Three businesses were approved for alcohol licenses by the Chilton County Commission following a public hearing on Jan. 8.

Dollar General stores in Verbena and Montevallo will now sell alcohol, as well as The Barking Frog in Maplesville.

Although the licenses were approved, it was not a unanimous decision, as commissioner Jimmie Hardee opposed.

During the public comments portion of the Commission meeting, Rita Smith of Maplesville came up to the podium to discuss the possibility of the county repairing County Road 751.

According to Smith, she is one of 10 families that live along the dirt road. It is difficult for emergency vehicles to get down the road due to recent rains having washed away much of the dirt.

Commission Chairman Joseph Parnell informed her that it would be an ethics violation to use county equipment on a private dirt road that is not county-maintained.

“I’m very apologetic for that,” Parnell said.

According to Parnell, the county is roughly $60-100 million behind in road management.

There is no sales tax in the county.

“We have had numerous people come in with your same situation, but our hands are tied,” Hardee said.

In other news from the meeting:

• EMA Director Derrick Wright and Commissioner Allen Caton will partner up to look into the durability problems that recently built storm shelters in the county have had.
• A road department line item transfer of $1,712.15 was approved from road building materials and supplies to matching funds SWA.
• A road department line item transfer for gasoline of $5,000 from R&M Construction Equipment to miscellaneous supplies.
• The Commission approved County Engineer Tony Wearren’s recommendation of the final plat of the River View subdivision. It is a single-family development of six lots located off County Road 48 and is being developed by Wayne Hall of Jemison.
• Permission was granted to the road department to advertise and hire a truck driver to fill the position following Jerry Moates’ retirement effective Feb. 28.
• The Commission accepted the resignation of road department truck driver Rusty Merrill and will advertise and hire a truck driver to fill the vacancy.
• The Commission approved Wearren’s request to enact a right-of-way utility permit program with a fee of $1 per linear foot for utility work.
• The Commission set up a meeting with IDB Director Whitney Barlow on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. to talk about economic development.
• The contract of part-time accountant Terry Sims was extended for another year.
• It was approved to use county maintenance employees to install new floor in the probate office. It will cost about $500 for the purchase of materials.
• The commission approved the minutes from the Dec. 11 meeting.
• The commission approved to pay its bills.