Winter weather response discussed at commission meeting
Following Friday’s icy conditions and below-freezing temperatures throughout the weekend, winter weather was a topic of discussion at the Jan. 9 Shelby County Commission meeting.
County Manager Alex Dudchock said the response to the icy roads and winter weather was a “flawless” execution of the county’s operational plan. He also commended the Sheriff’s Office’s response and employees who helped over the weekend, saying the county has some of the best people in the nation working in situations like this.
“It shows very well when we have those, and especially with the uncertainty that comes with this type of front,” Dudchock said.
Many employees took time to work over the weekend, said County Engineer Randy Cole.
“We were very fortunate with the limited amount of ice we had on the road,” Cole said. “We had crews out until sometime in the evening on Friday, sanding roads and bridges, and they came out and worked all day Saturday. And as far as I know, we didn’t have any kind of major incident, so we’re very fortunate for that.”
Water Services Manger Michael Cain said there were “no major incidents” over the weekend during the cold weather.
During the meeting, the commission also approved a resolution to apply for a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office On Violence Against Women. The grant is available for fiscal year 2017 through the Justice for Families Program, and Shelby County has selected to apply for purpose area 1: supervised visitation and safe exchange activities, and purpose area 2: court and other court-based programs and services.
The grant, if awarded, would be used to expand the county’s already established supervised visitation program in purpose area one and to establish a domestic violence court in purpose area two.
“I would just like to commend Reggie [Holloway] and his staff because we had to work very hard on very short notice through the holidays to get this in by the 12th, and he really worked hard over the holidays,” said Commissioner Lindsey Allison.
Also at the commission meeting:
- Dudchock said any Christmas trees that are seen on the side of the road — likely there as the result of falling off a car on the way to a tree recycling point — can be reported to Shelby County Environmental Services. They will be used as additional fish habitat in some lakes in the county.
- Cain informed the commission that Shelby County has been selling water to Leeds in an emergency scenario. Since Dec. 29, they have sold about half a million gallons a day. “We’re helping them out with being able to supply them with some water as well,” Cain said.
- The commission approved an agreement with ALDOT regarding a bridge replacement over Mill Creek.