The Chilton County Commission approved a reimbursement request on Sept. 23 after Commissioner Bone reported that an electrical box at Manuka Park had failed while he and his family were camping, burning his camper's power cord.

"While me and my family were camping at Manuka Park, 1 of the electrical boxes did not trip a breaker and it burnt my electrical cord up going to my camper," Commissioner Bone said when explaining the request. He said the original cord cost "300 something dollars" and that he replaced it with a less expensive cord; later in the discussion he said he purchased a replacement for about $159.

Commission discussion focused on the county's claim process and whether the county should accept reimbursement requests from private users. One commissioner explained the usual process: notify the park director, file a claim and provide receipts so the county's claims/insurer can evaluate it.

Commissioner Hall moved to approve reimbursement for Commissioner Bone and Commissioner Childers seconded. When the board voted, the chair called for hands and recorded two dissenting votes and one abstention. The chair confirmed there was an abstention and the motion carried. The transcript did not specify which members voted against the measure.

Why it matters: The vote raises procedural questions about how the county handles loss claims arising from park infrastructure failures, and whether routine maintenance or inspections should be expanded given increased camper usage.

Next steps: County staff said the park director documents incidents and files claims with the commission office; commissioners discussed inspecting other park electrical boxes on a regular schedule.