By Hamilton Richardson
Elmore/Autauga News
Top Photo: Scott Kramer addresses the Autauga County Commission.
The approval of funds for county projects was a subject that came up once again at Tuesday’s Autauga County Commission meeting, as well as the approval for various personnel positions and the redesign for the county’s website.
On the Consent Docket for the evening, the first item was the approval for personnel from the Engineering Department to attend the 2022 AAFM Spring Workshop, personnel from the County Attorney’s office to attend an event dealing with legal issues facing city and county government and personnel from the Sheriff’s Office to attend an event covering hands-on vehicle fire and arson investigation and the ROCIC 31st Annual Homicide Conference.
Second on the Consent Docket was the approval of a payment transfer from the Commission Budget to the Revenue Budget for postage meter usage in the amount of $300.12.
Next was the approval of a payment transfer to the Gasoline Budget for gas usage during February 2022 and a payment transfer to the Sheriff Budget for gas usage during the same time period.
The approval of a six-month probationary period for Desk Clerk Renee Baker was next on the docket as well as the approval to surplus and sell on Govdeals.com a 2006 Ford E350 Van.
All items on the Consent Docket were approved.
After the docket was approved, the next item on the agenda, placed by Larry Stoudemire, Commissioner from District 5, was the approval of funding for three non-profits based on submitted proposals. The groups included in the measure were Seat of Mercy, Old Kingston Historical Cemetery and Brown’s Vision Nature Park.
Scott Kramer, the county’s Treasurer and Administrator, said the three items were all requests for American Rescue Plan Funds but that based on Legal advice from IAC (Investing in Alabama Counties), it was determined that all three were ineligible for the funds.
“I was asked to put these on the agenda to consider but IAC’s legal opinion is that these projects are not eligible,” Kramer explained.
“So, if we don’t do it through IAC,” asked Commissioner John Thrailkill (District 2), “I guess that’s what the goal was to do it through the American Rescue Plan. But if we can’t do it through that, then it’s got to come through General Fund or it’s got to come through appropriations of some sort.”
“That’s right,” Kramer said.
Stoudemire, asked for more details about the legal advice given by IAC but at one point, he asked Sheriff Joe Sedinger to come up and quiet down the members of the public who he said were being too loud. After the sheriff asked the audience to please stop talking, Commission Chairman Jay Thompson (District 4) told Stoudemire that it was not the sheriff’s responsibility to quiet down members of the public at commission meetings.
Stoudemire continued to question the legal advice about the funding.
“We are hiring them as experts in the field to review the law, the American Rescue Plan, in its entirety to give us advise including legal advice,” Kramer said.
The District 5 Commissioner continued to ask about other projects that are being considered for funding and the timing of certain resolutions.
“All of this should have come through the Commission. I mean, we should have already talked about it. We haven’t talked about none of this stuff. About the Rescue Plan money. We haven’t even talked about who’s qualified and who’s not qualified. I remember the last questions that were asked is, what’s the criteria for this money, and no one has the answer. That’s back in 2021.”
Kramer answered by saying, “Because the final rule on this legislation, The American Rescue Plan, did not come through until January, 2022. “
Kramer also said that the counties involved in the IAC plan were told to be careful to not take quick action with regards to the funding.
Stoudemire, when asked by other Commissioners to share details on Seat of Mercy, Old Kingston Historical Cemetery and Brown’s Vision Nature Park, said he didn’t really know anything about any of them. He was then questioned about why he placed the items on the agenda if he was not sure of the details.
After a few minutes of further discussion, a vote was taken on the proposed funding and Stoudemire was the only yes vote.
Other agenda items that were approved included the hiring of Thomas Farris as Deputy Sheriff, Grade 6: Step 4 and the approval of a one-year, one-step pay increase for Gregory Thompson, Civil Process.
Also approved was the resignation of Todd Clark, Real Property Appraiser Trainee and the advertisement for a part-time Appraiser to replace an open position, the resignation of Kelsey Ellison, License Clerk and the approval to hire Ivey Lightfoot, License Clerk, Grade 4: Step 1.
The next few measures included the approval of Resolution 2022-13, appointing Scott Kramer as Program Director and primary IAC contact, Resolution 2022-14 adopting model policies and procedures, Resolution 2022-15 opting into the IAC joint bid programs, the approval for a Cable Management Service Engagement agreement with Greg Fender and an agreement between Autauga County Commission and Ingenuity, INC to update and redesign the county website in the amount of $4,000.
All of those measures were passed however on Resolution 2022-13 and Resolution 2022-14, Stoudemire voted no.
County Engineer John Mark Davis shared with the commission some of the damage from the recent weather.
Sheriff Sedinger also shared that he had acquired two narcotics dogs, which would be trained for the Sheriff’s Department. He said that he hoped to acquire two more in the near future.
