Linville explained that state auditors had not approved the release of more than half the funds until Friday, April 25.
"I didn't want the auditors coming back in a year and telling us the county had to give the money back," said the county mayor.
Senior Citizens Board member Dennis Wolford complimented the mayor on making sure "all the 'i's' were dotted and the 'tee's' were crossed," and thanked the mayor, county commission and Nestle Waters for the generous contribution to the Seniors Building Fund.
Nestles Waters RBS Plant Manager Mark Smidebush accepted the gratitude of the Seniors on behalf of the company.
The funds were from state infrastructure grants awarded when Nestle located in Macon County, but went un-used when Nestle paid 100 percent of the county's match for the grants. Mayor Linville also recognized Polly Donoho of the Upper Cumberland Development District for having arranged for the first $20,000 in "seed money" that was obtained for a future Macon County Senior Citizens Center in 1997.
A total of more than $178,000 is now in the Building Fund. Mayor Linville had noted that commissioners designated $3,500 of the infrastructure grant funds to go toward a deficit in the Senior Citizens Center operating fund when the commissioners first acted on the donation of the monies to the Seniors in August 2006.
"That's why we are presenting two checks, but the two checks total $161,809," explained the county mayor.
COUNTY BEGINS BUDGET DISCUSSIONS MAY 21st
Budget and money issues dominated last Monday night's county commission meeting, with the commissioners agreeing to hold their first Budget Committee meeting in preparation for the 2007-08 budget process at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 21, 90-minutes before the next regular meeting.
THE COUNTY COULD SAVE several thousand dollars on interest by paying on higher interest bearing notes related to school roof projects. County Mayor Shelvy Linville pointed out that a $300,000 "Principal on Note" payment included in a proposed General Purpose School Budget amendment could be used by the county to make an early payment on $700,000 recently borrowed for the Central School roof project.
Linville noted that the RBS Cafeteria bonds were at a 3.64 percent interest rate, and the Central School note was at 4.5 percent. The county would save about $2,000 per year by paying on the higher interest notes first.
Commissioners Bransford and Cothron among others agreed with this reasoning, and on a motion by Cothron, seconded by Ray, the commissioners made an amendment to the budget amendment resolutions and referred them on to the next meeting on May 21.
AN UPDATE on the County Dog Pound committee noted that very little work would be needed for site preparation at a location behind the Speedway at the county fair grounds. Mayor Linville said the county attorney was "checking on everything there is to running a dog pound," and on a motion by Ray, seconded by Gammons, the commission asked the mayor and committee to present figures on the estimated cost of a building and fence at the next meeting.
GUARDRAILS WILL BE INSTALLED on both sides of the roadway on Bottom Road between Driver Road and Claude Fox Road following the receipt of a bid for $7,650 from R&C Construction.
The father of a girl killed in a four-wheeler accident at the site in December had volunteered to pay half of the cost of guardrails at the scene, up to the amount of $6,000. The commissioners agreed to accept the bid and to inform Mr. Windsor (the father) that they would only request he pay half of the cost of the project.
A COUNTY CLEAN UP DAY(S) project moved closer to becoming a reality with Mayor Shelvy Linville reporting that Smith County Mayor Michael Nesbit had agreed to open their landfill on four consecutive Saturdays at an approximate labor cost of $200. Macon Solid Waste Department director Debbie Richardson reported that 95 tons had been collected county-wide four years ago (the last time a county-wide clean up was conducted) and Mayor Linville said they should assume about 100 tons might be collected this time.
An estimate of $10,600 was placed on the total cost of the project, with the last week of May and the first three weeks of June tentatively set as the dates for the clean-up. Five of the county's twenty districts would be included in the Saturday pickups each of the four weeks, and the mayor was authorized to proceed in organizing the Clean Up Weeks project on a motion by Biggs, seconded by Gammons.
THE SCOTTSVILLE ROAD WATER LINE project is nearing final completion, but the contractor is "trying to get out of paying 'liquidated damages' fines of $500 per day for failing to complete the project by the end of January, 2007. A meeting was held recently between the city, county and the contractor, but nothing was resolved and County Mayor Linville said more meetings were scheduled and that the matter will probably "end up in court."
COUNTY CODES enforcement officer Bill Rogers reported issuing 12 building permits between March 21 and April 17, and a total of $87,422 in county impact fees have been collected between January 1 and April 17.
Commissioners will meet for their regular meeting on Monday, May 21 at 7 p.m., with a Budget Committee meeting scheduled for 5:30 that same evening. Budget committee members are: Mayor Linville, commissioners Biggs, Hesson, Looper, Bransford, Cothron, Malo, Tucker, East, Gammons and Doss. The meetings are open to the public and will be held in the main courtroom upstairs in the Macon County Courthouse.
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