Lee County Commission approves training range clearing, courtroom AV contract and seeks local trash-fee exemption; sets regular work sessions and to livestream,

The Lee County Commission on an administrative agenda on Jan. 27 recognized a FEMA payment tied to COVID response, approved several procurement and land-use requests, and passed a resolution asking the county's legislative delegation to pursue a local exemption to the mandatory solid-waste disposal fee.

The meeting opened with a recognition in which Rita Smith, the county emergency management director, presented what she said was the final FEMA payment tied to declaration 4503 and read a figure aloud: "we are very, very happy to present you with 4,000,000 44,700,035.62 as a result of your COVID claims from FEMA declaration 4503," and invited a photograph with county commissioners and hospital representatives. A hospital representative thanked Smith and the commission and said the money and an unrelated grant installment would help an in-progress mental-health facility.

The commission then moved through consent and appointments on the consent and old-business calendars before taking several substantive actions:

- Sheriff's training range: Sheriff Jones requested permission to use about 11 acres of county-owned property in the Beulah community to create a training and firing range and asked that the highway department assist with initial clearing. County Engineer Justin Hardy told commissioners the project would require an ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) stormwater permit before substantial clearing and that, if approved, clearing the 11 acres would take "maybe a week of good weather" with highway equipment. Sheriff Jones said nearby residents were contacted and no objections were received. After a motion to proceed with land clearing, commissioners approved the request by voice vote.

- T.K. Davis Justice Center audiovisual contract: County staff presented a $496,559.80 proposal from Diversified to provide audiovisual equipment and three years of support for four courtrooms being renovated as part of the Justice Center project. Staff said the expense was anticipated and would be paid from a previously issued warrant/loan and that using the same vendor and equipment as the existing courtroom (Courtroom 6) would aid continuity and ADA compliance for hearing-impaired users. Commissioners authorized the county administrator to enter an agreement with Diversified through the TIPS cooperative procurement vehicle.

- Solid-waste fee exemption resolution: County staff proposed pursuing local legislation under Code of Alabama Section 22-27-3A to allow Lee County to grant an additional local exemption from the mandatory solid-waste disposal fee for low-income households (the proposal discussed a threshold tied to 75% of federal poverty guidelines). Miss Leverett explained the process requires a county resolution to request the local act, after which state legislators would carry it. Commissioners passed a resolution directing staff to ask the local legislative delegation to introduce a local act authorizing the county to grant the exemption. Commissioners and staff also discussed a separate idea to exempt residents age 70 and older, but staff said that would require broader constitutional or state-level action and additional analysis of fiscal impact.

- Regular work sessions and public-comment livestreaming: Commissioners voted to start holding a work session at 4 p.m. before every regular commission meeting to allow discussion of agenda items in more depth. The commission also voted to livestream and include public comments in the meeting minutes going forward; Commissioner Drury had read the public-comment rules aloud before the vote.

- Road resurfacing: county engineering staff presented a resolution to pursue MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) funding through the Columbus-Phenix City MPO to resurface 1.7 miles of Lee Road 427 (Pierce Road). The program would be roughly an 80/20 partnership (federal/MPO funds covering about 80%, the county providing a 20% match). Commissioners approved the resolution and signed the paperwork to pursue the grant.

- Avalon Acres subdivision: A member of the public, Melton Colbert, raised concerns about drainage, increased traffic and changes to the neighborhood after a developer began clearing lots in the Avalon Acres subdivision. Staff said subdivision regulations govern lot creation and that some drainage or stormwater concerns would be subject to ADEM review; commissioners tabled final action on the Avalon Acres final plat until the Feb. 10 meeting so the developer and staff could meet neighbors and address concerns.

Votes at a glance (major items): - Motion to approve consent agenda (minutes, claims and procurement-card ratifications): approved by voice vote. - Appointments (Smiths Station Fire Protection Division: Kenneth Harrison, Shane Blankenship; Beauregard Water Authority: Wes Goodson; Loachapoka Water Authority: Sherry Todd, Mark Aderholt; Smith's Water and Sewer: Mary Henry, Joseph Walden; Integrity of Mental Health Board [East Alabama Mental Health Authority successor]: Jerry Colley and Dr. Penney): each approved by voice vote on second reading. - Sheriff's request to clear ~11 acres for training range off Lee Road 275 (Beulah): motion to proceed approved by voice vote; staff to seek required permits (ADEM stormwater) and to use highway department equipment for clearing. - T.K. Davis Justice Center audiovisual contract with Diversified (via TIPS cooperative) for four courtrooms, $496,559.80: authorized; county administrator to execute the agreement. - Resolution requesting local legislation to authorize additional exemptions to the mandatory solid-waste disposal fee (poverty-level exemption): approved by voice vote; staff to work with State Representative Randy Price and the delegation. - Motion to establish a standing 4 p.m. work session before each commission meeting: approved by voice vote. - Motion to livestream and include public-comment segments in meeting minutes: approved by voice vote. - Avalon Acres final plat: motion to table to Feb. 10 meeting: approved by voice vote. - MPO resolution to pursue resurfacing of Lee Road 427 (Pierce Road), estimated project cost $993,600 (initial MPO allocation): approved; county to provide 20% local match as budgeted.

Why it matters: the decisions allocate county resources (land clearing and local matching funds), commit the county to procurement and technology upgrades for court operations, and open a process to reduce solid-waste fees for qualifying low-income households pending state action. The training-range approval and the Justice Center audiovisual contract are immediate, operational actions; the solid-waste exemption requires state legislation before the county can implement a new local waiver.

What commissioners said and next steps: County Engineer Justin Hardy and Sheriff Jones said the training-range clearing would proceed only after necessary environmental permits; Miss Leverett and staff will prepare the resolution language to present to the county's legislative delegation; staff will bring back Avalon Acres materials and meet with the developer and neighbors before the Feb. 10 meeting. The commission also directed staff to publish and hold the newly scheduled 4 p.m. work sessions and to move forward with livestreaming public comments.

Ending: Commissioners closed the meeting after thanking first responders and county staff who assisted during a recent snow event and then adjourned.