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Perkins seeks agreement with road department, elects to buy Ranger and fund electrofishing study for Manuka Lake
Summary
Commissioner Perkins asked the commission to authorize a parks–road department support agreement, accept a quote for a 2025 Polaris Ranger (~$21,510) using county rent-derived "secret revenue," and fund an electrofishing study for Manuka Lake (estimated $1,227); commissioners debated funding sources and the scope of park staffing.
Commissioner Perkins told the Chilton County Commission he will ask the body to authorize an agreement between the county parks and the road department to schedule road-department support for trail maintenance at Manuka Park when personnel and equipment are available, and to accept a quote to purchase a 2025 Polaris Ranger for approximately $21,510 using rent-derived "secret revenue" funds.
Perkins said the agreement would allow scheduled support without diverting staff from routine road maintenance and left open the possibility of hiring a dedicated operator in a future budget cycle. He said the Polaris purchase would be funded from non-budgeted rent revenue rather than a current budget line-item.
Perkins also proposed paying Southeastern Pond Management an estimated $1,227 to perform an electrofishing ("electroshock") survey of Manuka Lake, a roughly 7-acre lake, to assess fish populations and determine management options such as bag limits or restocking. "The first step in finding out the population of the lake is an electroshock study," Perkins said.
Commissioners questioned whether the funds cited were "taxpayer" money or reserved revenue. A fellow commissioner observed that rent and other receipts pass through county accounts and therefore belong to taxpayers, while Perkins said the funds were not drawn from a current budget allocation. The commission did not approve any purchases or contracts during the meeting; Perkins said he would place the items on an agenda for formal action.
Perkins also reported ongoing conversations about improvements to the county fairgrounds; he and other commissioners said they had been working with state and local stakeholders and would continue planning.
