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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Commission approved its annual Rebuild Alabama report and moved the location for in-person absentee voting during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Jan. 8.

During the meeting, the Commission changed the in-person absentee voting location from the exhibition center to The 202 Building located at 202 West College Street.

“The exhibition center is a little bit problematic because it’s such a large building, so this is a much better facility, parking is better (and) being able to access the building is much, much better,” County Manager Chad Scroggins said.

During the meeting, the Commission also approved the passage of the county Rebuild Alabama Annual Report for fiscal year 2022-2023. The Rebuild Alabama Act provides for the disbursement of funds to the county for maintenance and construction of certain roads and bridges which are maintained by the county.

“This is one of two Rebuild Alabama reports you approve each year,” County Engineer David Willingham said. “This is the report on expenditures for the preceding fiscal year and the status of those projects. So, the report lays out the routes we used.”

Each year, the commission is required to present and adopt the report at the first commission meeting in January. The report provides details on expenditures made from both County Rebuild Alabama Funds and Federal Aid Exchange Funds.

During the county manager’s report, Scroggins shared an update on various projects within the county.

Construction is set to soon begin on the expansion to the Shelby County Jail which will bring improved mental health services for inmates.

“It is kind of a very tedious project, obviously, because it is at a jail and we have got to make sure that security and everything is handled as it should,” Scroggins said.

Construction will also begin soon on the new road to the scale house at the Shelby County Landfill.

“That has many benefits to it, including getting some of that stacking off of Highway 70,” Scroggins said. “Our landfill is a very popular place. It has the highest number of customers that pass through one location anywhere in the county. They have between 85,000 and 100,000 customers pass through that one teller every year. So, we are excited to get that project going.”

In other news, the Shelby County Commission approved an Alcohol Beverage License for Sterrett Quick Stop and awarded bids for water fittings to Empire Pipe and Supply in the amount of $928,903.13.