The Rotary Club of Covington will help build out a park behind the Newton County Administrative Building.
The Board of Commissioners (BOC) approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Rotary club at the Newton County Historic Courthouse Tuesday night. The MOU states that the rotary club will provide benches and pavers at the new park.
“This agreement simply is recognizing that donation as well as indicating what will happen to the benches as well as the logo they will be placing in the center,” said Lloyd Kerr, Newton County Interim County Manager.
The park was built out on land previously unused behind the Newton County Administrative Building with trees from another project, and grading and leveling was provided by the Newton County Public Works department.
County issuing more permits
Kerr reported that the county has received almost double the amounts of permits at this point in the year than it had during the same period last year. In 2015, the county issued $387,000 worth of permits worth $16 million in investment. In the same time period this year, the county issued $618,000 worth of permits for $29 million worth of investment.
“We had one of the best months we have had in a number of years,” Kerr said. “In the single-family permit section we are increasing by quite a bit and in our residential development.
Ellis breaks tie on Harbin vote
The BOC voted down a Pro Forma, a standard form concerning work on the county’s waste management stream, with Harbin Engineering thanks to the tie-breaking vote of Chair Keith Ellis.
Ellis voted against a motion that would have approved Harbin’s Pro Forma not to exceed $20,000. District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson and District 2 Commissioner Lanier Sims voted against the Pro Forma, while District 5 Commissioner Levie Maddox and District 3 Commissioner Nancy Schulz voted for it.
After breaking the tie, Ellis requested that Harbin Engineering keep the contract under a $15,000 maximum, rather than $20,000.
Library board appointees
The BOC appointed two new members to the Newton County Library Board Tuesday, with both members being approved unanimously during the consent agenda portion of the meeting.
District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson, appointed his son Anthony Henderson, and District 2 Commissioner Lanier Sims appointed Juanita Stevens, a teacher at Oak Hill Elementary School.
