A trio of measures aimed at facilitating ongoing expansion work at the county jail was approved this week by the Limestone County Commission, including the removal of a pricing bottleneck that offers commission chairman Collin Daly increased flexibility in expediting project change orders.

At its regular meeting Monday, April 7, commissioners unanimously agreed to increase to $10,000 the cost threshold for change orders associated with the current jail project, a move aimed at allowing on-site work to more nimbly adjust to minor changes without requiring approval before the full commission at its bimonthly regular meetings.

The commission also approved a $4,635 agreement with Athens-based Morell Engineering that facilitates the testing of structural materials to be used in the work. Separately, the commission also approved an allowance authorization form in the amount of $10,163 — a figure that slightly exceeds the increased $10,000 change order threshold — for two new exhaust fans at the jail.

In other business at its regular meeting, the commission:

— Recognized county communications staff with a proclamation and presentation as part of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

— Approved the awarding of a Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) technology and equipment grant for the 2024 fiscal year in the amount of $425,000.00. COPS is a federal public safety program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice.

— Approved a cooperative agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) aimed at reducing the amount of litter and illegal trash dumping at specific sites at the Wheeler Reservoir.

— Approved the county’s road paving schedule for the upcoming 2025 paving season.

— Approved an agreement affirming the county’s participation in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) — an employment placement program administered by the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) — for the 2024 fiscal year.

— Approved a contract with TARCOG to maintain the county’s ongoing participation in the Alabama State Health Insurance Program (SHIP).

— Approved an agreement with the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts to conduct a county-level audit of federal assistance funds.

— Agreed to approach the office of the Alabama Attorney General to request clarifying opinions on a pair of current county practices related to the provision of livestock burial services and grave excavations at county cemeteries. Because the measure did not originally appear on the meeting agenda, its agenda addition and subsequent approval required a suspension of the rules of procedure, which passed unanimously via a roll-call vote.

— Approved merit increases for 16 current county employees.

— Approved the following personnel measures:

Promotion — Dustin Baucom from Corrections Officer to Corrections Corporal, effective April 7, 2025.

Transfer — Kenneth Andrews, Jr. from Sheriff Sergeant (Patrol) to Deputy Assigned to Investigations, effective April 14, 2025.

Medical unpaid leave — Taylor Long, retroactive to have taken effect on April 2, 2025.

New hire — Monica Hodges as Senior Center Aide for the Limestone County Council on Aging, pending successful completion of a drug screen, with a hiring date to be determined.

New hire — Julie McCurry as a Help Desk Clerk, effective April 8, 2025.

Promotion — Suzanne Duggar from Help Desk Clerk to Tag and Title Clerk, effective April 7, 2025.

Promotion — Mollie Peck Hamilton from Tag and Title Clerk to Senior Tag and Title Clerk, effective April 7, 2025.

Promotion — Jennifer Withers from Revenue Clerk to Real Property Appraiser Trainee, effective April 7, 2025.

New hire — Nathan Head as Equipment Operator II for Commission District 3, pending successful completion of a drug screen, effective April 15, 2025.

— Approved the re-subdivision of Lot 236 of Copperfield

Subdivision – Sixth Addition, a minor subdivision containing two lots located in District 2 at 12783 Scott Lane in Madison.

— Approved the Beauchamp Branch Subdivision, a minor subdivision containing two lots located in District 4 at the intersection of New Cut Road and Thompson Road.

— Approved the Justin Landers Subdivision, a minor subdivision containing two lots located in District 1 near the intersection of the north side of Smith Road.

— Approved the sale of two vehicles, each a 2011 Dodge Nitro used by the Appraisal Office, for auction at govdeals.com.

— Approved the removal from inventory of a printer used by the License Division.

— Approved the removal from inventory of a 2023 Dodge Durango used by the sheriff’s office.

— Changed the date of the commission’s first work session and regular meeting in May from Monday, May 5 to Friday, May 2.

— Approved the minutes of the commission’s March 17 regular meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Limestone County Commission will be held Monday, April 21 at the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex in Athens. A public 9 a.m. work session will immediately precede the meeting.