Carl Pennamon Is Commission Chair
The Jasper County Commission Monday elected Carl Pennamon chair for the 2017 year with Bruce Henry serving as vice-chair. Previous chair Gene Trammell was not at the meeting as he is hospitalized.
Commissioner Pennamon said he would rather delay the vote, but Jim Alexander who was named assistant county attorney urged them to go ahead, saying that is what the county charter says. Commissioner Doug Luke seconded Craig Salmon’s motion for Mr. Pennamon to be chair, then said he had talked with Commissioner Bruce Henry who said he would also be willing to serve. Commissioner Pennamon said he felt like the person who serves as chair needs to be available a lot. A lot goes on, he said, you can’t wait until a meeting sometimes.
The motion to name Mr. Pennamon chair passed 4-0, then Mr. Henry was elected vice-chair by a 4-0 vote.
The commission named David Ozburn county attorney, with Mr. Alexander as assistant. They also named Sharon Robinson to continue to serve as county clerk.
The commissioners met for nearly an hour in a work session before the regular meeting to discuss the lease and/or purchase of a crack sealer and hear what County Manager Mike Benton had learned about the cost for milling with a skid steer or Zipper. After some discussion commissioners agreed, then voted during the regular meeting, to draw up a bid request to clearly identify preparation work needed by the county so that can be contracted out, then the county go back and chip seal. Mr. Benton said he talked with individuals with the Department of Transportation, and they are willing to train our Public Works Department (PWD) crew on using a crack sealer. Several crew members will work with the Department of Transportation to learn how to operate the machine before the county leases one for a week. Depending on how the week’s lease goes, the county could lease the machine longer or opt to purchase it.
Commissioners also looked at crew cab flatbed trucks for Public Works, saying the department currently has no crew cabs, and will need a flatbed if it gets the crack sealing machine. Also, the larger cab is needed oftentimes to get crews where they need to be. None of the three trucks brought to the commission had any warranty, and two of the trucks for consideration had fairly high mileage, about 165,000. The third, a 2012, was a better option, but it was not diesel. Commissioners instructed the county manager and PWD director Preston Campbell to look for something more like the 2012 model but without four wheel drive, and with diesel.
Commissioners heard from Chief Magistrate Tim Lam about why he would prefer to hire his own clerk, saying that Clerk of Courts Dan Jordan called his wife obscene names when she ran for the position in 2008. Mr. Jordan also openly supported Mr. Lam’s opponent in the 2016 election. He said that yes, 25 counties do it the way we do it, but that means that in 134 counties the Chief Magistrate chooses his own clerk. He was requesting the commissioners send a request to the state legislature to change the legislation that was enacted in 2008 that makes the Clerk of Superior Clerk also the Clerk of Magistrate Court in Jasper County. Commissioners voted to leave things as they are now.
Commissioners discussed the rumble strips on Bethel Church Road, and two residents who live in front of the strips spoke to commissioners. The strips have been down since August of 2015, and cause quite an annoyance, the residents said. The DOT recommendation was to take up one strip on each side of the road to lessen the noise to the homeowners. After some heated discussion as to who decided to re-visit the issue, commissioners agreed to ask DOT to remove the two strips. If DOT will not, then PWD will.
In other action at Monday’s meeting, commissioners:
•Named Paul Kelly to the board of Appeals for the county.
•Adopted the Capital Improvement Element (CIE) for 2014, 2015 and 2016.
•Agreed to change the Community Development Block Grant request to be renovation and expansion of the senior center rather than building a new building. The monies being requested would not build a bigger building that is currently in place, and Senior Center Director Tracy Norton said that they need more space. So rather than applying for a grant for new construction, the application will be for expansion and renovation.
•Agreed to the 2017 holidays and meeting dates.
•Agreed to have a work session next month on the personnel policy.
•Agreed to allow a county worker and backhoe to help with the “Making the Shade” project at Jasper County Primary School. It will take place sometime next month, and it will entail planting trees on the school property. Other volunteers are sought, too.
•Agreed to again be the fiscal agent for Jasper County Family Connection.
•Adopted the short term work program.
•Learned Pitman Construction had mobilized on Goolsby Road and was beginning the reclaiming of parts of that road.
•Learned the landfill office has been delivered, and they are waiting on EMC to hook the power up to it.
During commission comments, Mr. Salmon asked if Mr. Ozburn had looked into giving a provisional alcohol license. He said the short answer is no, but he can research it more. He said state licenses depend on the county first granting a license, so it could be a problem at the state level.
Mr. Salmon also asked, again, for the Taxpayer’s Watchdog Group, headed by Mary Patrick, to retract misinformation it had put out.
