The Chilton County Commission agreed to have the chairman and administrator sign a timber license agreement prepared by the Chilton County Industrial Development Authority and its attorney during its meeting on Jan. 12.

Commissioner Matt Mims presented the agreement to the Commission, and it was unanimously passed.

The agreement gives the IDA the ability to sell any timber cut while clearing the property of the future site of the Alabama Farm Center at Alfa Centennial Park.

Timber sold by the IDA will be on behalf of the commission.

Now that the agreement is finalized, the next step will be the process of accepting bids from companies to do the work associated with clearing the land.

Regarding the pandemic, Commission Chairman Joseph Parnell informed his fellow commissioners that the next wave of money the county was expecting to further help with measures against COVID-19 has been redirected by Gov. Kay Ivey to the state’s department of labor.

“That money is no longer available,” Parnell said.

Parnell stated that although the future looks promising with vaccines now being produced, he believes it is also important to realize that the virus has not yet been beaten and assistance with funding is still vital for counties across the state.

In other news from the meeting:

• County engineer Tony Wearren estimates debris cleanup around the county is 70% complete.
• Road department truck driver Jasper Little’s resignation was accepted, and a resolution was passed to hire a replacement.
• Jonathan Goggins was approved to transfer from a laborer with the litter department to a truck driver with the road department. It is a separate position and does not fill Little’s vacancy.
• The litter department will advertise to hire a laborer to fill the vacancy left by Goggins.
• County-owned Chapel Chase subdivision was approved to be liquidated and sold on the market.
• Jeffery Brown was reclassified as a full-time deputy, and Nathan Bland was reclassified as a part-time deputy with the Sheriff’s Office.
• Nominations were closed and Billy Singleton and Glenn Pencoe were approved to fill the two vacant positions on the Chilton County Airport Authority. They were the only nominations received.
• Terry Hinton received a 3% pay increase.
• Terry Sims’s contract was renewed as a part-time accountant.
• Tiffanee Edwards received a 2.99% pay increase.
• According to Parks Director Gerald Arrington, the new bathhouse at Minooka Park is near completion.
• The Commission went into executive session to discuss land offers connected to the county’s projects. No action was taken.
• The next Commission meeting will be Jan. 26 with a work session at 5 p.m. followed by a voting session at 6 p.m. It will take place in the upstairs courtroom of the courthouse.