Commissioners met for the first time in a brightly lit commission chamber at the Chilton County Courthouse on Monday.

The commission previously voted on Sept. 9 to commit $3,125 toward renovations inside the commission chamber at the courthouse.

Commission Chairman Allen Caton told commissioners during the Sept. 9 meeting he requested County Maintenance Supervisor Pete Davenport to find prices for work that would replace the current lighting system with new ceiling tiles, light fixtures and wiring.

Davenport located prices and commissioners voted to commit $3,125 toward renovating the commission chamber.

Monday’s meeting was the first meeting in the newly renovated commission chamber with the brighter lighting system.

Commissioners voted on several items during Monday’s meeting including a vote to allow members of the Chilton County Tea Party to hold their monthly meetings at the courthouse.

Mark Scott, chairman of the Chilton County Tea Party, requested the use of the building for monthly meetings beginning Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. and each month following through April 2014.

Commissioners also voted to take $144,424 out of the Building Road and Bridge Fund to finish the bridge replacement project on County Road 46.

In other news, the commission:

•Scheduled a work session for Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. to discuss revenue for the county.

•Signed an agreement with the city of Clanton for the paving of a road at the Industrial Park.

•Voted to finalize a contract between county administrator Connie Powell and the commission for a three years. Commissioners told county attorney John Hollis Jackson at the Sept. 30 meeting they would like him to present a final draft of the contract so the commission could approve the final contract with all of the specifics.

Commissioners Shannon Welch, Greg Moore, Caton, Tim Mims and Heedy Hayes voted in favor of finalizing the contract on Monday.

Commissioner Joe Headley voted against the motion and commissioner Bobby Agee was absent from the meeting.

This is the first time the commission has ever entered into a contract with a county administrator and Caton said earlier this month the main purpose was to provide security for the county.

Jackson told commissioners the final contract did not have anything in it that the commission did not previously approve.

•Approved county engineer Tony Wearren to advertise for hiring a truck driver.

•Approved a resolution to request Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to reclassify County Road 51 from a minor collector to a major collector.

•Approved a resolution to request ALDOT to downgrade County Road 349 from a major collector to an unclassified rural route.

•Voted to declare a Bush Hog at the Chilton County Road Department surplus so Wearren can sell it.

•Passed a resolution to nominate Samuel Reed, Sherrill White and Judson Messer to the Chilton County Hospital Board.

•Passed a resolution to nominate two people to the Industrial Development Board of Directors.

Both Allen Payton and Brian Paschal were nominated for the position and commissioners will vote who will serve on that position at the Oct. 28 commission meeting.