Covington County Commission approves routine business, liquor license and nonprofit bond resolution; tables sheriff’s property-disposal law

The Covington County Commission on Dec. 16 approved routine financial and operational business, granted a retail beer license amid one dissent, and adopted a resolution to let a nonprofit pursue bonding to purchase a local oncology center, while tabling a sheriff-driven local law on how the county would dispose of abandoned property.

The meeting, called to order by the chair, opened with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance before the body moved through a consent agenda that included approval of accounts payable and payroll for November and approval of October meeting minutes. The commission voted to continue participation in the Alabama County Commission Association’s liability self-insured fund for Jan. 1–Dec. 31, following a presentation from Miss Sowell on the program.

In licensing business, the commission considered a retail "all premises" beer license for a grocery store sold to Henry’s LFC (Shane Lord and Abby Wiggins). Commissioner Ben moved to approve the license; the motion carried with a single recorded no vote from Commissioner Holmes, who said a prior community request had asked that liquor not be sold at that location out of respect for the long-time owner Dallas Henderson. Abby Wiggins told the commission the store’s hours will be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to address concerns about proximity to a nearby church.

The commission also adopted a formal resolution acknowledging that RBS Evolution of Oklahoma LLC held a public hearing without opposition and may proceed to seek bond financing to keep the county’s oncology center operating locally. Chair and staff framed the resolution as a ministerial acknowledgment required for the nonprofit’s bonding process.

Roads staff received authority to solicit bids for a specified lime-rock base to supplement the county’s existing supplier; the request was described as a routine procurement step to ensure continuity of materials. Commissioners heard a roads update describing current maintenance priorities, crew assignments and equipment rotation plans.

Personnel items included authorization for Chair Smith and Commissioner Holmes to negotiate terms with finalists for the county engineer position after interviews narrowed candidates to two, and a motion to advertise for a replacement Emergency Management Agency director ahead of that director’s March 1 retirement.

More substantively, the sheriff presented a proposed local law and procedures aimed at disposing of abandoned or unclaimed property held in sheriff’s storage — including vehicles and some firearms — to clear long-standing inventories. County legal counsel Miss Morgan cautioned that language addressing vesting of title and disposition of sale proceeds would need revision and that any local law must conform with state rules once submitted to Montgomery. Commissioners voted to table the item to allow staff and legal counsel to finalize language and coordinate with state legislative offices.

Before adjourning, commissioners agreed to move the Jan. 13 meeting to Jan. 15 and exchanged condolences for recent county employees who passed away.

The commission adjourned after routine business; the sheriff’s proposed local law will return after legal review and any required coordination with state legislators.