Regular Session
The Holmes County Board of Commissioners met in a Regular Session on the above date with the following members present: Commissioner Kenneth Williams, Commissioner Phillip Music, Commissioner Monty Merchant, Commissioner Jim King and Commissioner Raymon Thomas, Chairman of the Board.
Gerald Holley, Attorney, was present.
Sherry Fitzpatrick, Deputy Clerk, was present and kept the minutes.
H.R. Harrison led the prayer and pledge.
Pursuant to Public Notice, a Public Hearing was held to receive
citizen’s input on the funding request for the Hurricane Creek Evacuation
Shelter/Community Center. Barbara Trant, area resident, presented the Board
with a petition against the project unless the reverter clause is taken out of
the deed. The reverter clause states that if the Evacuation Shelter/Community
Center is not constructed by
Commissioner Music made a motion to take the reverter clause out of the deed prior to proceeding with the funding request. Commissioner Merchant offered a second. Commissioner King voted no with Commissioner Williams, Commissioner Merchant, Commissioner Music, and Chairman Thomas voting yes. The motion passed.
(Petition)
Commissioner Music made a motion to approve the minutes from
Pete Fish, Council on Aging, addressed the Board concerning the use of the old Driver’s License office so they can expand their programs. Commissioner King made a motion to approve letting the Council on Aging use the building with Commissioner Merchant offering a second. The motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Music made a motion to approve Holly Holland for the vacancy on the Holmes County Tourist Development Council. Commissioner King offered a second. The motion passed unanimously.
The Board agreed to allow Chairman Thomas appoint someone for the vacancy of Public Risk Management Board member and for the vacancy of Public Risk Management Alternate Board member.
The Board agreed for Commissioner Williams to serve on the Opportunity Florida Community Land Trust Board and the Opportunity Florida Community Development Corporation Board.
Commissioner King made a motion to approve the resignation letters from Jackie Parker, Mosquito Control Director and Jace Albury applicator/operator for the Mosquito Control Department. Commissioner Merchant offered a second. The motion passed unanimously.
(Letters)
Amy Loflin, Project Management Specialist, stated that the Mosquito Control Department had not billed for services rendered in Bonifay, Westville, Ponce de Leon, and Vortex Springs for the past two years. The amounts totaled approximately $7450.00 and the towns had asked if the Board would forgive them for the total owed. Commissioner Merchant made a motion for the amounts to be due since the services were received even if the billing had not been done. Commissioner Music offered a second. The motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner King made a motion to approve the matching funds in the amount of $159.91 for the poll worker recruitment and training grant. Commissioner Williams offered a second. The motion passed unanimously.
(Certificate)
Three quotes were received to repair a Komatsu PC100-6 excavator.
Thompson Tractor $6317.58
Tractor & Equipment $6129.76
Commissioner King made a motion to
approve the quote from Thompson Tractor Company in
(Quotes)
The Board reviewed quotes for fire extinguisher service for the county.
Action Fire $ 3.00 each annual inspection & re-certification
Star Fire Extinguisher $ 5.00 each annual inspection
Brown Fire Protection $ 2.85 each annual inspection
Commissioner King made a motion to approve the quote from Brown Fire Protection to service all county fire extinguishers. Commissioner Music offered a second. The motion passed unanimously.
(Quotes)
Commissioner King made a motion to approve the Notice to Proceed from Guettler and Guettler on the County Road 177 striping plans with Commissioner Merchant offering a second. The motion passed unanimously.
(Notice)
Commissioner Williams made a motion to approve hiring Wendell Bryan in
District 4 as a Road Maintenance Technician effective
Commissioner Williams asked if there was a small van that he could use in his district. The Board will check and see if one is available.
Commissioner Merchant stated they were working on the new location for the District 2 road yard.
Commissioner King made a motion to accept the resignation letter from
Greg Windham and to hire Richard Gainey as the grader operator in District 1
effective
Chairman Thomas stated there had been complaints in the Westville
Ambulance Station of coughing from the employees housed there. Wilburn Baker,
Ambulance Director, stated that mold had been found in the building and that an
air quality test needed to be completed to determine the extent of the mold. The
testing can be done by Mission Technologies for the amount of $600-650 and the
town of
Chairman Thomas stated he had talked with Lt. Taylor at HCI regarding the use of inmate crews. There are currently 5 crews to be used for the entire county. More crews could be used if a county employee would be willing to complete a 16 hour certification program that would allow them to supervise inmates.
Chairman Thomas stated he had received complaints that county employees were driving county vehicles on weekends. The Board agreed that the mechanics, shop foremen, and road foremen were only to drive the vehicles while on duty. A memo will be distributed to all employees stating if they are not on duty the county vehicles should be parked.
H.R. Harrison, area resident, spoke concerning the Hurricane Creek Evacuation Shelter/Community Center. He stated a lot of people would like the Board to reconsider their motion earlier in the meeting. There was discussion of the project and the deed containing a reverter clause. Commissioner Williams made a motion to rescind the action taken earlier to take the reverter clause out of the deed before proceeding with the request for funding. Commissioner Merchant offered a second. Commissioner King and Chairman Thomas voted no with Commissioner Williams, Commissioner Merchant and Commissioner Music voting yes. The motion passed.
John Hagan, Projects Manager, stated the size of the New Hope Fire and Rescue/Emergency Shelter and the cost of constructing this compared with the size of the Hurricane Creek Evacuation Shelter/Community Center. Commissioner Williams made a motion to proceed with the deed containing the reverter clause which would prevent obtaining any grant money from USDA to help with the project. Commissioner Merchant offered a second. Commissioner King and Chairman Thomas voted no with Commissioner Williams, Commissioner Merchant and Commissioner Music voting yes. The motion passed.
Wilton Yancey, area resident, asked the Board when
Jim McCusker, area resident, stated he had asked the Board to reconsider waiving the permit fees for the new hospital that is being built at the last meeting.
There being no further business, the meeting stood adjourned.
_____________________________ __________________________
Cody Taylor, Clerk Raymon Thomas, Chairman