Votes at a glance: commission hires forester, approves corrected ad billing and monthly bills

The Claiborne County Port Commission approved several administrative actions during its meeting, including hiring a forester consultant, authorizing payment of a corrected legal-advertising bill and approving monthly billing records.

Consultant hire: The commission received one response to an advertised solicitation to manage forested land at the port. The response, from Fred Stewart, was recommended by Port Director Mr. Ross for an initial assessment to determine whether any forestry work is needed; Ross said the initial services would be “something less than $500.” A motion to hire Stewart was moved by Ms. Jones and seconded by Mr. Hudson; the motion carried by voice vote.

Advertising billing: Mr. Ross reported that a publisher revised its original bill for legal advertising from $300 to $38 after he raised concerns about compliance with the statute governing legal ads, saving roughly $262. The commission moved to authorize payment to CCPG Media Group; the motion (moved by Mr. Short and seconded by Mr. Jones) carried.

Monthly billing: The commission also approved the monthly billing for August (records approval); Ms. Jones moved the motion and Mr. Hudson seconded; the motion carried by voice vote.

Executive session procedure: The port attorney asked to move into executive (closed) session to expand on an earlier remark and indicated it would be brief. Commissioners discussed the procedural steps required to determine whether to enter closed session.

The meeting’s motions were recorded as voice votes and carried; no roll-call tallies were provided in the transcript.