Houston County Commission Sets October 13 Agenda, Hears Storm Preparations
HOUSTON COUNTY : The Houston County Commission held its administrative meeting this morning to set the agenda for the Oct. 13 commission meeting. Chairman Brandon Shoupe, District 2 Commissioner Tracy Adams and District 4 Commissioner James Ivey were in attendance.
Four items will go before the commission on Oct. 13:
A request from ACCA to approve a revised joint county bid for herbicides
A request to reject all bids for the Cottonwood Ballpark concession stand project due to funding restrictions
A request to approve the final plat for the Martin Farm subdivision in Rehoboth
A request to add a $20,000 appropriation for the Houston County Rescue Squad and approve a county budget amendment
Storm Preparations
Houston County Emergency Management Agency Director Mark Powell updated commissioners on the approaching tropical system, stressing the importance of being prepared.
The system is now officially a hurricane and is expected to be a Category 2 storm at landfall. The worst weather is expected late Friday through Saturday. Houston County is under a tropical storm warning, and tropical-storm-force winds could arrive as early as 7 p.m. Friday.
Powell said the biggest concerns are damaging winds, an unexpected tornado threat and possible flooding. Tornadic activity is often more frequent on the east side of a storm, he noted, and tropical systems are extremely unpredictable.
Residents who haven’t yet downloaded the Houston County EMA app are urged to do so now.
Four to five area churches will open later today as shelters for people who are not comfortable staying in mobile homes.
Rescue Unit Funding Discussion
Members of the Houston County Rescue Unit attended the meeting. Shoupe stressed the need for better communication among all parties, saying misunderstandings and misinformation have been a problem. He suggested the unit seek support from other counties that have also used its services.
Chris Ball, board president of the rescue unit, said expenses increase each year, and outside funding is limited. He said the unit has applied for grants, but many do not apply because the unit is not classified as a first responder agency.
Adams said the county should treat the unit as a first responder in the future and made a motion to increase the appropriation to $25,000.
Ivey raised concerns, voiced in recent newspaper responses, about the unit’s vehicle being used for personal purposes. Ball said the unit is fully operational and stocked for rescues, and that members respond immediately when the phone rings. He added that he pays for the vehicle’s fuel out of his own pocket.
Ball also stressed that the unit does more than diving. Members help clear trees from roads and are ready to respond to any emergency during this weekend’s severe weather.
The commission will meet on October 13th at 10 AM.
