County to purchase new skid steer with EMA grant

Published 10:14 am Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The St. Clair County Commission recently agreed to put funds from old equipment into the purchase of a new skid steer machine.

Recently, a motor grader sold in accordance with the county’s equipment rotation program recently sold at auction for $82,705 more than the auction company’s estimated price.

With the additional funds, County Engineer Dan Dahlke suggested that $25,000 to $30,000 of the excess funds be added to a $20,000 EMA grant for a skid steer vehicle.

The EMA grant is to be applied to equipment that could help unload pallets of supplies in the event of an emergency. The county decided on a skid steer vehicle with fork attachments, so it would be able to be used for other purposes in the county. They had previously discussed buying used equipment, but new equipment would come with a warranty, and can be paid for completely by funds that were not anticipated to be in the budget this year.

Other actions included:

— Bids were awarded to 10-100 Electronics for tactical vests for the sheriff’s department at a cost of $1,300 each.

— A three-year ADEM permit for the Odenville Chirt Pit was purchased at $1,125. The three-year permit costs the same as one-year permits, but reduces the amount of paperwork needed to re-permit each year.

— $1,000 was donated to the Kids’ Catfish Classic at Lakeside Park in Pell City, which is scheduled for June 4. The funds came from the Bingo Fund.

— A $500 donation from the Juvenile Court Services Fund for the American Red Cross of St. Clair County’s Children’s programming and Emergency Services.

— Six patrol cars and two sets of currently installed emergency equipment in the vehicles were declared surplus. The vehicles will be sold to Riverside and Pell City Police Departments.

— In the probate judge’s office, a part-time advanced clerk position was converted to a full-time advanced clerk position, effective next pay period.

— Virgal Looney was approved to fill a vacant Crew Leader position in the roads department, effective April 3.

— Mark Barnard was approved to fill a vacant Road Worker I position in the roads department, effective April 3.