Commission backs solid-waste officer resolution and weighs operational changes including truck cameras and office hours

Jackson County commissioners adopted a resolution designating the county solid waste director as the Jackson County Solid Waste Officer with authority to enforce local mandatory solid-waste regulations and to serve citations related to ordinance enforcement, and they discussed multiple operational proposals from the Solid Waste Department including a change to office hours and procurement of in-truck camera systems.

The resolution, placed in the meeting packet and read aloud by the chairman, states the solid waste director will be appointed as the county’s solid waste officer and “pursuant to section 22-27-3 of the Alabama Code 1975” may appoint a three-person committee from solid waste employees to review exemption requests and assist with enforcement duties. It also designates the solid waste officer as a process server to serve citations required for ordinance enforcement.

Solid Waste Director Richard Shores (identified in the packet and speaking at the meeting) explained the practical reason for the change: the department has been issuing citations for service delinquencies and needs to streamline service of process for residents who repeatedly avoid service payments. Shores said the department has recovered over $100,000 under the program to date and that allowing the solid waste officer to serve certain documents would reduce repeated calls on the sheriff’s office for routine citation service.

The solid-waste discussion also covered an operational request to change front-desk office hours. The director requested that the office’s public counter hours be adjusted from 6:00–2:30 to 6:00–2:00 with continued phone coverage and a drop box, allowing staff 30 extra minutes for cash handling, daily reports and end-of-day tasks. The director said the department’s drivers begin work at 6:00 and that a later public opening (for example 7:00) would create a communication gap between drivers and office staff.

Separately, the director presented quotes and product demonstrations for a Third Eye in-vehicle camera system and optional “soft-pack” billing integration. The system records multi-camera video (front, rear, side and hopper views) and can capture a short clip when a driver pushes a button (12 seconds before and after the event plus a screenshot). The director described operational benefits: producing evidence for crash or customer-dispute investigations, documenting missed setouts, and helping identify non-paying residents using existing cans without service. He said neighboring jurisdictions use the system and that existing trucks already have mounts on many newer vehicles, which should reduce upfront cost.

Commissioners asked staff to seek updated pricing that accounts for trucks already equipped with mounts and to obtain competing quotes. The director also said he had run a two-week demo and that drivers initially resisted but became advocates after seeing direct benefits for safety and dispute resolution. No final purchasing vote was taken; staff were asked to return with revised quotes and implementation details.

Ending: The commission approved the resolution designating the solid waste officer and directed staff to return with more detailed cost comparisons and an implementation plan for cameras and billing integration, and to place the office-hour change on the agenda for a future meeting.