At its regular meeting on January 9, 2023, the Greene County Commission approved naming County Road 191, connecting Union and Jena as the “Lester Brown Memorial Highway” to honor the deceased District 1 commissioner.
The Commission also named County Road 133 for George Hall, a former Sheriff and community leader. They also adopted a resolution honoring former Probate Judge Earlean Isaac and agreed to hang a picture of her in the county courtroom.
The Commission tabled a request to pave Savior Way in District 2, near the old Eatman School, until residents sign a resolution deeding their right of way property to the County for continued maintenance of the road.
The Commission approved a request from the County Engineer to apply for a $250,000 grant to repair a bridge on County Road 220. They also approved the Rebuild Alabama Report on on-going road and bridge improvements, supported with state funds.
The Commission also approved advertising for equipment operators for the Greene County Highway Department and for hiring an Engineer with EIT (Engineer in Training Certification). This certification ensures that the engineer has graduated from a properly accredited engineering college, has taken the first proficiency test, and is planning to take the examination to become a PE (Professional Engineer) in the future based on more practical experiences in the field.
The Commission agreed to purchase a full-page ad ($600) in the Black History issue of the Greene County Democrat. Commissioners Corey Cockrell and Roshonda Summerville abstained from voting on this motion.
Mac Underwood, CFO presented a financial report for the county finances as of December 31, 2023, three months into the 2022-23 fiscal year. His report indicated $6.4 million in accounts in Citizens Trust Bank, $4 million in Merchants and Farmers bank, and $874,897 in certificates for bond sinking funds.
He clarified that only a small proportion of the over $10 million in county funds was available for discretionary spending. Most of the funding is designated for specific purposes. The report shows a balance of $890,844 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, however, some of these funds have already been committed to projects.
The financial report also shows claims paid for the month of December 2022 at $1,487.928.10, which includes $476,975 for payroll, $774,949 for accounts payable, and $236,404 for fiduciary expenses. Expenditures for the General Fund are in line with the budget.