Morris takes over as commission chair
Kevin Morris will take over as Chairperson of the Shelby County Commission effective Nov. 8. He was approved during the Oct. 26 commission meeting and will serve in the role for the next year. Robbie Hayes will now serve as vice chairperson.
A few of his roles as the chair are to help set the meeting agendas and resolutions for meetings and to be the public spokesperson for the commission.
“I'm honored to be considered by my peers to take on this role,” Morris said. “It's only my second term, so I'm excited about the process. I've enjoyed getting to know all about the moving pieces in the county and I feel like I'm better to take on a role like this now. I look forward to serving alongside my other commissioners and county manager Chad Scroggins in the days to come. I've learned a lot from my peers in the last five years and although this position may be titled a chairman, we are nine commissioners working together.”
Morris will take the place of Elwyn Bearden, who has been serving in the chairperson position for the past two years.
During a brief county manager’s report, Chad Scroggins said the commission will have to make a decision on what to do with the excess revenue over expenses and see how much of the funding will be carried over from unfinished projects from the FY21 budget. Currently, the rough estimate for current undesignated fund balance reserve is $48 million.
“That’s a very strong number,” Scroggins said. “That’s after we basically paid for the 280 County Services Building, which was a $14 million expenditure.
Scroggins said the commission will have to make a decision on what to do with the excess revenue over expenses.
He also announced the ribbon cutting at the new Shelby County Services Building on U.S. 280 will be held Nov. 15.
The commission approved the right-of-way for the intersection realignment project at CR-39 and CR-47 in Chelsea. County Engineer Randy Cole said it was acquired through donations, purchases and in some cases condemnations.
Sheriff John Samaniego gave an update on the Shelby County Jail and said they are below 500 inmates for the first time in a long time.
Other items approved during the meeting include:
- A digital dental x-ray system for the county jail to Atlanta Dental for $23,953.63
- A bid for general and state certified concrete per the state of Alabama bid law
- A bid for hard steel items to Batey and Sanders
- A bid for custom reactivation for GAC Media and two filters at the South Water Treatment Plant to Carbon Activated Corporation for $274,000.
- A bid for custom reactivation or virgin replacement of GAC Media at Talladega/Shelby Water Treatment Plant to Calgon Carbon Corporation for $485,628.
- A bid for potassium permanganate to Chemrite for $120.70 per 25kg container
- To revise the county’s Citizen Participation Plan to include the Language Access Plan (LAP) for limited English speaking persons
- Approval to appoint David Gangle to the North Shelby Sewer Rate Review Board
The next commission meeting will be held Monday, Nov. 8 at 8:30 a.m. at the Shelby County Administration Building in Columbiana.