Autauga County Commission approves final FY2024 budget, awards CDBG engineering contract and authorizes jail and courthouse remediation bid

The Autauga County Commission met Oct. 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. and unanimously approved the county’s final FY2024 budget, authorized a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) engineering contract, and approved sending bids for phase 2 cleaning and remediation at the county jail and courthouse.

Commission Chairman Jay Thompson and four other commissioners — Rusty Jacksland, John L. Thrailkill, Bill Tatum and Larry Stoudemire — were present, along with Deputy Treasurer/Administrator Audra Smith, County Attorney Kyle Shirley and County Engineer John Mark Davis. The meeting lasted about 12 minutes and concluded at 5:12 p.m.

The commission approved the final FY2024 budget on a motion by Bill Tatum, seconded by John L. Thrailkill. The minutes record the vote as unanimous; the minutes do not state the adopted dollar total.

The board next approved Resolution No. 2025-4 to use the Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (CARPDC) qualified list of engineers and to select Larry E. Speaks & Associates, Inc. to provide design and inspection services for CDBG Project No. CY-CE-PF-23-012. Commissioners voted to verify the firm’s status on www.SAM.gov and authorized Chairman Jay Thompson to execute the agreement. The minutes state the contract will not exceed the engineering budget amount identified in the CDBG project but do not list that amount.

Following the resolution, the commission approved a separate proposal with Larry E. Speaks & Associates for services on project CY-CE-PF-23-012 (the motion carried unanimously). The resolution and proposal reference the federal CDBG program as administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and CARPDC’s qualified-list process.

The commission also authorized sending out a bid for phase 2 cleaning, remediation upgrades and renovations at the county jail and courthouse. That motion, made by John L. Thrailkill and seconded by Larry Stoudemire, passed unanimously.

A series of personnel actions were approved without objection. The board authorized hiring Spencer Traywick as a part-time School Resource Officer (pending background check and drug screen) to replace Angela Young; approved a one-step pay increase for Deputy Matthew Eller for satisfactory service; accepted the resignation of part-time Correction Officer Darilyn Moore and authorized replacement hires; and approved hiring Antonio James and Benjamin Wood as full-time correction officers (effective Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, 2024, respectively) to fill recent vacancies. The commission also promoted Amanda Johnson from Reappraisal Clerk (grade 4) to Real Property Appraiser (grade 6), effective Oct. 16, 2024.

The commission approved an amended Assistant County Engineer (EIT) job description and an Assistant County Engineer (PE) job description, and it authorized a Communications Services Agreement between the Autauga County Emergency Communication District (911) and Autauga County.

The board approved FY2025 solid waste exemptions in three batches (Batch 2, Batch 3 and Batch 4), listing a total of 60 parcels and property owners by name and address in the minutes. The commission also approved payment for a roster of workers to tabulate election-night returns for the Nov. 5, 2024 general election and a separate roster to tabulate provisional and overseas absentee results for the Nov. 12, 2024 tabulation; the minutes list the workers by name.

All motions recorded in the minutes carried by unanimous vote. The meeting was adjourned at 5:12 p.m., and the commission scheduled its next meeting for Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

What the minutes do not specify: the adopted FY2024 budget dollar total and the specific engineering contract amount for CDBG Project CY-CE-PF-23-012; both are noted in the minutes as "not specified" or described only as "not to exceed the stated engineering budget amount."