Greene County Democrat

Tag: Lester Brown

  • Greene County Commission holds organizational meeting

    Commissioners Allen Turner and Lester Brown
     
    The Greene County Commission held its organizational meeting on Tuesday, November 8, 2021 at 3:30 PM in the William M. Branch County Courthouse.
    RaShonda Summerville, current Chairperson called the meeting to order, shortly after the appointed time. With four of the members, a quorum was present to hold an official meeting. Commissioner Corey Cockrell was absent but Summerville, Lester Brown, Tennyson Smith and Allen Turner were present.
    Macaroy Underwood, Chief Financial Officer, reviewed the monthly financial report, for the first month of the 2021-22 fiscal year. He reported that all county agencies had spent between 7 and 11% of their annual budget and were on track for the month. He also reported that the Sheriff and the School Board had paid in supplementary funds, as required by agreements to cover the cost of personnel above their budgeted amount.
    Underwood indicated that no pay raises would be given until the Sheriff deposited funds in advance to cover increases.
    The Commission agreed to pay bills for the month of October 2021, which totaled $597,195 and included the county’s payroll. An additional $86,880 was paid by electronic transfer, primarily for taxes and retirement for employees.
    At around 4:00 PM, Chairwoman Summerville, turned the gavel over to County Attorney Mark Parnell to conduct the election of the Commission Chairperson. Allen Turner was nominated by Commissioner Lester Brown.
    There were no other nominations. Turner was elected Chair by a vote of 3-1, with Summerville voting no.
    Allen Turner took over the Chair and called for nominations for Vice-Chair. Commissioner Smith nominated Lester Brown for Vice Chair, there were no other nominations. Lester Brown was elected Vice-Chair by a vote of 3-1.
     The Commissioners tabled the appointment of commissioners to various working committees. The commissioners agreed to meet on the second Monday of each month, at 3:30 PM for their regular meeting. At this point in the meeting, Commissioner Cockrell arrived late for the meeting and took his seat in the meeting. Cockrell seemed surprised that the elections for Chair and Vice-Chair had been held before his arrival at the meeting.
    The Commissioners agreed to the same bank depositories and the same signatures on bank accounts and the safety deposit box. 
    The meeting was adjourned at 4:40 PM.

  • Commission authorizes expenditures from ARPA funds for ambulance; payments to employees and designated service groups

     the Greene County Commission’s regular session, held Monday, June 14, 2021, considerable time was spent adjusting the agenda before approval. Commissioner Lester Brown questioned why the purchase of an ambulance for the county’s EMS component was not on the agenda. Commission Chairperson, Roshanda Summerville responded that there is still ongoing discussions in that regard. Brown noted that the Commission could act on the allocation and then follow the required federal guidelines and state bid law requirements. Commissioner Tennyson Smith voiced his support for adjusting the agenda to include the ambulance purchase. This discussion was followed by a unanimous approval to add to the agenda consideration of purchasing an ambulance with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The commission later in the meeting revised this action to include a cap not to exceed $90,000 for the ambulance. Commissioner Allen Turner, Jr. proposed, as another addition to the agenda, payments of $2,000 each to several other county entities, including each Volunteer Fire Department, E911, and Rural Alabama Prevention Center (Greene County COVID group). Turner’s proposal was approved for the agenda. These added agenda items were considered as 3b and 3c and were subsequently approved. CSFO Macaroy Underwood emphasized to the commission that all ARPA funds must be spent in accordance with the federal and state guidelines. “When the commission gives money to a third party, the entity or agency must present documentation on how the funds will be spent. Use of the ARPA funds must comply with guidelines, or the county becomes liable for the repayment,” he said. The commission also approved a one time payment of ARPA funds to all employees working during the COVID pandemic, with $1,100 going to each full time employee and $550 for each part time employee. The commission noted that this would meet the guidelines since all county employees are considered as essential. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to speed up the United States’ recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession. Greene County Commission received $787,734 for 2021. In other business the commission acted on the following: *Approved payment of services to Attorney Hank Sanders. *Approved ratifying asphalt treating from TTL, Inc. for road material used for County Road 133 at a cost of $2,976. *Approved replacing #2 air conditioner at the courthouse and one unit at the Eutaw Activity Center. *Approved opening Eutaw Activity Center to the public. *Approved ABC License for Boligee Food Mart. *Approved paying Grant Management LLC for administration of CDBG grant to pave dirt roads, not to exceed $32,000, to be reimbursed by ADECA. The commission acted on the following open board appointments: Mark Odom was re-appointed to the Board of Equalization; George Hall was re-appointed to the Water Authority Board; Margret Carpenter was re-appointed to the PARA Board from District 3; and LaJoycelyn Davis was appointed to the Library Board from District 3. In his finance report, CSFO Underwood noted the following bank balances as of May 21, 2021: Citizen Trust Bank – $5,382,919; Merchants & Farmers Bank – $9,539,751.48; Bank of New York – $450,170.64; total Investments – $1,088,674.22. In claims paid for May, accounts payable totaled $304,167.34; payroll transfer – $216,468.60; fiduciary – $38,718.90; electronic claims – $78,661.76. Underwood noted that 21% remains in the general fund budget. Commission Attorney, Mark Parnell, proposed that the commission go in executive session as a continuation of the executive session held at the commission’s work session, Wednesday June 9. He stated the purpose was to discuss matters that may relate to litigation. Several commissioners had questioned the appropriateness or legality of holding an executive session during a work session when the same had not been given public notice or formally voted on by the commission. This concern was not presented or discussed further in the open session. The commission did retire to executive session and the meeting was formerly adjoured upon their return to open session.

  • 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

  • 49th anniversary of Greene County Freedom Day held at Morrow-Brown Community Center

     

    Spiver W. Gordon presents certificate to Rev. John Kennard, Guest Speaker at the 49th anniversary program. Several of the program participants joined them at the podium.

    On Saturday, July 28, 2018, about 50 residents of Greene County, met at the Morrow-Brown Community Center in Branch Heights to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the July 29, 1969 Special Election. This election resulted in a victory for four African-American candidates for the Greene County Commission and two for the Board of Education, which meant Black control of county government for the first time since Reconstruction. The Special Election of 1969 was ordered by the U. S. Supreme Court in a case brought by Greene County indicating that local officials had deliberately left Black candidates supported by the National Democratic Party (NDPA) off the 1968 ballot. In the 1970 election, William M. Branch was elected Probate Judge and Thomas Gilmore was elected Sheriff of Greene County completing a sweep of almost all public offices in the county. The Greene County Special Election of 1969 was heralded as a great victory for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in an Alabama Black Belt county that contributed marchers to the ‘Bloody Sunday’ and subsequent marches in Selma. A New York Times headline on July 30, 1969 proclaimed: Election of 6 Alabama Negroes hailed as ‘Giant Political Step’. The Alabama Civil Rights Museum under the leadership of Spiver W. Gordon sponsored Saturday’s program, which included a display of photos, and programs from the museum’s collection. Rev. John Kennard was the Guest Speaker. Levi Morrow Jr. spoke about the origins and planning that went into the construction of Branch Heights. District 1 Commissioner Lester Brown and others made remarks to commemorate the occasion.