Calhoun County Commission Meeting Addresses Concerns Over Residential Halfway Houses in Saks Community

Calhoun County, AL – The Calhoun County Commission held a regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, September 14th

Call to Order
- Fred Wilson – Present
- Chairman Danny Shears – Present
- Carolyn Henderson – Present
- Terry Howell – Present
- Lee Patterson – Present
Invocation/Pledge Of Allegiance
Adopt Agenda – Unanimously Approved
Elected Official/Department Head Comments – No Comments
Adopt Minutes – Unanimously Approved
Old Business
- Nuisance Abatements: – Unanimously Approved
  - 3531 Ammon St, Anniston- Ware, Curtis
    - A representative for Mt. Ware was present and explained that the owner was in a nursing home. They are currently in the process of selling the property and the issue have been resolved.
  - 3600 Ammons St, Anniston- Ware, Curtis
    - A representative stated this ppropoerty has been sold.
  - 1001 Cherokee Trail, Anniston- Humphries, Kevin
  - 249 Martin Ln, Ohatchee- Etheridge, Roy & Leanne
  - 1117 W 49th St, Anniston-Commons Jr, William & Mariea
  - 504 S. Colvin St, Anniston-Newell, Lovona
  - 507 S. Colvin St. Anniston-Henderson, James
  - 1625 Marx St, Anniston-Tipton, Deborah
- Nuisance Dismissals – Unanimously Approved
  - 306 Rice Ave, Anniston- Joiner, Amy
  - 75 Fieldstone Way, Jacksonville- Hamlin, Mark & Larry
  - 65 Fieldstone Way, Jacksonville- Hudgins, Annie
  - 0 Creek Trail, Anniston-Indian Oaks Golf Course Inc., C/O Rco Enterprises Inc.
- Nuisance Invoices: – Unanimously Approved
  - 0 Old Birmingham Hwy, Anniston-Haynes, Jerre $8,526.00
  - 331 Old Gadsden Hwy, Anniston-Puckett, Truman $7,526.00
New Business
- Nuisance Declarations: – Unanimously Approved
  - 2253 Alexandria-Wellington Rd, Alexandria- Truitt, Gary
  - 0 Morrisville Rd (Pin#31255), Anniston- Ware, Curtis & Betty
    - A representative stated that they are trying to locate an occupant of a trailer home that is located on the property prior to selling the property.
  - 245 Smith St, Oxford- Hale, Robert & Donna
  - 1071 W 33rd St, Anniston- Hweitt, Tony
  - 907 Vigo Ave, Weaver- Harrast, Kenneth
  - 2033 Old Choccolocco Rd, Anniston- Hopson, Cathy & Taylor, John(Est)
  - 2081 Old Choccolocco Rd, Anniston- Chatman, Reginald
  - 2045 Old Choccolocco Rd, Anniston- Hopson, Cathy & Taylor, John(Est)
- Bid Award Resolutions:
  - HVAC Units – Unanimously Approved
    - The bid was awarded to Weathertech for one year.
  - Highway Department Half-Ton Truck – Unanimously Approved
    - This was awarded to Sunny King Ford for one year.
  - Plantmix- F.O.B. Cold Mix – Unanimously Approved
    - This was awarded to Vulcan Materials Company
  - Traffic Striping – Unanimously Approved
    - This was awarded to Ozark Striping Company, LLC.
- Contract Extension Resolutions:
  - Bushhogging Services – Unanimously Approved
    - Extended with Bailey’s Bishhogging.
  - EMA Landscape Maintenance – Unanimously Approved
    - Extended with Green Lawn Care
  - GPS Monitoring – Unanimously Approved
    - Extended with American Electronic Monitoring
  - Concessions – Woodland Park Sports Complex – Unanimously Approved
    - Extended with Osburn Brothers and Flowers Baking Co. of Birmingham
- Vehicle Maintenance And Repair Modification Resolution – Unanimously Approved
  - Awarded to Alexandria Brake and Muffler
- Surplus Property Resolution – Highway Department – Unanimously Approved
  - 55 Precast Concrete Bridge Panels 34′ in length to be sold on Govdeals
  - 16 Precast Concrete Bridge Caps 34′ in length to be sold on Govdeals
- Alabama Power Services Agreement – Unanimously Approved
  - 76 lights will be converted to LED saving the county approxmalty $900 a month.
- Chamber Of Commerce Foundation Agreement – Unanimously Approved
  - Chamber Executive Director Linda Hearn thanked the Commission of their continued support. Audrey Maxwell from the Chamber also thanked the Chamber for their support.
- Friends Of Janney Furnace, Inc. Agreement – Unanimously Approved
  - The organic agreement was extended.
- Diversified Computer Services, LLC License Agreement – Unanimously Approved
- Property Transfer Deed – Town Of Ohatchee – Unanimously Approved
- Jail Health Wing – Construction Management Services- Scout –Unanimously Approved
- DYS Grant Resolution – Robert E. Lewis Academy – Unanimously Approved
  - Amount to be paid is $433,160.00.
- DYS Grant Resolution – Family Court Success Academy – Unanimously Approved
  - Amount to be paid is $265,788.00
  - Shannon Jenkins, Director of the United Way, thanked the commission and family court judges for their support and for continuity this program.
- Violence Against Women Act (Vawa) Resolution – Unanimously Approved
  - Amount to be paid $60,800.00
- State And Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) Resolution – Unanimously Approved
- FY2024 Budget Resolution –Unanimously Approved
Public Comments
- Audrey Maxwell with the Chamber of Commerce spoke to again thank the commission for support. She also mentioned the Alabama Retailer of the Year that was being awarded the same day as the meeting. She mentioned several events coming up over the next few months as well and stated she would touch base on them at later meetings.
- Two new residents wanted to thank the commission for the wonderful employees they had and to formally request a proclamation recognizing a mapping employee of his work. They also stated they looked forward to being a part of the community and helping to stimulate the business community.
- Dr. Reyes the superintendent of the Calhoun County Schools provided an update on many construction projects as well as encouraging all to support the local teams as they continue to play fall sports.
- Phil Brown spoke about his concern for residential halfway houses in the Saks Community. He stated these business are in residential neighborhoods and bringing 15-18 people into 3 bedroom single family dwellings. He also mentioned that they are on septic systems that can’t support that many occupants. He requested that the Commission not approve these business licenses.
- Chairman Shears stated, Mr. Brown, we appreciate you and and everybody that came with you and of course will allow anybody else to say, but let me just say Commissioner Howell has done a very good job of updating us other commissioners on what’s going on out there. It’s very concerning. Although we will always stand behind helping and rehabilitation and people as trying to get back and do what’s right. At the same time, there is a time and place for everything and we had a meeting in this very chamber just a few weeks ago with a state senator and three state representatives and our sole topic that day with what we’re gonna do about halfway houses in our communities. We’re working on it not only here but at the state level to see what what kind of power we have within us to monitor and to watch over something like this. So we’re working on it.”
- Commissioner Howell stated, “The first thing I want to say is I do want to help people. That’s number one. Anybody who wants to be helped we should all help out, and I’m definitely gonna do that, but halfway houses in residential area, I will not support that I’ve already said 100 times in a meeting that lasted over an hour. When I held a meeting here a couple weeks ago, we had 42 people and everything I said was recorded. Halfway houses in a residential area is not the place to do. They’re living in single family dwellings. That’s what they’re listed as in their tax records and stuff and putting that many people in there is not presentable. Mr. Brown, you know, there’s rules, regulations, and ordinances and stuff, and codes are a little lenient when people move out in the county, so we’re working with the commission and on a state level now and we’re going to try to work on this . I’ve been working on it everyday for weeks.
- Mike Lipscomb spoke and asked who controlled the criteria for the people running these facilities. He wanted to know how they got approval and money for the property purchases. He wanted to know where the oversight for these facilities once they were in operation.
- Chairman Shears stated these were good questions and they didn’t have all those answers.
- A few other residents also expressed concerns for the children in the areas and the elderly members of the community. They referenced stolen furniture, loud parties, and constantly being asked for use of phones. They stated they are worried about the safety of the residents.
- Ed Turner with the Anniston Water Works spoke and thanked the commission for their continued support with the Wellborn Tank project.
- Commissioner Henderson thanked the city engineer for all the hard work completing the Janney Furnace Parking project.
- Commissioner Patterson also thanked the engineering department for their work in Piedmont and a then Pleasant Valley schools.
Adjourn – Unanimously Approved

Next Meeting: Thursday, September 28, 2023, 10:00 A.M.

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