COMMISSION MEETING

September 25, 2006

CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME

A regular meeting of the Cullman County Commission was held Monday, September 25, 2006 at 10:00 a.m., in the County Commission Office Conference Room, Chairman Kitchens called the meeting to order and welcomed all visitors.

CALL OF ROLL TO ESTABLISH QUORUM, INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Present were Chairman Wiley Kitchens, Commissioner Doug Williams, and Commissioner Stanley Yarbrough. Attorney Dan Willingham gave the invocation and Commissioner Williams lead the pledge of allegiance.

APPROVE MINUTES, APPROPRIATIONS, EXPENDITURES, REQUISITIONS, TRAVEL EXPENSE AND ALL JOURNAL ENTRIES TO BE POSTED

Commissioner Yarbrough made the motion to approve minutes, appropriations, expenditures, requisitions, travel expense and all journal entries to be posted. Commission Williams seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Mrs. Dot Gudger with the Historical Society addressed the commission concerning ownership of the historic Luther Hays house, located at 611 First Avenue, SW Cullman. The Historical Society will accept ownership.

NEW BUSINESS

Proclamation – National 4-H Week

Commissioner Williams read a Proclamation proclaiming October 1-7, 2006 as national 4-H Week in Cullman County.

Commissioner Williams made the motion to authorize the Chairman to sign the Proclamation. Commissioner Yarbrough seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

Abatement of 2001 Taxes and Litigation – Revenue Office

Commissioner Yarbrough made the motion to do the abatement. Commissioner Williams seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

Emergency Management/Mutual Aid – EMA

Phyllis Little, EMA Director state almost one year ago Cullman County EMA did a mutual aid agreement that was put into effect with local Volunteer Fire Departments which is very lengthy agreement. Since that time Alabama EMA and the Association of County Commissions attorneys together have come up with a very simple two page agreement that can be put into place with Volunteer Fire Department, Volunteer Fire Associations and Local Rescue Squads that will cover them when working a disaster. It will allow them to file for reimbursement for any expenses during that disaster if it’s proclaimed a presidential disaster. I recommend the commission use these agreements.

Commissioner Williams made the motion to adopt these policies and allow the chairman to sign with the different agencies. Commissioner Yarbrough seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

Consider the surplus of misc. Computers & Equipment – Data Processing

Joey Martin with Data Processing stated they had several computers and monitors that are no longer in use. All the hard drives have been removed.

Commissioner Williams made the motion to surplus the computer equipment. Commissioner Yarbrough seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

Consider awarding Bid No. 862 Computer Equipment

Mr. Martin stated at this time he would like to reject all bids due to a discrepancy in the bid sent out. We need to reject and rebid some of the software was left out.

Commissioner Yarbrough made the motion to reject and rebid the computer equipment. Commissioner Williams seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

County Road 1601

Commissioner Williams stated he had been approached by the City of Cullman concerning county road 1601. The City owns property on both sided of the road. The City is asking the county to abandon approximately 1322 feet. I make the recommendation the county start the process to vacate this road.

Commissioner Williams made the motion to start vacating procedures. Commissioner Yarbrough seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

Gaming Machines

Commissioner Williams stated looking at the history and what’s happening across the state. It’s obvious at some point and time Cullman County will have some type of gaming machines whether it be internet gaming machines or any other type of machines. I ‘am asking the attorney to look at the process of putting a licensing fee on each machine placed in Cullman County. We are not asking the gaming machines to come into the county, but we need to be in the position to put some type of regulatory fee/ licensing fee on these machines.

Discuss allocating funds to departments monthly

Chairman Kitchens stated there has been a lot of speculation/publicity concerning what’s been done and what’s not been done. The road department has not been over budget. Rather than the road department being over budgeted purchase orders were cut. The commission allocates to each department that we fund, since the commission has control of the funds/money we allocate each department so much money. If we can do this I would like to allocate so much money to each department monthly and once you run out of money that department does not get any more purchase orders that month. This will put the monkey on the elected officials back that they do the job they were elected to do. The commission is the one that usually gets the blame if the funds are short. Chairman Kitchens ask Mr. Willingham to look into allocating funds in this matter.

Consider approving the FY 2007 budget $38,574,435.00

Mr. Teichmiller stated this is the operating revenue and expenses. Under each line item there are 37 funds and 16 departments and this includes the general fund with a budget of $14,859,254.00, road budget of $7,674,000.00.

Commissioner Yarbrough made the motion to adopt the FY 07 budget. Commissioner Williams seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

Cost of Living

Chairman Kitchens stated what the commission has done in this budget we really wanted to do more than we had been doing. I would like to ask the commission to go along with a 4% cost of living raise this next year for all employees. Hopefully next year we can do more.

Commissioner Williams made the motion to give the 4% cost of living increase to all full time employees exempt or hourly. Commissioner Yarbrough seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

Historical Society

Chairman Kitchens stated the commission needed to put on a Resolution the Luther Hays house giving it to the Historical Society. At present time the Historical Society has no land for the house. I am asking the commission to allow the building to stay where it is, if at a point the commission needs the property the Historical Society will be given a six months notice to remove the building from the property.

Mr. Willingham stated the Historical Society will need to comply with the stipulations by the Hays Family.

Commissioner Williams made the motion with the stipulations by the Hays Family to give the Luther Hays house to the Historical Society. Commissioner Yarbrough seconded, and upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS

Resolution No. 2006-28 – Boar’s Knob Subdivision

Commissioner Yarbrough stated they had pasted a resolution prior (June 25, 2006) to grant Boar’s Knob Subdivision the easement contingent upon the clarification of the court.

NEXT REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 10, 2006

Chairman Kitchens announced the next regular Commission Meeting will be Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. in the County Commission Office Conference.

ADJOURN

Commissioner Williams made the motion to adjourn. Commissioner Yarbrough seconded.

______________________________ __________________________ ____________________________

Wiley Kitchens, Chairman Doug Williams, Commissioner Stanley Yarbrough, Commissioner