By Fred Woods
Editor
At the Aug. 14 Lee County Commission meeting Alabama Cooperative Extension Director Gary Lemme presented the “Crystal Clover” award to the Commission and to the Lee County Extension Director Tara Barr. The award recognizes the Lee County 4-H program’s receipt of a national 4-H Centennial Youth Initiative award for program achievement.
4-H (represented by a green four-leaf clover with the leaf lobes representing the four Hs, head, heart, hands and health) is the youth program of the Cooperative Extension Service in which Lee County is one of the cooperator/partners.
One result of program accomplishments is that Deborah Stewart is now a dedicated full-time 4-H agent for the county.
At the request of county administrator Roger Rendleman, approved four budget adjustments. Two adjustments dealt with vehicle replacements, necessitated because the county self-insures vehicles. One dealt with the loss of an Environmental Services roll-off truck totaled due to operator error and the other a LCSO/School Resource Officer Program vehicle crashed into by a car driven by a robbery suspect.
The other two adjustments both dealt with recognizing funds resulting from sale of surplus property as revenue, $2,976 from Building Inspection and $195,000 from the Highway Department.
The Spyglass Group has completed its initial review of county telecommunications billings and services and have identified $5,320.44 annual savings on excessive landlines and 46,858.00 annual savings with recommended wireless plan changes. Mr. Rendleman believes most, if not all, are reasonable and verifiable changes to make. The commission authorized Mr. Rendleman to negotiate and accept changes associated with these recommendations. If all the recommendations are implemented, Spyglass would receive $12,178.44 with all subsequent savings accruing to the county
In other action, the commission:
– approved transfer of $5,000 from the Contingency Fund, which brings to $10,000 to pay for the design of an exhibit honoring CSM (ret.) Bennie Adkins in the entry of the CSM Bennie D. Adkins Meeting Center.
– approved the annual MOU for the JAG grant. This year the Sheriff’s Office will administer the grant which is shared equally with the Opelika and Auburn police departments. The total amount of the grant will be $28,826 with each department receiving $8,942.
– approved a Change Order for the Beulah Senior Center resulting in a savings to the county of $4,841.50.
– in accordance with Alabama Legislative Act 2017-367, approved a one-time, lump sum payment (to be made in October 2017) to eligible Employees Retirement System retirees and beneficiaries. The payment will cost the county $55,838.