Despite rising fuel prices and low funding for municipalities, work continues at the St. Clair County Roads Department.

At their regular meeting, the St. Clair County Commission approved a number of projects to get the roads crews going on work throughout the area.

In preparation for a turn lane project in Odenville, the county approved preliminary work to be done to the tune of $5,000 to $8,000. The entire project is a three-way cost split between the state of Alabama, St. Clair County and the city of Odenville. However, the preliminary work to be done will be paid for by Odenville and St. Clair County alone. The county is still waiting for paperwork from ALDOT to be returned in order to start the actual roadwork, but preliminary studies will push the project along. Dahlke estimated the project could be finished within the year.

An arrangement with the city of Riverside to do some hot mix patching on city roads was also approved.

Riverside will pay approximately $5,075, which covers the materials as well as half the labor costs for the project. St. Clair County will pay the other $2,325 in labor costs, bringing the project to a total of $7,400.

The Commission also allowed Dahlke to proceed with sending letters to towns regarding the county’s ability to do contract work for the year.

During a recent work session, Dahlke said he held off on sending the letters, due to the workload they would put on his crews, as well as the rising cost of materials to the cities.

Percentages that the cities will pay for materials and labor will stay the same, but Dahlke warned that fuel, equipment and material costs will increase, bringing a higher price tag for municipalities.

Surveying arrangements for 100 of the county’s elevation certificates for the budget year were also made. The work will be split between local surveyors as well as two from Birmingham who have previously worked for the county. The county will pay $25 per packet for a total of $2,500 for the project.

After the EMA recived a grant for equipment to move pallets, Dahlke said he’s preparing to get estimates on a skid steer loader with a fork attachment. The equipment, secured through a Homeland Security grant, is required to allow EMA to load and unload pallets of supplies in the event of a disaster. In the meantime, the loader will be stored in the road department’s shop and used, with the understanding that any work EMA needs done with it will take precedence.

Dahlke also revealed that the specifications for the Ragland tennis courts are being gathered, and should be ready to send out for bids within the next week or so.

In other actions:

— Emergency sick leave was approved for Marcy Ledbetter, who works in central dispatch. The council however did not approve emergency sick leave for Michael Lipford of the maintenance department, who had already returned to work prior to asking for emergency sick leave.

— Payment of an invoice from Town and county Ford for $19.91 was approved. The sheriff’s department failed to request a purchase order for the work done.

— Sheriff Terry Surles was approved to request volunteer assistance from Southern Baptist Relief Team to remove three or four dead trees from the training center property. The work will be performed at no cost.

— Hiring of Amy Anthony into a vacant part-time Driver I position for Public Transportation was approved, contingent upon Anthony completing her CDL licensing within 90 days. Anthony has already passed the written portion of the exam and is waiting to road test.

— Public Transportation Director Terry Rowe was approved to take three drivers, as well as himself, to the 2011 Bus Rode in Guntersville later this month. The expense is reimbursable through grant funds and provides training for the drivers.

— A change order for $5,066 was approved for the Ashville Courthouse renovation project. Commissioner Paul Manning mentioned that the sod on the lawn is almost ready to go down, which would signal near completion of the project.