The large computer that serves 13 departments at the Chilton County Courthouse is due for an upgrade.

Yesterday, the Chilton County Commission voted to replace the IBM mainframe purchased in 2002 with an IBM AS/400 mainframe model 9407, which will be able to store more data and house more complicated programs.

The commission awarded Premise, Inc. the low bid of $70,824, to be paid out over five years in monthly payments of $1,288 and change.

“We were able to get one year’s [extra] use on the old one without having to make any payments,” Matt Taylor of Information Systems said.

“We are hoping to do the same with this one so we can stretch out those tax dollars.”

In other business, Commissioner Allen Caton said he would like to see the commission set up according to departments.

“I’d like to see each one of us with a job,” he said.

For example, one commissioner would handle all business related to public safety, while another would be over the Road Department, and so on. The commission as a whole would still vote on all issues.

Other commissioners expressed interest in the idea, but no decision was reached in yesterday’s meeting.

The commission also:

addressed the need for a person in charge of the county’s flood insurance program

promoted Jerry Moates to foreman in the Road Department

granted County Engineer Tony Wearren permission to hire an additional truck driver

voted to hold a work session on the Mondays falling one week after each regular meeting

added Sheriff Kevin Davis as a signer on the E-911 fund (E-911 Director Helen Smith and Board chairman Allen Caton are also signers)

went into a brief executive session for the discussion of good name and character

agreed that commission minutes recorded during fiscal year 2008-09 should reflect the intentions of Commissioners Red Turnipseed, Joe Headley and Bobby Agee to abstain from voting on any items where conflict of interest might be a concern.