County hears jail expansion, school construction and communications updates; confirms numerous appointments

Franklin County commissioners received project updates and departmental reports and approved a slate of appointments at their Oct. 21 meeting in Winchester.

Tom Smith of Southeast Contractors told the Finance Committee and the full commission that the jail expansion was moving into the booking area during the week of Oct. 15–21; gates for the men's recreation yard were being installed and a previously noted fire damper problem had been resolved. Finance Committee minutes attached to the meeting packet show a contractor timetable and references to ceiling work and gate installation.

Gary Clardy provided a middle‑school construction update: masonry work was about 80% complete at both schools, slab work about 25% complete, and steel and roof/window deliveries had begun. Clardy said gyms were progressing but completion dates had been moved to December; he gave a rough equipment and technology estimate (about $770,000 at North, $650,000 at South) and described the routing for requests if new projects arise that are not in the original debt plan.

Scott Smith reported the county’s communications upgrade was live in the valley and that crews would move to mountain sites for further work. County packet spreadsheets prepared by Andrea Smith documented capital project budgets and obligations for communications, the jail, the TCAT project, and middle‑school and Huntland gym projects.

The meeting also included non‑agenda departmental summaries: Solid Waste Director William Anderson described a new revenue stream from wood‑waste contracts (for example, Nissan) that he said produces roughly $10,000 per month and offsets declines in recycling commodity prices; the department is exploring grants and partnerships for an energy‑from‑waste facility. Veterans Service Officer Bobby Clark presented the office’s July–September quarter: 3,388 instances of assistance (phone and in‑office), 58 outreach/home visits and 773 miles of transportation paid for veterans.

The commission approved dozens of appointments to boards and committees by grouped vote and confirmed nine notaries; a single appointment (Eddie Vincent to the Sheriff’s Civil Service Board) passed with one abstention. No substantive controversy or extended debate followed the presentations.

Next steps: construction contractors will continue the jail and school work per the schedules in the packet; Communications staff will proceed with mountain‑site work; Solid Waste will pursue partner/grant opportunities and the Veterans Office will administer donated cemetery plots as directed by the commission.