Houston County finalizes purchase of Five Star building

Commission Chairman Mark Culver said the estimated time frame to get the work done and everything moved in is less than a year. He said he hoped to be in by February or March of 2022.

The first step in the moving process was presented today. Commissioners moved a request to Tuesday’s commission meeting agenda, which is an agreement with Poly, Inc. to design a new fiber loop to serve the future sheriff’s office.

Culver explained this fiber loop will connect the new sheriff’s office building to the current network being used to link other law enforcement facilities together. This agreement will allow Poly, Inc. to draw up the design and then the commission can move forward with bidding the design out.

The new fiber will be updated to 10 gigabit from the current one gigabit. The project is estimated to cost between $300,000 and $500,000.

The commission also heard the first privilege of the floor speaker since adopting new policies requiring an application done before the meeting by the speaker which has to be approved by the commission.

Kevin Blake proposed a pro-Second Amendment resolution which would recognize Houston County as a Second Amendment sanctuary county, which Blake believes would set a good example to other counties across the state and help “safeguard the gun rights of Alabamians across the state.”

The commission did not offer any discussion on this resolution.

Other items moving forward to Tuesday’s agenda are:

Proclamation for Small Business Week by Hayden Camp, director of membership for the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce.

Request to award ACCA Joint County Supplemental metal pipe bid.

Request to approve emergency expenditure from the Capital Replacement Fund for repairs at the Road and Bridge Department shop.

Request to award a bid to replace a tray washer and exit table at the jail to the lowest bidder meeting specifications.