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The Chilton County Commission authorized chairman Joseph Parnell to devise and send a letter to the Central Alabama Partnership for Training and Employment (CAPTE) board informing the organization of Chilton County’s plans to pull out from being under Jefferson County and use another group as a fiscal agent.

According to Parnell, the plan is for Chilton County will begin using Ed Casteel, who is with the Alabama Department of Commerce, as a fiscal agent moving forward.

Chilton County has been one of six counties that make up the CAPTE board, but is not the only county seeking a better outlet.

“Shelby County has been trying to break this thing up for years,” Parnell said.

According to the Jefferson County website, CAPTE focuses on providing employment assistance, training assistance and job opportunities for those that need help within the six-county region.

However, Chilton County’s reasoning for leaving is that they have not been seeing the benefits that were the intended goal of the partnership.

“It’s just not working,” Parnell said. “We had long meetings, but never got down to doing any work.”

Parnell had attended a lot of meetings in the past as a previous board member representing the county.

Chilton County IDA Director Whitney Barlow said that the CAPTE board will still exist, but the Department of Commerce will now administer the funds.

In other news from the meeting:

• The Commission thanked the county’s road, police and emergency departments for their efforts in helping respond to situations brought about by the severe weather last weekend. According to Parnell, about 20 trees were down in the county with power lines tied up in some of them.
• A resolution passed to allow Chilton County EMA to receive and award a bid of $30,504.84 to Information Transport Solutions for interactive displays.
• The Sheriff’s Office received permission to solicit bids for jail roof assessment and repair and safety fencing construction, which will add to the current fence and not go toward a new one. The bids would be paid through the jail maintenance budget.
• The Sheriff’s Office received permission to pay Williams & Associates $4,910.76 for plumbing supplies. It will come out of the jail maintenance fund.
• The Commission approved the Sheriff’s Office to pay ServiceSouth Laundry Equipment $567.34 for repairs to a dryer. Sheriff John Shearon informed the Commission that the dryer is about 10 years old and is constantly giving problems, so the group gave him permission to get prices of new dryers.
• Route 6 Trading Post LLC in Lawley was given permission to advertise public notice for an alcohol license. Commissioner Jimmie Hardee opposed.
• The Commission meeting for Feb. 11 was re-scheduled for Feb. 10 due to it coinciding with the special election of the renewal of the existing education tax. It will still start at 6 p.m. and be preceded with a work session beginning at 5 p.m.
• The Commission asked the public to keep Commissioner Greg Moore in its thoughts and prayers as he continues to bounce back after a lengthy stint in the hospital.
• The Commission approved the minutes from the Dec. 10 meeting.
• The Commission approved to pay its bills.