Grants, programs cover all but $116,223
Through different funding programs, the Escambia County (Ala.) Commission spent about $1.7 million on roads in fiscal year 2022-2023 through the Alabama Rebuild program.
Assistant County Engineer Brad Solomon presented the annual report to the commission Monday morning and the board voted to approve the report, which is required to be sent back to the state.
Solomon reported through the County Rebuild Alabama Fund and the Federal Aid Exchange fund, the county spent $116,223 in local funds to complete the projects.
The list of projects included the resurfacing of Upper Creek Road, Damascus Road and Hoomesville Road.
Solomon noted the Upper Creek Road, at a cost of $800,260 involved resurfacing from the Flomaton Town Limits to County Road 6 and was 100 percent complete.
Damascus Road (County Road 69), which was designated as a minor collector, resurfacing from Old Fishpond Road past Smith Creek Road, cost $145,773 with federal exchange money is 90 percent complete with shoulder work left to be done.
The resurfacing of Hoomesville Road (County Road 72) from County Road to 69 to County Road 43, cost $752,938 with Rebuild Alabama funds and is also 90 percent complete.
The three projects repaved 11.10 miles of county roads.
Positions filled
The commisson also voted unanimously to re-elect Raymond Wiggins as chairman of the commission and Larry White as vice chairman for the upcoming year.
The board voted to re-elect the two in December, but a resolution had to be passed Monday to make it official.
In other business Monday, the commission:
- Accepted a bid from HiComp, LLC., for an upgrade to the county’s AS400 computer system. County Clerk-Administrator Ron Cink said with the upgrade, if there was a catastrophic failure in the computer system, the system would be back up and running in an hour with backups located off site.
- Voted to name Sheriff Heath Jackson to replace the remainder of Larry Padgett’s District 1 at large term on the county’s E-911 board, effective Jan. 8. The term expires on Aug. 12, 2026.
Commissioner Steven Dickey said Padgett had approached him about retiring from the position. Dickey also said during research he learned that most counties in Alabama either have the sheriff or a sheriff's office representative on the board. He added that Sheriff Jackson had agreed to serve on the board.
“Larry Padgett has been a dedicated servant to the county over the years,” said Commissioner Larry White. “We’re going to miss him and his great contributions to the county.”
- Was informed by Cink that the commission would need to have a second meeting in January, noting an Alabama Department of Transportation is coming up and the lease on property the county purchased for a new jail was also coming up and the commission needed to take action on both items.
The commission will hold an administrative meeting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the commission chambers to discuss the items. The next scheduled meeting of the commission is set for 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16.
