During the July 26 Shelby County Commission Meeting, County Engineer Randy Cole explained the adoption of the County Transportation Plan for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
“The law requires that we specify how we plan on spending next year's allocation,” Cole said. “Of course we’re doing that based on projections.”
The Rebuild Alabama Act provides funds to the county for the construction of roads and bridges and for maintenance. The approved transportation plan gives a detailed list of the projects utilizing those funds.
It will be sent to the Association of County Commissions (ACCA), where they will compile all 67 counties and report it to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the president pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. Once complete, Cole said it will be posted on the county’s website, at the highway department and at the courthouse to follow the accountability clause in the Rebuild Alabama Act.
Commissioner Lindsey Allison asked Cole if the first five projects on the plan would be completed in order by number as the money comes in, or if they already have the money in hand.
Cole said even if all of the needed funding doesn’t come in, “because we are who we are” the projects will get done. They will take the people they have and do them anyway.
He also said “a little sunshine would help us all,” because the constant rain has kept them from mowing grass, cleaning ditches, working on dirt roads and paving, so not a lot of maintenance has been done lately.
Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Naugher has been working on projecting revenues and pulling together the expense numbers so the commissioners can review them electronically prior to the next meeting.
“We are excited about being able to take the resources that the people provide and serve the people with those resources,” Scroggins said. “That’s all we’re here to do.”
County Manager Chad Scroggins said in his report that most of what he and his department are currently working on is budget review.
He also assured commissioners that they are watching the variants of COVID-19 closely and encouraging residents to get vaccinated. Although the county is no longer hosting vaccination clinics, they are still offering resources to those who are interested in going online and registering for a vaccine.
The Commission also approved to modify available funds for the Recreational Trails Program grant application project. It will add over 9.5 miles of trails and more pavilions in Cahaba River Park and the Forever Wild Land Trust along the Cahaba River.
The original plan was a 67/33 percent split between the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and Shelby County. However, ADECA said in order to receive the grant, the split will need to be 51.9% county funding and 48.1% ADECA funding.
Resolutions approved by the commission also include:
A lease of a large format printer to CPC Office Technologies
A precast concrete vault with meter and accessories for the Highway 49 meter pit to Central Pipe Supply, Inc. for $30,265.00 and $3,667 per foot of additional height above six feet
Levies for the new ABC license types for alcoholic beverage distributions that are effective June 1, 2022
Nomination of Commissioner Kevin Morris to the 2021-2022 ACCA Legislative Committee
The next commission meeting will be Aug. 9 at 8:30 a.m. at the Shelby County Administration Building.
