GRANT PROVIDES NEW LIGHTING AROUND COURTHOUSE - County Commission Action

(08/18/2009)
The Calhoun Commission has received a $17,140 grant for courthouse security which will improve lighting around the building.

The lighting project calls for eight 16 foot poles with lights to be erected around the building, among other fixtures.

The commission, at Monday's meeting, approved $14,000 from the county's Worthless Check Fund, to be used to pay for an audit required by the state on the magistrate court.

The commission will be working on completing an audit of county property.

Kathy Wood, E-911 and OES Director, said she is looking at securing a site for a new radio tower, about 190 feet tall, in northern Calhoun, after the landowner decided not to continue to lease a site near Broomstick.

The county's 911 Advisory Board has made the improvement of radio communications a first priority during 2009.

The commission voted unanimously to dissolve the Tower Fund, long managed by the county's fire departments, and all monies be returned to the agencies that have contributed to it.

The commission is looking at grant prospects to improve handicap access to the building, after failing to receive funding for an elevator for many years, the elevator costs have increased during the past ten years from about $175,000 to about $600,000.

Grant money is being requested to help improved access at the county's polling sites.

The county will partner with a Calhoun Middle-High School project that enlists students to build a website for the county.

Danielle Stevens from the County Clerk's office gave a report on the success of the summer work program which hired about 60 county youth, and the Big Blue Dream group's effort to bring a public swimming pool back to the county.

The next scheduled meeting of the commission is September 14 at 9 a.m.

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