Cherokee County commissioners approve two hires and discuss road work costs

Vice Chair Lorie Johnson called the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners to order at 9:00 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2024. The board unanimously approved minutes from its Sept. 16 meeting, then approved two personnel hires: Curtis Swartz as Utility/Operator 1 at $16 per hour, effective Sept. 23, 2024; and Desira Hutching as a janitor at $14 per hour, effective Oct. 6, 2024. Both motions were seconded and passed unanimously.

Road and Bridge Supervisor Cody Zook briefed the board on recent pavement work and maintenance plans. Zook said the department "rolled a lot of asphalt the previous week," described inconsistent invoicing from a vendor named Bettis, and compared contractor costs: the transcript reports one mile done by Teeters at $142,373 with prep work bringing an additional $14,693.60 and another mile done for $19,500. Zook also said the department purchased four 55-gallon barrels each of white and yellow paint at $90.30 per barrel (donated paint with only barrel and freight costs), reserving one white barrel for the Rainbow Bridge, and outlined approaches to mowing and weed control.

The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn passed unanimously. No formal votes beyond these hires and routine minutes approval were recorded in the transcript.