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April 26, 2009

County hears from contractor on finished construction projects; makes tax collection decision

By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Now that all work has been completed, Cherokee County commissioners will meet with representatives from Garrett & Associates to hear the final report on construction projects in Rusk and Alto.

Last year the county decided to pursue two capital-improvement projects — the construction of a new evidence room at the Cherokee County Jail and the conversion of the drive-through at the justice of the peace’s office in Alto into a courtroom.

A third planned project, the renovation of the old Jacksonville police station, was scrapped before work began when the county was able to acquire other buildings in town which better suited their needs.

Chief Investigator Chris White of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department said the construction, which added a new wing to the jail building, created three new offices and an interrogation room, and more than doubled the department’s evidence storage space.

“This was a much needed renovation; we had desks on top of desks in some rooms up here,” White said. “We had four investigators sharing one office, and that can really reduce the efficiency of the investigators at times.”

CCSD is required to store evidence from all of its active cases, and White estimates items are currently being held in somewhere between 3,500 and 5,000 criminal cases.

Meanwhile in Alto, Justice of the Peace Teresa Phifer’s pre-construction office was in such need of a courtroom that she often was forced to hold court in the lobby of her building. For larger cases she had to reserve a courtroom at the county courthouse in Rusk.

Judge Phifer was unavailable for comment Friday.

The commissioners are also expected to take action Monday on a proposition to have the Cherokee County Appraisal District begin collecting taxes for the county. CCAD already collects taxes for 11 other entities in the county.

Proponents of moving collections from the county’s tax department to the appraisal district say it will save the county roughly $30,000 a year, but public response to the request has been decidedly negative.

Precinct 4 and the Cherokee County Airport have been in discussions the last two weeks regarding a possible equipment transfer, and action is anticipated at the Monday meeting. The precinct was planning to auction off its unneeded tractor and mower, but upon learning that Airport Coordinator Clint Goff was in need of those items, Commissioner Byron Underwood offered to sell them to him for $15,000.

The airport has $25,000 budgeted this year towards the upkeep of the grounds, leaving Goff with $10,000 to purchase a riding lawnmower.

Other agenda items include:

• considering laying utility lines in each precinct;

• the monthly report from Lynn Kelley, constable for Precinct 1;

• the monthly report from Jack White, constable for Precinct 2;

• the monthly report from Eddie Lee, constable for Precinct 3;

• acceptance of public records classes for Chris Davis, county judge;

• approval for the sheriff’s department to take bids to purchase a used car;

• approval for the Rusk Chamber of Commerce to use the courthouse lawn for the Fair on the Square, May 23;

• approval of an interlocal agreement between Precinct 1 and Henry Cemetery to replace a culvert at the cemetery entrance;

• considering bids received for seal coat work in all four precincts; and

• paying the bills.

The Cherokee County Commissioner’s Court regularly meets at 10 a.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month, at the county courthouse. The public is invited to attend all meetings.

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