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Holmes County commissioners approve $5,000 reimbursement to help Meals on Wheels facility
Summary
After public testimony from the Holmes Council on Aging, the Board of County Commissioners voted to reimburse roughly $5,000 in building permit fees to support the nonprofit’s new Meals on Wheels facility, funding to come from board contingencies amid legal questions about fee waivers.
The Holmes County Board of County Commissioners voted to reimburse about $5,000 in building permit fees for the Holmes Council on Aging so the nonprofit can apply the funds toward a replacement freezer for its Meals on Wheels program.
The request was raised during public comment by Donna Melvin, president of the Holmes Council on Aging, and Michael Brown, the organization’s executive director. Melvin said the council serves more than 130 in-home meal clients, employs staff and volunteers, and is remodeling a county-owned building. "That $5,000 could go towards, a new freezer," Melvin said, urging the board to waive or otherwise relieve permit costs so grant and donation dollars could be used for equipment.
County Attorney (speaker 7) told the board he had reviewed the legal issue and cited a statute he said limits the county’s ability to waive permit fees: "I was given a statute ... that says we can't waive fees," the attorney said, noting the county building official also believed the fees could not simply be waived. Commissioners discussed alternatives including reimbursing fees from contingency funds or repaying a contractor if the county previously paid a similar fee.
After discussion and statements of support from multiple commissioners, a motion was made to reimburse the $5,000 from board contingencies and to authorize the necessary accounting actions to cover the fee. The motion was seconded and the board approved it.
Michael Brown thanked the board and said the reimbursement would help the Council on Aging complete the remodel and better serve seniors; staff were directed to coordinate the paperwork. Melvin also announced the council’s annual senior expo on May 8 at Gully Springs Church.
The payment was described in the meeting as a reimbursement from board contingency funds rather than a formal waiver of fees; staff and the county attorney will follow up to ensure the payment method complies with legal requirements and prior precedent.
