Greene County Democrat

Tag: CFO

  • Greene County Commission receives new equipment to patch potholes; holds meetings to approve grant proposals and other matters

    A group of five people standing together in front of a street maintenance truck with a large hopper, featuring branding and equipment. The scene takes place outdoors with power lines in the background.

    Greene County Commissioners displays new pothole patching machine.


    The Greene County Commission met for its regular monthly meeting on Monday, February 9, 2026 at the William M. Branch Courthouse in Eutaw. All Commissioners were present.
    Before the meeting began, the Commissioners looked at a new pothole patching machine that they acquired for the Highway Department at a cost of $325,500. This machine can be operated by one person instead of a crew of people and will save money in patching potholes. The machine will allow for the Department to reach many roads on a more timely basis to deal with potholes.
    At the meeting the Commissioners agreed to submit the 2026 CDBG grant proposal for $500,000 to the State of Alabama for approval and implementation. According to Assistant Engineer, John Isley, the CDBG proposal included road repair to the following roads – Barren Road, Cook Road, County Road 74, County Road 67 and Emerald Lane. The exact amount of road work that can be done will be based on actual cost, availability of 10% matching funds, and other factors.
    The Commission approved a contract for $2,800 to Standard Roofing to repair holes in the roof of the Eutaw Activity Center.
    The Commission approved a request for $5,000 to assist E-911. The Commission agreed to provide E-911 with $5,000 per quarter from the undesignated funds from the Greene County Racing Commission for pari-mutuel gaming at the Palace Entertainment Center in Knoxville, Alabama.
    The Commission approved travel expenses for the Board of Registrars to attend AABOR meeting in Orange Beach on February 26-28, 2026; they also approved travel for two Assistant Engineers to attend training in Tuscaloosa at the AVMS Annual Conference on February 24-25, 2026.
    Altheria Wilder, CFO, gave a financial report on the County’s funds as of January 31, 2026. The County has a total of $12,599,817 in funds in Citizens Trust Bank and Merchants and Farmers Bank. Of these funds: $4,676,849 are unrestricted and $7,922,968 are restricted. There is an additional total of $1 909,209 in Certificates of Deposit and investments. In January 2026, the Commission paid out $3,452,992 for payroll and bills. Another $82,794 was paid in electronic transfers for payroll taxes and retirement. All County agencies are operating close to budget projections for the first four months of the fiscal year and have close to 67% of projected budgets remaining. The Commission approved the financial report.
    At the Commission Work Session on February 4, 2026, the Commission heard a report from Rodgerick Williams, Administrator of the Greene County Health System, which includes the hospital, nursing home and physicians clinic. He said that he has been at the facility for two months and has acquired some new equipment to monitor patient vital signs, a baby warmer and renovated two rooms in the Nursing Home. With help from the County Commission in advancing tax funds has helped stabilize the finances of the Greene County Health System. Williams invited the Commissioners and the public to visit the health care facilities and use them when they are needed.
    District Attorney, Rachel England, for the 17th Judicial Circuit of Greene, Sumter and Marengo counties, came to the Work Session to request $20,000 be included in the county’s budget for a “major crimes unit” for personnel, supplies and trainings to make the unit operational. Commission Chair Garria Spencer asked the District Attorney to put her plan and request in writing for further action by the Commission.
    The Work Session also heard a presentation by Charles Gomez, contractor for revitalizing the Greenetrack facility, which is now owned by the county. Gomez suggested that $2.7 million would be needed for repairs to the facility to make it available for lease by gaming, restaurants and other businesses. The County Commission is scheduled for a site visit to Greenetrack on February 11, 2026 to see what work Gomez has done and what is still needed for the property.

  • Greene County Commission holds routine meeting, still dealing with Water and Sewer Authority Board’s strike and request for $400 a month stipend

    Greene County Commission commends Eddie Austin for service on Greene County Hospital Board. L to R. Commissioners Summerville and Turner, Eddie Austin, commissioners Cockrell and Spencer

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    This is a report on the Greene County Commission’s work session on February 5 and regular monthly meeting on February 10, 2025. The issue of payment of a $400 a month stipend to the board of the Greene County Water and Sewer Authority, although not on the agenda for either meeting, was a major issue of discussion.

    William Morgan, Chair of the Water and Sewer Authority, was present at both meetings pushing the proposal that the Greene County Commission allow the Water and Sewer Authority to pay its five members a $400 a month stipend, which would be an annual cost of $24,000.

    Commission Chair Garria Spencer pointed out that no other boards appointed by the Commission – Hospital, Industrial Development, PARA, Library and others – receive a monthly stipend. They serve on these boards as a public service. He also said the stipend proposal had been voted down in a previous meeting and could not be on the agenda unless three Commissioners approved placing it on the agenda.

    Morgan said, “Our Board has been doing its work. We have secured $14.2 million in grants from USDA Rural Development , ADECA and ADEM for the system. We have 1,451 paying customers. We are fiscally sound and can pay the stipend. We have been paid a small stipend ($500 a year for the chair and $250 for the members) which is in our bylaws since 1982.”

    When Commissioner Roshonda Summerville asked that the issue of the stipends and another issue of purchasing the Robert H. Young Community Center from the City of Eutaw for $200,000, be placed on the regular meeting agenda, Attorney Mark Pernell advised the Commission not to consider adding either item to the agenda.

    Parnell said since the Water and Sewer Authority payment was in its by-laws, they needed to change their by-laws before requesting a resolution for an increase in pay. A simple resolution approving the increase in pay from a nominal $1,500 a year to $24,000 a year, was not the proper way to do this. Parnell indicated that he had informed the Water and Sewer Board and their attorney Barrown Lankster of this procedure, when the issue first came up. Commissioner Turner asked that he inform them and their lawyer again.

    Parnell suggested to the Commission that they had not done the due diligence to make the purchase of the Robert H. Young Community Center from the City of Eutaw. You have not had an inspection or appraisal of the
    building. You need to do some more work before you commit the funds for this project. Commissioner Spencer said he thought that rather than buying the building, the Commission should partner with the City of Eutaw, to put the funds into improving the facility, as a joint partnership for a better facility.

    This led to a discussion of a special joint meeting of the Commission and the Eutaw City Council to partner on a plan to develop the Robert H. Young (former Carver School) Community Center. Commissioner Corey Cockrell, who had been discussing this project with Eutaw Council member Jonathan Woodruff agreed to work toward a joint meeting to discuss a joint plan for the needed facility.

    In its regular meeting on February 10, 2025, the Commission approved a ten percent match on a $500,000 CDBG grant for improvements to county facilities, recommended by the Highway Department. The Commission also approved purchase of a $56,073.79 Chevrolet Suburban for the Coroner. This van will need to be modified to meet the coroner’s request. The Commission said it would approve the modifications separately to be sure they met the coroner’s requirements.

    The Commission also approved a contract with Diversified Computer Service for the installation of trackers on four new tractors, at a cost of $100 for each tractor and $20 a month for maintenance and monitoring.

    In other business, the Greene County Commission:

    • Approved travel for the Board of Registrars to attend a training in Montgomery on February 20 – 22 , 2025.
    • Approved travel for the Assistant County Engineer for Bridge and Road training on March 4, 2025, in Clanton, Alabama.
    • Approved procedures for ABC Licensing and Compliance for the year 2025.
    • Accepted the resignation of Frank Smith from the PARA Board. Did not receive a second to accept the resignation of Andre Woods from the Water and Sewer Authority.

    The Commission heard and received a financial report from Macaroy ‘Underwood, CFO, which indicated the Commission spent $ 3,354,789.67 for claims, plus $115,453.64 in electronic payments for January 2025. Most department spending was within the budget of 67% per cent of funds remaining. The balance sheet showed $8,503,929 in Citizens Trust Bank of which $3,271,089 were unrestricted and $ 5,232,839 were restricted funds. Merchants and Farmers Bank had a total of $ 3,430,157 with $ 2,057,012 in restricted funds and $ 1,373,145 in unrestricted funds. The total in deposits is $11,934,087. There are also $1,898,291 in certificates as a reserve for bonds.

  • Greene County Commission approves FY 2024-25 budget for $14 million

    At a special called meeting on Monday, September 30, 2024, the Greene County Commission approved a budget for the coming 2024-25 fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2024. A quorum of three members were present: Garria Spencer, Allen Turner and Roshanda Summerville to vote on the budget.

    The total budget includes $14,069,394 in revenues and $13,224,811in expenditures, with a surplus of $844,583. Most of the surplus is in the General Fund Bingo account reserved for emergencies, budget overruns and unanticipated capital expenditures.

    There is a note that the budget includes a 3% pay increase for all employees including elected officials. Mac Underwood, CFO said “We stretched our income and expenses to allow the commission to make a 3% salary increase for all employees. This was not easy to do, and we wished we could give more to our employees.”

    The General Fund, which covers most basic county services, activities and programs, other than road and bridge construction and maintenance, projects revenues of $4,301,095 with expenses of the same amount, leaving a zero-fund balance to carry over into the next fiscal year.

    The next largest fund, the Gasoline Fund had revenues of $3,824,300 and expenses of the same amount. There are several other funds: Roads and Bridges ($797,000), Highway and Traffic ($41,204), RRR Gas Tax ($863,968) and Capital Improvement ($235,500) which are for improvement and maintenance of roads, bridges and other county facilities. All these accounts are budgeted to spend all their revenues, leaving no surplus.

    The Gasoline Fund Budget contains the sale of 3 dump trucks at $195,000 each, 4 tractors at $42,000 and other excess equipment for $104,000. This income is offset by the purchase of three new dump trucks at $215,000 each, 3 tractors at $82,000, 1 tractor at $89,000 and computer hardware and software for $16,500. The County negotiated this agreement to trade its one year old dump trucks and tractors for new equipment to reduce expense for repairs and down-time.

    The Commission also approved an agreement with the Board of Education and the Sheriff’s Department to allow for the employment of six School Resource Officers, who provide safety in the schools for $238,040.
    The Greene County Board of Education pays for nine months of the SRO contract, during the regular school year, and the Sheriff pays for three months, out of bingo funds that he administers.

    The called meeting took about thirty minutes since all the details had been discussed at previous Commission budget hearings, working sessions and regular meetings.

  • County Commission enters cooperative agreement with Eutaw City for road repair

    The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Monday, April 8, 2024 with all commissioners present.The commission approved the preparation of a cooperative agreement with the City of Eutaw to fix County Road 76 where the city has a water tower located. Eutaw Mayor Latosha Johnson stated the road is in dire repair and ADECA has provided resources to the city for personnel and material cost needed for the repair. The city is requesting the use of machinery needed for the repair.
    At the commission’s work session, held Wednesday, April 3, the Engineer’s office recommended that the commission develop a policy and agreement for municipalities to borrow county equipment. The county’s attorney had not yet prepared the policy and agreement draft, thus the commission approved the short term cooperative arrangement with Eutaw City regarding use of county equipment for County Road 76.
    Mayor Johnson and various commissioners voiced similar statements that we are one community and must come to the aid of each other whenever we can.
    The commission also took the following actions:
    * Approved appointment of Mrs. Loretta Webb Wilson to EMS Board, on a 4-1 vote.
    * Approve hiring Ms. Shamira Means as Appraisal Clerk.
    * Approved Tax Revenue Enhancement Agreement with Avenu for Tax Revenue Administration.
    * Approved Diversifies Computer Service Agreement for Highway Department.
    * Approved to mill up county Road 136 and make it a dirt road.
    * Approved CDBG Form 5 for March.
    * Approved proposal for courthouse roof repair.
    * Approved option 2 proposal for courthouse foyer and bathroom renovation.
    * Approved updating EOP Plan.
    * Approved AAEM membership dues for EMA Director and Assist. Director at $50 each.
    * Approved EMA Assist. Director attendance at Alabama Disaster Preparedness Conference.
    Tabled rental prices for Eutaw Activity Center.
    The commission went into a brief executive session with no actions following.
    CFO, Macaroy Underwood presented the following financial reports for March, 2024.
    Citizen Trust Bank unrestricted funds – $3,239,276.54; restricted funds – $4,572,897.07.
    Merchants & Farmers Bank unrestricted funds – $6,205,138,58; restricted funds – $6,102,613.14; total bond investments -$895,755.12. Accounts payable totaled $517,295.10; payroll transfer totaled $329,107.34; fiduciary totaled $32,822.28; electronic claims totaled $52,678.19. In the General Fund Budget, recap 57% is left overall.

  • 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.

  • County Commission extends resurfacing roads project, approves local board appointments

    The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Monday, January 8, 2024 with all commissioners present. The Commission’s actions included approving resignations and appointments to county boards in various districts. Mr. Jimmy Hardy resigned from the Greene County Housing Authority and Mr. Joe Lee Powell resigned from the Greene County EMA Board. Subsequently, the commission approved the appointment of Powell to the Housing Authority of Greene County Board, representing District 3. Ms. Freddie Merriweather was appointed to the Greene County Hospital Board representing District 2. Ms. Mary Snoddy, District 1, Mr. Scott Smith, District 2 and Mr. Chris Stephney, District 4 were re-appointed to the PARA Board.

    The Commission approved the County Engineer’s request to extend the current CDBG Project which involves resurfacing various county roads. The time extension would allow the Public Works Department to complete paving the following roads identified in the project: Basketball Ln. October Ln., Country Ln., Curve Ln., Star Ln., Plum Ln., Sandy Way, Smoke Ln. and Brush Creek Cr.

    Other actions taken by the Commission included the following:

    * Approved County Rebuild Alabama Annual Report.

    *Approved workshop and conference travel requests for engineer and assistant engineer.

    The CFO, Mr. Macaroy Underwood presented the following financial report as of December 2023: Accounts payable – $895,235.05;Payroll Transfer – $372,525.02; Fiduciary – $49,144.70; Total – $1,387,435.09. Electronic Claims totaled $61,773.39. Unrestricted funds in Citizen Trust Bank, $2,302,253.54; restricted funds $3,402,198.44. Unrestricted funds in Merchants & Farmers Bank $3,129,181.57; restricted funds $5,938,923.66. Investments totaled $893,481.54.

  • Commission approves signage identifying locations of storm shelters

    The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Monday, October 9, 2023, with all commissioners present. The commission acted on the items discussed at the work session held Wednesday, October 4. These included the following:
    * Approved County Highway Department to install storm shelter signage at each storm shelter location. Commissioner Garria Spencer stated that county residents need to know the exact location of their community storm shelter.
    * Approved School Resource Officers contract.
    * Approved annual contract with Digital Information for IT services and hardware maintenance.
    * Approved annual contract with Digital Information for IT services and hardware maintenance for Appraisal Office.
    * Approved annual contract with Harris Local Government for Revenue Commission Office.
    * Approved attendance at Smart Fusion Class in Birmingham, November 2, 2023, for CFO, Administrator, and Accountants Payable personnel.
    * Approved 2024 Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday for February 23-25.
    Approved ABC License for Soul Out Cafe.
    Approved the financial report and payment of bills presented by CFO, Macaroy Underwood.
    Other items discussed at the Oct. 4 work session included the County Engineer’s report relating to options for billing county garbage collection. One proposal is to let bids for an outside company to bill or the county would do billing. Seemingly it is more expensive for an outside company to bill. Currently there are 1,800 garage pick-ups. The Engineer’s office was directed to get proposals and evaluate the best approach. The commission noted that many residents are delinquent in paying their garbage pick-up bills, including some county employees.
    The engineer’s office stated there are exemptions that the county is required to absorb regarding pick-up fees. The county is currently accepting exemption requests.
    Mr. Luther Winn requested an extension regarding Greene County Entertainment’s rental agreement with the county. The commission seemingly will give this some consideration.
    Ms. Bobbie Morgan presented a plea for the commission to repair County Road 125, Boligee, where she resides. She said the road is virtually impassable. Ms. Morgan noted that, since she lives in District 5, she has brought this to Commissioner Roshanda Summerville’s attention on previous occasions, with no results. Summerville then asked the Engineer to accompany her to visit that site on the following day and determine what could be done.
    Ms. Morgan also asked for a storm shelter in Mt. Hebron. “There are many families in mobile homes who need a safe place to go when there are warnings of strong weather conditions,” she said. Commissioner Summerville responded that a storm shelter is scheduled for the SCORE Center on County Road 39.
    Representatives from the University of West Alabama requested that the commission assist in getting broadband surveys completed. This will help in determining the need in the rural areas. The UWA representatives did not have sample surveys with them but will follow-up. Commissioner Spencer suggested that they consult with Ms. Phillis Belcher, CEO with the Industrial Development Authority.
    CFO Macaroy Underwood presented the financial report ending September, 2023. Accounts payable totaled $469,531.87; Payroll transfer totaled $273,817.66; Fiduciary totaled $122,381.49; Total Claims paid totaled $865,731.02. Electronic claims totaled $103,240.65. Bank balances are as follows: Citizen Trust Bank – unrestricted $2,438,866.76; restricted $4,179,277.52. Merchant & Farmers Bank – unrestricted $2, 979,181.57; restricted $1,183,498.60. Bond Funds totaled $889,506.78.

  • Greene County Commission approves implementation of $361,500 grant to Historical Society for repair of the inside of old Courthouse

    At its regular monthly meeting on Monday, August 11, 2023, the Greene County Commission agreed to accept a plan for use of a $361,500 grant awarded by the Alabama Historical Commission for repairs to the interior of the historic old Courthouse, on the central square in Eutaw.
    The grant was made to the Greene County Historical Society. The Courthouse building and square, apart from some of the buildings, has been leased to the Eutaw Area Chamber for maintenance and improvement. The Courthouse Square is part of the central business and administrative district for the City of Eutaw and Greene County.
    The Chamber enlisted the support of the Greene County Historical Society to seek funding to restore the old Courthouse building, which housed offices on its first floor and a courtroom/community meeting room on the second floor. There are photographs in the new William M. Branch Courthouse of historic mass meetings held in the old courthouse when Black officials were elected to county offices in 1969 and 1970.
    Lloyd Dawe, President of the Greene County Historical Society, said, “We met all three criteria for this grant, it was a government building built before 1840; it was involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and it was listed on the National Register of Historic places.”
    Dawe continued, “We asked for more funding than we received to fully renovate the inside of the old Courthouse. We plan to scrape, sand, and paint the interior, fix and reinforce the ceiling, plaster and stucco the walls, fix the windows and doors, redo the restrooms, and do other things necessary to make the building useable as a welcome center and community center for the county. We will need to raise more funds to complete the work and move from the first floor to rehabilitate the second floor as a community meeting room for the county.”Commissioner Garria Spencer pointed out that although the Commission has accepted the grant, they want to be informed in writing of all steps the Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce take in restoring the old Courthouse. “At our work session before the meeting, we made clear that we expect written reports to the Commission and our Legal Counsel as the work progresses,” said Spencer.
    The Commission also granted the Greene County Historical Society permission to inspect the former Miles College Building for possible renovations and restoration work. Lloyd Dawe said, “The Miles College Building was established originally as the Mesopotamia Female Seminary in 1846 and was a post-secondary educational institution for white women, at a time when education and equal rights for women was not an accepted societal standard.”
    The Commission owns the Miles College Building but has not used it since the college and other groups using the building moved in the early 2000’s.
    The Commission approved a letter of support to ADECA for a grant to the Spectrum Southeast LLC for $7 million of state and federal funds to provide high speed broadband to rural communities in Greene County that currently lack service. Spectrum is the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that has expressed the greatest interest in bringing fiber optic cables for service to Greene County. ADECA is currently working on a plan to provide broadband services to underserved communities across the state, using federal and state funding.

    In other actions, the Greene County Commission:
    • Approved a $168,786 bid from Central Alabama Asphalt and Construction for road building and improvement projects in the county.
    • Approved a revised quote of $63,500 from the original of $55,000 to repair the roof on the William M. Branch Courthouse building.
    • Approved a travel request from the Assistant Engineer to attend floodplain training; and the Board of Registrars to attend an October 5th election conference in Tuscaloosa.
    • Approved a $62,069, 2023-24 Worker’s Compensation Self-Insurance Fund contract with the State Association of County Commissioners.
    •Tabled a proposed Greene County Wastewater Ordinance, pending more information.
    • Approved a travel policy which included an option for the traveler to either fly or accept vehicle mileage rates for a trip, based on Federal government reimbursement rates.
    Mac Underwood, CFO presented the County financial report for August 2023, showing $8, 123,248 on deposit in Citizens Trust Bank, of which $2,615,487 is unrestricted; $4,038,760 in Merchants and Farmers Bank, of which $2,903,842 is unrestricted. There is also a Bond Sinking Fund of $887,902. A total of $666,206 was spent for claims in August and another $129,845 in electronic payments were made. Most of the departments are on budget as of the end of the month, which is the 11th month of the fiscal year.

  • Greene County Commission names roads for Lester Brown and George Hall

    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.

  • ADECA holds meeting in Greene County to prepare for broadband

    Diagram of Elements of a Broadband Network
    from presentation at meeting
    By: John Zippert, 
    Co-Publisher
     
    The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) sponsored an informational and introductory meeting on their Broadband Technical Assistance Program on December 14, 2022, at the Robert H. Young Community Center.
    ADECA is working with the Greene County Commission and Greene County Industrial Development Authority (GCIDA) and CTC Technology and Energy, a well-respected consulting firm, to bring information and initiate a planning process to ensure that broadband is brought to all parts of the county at an affordable price.
    Joanne Hovis with CTC Technology explained, “There are substantial resources in the CARES Act, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Infrastructure bills passed by Congress to extend broadband throughout the nation. $42 billion has already been allocated and $100 billion more will be coming over the next two years. People in Alabama, particularly in underserved rural areas like Greene County, need to be aware and vigilant that these resources are coming and are used wisely to provide broadband to all the people, especially those who have been neglected in the past.”
    The CTC Consultants called broadband, ‘the electricity of the 21st century’ meaning that fiber optic connections to the residential level will be needed for work, recreation, education, medical care, home security and many other functions as time goes forward in this century. Digital equity in terms of access and affordability for broadband with greater speeds will be a necessary utility for the future.
    The speed of broadband is a critical factor in its future development. Faster speeds will be needed to transmit more complex data, like x-rays for tele-medicine, presentations with pictures and interactive maps, and complex video games played by groups of people.
     Currently the FCC definition is 25 megabits per second down and 3 megabits per second up. Congress set a new standard of 100/20 megabits in the ARPA and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Alabama has set a 100/100 Mbps standard for future infrastructure funded by the state. Fiber optic connections will be needed for services provided by to meet these standards.
    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently issued a new map, available on its website, of currently available broadband connections. The ADECA consultants urged local officials to study these maps and make challenges where the maps are incorrect, so the state planning process will be grounded in true data.
    The State of Alabama expects to receive more than a $100 million dollars, from Federal sources) over the next two years to work with local communities and Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) to provide a broadband network, down to the residential level. This will provide broadband services to all people, especially in underserved rural areas, like Greene County with large populations of African American and poor people.
    Several representatives of ISP’s were represented at the meeting, including Charter Communications, A. T & T, Eagle Wireless, Meridian Wireless Manufacturing and Tallis Communications, a broadband equipment manufacturer. These ISP’s introduced themselves and said they were working with ADECA to bring broadband to Greene County. Conspicuously absent was any representation from Black Warrior Electric Cooperative. In several parts of the state of Alabama, electrical cooperatives have taken the lead in bringing broadband to their rural residents.
    Another aspect of providing broadband services involves making them affordable to people of low and modest incomes. The CTC Consultants said there was an existing Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which provides $30 per month subsidy to assist low-income residents to afford internet services. The program includes support for discounts to acquire devises like tablets, laptop computers and smart phones. 75% of the eligible households in Greene County have yet to enroll in this program. This statistic is also a measure of the current limitation of access to broadband in Greene County.
    Unless replenished by increased Federal appropriations, the Affordable Connectivity Program will run out of funding in two years. This of course is right about the time that broadband access is projected for Greene County residents through other programs.
    ADECA representatives explained that this was the first of several meetings to prepare for and plan for broadband access in Greene County.
    Between this meeting and the next in the Spring of 2023, they recommended that the County officials review the FCC map of broadband access and report any errors and omissions, since these maps will be used to plan future services based on greatest need. Secondly, they suggested a continuing dialog with ISP’s to determine ways to collaborate to insure services to all areas of the county.
    ADECA and the consultants also urged officials present to help encourage eligible people to enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program, to get the $30 per month subsidy on the cost of broadband. They also suggested that local officials and organizations study the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund for ways to help people get the devices needed to connect to the internet, including services that would lend people tablets and laptops to use to connect to the Internet.
    Persons interested in learning more about the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, may contact: Mac Underwood, CFO, Greene County Commission, 205-372-3349; or Phillis Belcher, Executive Director GCIDA at 205-372-9769 org cida@uwa.edu.