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By ZACHARY SEIFTER/ Staff Writer

 

The Chilton County Commission passed a resolution to authorize Commission Chairman Joseph Parnell to negotiate contracts for pieces of land that the commission is interested in buying during its June 22 meeting.

The resolution passed by a 6-1 vote. Parnell and Commissioners Jimmie Hardee, Darrell Bone, Matthew Mims, Joe Headley and Randell Kelley voted in favor of the resolution. Commissioner Allen Williams voted against the resolution.

While the resolution gives Parnell the power to negotiate contracts for land purchases on behalf of the commission, Parnell must put together a committee consisting of two other commissioners to help review any negotiations and proposals.

Should any proposals be made, Parnell will take them back to the commission to be voted on.

The different properties that Parnell would negotiate for are “for and in connection to the Alabama Farm Center,” Mims said during the meeting. There is also a piece of land that the commission is interested in off Interstate 65, Exit 200. That piece of land would be purchased for the purpose of following through with the Industrial Development Authority’s wastewater project.

However, that property would not be immediately bought by the commission, according to Parnell. That piece of land would be optioned, giving the commission six months to negotiate a price for the land before deciding whether to buy it or not.

Also discussed at the meeting was a resolution to allow the Chilton County Courthouse to observe the Juneteenth holiday on July 2. The courthouse was open on June 19 as Governor Kay Ivey passed the executive order declaring Juneteenth a state holiday less than 24 hours before the day, and the commission felt that closing the courthouse on such short notice was unwise.

A motion was made but it died for lack of a second.

Members of the commission felt it was not smart to give the holiday after the date had passed, especially since it would cost the county thousands of dollars to give the holiday, as it was not budgeted for.

The commission scheduled a work session for June 29 at 6:00 p.m. in the commission chambers at the courthouse before its next regularly scheduled meeting on July 13.