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By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer

The Chilton County Commission approved a resolution at their meeting on June 28 to pursue purchasing additional land at Exit 200 on Interstate 65. The Courtney property, a 16-acre piece of land, would join the pieces of property the commission has already purchased, if a deal is made.

“If we are going to pursue development (there), we need to pursue that piece of property next,” Commissioner Matthew Mims said.

Commissioner Allen Williams asked if the current owners were interested in selling the property. Commissioner Randell Kelley said he spoke with the owners, and they wanted to speak with the commission about moving forward with details to sell.

The resolution passed 5-1 with Williams voting against. Commissioner Joe Headley, Chairman Jimmie Hardee, Commissioner Darrell Bone, Mims and Kelley voted for it. Commissioner Joseph Parnell was absent from the meeting.

Mims also made a motion to pass a resolution to negotiate the harvesting of timber on the property the commission already has at Exit 200. Mims said the details of the negotiations will be brought to the commission before the final numbers are approved.  The resolution to begin negotiations passed unanimously.

The commission also unanimously approved selling a piece of surplus property to O-Flex. Hardee said they negotiated to sell for $10,000, and O-Flex would cover the closing costs. Hardee also made a resolution to take the $10,000 from the sale and put into a separate fund to be used for road striping in Chilton County. Both resolutions were approved unanimously.

Williams proposed a resolution to close truck thru-traffic on County Road 7, County Road 47, County Road 59 from County Road 24 to Enterprise Road and County Road 344.

The resolution failed 4-2 with Bone and Williams voting in favor. Headley, Mims, Hardee and Kelley voted against it.

Williams also proposed to allowing offenders who need to complete community service do so by cleaning out culvert pipes in the county. Williams said the county will have no liability and the services will work similarly to litter pickup.

Hardee said he spoke to Judge Chris Speaks about it, and Hardee’s concerns were about who would be responsible to check if they completed it, providing safety equipment and finding culverts in the county to fix. Williams said he would take full responsibility for the services if the resolution is passed.

“I got no problem doing that myself,” Williams said. “If we pass this, I will find the culvert, I will get them safety vests I have and I will see to it they do it.”

The resolution passed unanimously with Williams in charge of the services.

Hardee asked for a resolution to seek a bid for A25B Base to be used for the Dirt Road Reclamation Project. The resolution was approved unanimously, and the details will be brought back to the commission before the final numbers are approved.

Hardee made a resolution to pave five miles of County Road 264 with the county paying 50% of the approximately $540,000 with the residents on the road paying the other half. The resolution was approved unanimously.

Also, during the meeting the commission:

• Accepted and approved the janitorial services bid at the Sheriff’s Office from Alabama Paper.
• Approved a resolution for new ABC privilege and licensing taxes in Chilton County. The hospitality management program license is a $500 fee and the food/beverage truck licenses are a $150 fee. Headley abstained from voting on the resolution.
• Approved to contract Carolyn Austin to clean the Tag Office two times per week at $200 per week.
• Approved to removed Johnathon Roseberry from the Road Department payroll after a no show.
• Approved to advertise a public hearing for Lake Mitchell One Stop for an alcohol license application.
• Approved the final plat for Lake View Estates developer Eddie Murphey.
• Approved the EMA to request bids for renovations at the Public Safety Building.