Greene County Democrat

Tag: Allen Turner

  • Greene County Commission meets, approves way for the public to support ambulance services

    Greene County Commission meets, approves way for the public to support ambulance services

    The Greene County Commission met on Monday, March 9, 2026, for its regular monthly meeting. Three commissioners were present for the roll call: Garria Spencer, Chair, Tennyson Smith and Allen Turner. The other two commissioners: Latasha Johnson and Roshonda Summerville arrived late and participated in the meeting when they arrived.

    The meeting began with a report from Assistant Engineer Culliver, who asked that the Commission approve a resolution designating Noah’s Way as a county road for repair and maintenance purposes. The road is in District 5, and Commissioner Summerville has been trying for some time to get the road designated as a county road. At the earlier Commission work session, the status of Noah’s Way was discussed. The Commissioners decided to send the official decision to the Commission meeting, where the resolution was adopted.

    Culliver asked the Commission to approve the agreement with ALDOT to pursue the TAP grant to redo the sidewalks on the interior of the Old Courthouse Square, now named for Sheriff Thomas Gilmore. This project will complement the Street Scape project, which was completed last year by the City of Eutaw on the outside perimeter of the Thomas Gilmore Square.

    The TAP grant, which totals over a million dollars with an 80% state grant and 20% matching for engineering and construction, will redo all of the interior sidewalks on the square. This will make it easier for the many people who use this pathway to exercise and stay healthy.


    The third item on the agenda, which dealt with approving a contract for a Water Park Administration and Engineering firm to help design a “splash pad for children,” was tabled.

    The Commission approved travel for the Engineer and Assistant Engineer to attend a training conference on May 5 and 6 at Perdido Beach.

    The next item was added to the agenda at the meeting. Legal Counsel Mark Parnell proposed that the commission could establish an account, under the Commission’s General Fund, where individuals and businesses could contribute to support the ambulance service and have their contribution be tax-deductible, since the Commission and the ambulance service are public corporations – providing a service, not trying to be for-profit. The resolution creating a fund for contributions to the ambulance service was approved.

  • Greene County Commission urges ‘yes’ vote on Amendment 1 on March 5th primary ballot

    The Greene County Commission held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 12, 2024. All five commissioners were present, including: Corey Cockrell, Chair and District 3, Garria Spencer, District 1, Tennyson Smith, District 2, Allen Turner, District 4, and Roshonda Summerville, District 5. The Commissioners handled an agenda of routine business, taking a forty-minute Executive Session to discuss personnel and legal matters, without announcing any actions that needed to be approved by vote.
    The Commission approved a resolution urging voters to support Amendment No. 1 on the March 5th primary ballot. Amendment No. 1 would allow the Alabama Legislature to consider and approve ‘local legislation” by a majority vote prior to passing a budget in the session.
    Currently the legislative rules require a 60% super-majority for votes on legislation prior to the approval of the budget. This change would allow for easier passage of ‘local legislation’ when the Legislature does not approve a budget until the end of the session. In the past, some ‘local legislation’, including some Greene County proposals, have been lost or postponed because they could not be voted on prior to passing the state budget.
    In other actions, The Greene County Commission:
    • Approved levies for Alcohol Licensing for 2024-2025.
    • Approved a contract with M&H Construction for $1,950 to replace ceiling tiles at J. C. Poole Memorial Library, that were damaged in a recent storm. The Commission had already repaired the library roof with insurance funds.
    • Approved contract with the State of Alabama for clean-up at dump site on County Road 181; and also accepted state funding for clean-up of up to three other illegal dump sites.
    •Approved travel for Assistant Engineer to attend a training class in March in Prattville, Alabama.
    •Approved purchase of a full-page ad in the Greene County Democrat’s Black History issue.
    •Tabled action on the Greene County Golf Course to gather more information.
    The Commission also heard and accepted a financial report from CFO, Mac Underwood, in which he listed $8,610,648 in Citizens Trust Bank of which $4,189,591 is in unrestricted General Funds and $4,421,055 are in restricted funds for designated government purposes, like road and bridge repairs. He also reported $5,542,720 in Merchants and Farmers Bank, including $3,129,181 in unrestricted funds and $1,413,539 in restricted funds. This is a total of $14,153,366 in restricted and unrestricted funds available to the county government. There is also $894,166 in Bond Sinking Funds.
    He also reported the expenditure of $1,769,202, in bills and claims paid for January 2024. Another $101,056 in electronic claims were paid during the same period. For the four months of the fiscal
    year, October 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024, 68% of the budgeted funds are left to be utilized for expenditures this fiscal year, which is in line with proposed budget, for this point in the fiscal year.

    County Commission Work Session

    At the Greene County Commission’s monthly work session, held Wednesday, February 7, 2024, County Coroner, Ronald Kent Smith, presented his concern regarding his salary. Smith noted that a local Bill authorizing an increase in salary for the County Coroner was passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2020. The Bill scheduled the salary increase for the next election term. Smith was re-elected in 2022, expecting that his salary increase would go into effect at that time. To date, the Greene County Coroner has not received an increase in salary as designated in the 2020 Legislation. Smith also indicated he receives no travel compensation for transports to Montgomery. The Commission’s response was to take all this under advisement, referring the matter to the Alabama State Attorney General for an opinion on how to proceed.
    The County’s Greenes Committee also addressed the Commission at this work session.relative to the Greene County Golf Course. Committee members James E. Morrow, Don Black, and Doug Bell alerted the Commission that the golf Course was in danger of closing within the next three weeks, due to lack of funds to continuing operating.
    Morrow noted that the Golf Course was receiving Bingo resources until Sheriff Jonathan Benison cut off community distributions in May, 2023. Morrow indicated that there are no designated funds from the county for the Golf Course. “The county owns the Golf Course. It comes under county sponsored recreational activities, therefore the county should support it,” he stated.
    The Greenes Committed stated that there are 22 members, contributing $40 per month, but it takes approximately $4,000 per month for utilities and upkeep.

  • Greene County Commission re-elects same officers

    Greene County Commissioners L To R: Allen Turner, Garria Spencer, Roshanda Summerville, Corey Cockrell and Tennyson Smith

    At its organizational meeting for the new fiscal year, on November 13, 2023, the Greene County Commission re-elected the same officers to serve another term of one year. Corey Cockrell was elected Chairperson and Garria Spencer was elected as Vice-Chair of the Commission.

    The Commission voted to retain the same committees, bank depositories and check signatories as in the past year. They also agreed to hold their regular monthly meeting on the second Monday of each month at 5:00PM. The Commission invites the public to attend their meetings.

    Macelroy Underwood, County Chief Financial Officer gave a financial report to the Commission on the status of finances. As of September 30, 2023, the Commission had in Citizens Trust Bank, $2,438,866 in unrestricted General Funds and $4,179,277 in restricted funds, totaling.
    $ 6,618,143.

    In Merchants and Farmers Bank, the Commission had $ 2,979,181 in unrestricted funds from electronic bingo and $ 1,183,489 in restricted funds, totaling $ 4,162,670. There were also $ 889,506 in Bond Sinking Funds. The total funds in banks were $ 5,412,552 in unrestricted funds and $ 5,938,932 in restricted funds for a total of $ 11,351,484.

    The Commission paid $ 1,066,072 in claims for the month of October 2023, first month of the new fiscal year. This included $ 682,635 in accounts payable, payroll of $281,164 and fiduciary expenses of $102,271, which are mandated, tax, Social Security, and retirement benefits for staff.

    The expenditure budget from the General Fund showed all departments were in range of expenditures for the month in comparison to budget.

    In the public comments, Sandra Walker thanked the Commission and individual commissioners for their support of the recent Miss Black Teen of Alabama Pageant held at the Renaissance Theater in Eutaw.

  • Greene County Commission  handles administrative matter

    Greene County Commissioners L to R: Tennyson Smith, Allen Turner, Jr., Garria Spencer, Roshonda Summerville, Corey Cockrell with EMS President Joe Powell and  EMS Director  Chris Jones in front of new ambulance.
    Before the start of the regular monthly Greene County Commission meeting Monday, December 12, 2022, the commissioners welcomed a new refurbished ambulance to the Greene County Emergency Medical Services.
    The Commission provided the funding for the new ambulance from its allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
    The Commission received a financial report from . The report indicates that county expenses as of November 30, two months into the fiscal year are in line with budgetary projections which should ideally show 16% expended and 84% available.
    The Commission has $6,635,619 in accounts in Citizens Trust Bank, $4,030,259 in accounts in Merchants and Farmers Bank, and $873,562 in bond sinking funds.  Most of these funds are pledged to budgeted expenses, with a smaller amount for discretionary expenses, mostly bingo proceeds and ARPA funding.
    The Commission approved budgetary amendments dealing with elections and engineering costs on road projects. The Commission also agreed to advertise for a CDL licensed truck driver. They also agreed to continue the time for the garbage fee extension until December 30, 2022.
    The Commission approved working with the Goodwin, Mills and Caywood architectural and engineering firm on repairs to the William M. Branch County Courthouse since only one bid was received for work on the restrooms, lobby, and courtroom.
    A holiday schedule giving employees Monday and Friday off before Christmas and New Years Day, which falls on Sunday this year, was approved by the Commission. They also approved extending the time for employees who have accumulated over 208 hours of vacation leave time to utilize their extra time until April 2024.
    The Commission adopted a resolution granting $500 to the Greene County Chamber of Commerce for the participation of the Stillman College Band in the Christmas parade. They also approved a resolution allowing the location of medical cannabis production and dispensary services in Greene County, if the state licenses a business to engage in those activities. The State of Alabama allowed counties to decide if they would allow these activities within their borders by the end of this year.
    The Commission approved several annual agreements with the Alabama County Commission Association (ACCA) for insurance coverage.
    The Commission agreed to accept a grant from ADECA for technical assistance on providing broadband in the county. An initial session under this grant will be held on December 14, 2022, for Greene County at the R. H. Young Community Center (old Carver School).
    The Commission tabled the next three items on the agenda to get more information before making a decision. One involved a donation for a football booster banner for Greene County High School. The second was to allocate $5,000 in discretionary funds from bingo for each Commissioner to use for activities or organizations in their district. The third was for the use of $5.000 of ARPA funds for each the library, GCEMS, E-911 and the Greene County Industrial Development Board. Commissioner Spencer pointed out that these groups had asked for more funds, like repairing the roof on the library and that the amount allocated would not do the job.
    The Commission also failed to give a second for a proposal from Commissioner Allen Turner for a 5-mil ad valorem property tax increase to provide raises for employees, support for Highway Department Projects     support for PARA, senior citizen activities, GCEMS and E-911. Turner said he plans to bring his proposal up again in future meetings. If approved by the Commission this proposal must go to the Alabama Legislature for approval and placement on the ballot for a referendum by the voters of Greene County
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  • County Commission holds call meeting to approve additional monies to essential workers

    The Greene County Commission met in a called meeting Wednesday June 22, 2022 and approved a schedule for additional payments to essential county employees. Each full time county employees will receive a total of $2,400; part time employees will receive $1,200 and temporary workers will receive $250. The commission will disburse 50% of the respective payments to employees on June 29, 2022 and the second half on December 16, 2022.
    The resources for the essential workers payments are from the American Rescue Act Funds allocated to the county. The Greene County Commission received approximately $787,000 in May of 2021 and another allocation of approximately $787,000 one year later in 2022.
    The county commissioners, as elected officials, are not eligible to receive American Rescue Act Funds.
    In other business, Commission Chairperson, Allen Turner, Jr., explained the agenda item which was to consider the USDA Rural Development Wastewater Grant. According to Turner, Alabama State Senator Bobby Singleton will be announcing soon a $120 million grant for the Black Belt Region for wastewater treatment projects. Turner noted that for Greene County to be eligible, the commission needed to take action to participate. “ Our action today does not guarantee that Greene County will be selected to receive some of these resources, but if we do not vote to participate, we definitely will not be considered,” he stated.
    The commission also held an executive session at this call meeting. No reports were forthcoming when the open meeting was resumed.

  • Greene County Commission agrees to
    settlement of lawsuits with Greenetrack

    By: John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    At its February 14 regular meeting, the Greene County Commission passed a resolution agreeing to settle two long-running lawsuits with Greenetrack, which had clouded the county’s financial position.

    The first lawsuit concerned the Commission’s lease payment for its undivided half of ownership of the Greenetrack property and facility. When Bear Bryant Jr.’s corporation left Greenetrack, he gave the ownership, half to the County Commission and half to the employees of Greenetrack.

    Greenetrack set up a lease agreement under which it was paying $150,000 a year to the Greene County Commission. Luther Winn, CEO of Greenetrack said, “Because the Commission was experiencing financial difficulties, we voluntarily increased our payment to $250,000 a year.”

    The lease agreement ended in 2012 and the Commission decided not to cash the 2013 lease payment check of $250,000 with Greenetrack, because Nick Underwood, Commission Chair at that time, wanted to renegotiate the lease and increase the amount. The 2013 check was never cashed and the dispute led to the Commission filling a lawsuit against Greenetrack.

    The settlement, which was negotiated by Allen Turner, Chair and the late Lester Brown, Vice-Chair, provided that the County would be paid $100,000 a year in back rent, for eight years 2013-2021. This $800,000 would be paid in five yearly installments of $160,000. A new lease for two years, beginning on March 1, 2022, with an automatic one-year extension, would be at $100,000 per year.

    If there are less than 5 gaming entities in the county, at the end of the lease period, the annual rental would increase to $175,000; if there are more than 5 gaming entities, the rental would decline to $50,000 annually; if there are 5 gaming entities the annual rent would remain at $100,000.

    The settlement stipulated that the joint property owned by Greene County Commission and Greenetrack was the total 53.128 acres where the racing, gaming and collateral facilities and land are located.

    The settlement also settled another lawsuit by Greenetrack against the Commission concerning operation and maintenance of the sewage lagoon on the property. The Commission had escrowed $160,000 in fees for the lagoon, which will be released to the Greene County Water and Sewage Authority on March 1, 2022.

    This lawsuit settlement was first presented to the Greene County Commission at a Special Call Meeting on January 24, 2022.
    The meeting was attended by three commissioners, Chair Allen Turner, Tennyson Smith and Corey Cockrell. Commissioner Brown had passed and Commissioner Summerville was absent. Smith moved approval of the settlement but Cockrell would not second the motion and said that he did not agree to the settlement because it favored Greenetrack.

    At the recent January 24th meeting, all four commissioners voted for the settlement, which will now go forward.

    The Commission agreed to reopen the Senior Citizens Feeding Program at sites at the Eutaw Activity Center and Forkland City Hall as of March 1. The centers had been closed due to COVID-19. The Commission also agreed to re-open the Eutaw Activity Center for other activities as of the same date.

    The Commission passed a resolution to be sent to the Governor, Legislative delegation and the family to name LaPorsha Brown, to fill out the remaining months of her father’s term, representing District 1 on the Greene County Commission.

    In other actions, the Greene County Commission:

    • Approved the 2022 AC County licenses levy and approved a license for Christopher Atkins.

    • Approved accepting low bid from West Alabama Fencing for $38,840 for fencing on roadways.

    • Approved the financial report and paid outstanding claims. The report showed $4.610,952 I Citizens Trust Bank, $4.895.174 in Merchants and Farmers Bank and $1,098,699 in bond sinking funds in the Bank of New York.

    • Approved advertising of available positions in the Highway Department; and travel for staff to training conferences.

    • Re-appointed Shirley Edwards to the Greene County Health System Board of Directors.

    The Commission tabled action on the use of American Rescue Act funds, action on a franchise agreement letter From Charter Communications concerning broadband in parts of the county; and appointment of two hospital board members from District 2.

  • Turner seeks re-election to County Commission seat District 4

    Allen Turner, Jr.

     


    Citizens of Greene County AL, especially the residents of Dollarhide, Forkland, and Tishabee (District 4), this is Greene County Commission Chairman Allen Turner, Jr seeking your prayers, support, and vote in the May 24, 2022 upcoming Primary Election. Our plan is simple but profound to continue representing and serving you with integrity and experience.
    As you know, I am a lifelong citizen of Greene County; Deacon at Springhill Baptist Church; graduate of PHS, AAMU, Alabama Government Institute, Shelton State, and attended UWA graduate program.
    Even though the last few years have been a challenge for us, we are grateful for God’s grace and mercy on our Nation as a whole. As current County Commission Chairman, I am committed to maintaining and continuing to provide a professional service to all our citizens, while keeping our county employees, staff and facilities at the highest level of safety possible.
    Since 2010, I assisted in many accomplishments in the county and in my District:
    Resolved the County’s financial issues and balanced the budget every year; created policies to give all our essential employees incentives and bonuses for their services, especially during this pandemic; spent millions on infrastructure throughout the entire county, especially county roads 148 in Dollarhide, 72 in Tishabee, and 41 (Lloyd Chapel Road) in Forkland.
    I approved the installation of storm shelters at the Forkland Town Hall, Steamplant Road Fire Department, and soon to come Tishabee Fire Department.
    We have also given more than 150 scholarships to high school and college graduates from District 4; created additional senior citizens programs at the Tishabee and Steamplant Road areas and developed youth summer feeding programs in Forkland and Tishabee.
    Since 2017, we have provided outreach services throughout the District, repairing or replacing more than 200 roofs, wheelchair ramps, handicap accessible bathrooms and kitchens, also replaced essential appliances for our disabled and senior citizens.
    Our Plan is to continue providing these current services while establishing more programs to better support the unity and growth in our communities. On May 24, 2022 Vote Allen Turner, Jr. Greene County Commissioner District 4, God Bless you.

  • Greene County Commission approves resolution requiring face coverings to slow spread of coronavirus; reaches partial agreement with Sheriff on budget shortfall

    In a specially called telephone conference call on Monday, June 29, 2020, the Greene County Commission adopted a resolution requiring people to wear face coverings, when they are in public settings, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
    The resolution is a response to the continuing rise in coronavirus cases in the state and in Greene County. During the month of June, cases in the State of Alabama rose from 18,000 to over 37,000 with deaths increasing from 653 to 986.
    In Greene County cases increased from 95 with 4 deaths to 164 with 7 deaths.
    The County’s resolution which goes into effect at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 and continues indefinitely until changed by the Commission, has some exceptions. You do not need to wear a mask at home, driving in your car, and when you are outdoors, with less than ten people, who are socially distancing, by at least six feet.
    The County’s resolution as contrasted with the City of Eutaw’s ordinance, has no enforcement provisions or penalty for non-compliance. The Eutaw ordinance has a warning ticket for the first offense and a $25 fine for each additional violation.
    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the nation’s Federal health agency strongly encourages the wearing of face coverings – masks, when people are in public settings as a preventive measure to stop the spread the highly contagious novel coronavirus.
    The City’s ordinance is printed in full in our Legal Advertisement section.
    According to Commissioner Chair, Allen Turner, the County Commission declined to run their full resolution as a Legal Advertisement.
    Commission reaches partial agreement with Sheriff Benison on budget shortfall
    The Greene County Commission held two recessed meetings in the past two weeks to discuss the budget shortfall in the Sheriff’s account for personnel and operations. These meetings were held in Executive Session, behind closed doors because they involve legal matters and the name and character of individual employees. After the Executive Sessions, Commission Chair Allen Turner informed the public that no formal official votes were taken to resolve the matters under discussion in the private sessions.
    The Greene County Democrat was provided with an exchange of letters between the Greene County Commission and Sheriff Joe Benison on the status of the Sheriff’s Department budget. In prior discussions and negotiations, the Sheriff had agreed to pay supplementary funds to support the employment of staff positions for deputies and jailers beyond the amounts contained in the basic Commission budget for 2019-2020 fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2019.
    In its June 23, 2020 letter to the Sheriff, the Greene County Commission indicates that the Sheriff has, as of June 2020, spent all but 9% of budgeted funds for personnel and that there are no other funds that can be transferred to this line item. The County has continued to pay all of the Sheriff’s staff under a prior agreement that the Sheriff would reimburse the county, presumably from electronic bingo fees earned by the Sheriff. The Sheriff has not paid the agreed upon amounts.
    In the letter, the Commission states for the six months, January to June 2020, the Sheriff has paid $381,264 of $ 759,303 owed for additional staff above the budgeted number. The Commission also requests immediate payment of two pay periods, at $41,473.10 per pay period, for salaries – $82,964.20; and an additional $100,000 to replenish other budget items that have been depleted to pay staff to date. The Commission also requests payment of $163,000 monthly, starting July 1, as provided in its original agreement with the Sheriff. The Commission says in its letter if the required payments are not made, then reductions in staffing will be implemented.
    In his letter of June 25, 2020, Sheriff Benison responds to the County Commission by saying that events, more specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, which interrupted electronic bingo from mid-March to mid June, have occurred, which make it impossible for the Sheriff’s Department to meet its commitments under the original September 2019 agreement.
    The Sheriff requests that the 2019 contract be declared null and void, canceling his $ 378,039 debt to the county because of the unforeseen circumstances of COVID-19. The Sheriff agrees to pay $41,473.10, for each two week payroll, starting now and each two weeks following. He also agrees to pay the County Commission $104,973 in bingo fees for the month of July and as much as $135,363 in ensuing months. Under the Sheriff’s bingo rules, the Commission is entitled to these funds, when bingo is operational. The Commission has budgeted these funds for a match fund for Federal and State road and bridge projects.The Sheriff seems to be suggesting that the Commission use these funds to make up the deficit in his operational budget. The Sheriff also requests that there be no layoffs in staff for this fiscal year period.
    The Sheriff and the County Commission discussed the issues in their respective letters behind closed doors in the Executive Session. They were not able to reach a full resolution of the issues. The County Commission was unwilling to release the Sheriff from his obligations under the original contract and still holds him responsible for the $378,039 debt.
    We have learned that the Sheriff gave the Greene County Commission, two checks for $41,473.10 each, to cover the current and next upcoming payroll and promised to bring additional funds in July, towards his share of the Sheriff’s Department budget. This partial solution averted the layoffs of any Sheriff’s Department staff.
    In his letter, the Sheriff also indicates that if circumstances force electronic bingo in the county to close again that he would be unable to meet his financial obligations to the county.

  • Greene County Commission holds regular meeting; votes to require Sheriff Benison to meet financial commitments to retain staff

    The Greene County Commission held its regular monthly meeting on May 11, 2020, at 3:00 PM in the Greene County courtroom. The Commissioners and audience maintained six feet social distancing requirements and most wore masks. Four commissioners: Allen Turner, Chairperson, Lester Brown, Roshonda Summerville, and Corey Cockrell, were present, with Tennyson Smith absent.
    Most of the meeting, including a lengthy closed Executive Session, was devoted to the issue of getting Greene County Sheriff, Joe Benison, to meet his financial commitment to the county budget, to pay additional staff above the basic staff included in the budget for deputies, jailers and other staff.
    The Sheriff and the County Commission negotiated an agreement at the beginning of the year, for the Sheriff to reimburse the County for additional staffing above the basic staff included in the regular budget. The Sheriff agreed to pay these additional staff, who are on the County payroll, out of funding he receives monthly in fees from electronic bingo operators.
    For the past two months since the beginning of March, the electronic bingo establishments in Greene County have been closed due to the coronavirus and no bingo machine fees have been paid by bingo operators to governmental, educational, healthcare and other charitable recipients, including the Sheriff’s Department, which oversees bingo under local Constitutional Amendment 743.
    After the Commission’s Executive Session, the members voted to contact Sheriff Benison to require payment of the funds due under the budgetary agreement or terminate the additional staff, who are listed in an attachment to the agreement.
    The Commission further agreed that the Sheriff could substitute and amend the list of names of staff to be reduced, but not the number, based on current conditions.
    Another topic discussed at the meeting was to consider a 4 mil increase in property taxes that could be approved locally without the action of the Legislature. This discussion arose because the prior proposed 5 mil increase in property taxes, which included 3 mils for the hospital and 2 mils for the County and other agencies, was not submitted by the Legislative delegation for approval.
    State representatives A. J. McCampbell and Ralph Howard, as well as State Senator Bobby Singleton, said that since only three of Greene County’s five commissioners signed the 5 mil request, they would not submit the proposal to the Legislature’s local legislation committee. They say their policy is to only move forward with local legislation that is unanimously supported by all County Commissioners. Commissioners Tennyson Smith and Lester Brown did not sign the petition for the 5 mil increase.
    If the 5 mil proposal had passed the Legislature it was still subject to a referendum by all voters in Greene County, probably at the November General Election.
    Commission Chair Allen Turner said he learned that the County Commission may be able to support up to a four mil increase in property taxes, under special circumstances, without Legislative approval. The County Commission tabled this item, to seek more information to determine if this is a feasible route to generate more revenues and support for the hospital and other county agencies.
    In other actions, the County Commission approved a financial report, payment of current bills and claims and a travel request for the Assistant Engineer to attend a June 10-11 training in Prattville, Alabama

  • County Commission issues update on access to facilities and services

    In an effort to protect and keep the community informed of county services, the Greene County Commission has issued the following notice to the public.
    Because of concerns about the Coronavirus Pandemic and the emergencies declared by the Federal Goverment, State Government and the County of Greene, the William M. Branch County Courthouse and other county facilities will be partially closed as follows:
    The Courthouse will be closed to the public entering except for employees and those involved in casting absentee ballots for the July 14, 2020 Primary Runoff Election.
    The public may contact county departments by phone, email, U.S. Postal to have their issues addressed. The contact information will be posted and otherwise made available. 3. County Department heads will maintain at least one employee on duty during business hours to receive U.S. Postal mail, emails and phone calls and direct all calls and/or emails to the appropriate departmental employees working at home. Employees who are not at the regular work site will be at home and available by phone during business hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
    Department heads may rotate employees so that each employee in the department will work in the courthouse or other county sites during the duly allotted workdays.
    This emergency policy does not apply to the Sheriff Department, Jail Department whose approaches to health and safety while protecting and serving the county and its citizen will be established and implemented by the Sheriff of Greene County.
    This policy does not apply to the Highway Department which will continue its regular operations but will establish adequate preliminary health procedures to protect employees and the public.
    This notice of the Greene County Commission will be posted at the Courthouse and at other county facilites as will any amendments to this written statement of emegency policy.
    Allen Turner, Jr., 
    Chairman of the
    Greene County Commission