The Franklin County Commission on Tuesday, Dec. 31, approved a series of routine but formal actions including annual reappointments of department directors, a vendor name change, a sole-source procurement for a sewer district and several liquor licenses.

The commission unanimously approved commission order 2024-459, reappointing department heads including Bill Plack as building department director, Abe Cook as emergency management agency director, Jeffrey Titter as 911 communications director, Tony Buell as health department director, Scotty Egan as planning and zoning director, Bruce Baker as maintenance director, Shakara Bray as purchasing director, Jim Grutch as highway administrator, Anne Berry as human resources administrator, Bill Barnes as facilities director, and Chuck Henderson as information technology director. Commissioner Ken Cox moved to approve the reappointments; a second was recorded and the commission voted "aye" to adopt the order.

The commission also approved commission order 2024-460 to recognize a vendor name change: Fidelity Communications has changed its name to Cobridge Broadband LLC, doing business as Sparklight. The item was presented to the commission as an administrative recognition of the vendor's new legal and trade names; the motion to approve passed by voice vote.

On procurement matters, the commission approved commission order 2024-461 authorizing a sole-source procurement for the Calvary Creek Sewer District of Franklin County. The order was described as extending procurement authority to ensure the timely acquisition of critical equipment needed to complete the sewer project serving district residents. The motion to approve carried on a voice vote.

Commission order 2024-462, approval of the consent agenda, also passed. The consent agenda listed liquor licenses for Our Lady of the Lords, the American Legion Home Association in Union, and El Tapatio in Union, and included the New Haven Special Road District financial statement covering Sept. 2023 through Aug. 2024. Commissioner Ken Cox moved to approve the consent agenda; the commission voted "aye."

The meeting opened with approval of prior meeting minutes from Dec. 17 and Dec. 19; that approval was taken by voice vote at the start of the session. County Clerk Tim Baker spoke briefly later in the meeting to note a post-meeting swearing-in for the sheriff and to publicly thank a long-serving clerk, Jane Lichtefeld, for more than three decades of service; the commission also recognized Lichtefeld's service during the meeting. The commission adjourned after the items were completed.

Votes at a glance

- Commission Order 2024-459 (annual reappointments of department directors): Motion by Commissioner Ken Cox; second not specified in the record; voice vote, recorded as "aye"; outcome: approved.

- Commission Order 2024-460 (vendor name change from Fidelity Communications to Cobridge Broadband LLC dba Sparklight): Motion by Commissioner Ken Cox; second not specified; voice vote, outcome: approved.

- Commission Order 2024-461 (sole-source procurement for Calvary Creek Sewer District): Motion by Commissioner Ken Cox; second not specified; voice vote, outcome: approved. Purpose stated as to secure critical equipment to complete a project serving district residents.

- Commission Order 2024-462 (consent agenda: liquor licenses for Our Lady of the Lords, American Legion Home Association in Union, El Tapatio in Union; New Haven Special Road District financial statement Sept. 2023–Aug. 2024): Motion by Commissioner Ken Cox; second not specified; voice vote, outcome: approved.

The votes were recorded as voice approvals; no roll-call tallies or individual yea/nay votes were read into the record for these items in the transcript.