Busy housekeeping duties for Commission

The February meeting of the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners took place Monday, February 19, at 6 p.m. in the Board Room of the Coleman County Office Building. Commissioners Oliver, Sherrod and Thompson were present, along with Chairman Hugh Foskey who called the meeting to order and welcomed guests which included political hopefuls for two commission seats up for grabs this year. Following an Invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, a motion was offered to accept the minutes of the January regular meeting and a workshop meeting of February 13. The motion was approved. No issues for consideration were scheduled for the public comment section or for old business. Under new business, the first agenda item dealt with temporary office space which will be required during the renovation of the current county office building. Administrator Singletary provided the commissioners with an update on the search for suitable office space. After considering several proposals, the former offices of the Chamber of Commerce represented the most favorable option for temporarily housing County office operations. A motion was offered and passed to contract for the temporary rental of the offices. In the next action under new business, the commission discussed the need for equipment lifecycle replacement. Bids requested for the purchase of a new Backhoe were considered from Caterpillar and John Deere and were within four hundred dollars of each other. However, the delivery time for the John Deere was immediate compared to delays of several months for the Caterpillar. A motion to purchase the John Deere Backhoe for $141,719 was offered and unanimously approved. The next three items considered under new business involved revisions and updates to county policy regarding employee travel policy, financial and purchasing policies and the storage of vital records. All of these issues were related to modifications required in adjustment to changes in State and Federal mandates regarding financial, legal and employment policy. The commissioners indicated their approval to adopt the updated detailed provisions to provide the required compliance as well as the continued fiscal probity of the County. At the conclusion of the meeting, Chairman Foskey expressed the regret but also the good wishes and appreciation of the commissioners upon hearing of the resignation of County Clerk Stacy Scarboro. Ms. Scarboro has been a valued asset to Emanuel County government and will be missed by all. A motion to adjourn was then passed and the February meeting concluded.