Local
A2 | Holmes County Times-Advertiser
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
fema from page A1 getting funded at all.” Commissioner David Whitaker said he had spoke with the Director of Chipola Work Force and said there is additional manpower and funding to help with just that. Stafford agreed to look into the Chipola Work Force and the Board approved of giving Stafford the authority to head the FEMA project. The board approved of the resolution stating the Holmes County Board of County Commissioners was in support of Walton County’s RESTORE Act, which was presented to the Board at the last meeting. “They were wanting us to join forces with them before, but we didn’t have the chance to review it fully,” Chairman Monty Merchant said. During the last Board of County Commissioners’ meeting, Larry Jones and Billy McKee with Walton County presented a resolution to the Board stating the Board was in support of Walton’s upcoming RE-
bonifay from page A1
STORE Act Project. “We’re working on two projects pertaining to the RESTORE Act,” Jones said. “The first is an inventory of all unpaved roads that would affect the Choctawhatchee River water shed with sediment. So far we’ve got over 800 listed in Holmes, Washington and Walton counties.” Jones said the second project was a study on bank erosion. “These studies are just the first step in getting grants to pave these roads, so that sedimentation off of these roads can be greatly reduced,” he said. “We’re moving on with the studies, and this resolution is just saying that Holmes County supports our project.” County Attorney Jeff Goodman advised the board that this was an ideal opportunity. “These restoration claims go all the way up to Washington,” Goodman said. “We’re talking billions, not millions, of dollars in funding.”
County Engineer Cliff Knauer added the studies would help them in future grant pursuits as well. Goodman requested the new Garbage Franchise Agreement be tabled until the next meeting. “The one that was given to you is the first draft, not the final draft,” Goodman said. “There’s only very few changes between the first and last, but I just want to make sure you’re signing the right agreement.” Goodman gave an update on the Holmes County Fair Board. “I had a conversation with Clint Erickson, and he has informed me that the Fair Board has agreed to dissolve and has sought counsel with Attorney Lucas Taylor,” Goodman said. “I must admit that at first I was very uneasy to hear they’ve taken counsel with another attorney, but when I heard it was Lucas, I could rest assured knowing they’re in very capable hands. They’ve got a lot to do to dissolve the Fair Board in the proper fashion, but Taylor will be more than able to help them in this transition.” Greg Barton, Director of Emergency Management Services, gave a report on the success of the EMS Collections, saying they were over their projected amount and more successful than surrounding agencies. “We’ve had 1,665 accounts come in,” Barton
said. “Everyone goes to collections now, regardless of being late on payments, as to the approval of the council.” Barton said he was having an issue with the New Hope Fire Station. “We rent it out for the community to hold their family reunions, community functions and fundraisers. However, we’ve got one who wants to come in to train drug and attack dogs,” Barton said. “The main problem is that we don’t have a lease agreement, and this is the first time we’ve encountered something like this.” The board agreed Barton should politely reject the person’s request because of liability and the upcoming hurricane season, which the fire station is also used as an emergency shelter. The board also agreed Goodman should write up a lease agreement. “If you’re going to rent the building out then you must have a lease agreement, otherwise you run into the problem Washington County had with their Agricultural Center, when people were coming in and holding raves there,” Goodman said. “There was extensive damage and drugs left there from these people who preyed on those with weak lease agreements.” Commissioner Bill Parish wanted to stress the State of Emergency has been lifted, and county policies are back in place.
Young said. “We need to be able to renegotiate the contract every five years so that it’s still fresh with those who can remember when the contract renegotiated last. We appreciate all that the city has done, but there’s something that needs to be done about this contract.” Council member Richard Woodham suggested a workshop be held to negotiate the terms of the new contract. The council approved of City Engineer Amir Zafar’s request for a change order that would speed up the progress being made on several streets in Bonifay, which includes Varner and Virginia Avenue. The council also approved of allowing Stantec Engineering Firm to clean up Middlebrooks Park on Sept. 10. The council approved of grant writer Bob Jones putting in an application for a $50,000 grant to fix the water park at Middlebrooks Park. “We’ve got to do something additional to the playground and picnic area to do what we need to do for additional points,” Jones said. “We also need a new recreational committee. The old one has been inactive for so long that it’s considered non-existent.” Mayor Lawrence Cloud agreed to come up with at least two additional members in the next few days
and appointed council member Micah McCormick chairman. City Clerk Jeri Gibson read the First Reading of the city’s Capital Assets Policy, which she indicated was deemed necessary by the city’s auditor. “All purchase of real and personal property with an original cost of $1,000 and an expected life of one year or more shall be designated by the City as a capital asset,” read Gibson. “All purchases of capital assets shall be subject to the purchasing, cash disbursement and procurement procedures currently adopted by the Council at the time of purchase.” Cloud informed the council he and Public Works Supervisor Jack Marell spent hours with a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess 37 different projects throughout the city because of the damage caused by the recent rains. Marell said those individuals wanting to check to see if FEMA would help reimburse or pay for damage caused by the recent excessive rains during the State of Emergency can contact Wanda Stafford at the Emergency Operations Center at 547-5114. The next scheduled meeting of the Bonifay City Council is set for 6 p.m. on Aug. 26.
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