By Lee Trawick Riverbend News
On Tuesday, July 6, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting to discuss the progress of the county's many projects.
Once the meeting was opened, the first order of business was to honor James Bell, who is retiring after 30 years of service with the Hamilton County Road Department. During this time, the board of commissioners presented Bell with a plaque in honor of his service. The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners sent Bell off with many thanks for his diligent work over the years.
Next, Hamilton County made preparations for Tropical Storm Elsa. On the advice of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) manager Henry Land, the county voted to declare a local state of emergency. The declaration brought forth a warning for all Hamilton County residents to follow the advice of the EOC. This included advising residents living in recreational vehicles and manufactured homes to make preparations for evacuation. In additional preparations, the road department was called and put on standby for possible fallen trees and roadway obstruction. The road department also stated they would provide sandbags to anyone who needed them.
After, Hamilton County Development Authority Chad Mathis stated how disappointed he was in the lack of economic growth within the county. He then asked for the board to look into possible tax credits and grants in order to attract new businesses to Hamilton County.
The board of commissioners then turned their attention to Mia Mauldin of the Helping Hands Program (HHP). Mauldin and the HHP have set projects into motion which aim to clean up the community. This would also make the area more appealing to outside businesses and those looking to start up a company. Mauldin is working with a budget of $2,500 and asked for an additional $1,200 for 60 safety vests and 60 trash grabbers. During this time, Nutrien agreed to donate the requested number of vests to Mauldin and the HHP. The board of commissioners agreed to allocate the requested $1,200 to the program.
Later, Emily Lumpkin took to the podium to discuss the summer programs offered at the J.R.E. Lee Community Complex. Despite the school losing a $118,000 grant, which cost the school a full-time and part-time position, Lumpkin and the complex are moving forward with their summer program. This includes bringing in volunteers to help with the kids' math and reading skills. Also on their summer camp agenda will be life-building skills and budget skills. On behalf of the complex, Lumpkin requested help from the commissioners in the form of $3,000 to help fund the camp. The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners was happy to oblige. “The complex is doing good things and if they are requesting additional funds, we are obliged to help,” said Richie McCoy, District 5. Lumpkin and the J.R.E. Lee Community Complex’s request for $3,000 was approved.