35] so they used us.
Uh I have experience with those animal
[5:38] control officers who are trained and
have the proper equipment to do it,
[5:41] unlike
our day-to-day
[5:44] police officer off duty. Not I think
that's of the things that's so
[5:48] so
I appreciate your response to that.
[5:55] » Public comment, Brother Chris, Jane
Harrison.
[6:02] » Good morning.
>> Good morning, Chris.
[6:04] » Uh
on behalf of the Tallapoosa County
[6:06] Extension Office and the Tallapoosa
County 4-H program, uh we want to say
[6:09] thank you for your long support of 4-H
program here in Tallapoosa County.
[6:15] Uh since 2010,
um becoming County Extension
[6:19] coordinator, now retired to director,
uh it was a priority to grow this
[6:23] program in 4-H in Tallapoosa County, and
we have done that in the leaps and
[6:28] bounds. And today, we'd like to make a
couple presentations and and give you
[6:32] some impact reports of what we have
done, especially in the last year. We
[6:36] have closed out the Tallapoosa County
4-H program, and school has begun again.
[6:40] We're about to start another year, but
we want to celebrate and let you know
[6:44] what we have done in this past year.
Uh one of one of five, Mr. Trip Bowden,
[6:48] our 4-H agent, uh with us uh to come up
here and provide a presentation.
[6:54] Provide some numbers and impact of what
we have done.
[6:57] Uh this this past year, we have achieved
more in 4-H than we have ever had in the
[7:02] 26 years that I have been employed in
this office.
[7:05] So, it is mainly part of y'all's
support, it's the community support,
[7:08] support from our parents,
administration, teachers, and the
[7:12] community beyond the walls of Tallapoosa
County. It is one of the top, if not in
[7:16] our opinion, the best in the state of
Alabama.
[7:23] » Good morning.
>> Good morning, Trip.
[7:24] » Thank you for the opportunity to be here
with you this morning. My name is Trip
[7:27] Bowden, I'm the 4-H Extension agent for
Tallapoosa County. Today, we're excited
[7:32] to be here for three reasons. First, to
celebrate a successful 2025-2026
[7:37] 4-H year. Second, to recognize some
outstanding young leaders through our
[7:40] Tallapoosa County 4-H Roll of Honor. And
finally, to share some exciting news.
[7:45] and new opportunities coming to Telthis
County for Alabama 4-H.
[7:49] As we begin a new 4-H school year, we
want to take time to look back and
[7:52] celebrate what our youth have
accomplished during the past year. And
[7:55] some of these you'll see photos of on
the on the screen over here, and then on
[7:58] the copy that the commissioners have on
paper.
[8:02] During 2025-2026,
more than 2,000 Telthis County youth
[8:05] participated participated in 4-H clubs
and related activities. In addition, we
[8:10] worked with more than 1,000 students
through one-time enrichment programs.
[8:14] On average, we visited approximately 110
classrooms each month, delivering
[8:19] educational programs focused on STEM,
agriculture, leadership, citizenship,
[8:24] workforce development, team building,
problem-solving, and other life skills.
[8:28] In previous years, we topped out at
about 65 monthly clubs, so we're very
[8:32] proud that we're reaching more
classrooms and more students through our
[8:35] 4-H programs.
Beyond the classroom, our members
[8:38] participated in a variety of hands-on
learning experiences.
[8:41] This past year, we launched our
first-ever 4-H pig project, which
[8:45] concluded in April with a show and
auction that was the first event held at
[8:49] the new Telthis County Agricultural
Arena.
[8:52] We're also currently in the middle of
our 4-H poultry project, giving youth
[8:55] additional opportunities to develop
agricultural knowledge, responsibility,
[8:59] and workforce skills.
Service learning remains an important
[9:02] part of our program as well. During the
summer, Telthis County 4-H members were
[9:06] partnered with Wind Creek State Park to
install a pollinator garden, helping
[9:10] improve wildlife habitat while learning
about environmental stewardship.
[9:14] Leadership development continues to be
one of the hallmarks of our 4-H program.
[9:19] Our Telthis County 4-H Youth Council,
made up of students in grades 6 through
[9:23] 12, representing every school in the
county, remained actively involved
[9:26] throughout the year. In addition to
developing leadership
[9:30] uh skills, youth council members
completed several community service
[9:33] projects, including volunteering at
Loaves & Fishes food pantry, and
[9:37] assisting Lake Martin Animal Shelter.
One area where our program continues to
[9:41] shine is through youth achievement.
This year, 124 Tallapoosa County 4-H
[9:46] members competed at county, regional,
and state level competitive events,
[9:50] demonstrating the skills and knowledge
that they gained through 4-H.
[9:54] We're especially proud of our graduating
seniors. Cammie Cook and Clay Harris
[9:57] were each awarded Alabama 4-H Foundation
scholarships in recognition of their
[10:02] hard work and accomplishments.
We're also proud to have two current
[10:06] Alabama 4-H state ambassadors from
Tallapoosa County. Colton Siggers was
[10:09] selected for his third term as an
ambassador, and Sophie Bishop begins her
[10:13] first year in the program.
Speaking of Colton, he represented not
[10:17] only Tallapoosa County, but the state of
Alabama this spring when he attended two
[10:21] separate 4-H leadership events in
Washington, D.C.
[10:25] Um which were within just a few weeks of
each other.
[10:28] His experiences reflect the
opportunities available to young people
[10:31] through 4-H and the impact these
leadership programs can have.
[10:35] In January, we celebrated another major
major accomplishment as we welcomed the
[10:39] Forest Stubble as our new 4-H agent
assistant.
[10:42] None of these accomplishments would be
possible without strong local
[10:45] partnerships. On behalf of our staff,
volunteers, families, and youth, I want
[10:49] to thank the Tallapoosa County
Commission and the Tallapoosa County
[10:52] Board of Education for your continued
support of our program. Your investment
[10:56] in youth development helps create
opportunities that positively impact
[11:00] impact young people across Tallapoosa
County every single day.
[11:04] Another reason we're here today is to
unveil the display you see on our side
[11:07] wall here. Tallapoosa County has a long
tradition of developing leaders, and
[11:11] we're proud to recognize that legacy
through the Tallapoosa County 4-H Wall
[11:14] of Honor.
This display recognizes current and
[11:17] former Tallapoosa County 4-H members who
have been selected to serve as Alabama
[11:22] 4-H state ambassadors.
The Alabama 4-H state ambassador program
[11:26] is one of the highest leadership honors
available to a 4-H member.
[11:29] Ambassadors are selected through a
highly competitive process and serve as
[11:33] representatives of Alabama Alabama 4-H
across the state.
[11:37] They provide leadership for statewide
events, participate in service
[11:40] initiatives, assist with leadership
development programs, and serve as role
[11:44] models for younger 4-H members.
The program helps participants further
[11:47] develop leadership, communication,
organizational, and service skills while
[11:52] representing Alabama 4-H at the highest
level.
[11:55] Since 2018, Tallapoosa County has had 12
members select selected as state
[12:01] ambassadors. That's an impressive
accomplishment, especially considering
[12:04] that our most recent state level 4-H
leader before this generation was Clark
[12:08] Barton, who served on Alabama 4-H State
Council in the late '80s, early '90s.
[12:15] Don't worry, we're still working on
getting his picture so that you can have
[12:17] that in the school.
Huh? A little harder to find.
[12:21] A little harder to find when they're not
digitally here.
[12:24] Uh today we're fortunate to have several
of these ambassadors with us, so I'll
[12:27] name all the 4-H members on the wall,
and then if our 4-H members who are
[12:31] present will stand and be recognized. Uh
Jayden Siggers,
[12:35] Mary Carol Raspberry, Colton Siggers,
Oh, sorry. Colton Cook, you can keep
[12:41] standing there.
Uh Blake Harris,
[12:44] uh Rebecca Raspberry, Katie Raspberry,
Ali Green,
[12:49] Zane McWhorter, Cammie Cook, Clay
Harris,
[12:53] Colton Siggers now, and Sophie Bishop.
[13:05] Hey guys, you can be seated. We have a
handful of more ambassadors who weren't
[13:09] able to join us today, but we're proud
to recognize their accomplishments as
[13:12] well.
These young people represent the very
[13:14] best of Tallapoosa County. Through their
leadership, service, and commitment to
[13:18] helping others, they've made our
community stronger and have set an
[13:21] example for future generations of 4-H
members.
[13:24] Finally, we'd like to share some
exciting news about the future.
[13:27] Tallapoosa County has been selected as
one of only 10 sites across Alabama to
[13:31] host an Alabama 4-H AmeriCorps member.
And I'm going to invite Shane Harris,
[13:36] our County Extension Director, to talk
more about this opportunity.
[13:40] » Thank you.
I will first recognize the other guests
[13:42] we have. We have Dr. Charles Scott from
the state office, 4-H office, that's
[13:46] very supportive, and also the leader for
our 4-H Ambassadors. And the rookie, the
[13:51] new person with Alabama is Dr. Casey
Mull, who now serves our leadership role
[13:55] for our director for the 4-H program.
And so, folks, here we grow again. We're
[13:59] literally growing again. We have the
opportunity to have another position in
[14:04] 4-H in Tallapoosa County. With what
we've done already, we can do a lot
[14:08] more.
Uh so, we have the opportunity to do
[14:10] this AmeriCorps program, which is a
federal grant program that they uh
[14:14] introduced to us and pursued, and so
Tallapoosa County was the one selected,
[14:19] and we jumped at the opportunity to to
have this uh individual join us uh
[14:24] likely in October. And so, and this is
actually an investment, a small
[14:27] investment for the county. For just
$6,500, you can almost have a full-time
[14:31] position.
You can't You can't
[14:34] hire anybody for that role. But, Trent
and uh D and myself and the rest of the
[14:40] 4-H team, we presented a plan and seeing
what else we can do. We want to do more
[14:44] with 4-H. We want to continue to grow,
reach those areas of 4-H program that we
[14:49] have not done.
Uh so, the sky's the limit, and uh we we
[14:54] are determined to be the very best in
the state. And by your continued long
[14:58] support, uh we are determined to do
that. So, we're looking forward to this
[15:02] individual joining us.
Uh this could be a potential renewal
[15:05] position and how they go. We're still
learning this. Uh Dr. Mull has some
[15:10] uh some past experience with that in
Georgia, so we're very delighted with
[15:13] this. And we also want to thank uh state
office for your continued support, not
[15:18] only with the ambassadors, but also
believing in us and believing in the
[15:21] staff. And uh I also want to thank our
court staff. Let me recognize Tony
[15:26] Fillis, the forest puggle, Trip for
Bonnie, and Latonya Taylor. I think she
[15:31] stepped out, but all all our staff is
dedicated to the adult programs in
[15:36] Calhoun County. And we have the best
staff in the state. So, thank you again
[15:41] for your continued support.
We appreciate all that you do.
[15:45] » Can I get some clarity? I was trying to
speak up.
[15:49] » Yes, sir.
>> How many students in Calhoun County?
[15:53] » Over 2,000.
>> 2,000
[15:55] at least 1,000 per grade level. 3,000.
>> 3,000.
[15:59] Okay. Okay. Calhoun City is part of
that?
[16:02] » Yes, sir.
>> Okay.
[16:05] Great job.
>> Thank you.
[16:08] » Thanks very much.
>> Thank you, Johnny. Thank you. Thank you.
[16:14] » Open up center agenda. Approve minutes
of the 2013 2016 meeting.
[16:21] Second.
>> All in favor?
[16:22] » Aye.
>> Approve minutes of the 2016 2020 city
[16:27] special called meeting.
>> I second.
[16:30] » Second.
>> All in favor?
[16:31] » Aye.
>> Approve warrants for the first quarter.
[16:35] » I second.
>> Second.
[16:37] » All in favor?
>> Aye.
[16:39] » Approve candidate of alcoholic beverage
license fees.
[16:43] » The ladies like to pass 40 alcohol
license
[16:46] types of staying on your calendar to
take a seat for me.
[16:48] I recommend that you approve the license
types and the fees.
[16:54] » I second.
[16:57] » Second.
>> All in favor?
[16:58] » Aye.
>> Approve surplus unit 271.
[17:03] $25 charge of being number two state
police CTX8G7F8841215
[17:12] sheriff car.
>> If the request is approved, surplus to
[17:14] send this last days.
[17:18] » I second.
[17:27] » Yeah, this is a 5-year project we've
been working on
[17:30] taking each pieces. So, we'll be asking
for 10 blocks to be put in our jail.
[17:35] Some of them have waited and
the next year we'll have 11 more when we
[17:38] have them all complete.
[18:14] Yeah, Joanne McCain who lives up on
Sanford Road has about 10 acres has
[18:20] requested approval to to rehabilitate
small non-dangerous wildlife. The
[18:26] Alabama Department of Conservation
requires the commission to approve that.
[18:30] She's got a cage and the things that
would rehab those that are already
[18:35] in there. No cost to us, nothing to us
other than we just have to approve.
[18:40] » Do you know what kind of what
>> I I do. We've been through all this.
[18:44] I've I've talked to the Department of
Conservation. It will be It will be
[18:48] small deer. It could be things like
that. Completely non-dangerous.
[19:04] » Yes, I was
approached by a member of the public
[19:07] about reducing the speed limit of the
party road.
[19:10] I performed a speed study and
recommended reducing that limit.
[19:33] It's a bid for this project were open on
August 6th at 11:00 a.m. We're two
[19:39] responsive bidders.
A little bit about amount from Site Pros
[19:43] LLC was $555,136.
[19:46] This time I'm recommending that you
award the bid to Site Pros and authorize
[19:51] the execution of contract.
[19:57] It's It's turn lanes.
There's no cost to the county for this
[20:01] project.
[20:04] But But yeah, the the budget amount was
$550,000, so they were budget but the
[20:09] county's not responsible for any
overruns on