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The Covington County Commission approved a $6,000 appropriation for the Alabama High School Rodeo Association state finals to be held in June at a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, May 9.

The AHSRA will conduct its state finals at the Covington County Arena in June.

“We have done this in the past, and it is good for our area. I believe we are the only county who helps them with this sort of appropriation, and we want to encourage them to continue coming to Covington County each year. We hope to entice them to bring more events to the community as a result of our assistance,” Administrator Karen Sowell said. “The high school finals are a significant event, so it is a nice event for the community,” Chairman Greg White added.

Revenue Commissioner Chuck Patterson gave an update on delinquent tax properties and stated there are 101 parcels remaining on that list.

“We are down to about $38,607.35 worth of property taxes remaining to be paid. Those citizens who do not pay by Wednesday, May 17, at 10 a.m. will have their properties auctioned off at the front of the courthouse. We have a week left to get this collected, or these properties will be sold at auction,” Patterson said.

City of Opp Mayor Becky Bracke gave an update on the city’s splash pad.

“We completed it and opened it Saturday, May 6. It was approximately a $350,000 project, and we took in almost $300,000 from donations, including a $50,000 commitment from the county commission. It will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. It is closed on Monday and has a similar schedule to Andalusia’s. Ours is in a really neat place next to our city pool and park. We have a nice pavilion that is being used,” Bracke said.

The commission discussed ARPA funding and projects to be worked on. No action was taken at the meeting, and discussions will continue at upcoming meetings.

The commission approved a right-of-way driveway pipe policy to be implemented August 1. The commission will accept public input before the implantation date from any citizens who wish to voice their thoughts and concerns about the policy.

The commission approved the initiation process to close Starflower Road at Five Runs Creek. Public hearings will be scheduled at future meetings for any citizens to speak to the commission about the road closure. Citizens must receive approval from the commission and appear on an agenda to be permitted to speak at a meeting.

In other business:

• Wyatt Sasser Construction was recognized as the Trash Collector of the Year for the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce’s Clean and Green Initiative.
• The commission approved the appointment of Mizell Memorial Hospital CEO Mitchell Myers to a six-year term on the South Central Alabama Mental Health Board.
• The commission approved the appointment of Steve Yelverton to a six-year term on the South Central Alabama Mental Health Board.
• The commission rejected an agreement with Spyglass, which would have served as an audit of telecommunications for the county.
• The commission discussed appointments for the Board of Equalization and elected to leave the positions open for another month. Interested individuals should stop by the county administration building for more information.
• The commission approved the solicitation of bids for a single air-conditioning unit to be installed in the USDA Farm building’s conference room.
• The commission awarded a bid for pest control to Bowden Exterminators, which was the lowest bidder.
• The commission rejected a bid from Imperial Day for cleaning supplies and elected to go with the state’s bid.
• The commission postponed discussion for the reconciliation of compensation for CATS drivers to a future meeting.
• The commission approved retroactive out-of-state travel for the Sheriff’s Department who recently sent a deputy to Georgia. Commission policy states that any out-of-state travel by County officials or employees must be approved by the commission at an open meeting.
• The commission approved a change in the purchase price of a vehicle for the Sheriff’s Department. The cost is an increase of $5,000 to cover signage and decal on the exterior of the vehicle.
• The commission approved the declaration of a Ford Explorer in the Sheriff’s Department to be surplus. The vehicle will be listed through a GovDeals online auction.
• The commission approved the re-appointment of Tommy McGaha to a two-year term to the Southeast Alabama Rural Planning Organization’s planning committee. McGaha’s previous term expired in January.
• The commission discussed appointments on four-year terms to replace Wayne Godwin and Kyle Adams on the E-911 board. No citizens were appointed, and the topic was pushed to the next meeting.
• The commission awarded a bid for heavy-duty pipe to Twin Oaks, previously Southern Pipe.
• The commission approved the purchase of four dump trucks for fiscal year 2024 and a PC 170 excavator for the Engineer’s Department.
• The commission approved the solicitation of bids for a new or used wheel loader to be used by the Engineer’s Department.

The next meeting of the Covington County Commission will be held Tuesday, May 23, 9 a.m., at the Covington County Administration Building. The public is invited to attend.