County Commissioners Renovate Clerk’s Office
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – The Houston County Commissioners Court met Tuesday, May 9 to plan renovations to the county clerk’s office in the downtown Crockett courthouse and debated the purchase of a backup vehicle for the Emergency Management office.
The commissioners began the meeting with County Clerk Terri Meadows thanking Houston County Auditor Melissa Jeter and her staff for getting payroll and other county business done after the recent storms, in spite of having no electricity and no internet connection. Houston County Judge Jim Lovell thanked those who attended the annual county picnic, saying he was proud of the generosity by those in the county who donated door prizes, noting there were more prizes than people present at the picnic.
The commissioners received information on a report the county must provide to the government concerning their use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds after the recent pandemic. Jeter shared with the commissioners how many and how detailed the reports must be but said the county benefitted greatly from the use of the funds, including paying for roads, repeaters for first responders, renovating the old county jail along with the purchase of heavy road and bridge equipment. Jeter noted usually the commissioners had to rent the equipment, but now with purchased equipment that should last 20 years, the county would save money and time in the long run.
The commissioners approved a measure to purchase additional external defibrillators for county offices, with Emergency Management Director Heath Murff noting there were no such devices on certain floors of the courthouse and at the new offices for Justice of the Peace Precinct Two Ronnie Jordan. Lovell asked Murff to make sure county officials were trained in the use of the machines, with Murff noting their use is explained at each location, but promising to organize training just in case.
A number of improvements were approved to renovate the offices in the courthouse to be occupied by the county clerk and for record-keeping purposes. These included chairs, wood work and painting. Commissioner Gene Stokes noted while he was doing an inspection of the area, he found a sticker with a Crockett Bulldog sticker from 1953, highlighting the need to update the area.
Murff requested the purchase of a 3/4 ton pickup as a backup truck to be used in the case of emergencies, telling the court his current vehicle could be used as the backup while he could occupy the new vehicle. Commissioner Willie Kitchen questioned the need for such a purchase, telling Murff the county must be careful with its funds and left the decision to Murff. The commissioners agreed to look for a vehicle through the county purchasing program and debate the issue at a later date after costs could be compared.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
