Building renovation reports

Simpson Stroupe, with Marshall County Buildings and Grounds, reported to the board of supervisors on several projects working.

He said some things have to be finalized at the old Reynolds Funeral Home which will serve as a new Youth Court building, including finishing the installation of air conditioning, making sure the gas is cut off on the structure and patching some spots.

The judge’s bench is being completed in the courtroom.

“We’re pretty close,” he said.

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III asked Stroupe to go with county engineer Larry Britt to the Watson Community Center where there is a problem with water standing on one corner of the property.

Stroupe said an air conditioner in the old Sheriff’s Department Youth Court space may have to be replaced.

“It’s running off one compressor right now,” Stroupe said.

Stacey Reed, with the 911 address system, reported that there are roads that may never have been put on the county map.

She is trying to find some of those on the county road register, she said.

“There are some we can’t find,” she said. “I think Argon Road off Matthews Corner Road may be abandoned.”

She said the layered mapping system the county is working to update has layers that show the county roads and where state roads and federal roads are located.

Some roads not found were probably put on years ago, she said.

District 5 supervisor Ronnie O’Neil Bennett said the county kept up cemetery roads years ago.

“Some are in bad shape,” he said.

Reed said Mattie B Road is a driveway, not on the 911 system. “If we gonna keep `em, we got to get `em on a map,” Reed said.

She listed Tuggle Road and Argon Road as roads in the Matthews Corner area as private drives that may have been abandoned.

“If y’all want to keep `em, to get rid of `em, let me know,” Reed said.

Circuit clerk’s report

Monet Autry, Marshall County Circuit Clerk, said the Secretary of State has reached out to offer a text messaging service that will let people know when there is an election coming up.

She said many people do not know when elections are being held. The service will target one phone number per household to notify people when elections are coming up, when absentee voting starts, and notify poll workers and election commissioners when there is mandatory training.

“A lot of people are complaining they don’t know about elections,” Autry said. “This could be a great tool to send out mass text messages.”

Autry said the service is offered to send out 75,000 messages from the Secretary of State for state-wide information.

The cost per year is $5,600, and numbers are acquired from the 2020 Census.

“If you Google yourself, you’ll find out a lot of information is out there on your personal (data),” Autry said.

The county will not have to pay for the service since the county is reimbursed for up to $50,000 a year for election costs, she said.

“If you approve now, there is a one-time setup fee of $2,800,” Autry said. “After that it’s $5,600 a year.” The service would be available for the November election this fall and the one-time setup fee will be waived Autry said if the county signs up now.

The cost is not coming out of the county budget.

District 1 supervisor Goston Glover made a motion to register the county for the service and District 5 supervisor Ronnie O’Neil Bennett seconded and the motion passed.

“The funds are already there,” Autry said. “It comes from a budget set aside starting for elections, based upon population. This will not come out of the county budget for elections. It’s state money from the Secretary of State.”

Autry said there are 26,000 registered voters in Marshall County.

“They won’t go vote,” said District 2 supervisor Johnny Walker.

“It’s a personal choice to vote or not,” Autry said. “People can’t say they didn’t know.”