Saturday, September 04, 2010
|
|
|
| 7/13/2010 8:32:00 AM |
Email this article • Print this article |
Panels on Putnam Judicial Building to be engraved
Jack Bailey
Editor
|
| (From left) County Commissioners Steve Andes, Joe Haynes and Gary Tillis recognize 10-year-old Sydney Casto for her work in collecting pet food and supplies to donate to a local animal shelter. Courtesy photo |
|
WINFIELD - The Putnam County Judicial building will soon be sporting a new look as county commissioners approved a request by Circuit Judge O.C. Spaulding to add custom engraving to two bare stone panels on the front of the building.
Spaulding told commissioners at their June 6 meeting that when the building was built in 1997 the original intent was to engrave the panels, but the project was never taken up.
He said that for 13 years he has stared at the blank panels and wanted to take action to see the building completed. He presented commissioners his plan to have the words "Equal Justice Under the Law" engraved on one of the panels, and the scales of justice engraved on the other.
Commissioners approved Spaulding's request on a 3-0 vote. Sears Monument Company will do the work. It will cost $3,230 and will be done in the evenings and weekends to keep the doors to the Judicial Building unobstructed at all times, Spaulding said.
Since the cost of the project was less than $5,000 the work did not have to be bid out.
In other action at the commission's July 6 meeting, commissioners passed a resolution honoring 10-year-old Sydney Casto of Fraziers Bottom.
Casto recently turned 10 and instead of presents asked everyone to give her dog and cat food and pet supplies that she could donate to local animal shelters. Putnam Commission President Joe Haynes said that when he heard of Casto's selfless actions he wanted take time to recognize her. All three county commissioners thanked Casto for her actions and posed for pictures with her.
In other news at the July 6 meeting, commissioners began discussion of ways to collect delinquent personal property taxes owed in the county. Commissioner Steve Andes said that collection of delinquent taxes has been an issue since he was first elected to office and would like to see more done to crack down on those businesses that have not paid.
County Manager Brian Donat said that he had met with the Putnam County Sheriff and Prosecuting Attorney on the issue and that they have discussed filing civil suits to take the most egregious offenders to court.
Donat also suggested that the county consider hiring an outside collection agency to go after some of the offenders. He said that when he used to work for the City of Huntington outside collection agencies worked well.
Commissioners said that they would continue discussion of the issue at their next meeting.
In other news at the July 6 meeting, commissioners approved a $12,000 cost sharing agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to examine why areas of Hometown have been flooding when it rains.
The corps will develop recommendations to help mitigate the flooding in the area, the Corps Randy Campbell said.
The next meeting of the Putnam County Commission will be July 27 at 9 a.m. the courthouse in Winfield.
|
| |
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
|
|
|
