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$150K to be allocated for jail sewer system repairs
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In addition to approving raises for the Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office, the Board of Commissioners took care of several other items of business at Tuesday’s meeting.

Chairman Keith Ellis promised Sheriff Ezell Brown that he would allocate $150,000 from public works to fix the sewer system in the jail.

The Board voted to pursue abandonment proceedings for Old Alvocy Trestle Road.

Commissioners gave the transportation department the go ahead to open the bid process for a new asphalt spreader, and to apply for Surface Transportation Program grants to cover four road projects.

If approved, the grants would require a 20 percent match from the county, which would come out of 2011 SPLOST funds.
The projects include the Crowell Road and Access Road intersection, a $5 million improvement process requiring $1 million from the county; the replacement of the Brown Bridge Road Bridge over Yellow River, a $4.8 million project requiring a $985,000 match from the county; the replacement of the Brown Bridge Road Bridge over Snapping Shoals Creek, a $3.8 million project requiring $756,000 in matching funds from the county; and the Brown Bridge Road Corridor study, a $150,000 project requiring a $30,000 match from the county.

The board tabled a request from the transportation department to amend the purchasing policy to address procurements under the Federal Aide Highway Program funds through FHWA grants.

County Attorney Tommy Craig also reported to the board about the county’s recent legal victory with the state Department of Audits, led by Craig’s firm, attorney Buddy Welch, and the Newton County Board of Education. The ruling saved the county and the Board of Education hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The consent agenda included the approval of Amanda Mullinax as an independent contractor for Juvenile Court; an MOU with the City of Oxford to resurface Cindy Court and Coke Street; the approval of an agreement with Election Systems and Software; and the appointment of Apryle Jones to ViewPoint Health Board; as well as minutes of several meetings.