[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6345980,"mediaKeyId","2247709-ab56394cb0a771f66c32e59d27ff71b2","parentId",2247709,"title","Houston County chairman postpones Walton Park town hall, outlines new town-hall schedule and format","audioSeconds",207,"startMs",66000,"endMs",273000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247709-ab56394cb0a771f66c32e59d27ff71b2&start=66&end=273","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247709-ab56394cb0a771f66c32e59d27ff71b2/thumbnail_66000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6345980/Houston-County/Alabama/Houston-County-chairman-postpones-Walton-Park-town-hall-outlines-new-town-hall-schedule-and-format","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345980-594abfacf5f6a10995bc34b4dc3854e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176753&Signature=RbgO-ZppYC5qz7DWDPxMYhQAiIVsB6QscV~ijBnsOzvxkv8psZVAt3DMG-uXpbL97jUNYXdIQmtUA84A5PpHYjnGtxc7GH8-HgyijRWZBme7~9Q95Ts3HmsKZCmb8zbWtJ1cm7rqRPPl~KOx80GBZtZbldItsf3lhBUI6T7-lV7y-1DJw7amprcrf5Axx3gD1zwX0refbaXTfObdaBEQwLFyHRTGPlab32OgulcL6SAbFx6YJ1gnk2SPEckclxIWWV8tZln~F~xzZHkoLkx4e2LxgBsc69rKep1O-66Rx-ego2vqTrYQLRMLk8z9Qr3baTxXpJTx2zD1qgBRTd2eOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston County Alabama","date","2025-02-07T04:34:15Z","article","The Houston County Commission chairman announced at an administrative meeting that the town hall scheduled for today at Walton Park is postponed because of a scheduling conflict and that the commission will reschedule that session. The chairman said the commission still plans three other town halls next week, with one at Pilgrim Home Baptist Church in Wicksburg on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and another at the Farm Center on Thursday at 6 p.m.

The chairman said a prior town hall at Rehoboth drew a “very, very good crowd” of about 30 people and that the commission will adjust the format to provide more useful time for citizens and officials. “We want people to ask questions, and we want people … to be more engaged,” the chairman said, adding that officials will try to make the events useful for residents who have work and family obligations.

A commissioner who spoke about the Rehoboth session praised the new format, saying it “gives the citizens a more personable approach” and allows residents to speak face to face with county officials including road and bridge staff, the probate judge and the revenue commissioner. The chairman said he hopes citizens will attend at least one of the remaining sessions; a date to reschedule the Walton Park meeting was not provided.

The chairman also said that at an earlier town hall he had debated whether to continue holding such events because some sessions were dominated by “sovereign citizens” and others who “chew up time and not make a whole lot of sense,” but that the new format improved usefulness. He asked residents to take advantage of the opportunities and acknowledged that many have work and child-care obligations that can limit attendance.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston County Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Houston County chairman announced a last-minute postponement of today’s Walton Park town hall and described a four-town-hall plan with a more-personal format; commissioners urged residents to attend upcoming meetings in Wicksburg and at the Farm Center.","taxTitle","Houston County, Alabama","taxId",2539,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6345985,"Commission places road vacation public hearing, two ALDOT resurfacing agreements and budget amendments on Monday agenda",406,1342000,1748000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247709-ab56394cb0a771f66c32e59d27ff71b2&start=1342&end=1748","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247709-ab56394cb0a771f66c32e59d27ff71b2/thumbnail_1342000.jpg","/articles/6345985/Houston-County/Alabama/Commission-places-road-vacation-public-hearing-two-ALDOT-resurfacing-agreements-and-budget-amendments-on-Monday-agenda","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345985-f94b9689fc4c241807f1084c1205ec9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176753&Signature=ognjACnIhSe9a7DIg19-hJVK8KnF9vS9DC~YBG0BRy9zS6ogIHQqAom7saE4MxyQMuYFpwQvqf6VMvPCUEcVEmkxoScUvNqn8wPy4LIyh-b1jXCaE6cCix-fqQWYp2-hzTwqE6tv79vDWOi8nu4gGn46Qs4WvhC8opEZgDymlS8C6bVwAY6enxq0guVtVaNiyELhnN2V4pLdEghx~QLEH7lpplN9mX4e3QvnCoUrgBb5UsFFMNHmWUThqRAPFIXoqoXGhg3HKI~sVwaJ5Z-MPILn5SpjqUwDuv7-4JAAQFsbSTb-IxTew2SlgHxe0Xr0njLJsiUboby3GhUrPa-WPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Houston County Commission at an administrative meeting placed several transportation and budget items on the agenda for its Monday meeting, including a resolution to authorize notice of a public hearing to consider vacating a public road known as D Clark Road, requests to enter into agreements with the Alabama Department of Transportation for two resurfacing projects using Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) funds, and multiple budget amendments for storm-debris cleanup and road-and-bridge operations.

The D Clark Road item stems from a petition by adjoining landowners and developers; the chairman said the commission will not vote Monday on vacating the road but will authorize notice for a public hearing so residents and emergency responders can comment. “We will not be voting on Monday to vacate D Clark Road. It is just, we’re beginning notice that we will have a public hearing,” the chairman said.

The commission also placed two requests to enter agreements with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) using MPO funds. The first covers a resurfacing project on County Road 203 from Haddon Road northeasterly to the bridge at Limestone Creek; acting chief engineer said the item begins the planning steps with ALDOT and that construction would likely not occur this year and could begin in early next year. The second request was described in the meeting as a resurfacing project on “Country Garden Road” running from Webb to Kinsey Road northeasterly to the Houston–Henry county line; the transcript uses that phrasing and the commission directed staff to include the item on Monday’s agenda with an accompanying resolution.

The commission approved placing a budget amendment of $275,000 on the Monday agenda to cover countywide debris cleanup tied chiefly to the Cottonwood tornado and a smaller separate event. Staff said the amount is revenue generated through the cleanup process and that the cleanup was not declared a FEMA disaster — the county’s recovery for those roads was handled under Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) processes rather than FEMA assistance.

Finally, commissioners agreed to add multiple budget amendments for the road and bridge department, which staff said are needed to close out ARPA projects and pay for paving and repairs. The items discussed included materials and supplies for road building ($475,000), contract services for paving ($140,000), repairs and maintenance to motor vehicles (amount stated in the meeting and transcribed unclearly; staff attributed the expense to a red dump truck for which insurance paid some revenue), internet/backup services (amount spoken in the meeting appears to be $16,800 for a Starlink backup but was not clearly enunciated) and copier rental (about $4,200 for two machines). The acting chief engineer said the increases reflect materials ordered and contracted paving related to ARPA projects the commission approved late in the previous fiscal year.

All items were placed on the commission’s agenda for Monday; no votes on the substance of these items were recorded at the administrative meeting.

","The Houston County Commission added a resolution to authorize notice of a public hearing on vacating D Clark Road, requests to enter agreements with ALDOT for two resurfacing projects using MPO funds, a $275,000 budget amendment for countywide debris cleanup, and multiple road-and-bridge budget amendments to the Monday agenda for further action.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6345989,"Former Alabama secretary of state offers Houston County help to secure federal funds for equipment and infrastructure",1027,298000,1325000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247709-ab56394cb0a771f66c32e59d27ff71b2&start=298&end=1325","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247709-ab56394cb0a771f66c32e59d27ff71b2/thumbnail_298000.jpg","/articles/6345989/Houston-County/Alabama/Former-Alabama-secretary-of-state-offers-Houston-County-help-to-secure-federal-funds-for-equipment-and-infrastructure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345989-8f3acf39e694d78aca2fd8cbdc0ce108/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176753&Signature=DENjstavE3hVI0uKtoOCtb2uc0OJ-NikgKGXfzwW5HCk6zUPhmEBIFPwxYnP7PE2Oic73Gem61SCaXNcLDLj7p5Vhlw5uywnwyaTufpQsLPBxhLP-xLUbfTe~Aa0zQEP34lVmAtNcgoJStoUN6wiZi0xeT2~EjbCWTsu~Shs0ns5gJsr6sNn1lwJMTLP4p6SXZVPYB0EDSJhgln1pUmEgKLyd-M90YnbTfy5Qg-mZM4pm4HVQK3EDSxUvTY~8CQ8OTaU5HyvszmzTo5j7TQ1wPWPJof4RkSYZduMviO-jBJeHHWlAoV~Ndhe2nIMT08CV3UlceRMAeNU5et6M4A7rQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Merrill, former Alabama secretary of state and director of public policy for civil engineering firm Wagner Engineering, told the Houston County Commission at an administrative meeting that his firm can help the county secure federal funding for law enforcement equipment and other infrastructure and would do so under a contract with fees not to exceed $50,000 over one year.

The proposal matters because county officials said local funds do not cover all law-enforcement needs. Merrill said Wagner’s strategic-services team works with members of Congress and their staff to present projects and has secured equipment and infrastructure funding for other municipalities. He cited a past project that delivered five squad cars, two fully loaded SUVs, digital fingerprinting equipment and scan equipment with a combined retail value he stated as about $530,000 while the municipality’s out‑of‑pocket cost was less than $130,000. “That’s almost like stealing when it comes to what your payment would have to be,” Merrill said.

Merrill described Wagner’s work as identifying a community’s needs, preparing presentations and making personal visits and phone calls to congressional offices, rather than as conventional grant writing. “We’re not a grant writer, mister commissioner,” he said, adding that the firm will prepare the application materials and can assist with grant administration if the county requests it. He told commissioners the firm has 19 offices in six states and one in Washington, D.C., and said only two of the 10 projects his team submitted since he began working in the role were not funded.

During a question-and-answer exchange, commissioners asked whether the firm also performs the construction or procurement work; Merrill said Wagner will not insist on performing construction or vendor work if the county prefers another firm. Merrill also offered that if a project is not funded in the current funding cycle, Wagner would assist with a reapplication for fiscal 2027 “at no cost to the county commission, period.”

The chairman said the commission will review the proposal further. Merrill offered to prepare a sample contractual agreement for the commission to review and said he would provide contact cards to commissioners. Commissioners asked staff to take a closer look and indicated the item may be scheduled for further consideration at a subsequent meeting.

","John Merrill of Wagner Engineering told the Houston County Commission his firm can help the county obtain federal law-enforcement and infrastructure funding, and proposed a contract capped at $50,000 for one year; commissioners asked for more review and a sample agreement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Houston County chairman postpones Walton Park town hall, outlines new town-hall schedule and format

Commission places road vacation public hearing, two ALDOT resurfacing agreements and budget amendments on Monday agenda

Former Alabama secretary of state offers Houston County help to secure federal funds for equipment and infrastructure