St. Clair County commission approves vehicle auctions, GIS training and sheriff’s digital‑forensics subscriptions

The St. Clair County Commission met Feb. 24 in Pell City and approved a series of routine procurement and administrative measures, voting unanimously among those present to advance road, technology and public‑safety projects.

Chair Pro‑Tem Ricky Parker declared a quorum at 9:09 a.m. The commissioners present — Jeff Brown (District One), Ricky Parker (District Two, acting as chairman pro‑tem), Joey Stevens (District Three) and Bob Mize (District Four) — approved the meeting agenda and minutes before taking up reports and new business.

Why it matters: The actions move several capital and operational items toward procurement or implementation, including fleet disposition and planning for highway work, county GIS improvements and expanded digital‑forensics capabilities for the Sheriff’s Office. Most votes were recorded as “with all voting aye.”

Key approvals and next steps

- Fleet auction: The commission approved an agreement with JM Wood Auction Company to list six Mack dump trucks for auction (options: March 17, 2026, or June 16–18, 2026) under a gross guarantee of $1,290,000. The approval authorizes staff to execute the agreement included in the meeting attachments.

- Road‑project planning: Commissioners approved seeking an engineering consultant to redesign the Saine Road/Argo‑Margaret Road intersection and recorded Phase I planning work on US Highway 411 under a BUILD grant application (Park Avenue to Saine Road) as an informational item.

- GIS training and support: The commission approved an ESRI proposal for up to 54 hours onsite training and up to 62 hours of remote support for linear referencing in the county’s GIS at a cost of $32,762.00.

- Facilities and contracts: The commission authorized letting bids for a road‑department equipment building and approved clearing City of Ashville property for a possible building site. It also approved two service/connected‑building agreements for the jail presented by Jason Goodgame; those Trane contracts require a budget amendment and are pending County Attorney review.

- Sheriff’s Office technology: The commission approved requests originating from the Sheriff’s Office to let bids for a 3‑D laser scanner and to purchase digital‑forensics tools. It approved a Berla software license at $4,250 per year and a Carahsoft/Cellebrite Premium (SaaS) subscription at $36,927.24 per year (the Cellebrite subscription is procured through the OMNIA cooperative); both approvals were pending County Attorney review.

- Interagency MOU: The commission approved a memorandum of understanding with JBS (Jefferson Blount St. Clair) to participate in the Stepping‑Up program, pending review by the County Attorney.

Other business

The commission also approved a letter of support for the City of Margaret’s T‑Mobile Hometown grant to fund walking‑track, pavilion and drainage improvements; authorized payment of an HD Supply invoice for $266.57 without a purchase order at the request of Public Transportation Director Janet Smith; approved surplus and disposal of two Reappraisal Fund items; approved a customer agreement and easement permit with Alabama Power for ten RV hookups at the arena ($1,468.99); authorized a $6,000 advertising contract with Stocks Broadcasting, Inc. (The River 94.1 FM); approved listed travel requests; and approved payment of monthly bills (except those questioned before close of business).

Votes at a glance

All recorded motions passed with unanimous support among the four commissioners present; Chairman Stanley D. Batemon was absent. Specific dollar amounts recorded in the meeting included the JM Wood guarantee ($1,290,000.00), ESRI training ($32,762.00), Trane contract year amounts as presented in the minutes, Berla ($4,250.00/year), and Carahsoft/Cellebrite ($36,927.24/year). Several approvals were noted as pending County Attorney review.

What’s next

The commission’s minutes record the subdivision regulations item as tabled to the work session on Thursday, March 5; most other approvals require staff follow‑up, vendor agreements and any required budget amendments. The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:30 a.m.