During the public comments section of the meeting, the commission heard from the Rev. Johnny Tellis, who requested the road in front of Springhill Baptist Church on County Road 45 in Stanton be paved.

“Some of the members of our church have come before you tonight to consider paving the road in front of our church,” Tellis said. “We are having problems with the members of our church not wanting to come to church when the roads are bad because it will damage their cars. When it rains, people don’t want to show up.”

Tellis said the church continues to grow and currently has 60 members but worries the road issues will deter potential growth for the church.

“We want to continue to grow our church, but if we can’t get people to show up when it rains, we will not grow,” Tellis said.

Caton asked county engineer Tony Wearren if he was aware of the road Tellis was requesting.

Wearren said he was aware about the road and told Tellis to call him due to a standing resolution the commission has regarding the paving of church roads.

The commission also heard from Chilton County resident Margie McMinn who expressed concerns with criminals being arrested and allowed to leave the Chilton County Jail shortly after their arrest.

“We send our officers out to do a drug bust, and they arrest people who are doing drugs and sometimes those people are free to go that very day of the arrest,” McMinn said.

McMinn said she also had concerns with the sheriff’s department not serving warrants.

Davis told McMinn he had officers serving warrants in between calls, but he did not have an individual employed full-time to serve warrants.

Diane Knighten, one of the owners of Lake Mitchell Marina, approached the commission regarding permission to have a private club to sell alcohol at the marina.

“I know this is a dry county, but I didn’t know if there was a way I could have a private club where people pay money to be in the club and we sell alcohol,” Knighten said. “We have a lot of requests from people visiting the lake, and a lot of people who bring their boats in from Birmingham bring their own alcohol.”

Commissioners told Knighten that due to her request for a private club, she would have to go to the ABC Board and make her request.