Slow mail forces county to re-bid signs

Slow mail delivery prompted the Escambia County Commission to seek new bids for road signs after several of the companies who requested bid proposals didn't get the bid specifications until after the deadline.

County Engineer Bill Bridges told the county commission Monday that the bids for the 2021-2022 fiscal year for road signs were mailed, but some took more than three weeks to be delivered.

Bridges said he only felt it was fair to rebid the signs and then received only one bid from Vulcan Signs. Bridges did tell the commission that Vulcan had the bid last year. The commission then voted to accept Vulcan's bid for the current fiscal year.

Bridges also reported that county crews have been working hard to repair roads damaged by the recent flooding. He noted there was heavy damage on Ridge Road, Smith Road and Zion Hill Road that will require installing new drainage pipes. He said the pipes have been ordered and once it's delivered the repairs will begin.

“We're working as fast as we can,” Bridges said.

In other business Monday, the commission:

- Voted to participate in the Industries in Alabama Counties (IAC) investment program to deal with funds the county received through the federal America Rescue Plan.

County Clerk-Administrator Tony Sanks said the county has some funds waiting to be spent and the IAC program has been approved to place those funds in accounts to draw a little more interest until the funds are spent.

- Voted to set the speed limit on Eric Odom Road at 25 mph. Commissioner Scottie Stewart said he had been approached by the residents to get the speed limit posted to slow traffic down, noting it is not posted now. He said the speed limit signs would only affect the paved portions of the road.

- Approved an agreement with the Alabama Department of Corrections for the annual reimbursement to help fund the county's community corrections program. Sanks explained that the county gets reimbursed up to a maximum of $147,942 for each person sentenced to community corrections.

-Heard from Sheriff Heath Jackson who asked the commission to consider passing a resolution in support of the state of Alabama to continue selling and issuing pistol permits.

Jackson said he and other sheriffs expect bills to be introduced in the Alabama Legislature to do away with pistol permits that allow people to carry concealed weapons.

No action was taken, but the commission said it will vote on the resolution at the next commission meeting.

 
 
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