Thursday night’s regularly scheduled meeting and work session of the Dade County Commission was more of a preview of things to come in the near future, as well as addressing more of the county’s immediate needs.
In the advance work session, County Executive Don Townsend said it was due time for an update to Dade County’s IT system, noting the current format doesn’t interact with many of the new AI based computer applications. To cost effectively upgrade the entire system for all the 90+ work stations, the board approved a $100,000 capital equipment outlay from SPLOST funds.
District 1 Commissioner Bill Pullen said he wasn’t asking for money today, but will likely soon will be, stating the county’s fleet of 5 ambulances is down to 3 that are currently operable and that 4 of the vehicles have odometers greater than 200,00 miles each. Pullen said the commission should expect the basic chassis package for a new ambulance to cost the county approximately $250,000 per vehicle, while forecasting orders for ambulances take months for fulfillment.
District 2 Commissioner Philip Hartline relayed his recent ambulance call and was impressed with a 12 minute response time from his phone call, to the Dade County EMS crew in his driveway. Hartline says he ultimately decided to use a personal vehicle instead and asked the community to do the same unless they truly need medical transport.
Dr. Pullen also suggested investigating more grant funding to improve the county’s roads to coincide with the upcoming Interstate 24 repaving project, which is slated to begin in April.
Pullen says a recent District 1 road tour with Public Works Director Billy Massengale revealed the need to widen some roadways, as well as overdue maintenance repairs. Pullen also noted the county’s recent $2,500 purchase of road signs to replenish those recently stolen.
Staying on the transportation theme, County Executive Don Townsend said he wanted to wait until the last of freezing temperatures before considering the reinstallation of road reflectors across Dade County, many of which were compromised over the winter months.
Townsend says besides replacing current reflectors lost, they hope to begin applying them to roadways on both Sand and Lookout Mountain as warmer temperatures arrive.
Townsend also updated the board that Dade County’s soon to be new Election Building Plan is nearly complete and almost ready for the bid proposal process.
But one construction plan with less certainty is the proposed joint animal control facility for Trenton and Dade County.
Dade County District 3 Commissioner Bob Woods, who is part of the newly formed joint city-county ACF subcommittee, says the location for the proposed building is set, with a cement pad already poured in and dried behind the city’s transfer station. Woods says it will serve as the facility’s foundation, which is ready to be plumbed and electrified.
Woods suggests taking the collective $435,000 funds set aside by both the city and county governments to begin work on constructing the building’s shell, and let volunteer fundraising events help flesh out the interior details. “It’s a lot sexier to have a picture of the facility you’re asking people to donate to,” says Woods, who added the ACF subcommittee is looking into applying for 501 3 C non-profit status, with the hopes of funding the facility’s ongoing operational costs.
Another big question still remains unanswered on the proposed animal control facility; which authority would ultimately be responsible for management and operation?
Chairman Townsend, who with Trenton Mayor Alex Case co-chair the ACF committee, says the current premise is to hire a facility director along with two paid assistants, who would help manage a staff based largely of volunteers. An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) on the proposed joint animal control facility has yet to be drafted, much less signed by either agency.
In other board action, commissioners approved designating five county vehicles as surplus property, soon to be auctioned off on the govdeals.com website.
The board also deferred to its April meeting on renewing the annual agreement with Dade County’s volunteer fire departments. Townsend says they’re rewriting the contract after Monday’s roundtable meeting with department chiefs and the new contract should be ready by their April 3rd scheduled meeting.
Further down the 2025 horizon, Dade County Commissioners say they’ll begin resumption of building code enforcement later this year or next. Chairman Townsend says Dade County has construction requirements that date back to 1973, but for the most part, have gone relatively unenforced since.
Commissioner Philip Hartline says as a contractor himself, he sees both sides of the issue and recently met with area home builders, who can expect more stringent enforcement of Dade County building codes in the coming months.
By Vince Lennon
Watch the full meeting below