Commission notes
BY BRUCE BRANUM
The Greenville Standard
The Butler County Commission met the evening of Tuesday, September 8, for their regularly scheduled workshop and business meeting.
At the workshop the first item on the Commission’s agenda was to discuss the reactivation of the Community Corrections Program for Butler County.
Judge Terri Bozeman and Cheryl Leatherwood both spoke to the Commission about the value of the program to the community and the Commissioners approved reactivation during the business meeting.
The next item presented at the workshop was a plan for the Butler County Courthouse renovation to include an elevator which would service all three floors and public restrooms for the second floor.
Chuck Jones, an architect with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, spoke to the Commission and attendees about the current plan.
Commissioner Frank Hickman expressed reservation concerning the exact placement of the elevator and indicated that it was important to keep as much usable office space as possible. Jones said he would look at options within the current plan.
After Jones’ presentation, Ryan Vernon presented updated plans for the new Butler County Sheriff’s Office building to be located behind the EMA building.
Questions arose about parking availability and how it would affect ingress and egress to the EMA building. Vernon said he would explore options to move the Sheriff’s building slightly to resolve the questions posed by the Commission.
Steve Norman then requested the Commission reactivate the Butler County Industrial Development Authority at the workshop but the Commission tabled the item during the business meeting.
Next was a request of a 10-year tax abatement for Coastal Forest Products LLC 7.2 million expansion project.
The Commission approved the abatement and noted the expansion should bring $20,000 in taxes per year for Butler County Schools over the next 10 years.
Among other items approved during the business meeting were housing prisoner agreements with Greenville, Georgiana, and McKenzie and a pound services agreement with Greenville.
Commissioner Jesses McWilliams was presented with an ACCA 20-year service award for outstanding and dedicated service to county government.
Butler County assistant engineer Josh McDougald was appointed as the interim EMA Director.
Butler County engineer Dennis McCall presented bids for annual building materials, in place traffic stripe and laid in place hot mix asphalt, and a 2.3-mile Holly Hill Road paving project.
The Commission accepted the bid by Wiregrass Construction for the paving project which was slightly over $260,000.
The next Commission meeting will be a special called budget meeting on September 29 at 6 p.m.
