Supervisor Tommy Sinclair brought the issue to Union County Council members Tuesday during their regular meeting. He said the property had been condemned and the owner was given notice it had to be removed by Jan. 14.
That deadline came and passed and the structure remains standing. Sinclair told the council the county building inspector has recommended the mobile home be taken down as soon as possible.
The only question was who would do the work.
“This is kind of new ground for us, to a degree,” Sinclair told the council.
The council could direct the county public works department to do the removal work or bid the project out.
Council member Tommy Ford inquired about the current workload of the public works department. Sinclair said with the recent amount of rain the county has received, the department has been busy on several fronts, including fixing potholes.
The workload is heavy.
“If we ever get three days of sunshine, they’ve got a lot to do,” Sinclair said.
Ford said the county has dealt with issues like this in the past. Council members agreed if the county can do it that’s the route that needs to be taken.
“If we have the resources to do it ourselves, I say we do it ourselves,” said council member Randall “Chump” Hanvey.
Hanvey moved the county public works department be directed to do the work to remove the mobile home at the property and council member Dora Martin seconded. The motion passed unopposed.
In other business, Sinclair updated council members on several issues during his report, including his receiving several requests for work on roads.
“I’ve been overrun — if that’s the right term — with road requests,” Sinclair said.
Unfortunately, many of those requests are in reference to private roads outside the county road system. County ordinance states the county government cannot take care of private roadways.
Sinclair said even sheriff David Taylor told him about an issue where a county vehicle got stuck on one such road and could not get out without creating more of a problem.
The supervisor doesn’t want to change the ordinance he simply thinks there are issues like some of those he’s received the county could help with if it could. Council member Joey English said the incident with the county vehicle being stuck could have been easily fixed if the county had the authority.
Sinclair asked the council to perhaps begin looking at the issue and council members agreed it should be a topic sent to committee for further discussion before any action is taken.
The council also on Tuesday night:
• Approved a recommendation from the council committee on county administration and finance to request the City of Union annex the Timken Sports Complex. Watch The Union Daily Times for additional information on that discussion.
• Approved a request from the finance committee to transfer $150,000 from the county’s hospitality tax fund to the Timken Sports Complex for operational and maintenance needs. The complex is set to open Feb. 26.
• Approved the appointment of Curtiss Hunter to one of the four seats open this year on the Union County Tourism Board. Sinclair said efforts to find qualified citizens to fill the other three open positions will continue. Four terms on the board expire on March 31.
• Decided to interview Jerry Williams for the open seat on the Union County Stadium Commission. The county had two people interested in the one seat open this year on that commission — previously held by now county clerk of court Freddie Gault; however, the other candidate — Don Shetley — currently sits on another county board and therefore cannot hold a position on another.
• Heard an update from the Union County Historical Society.
• Heard an update from Sinclair on the work Court Management Systems has been looking at doing to upgrade the county courthouse’s information technology abilities. Sinclair expects the company to make a proposal soon.
• Was informed by Sinclair the county has received seven bids for moving dirt to the new Timken Sports Complex. Sinclair said it’s good to have that many bids, but what it really tells him is that people want and need to work.
• Approved two part-time county positions recommended by the council committee on personnel, county offices and departments — an as-needed concessions manager for the Timken Sports Complex and a part-time county public works director. Each would receive a salary equivalent to an administrative assistant.
• Received an update from Hanvey on the discussion from the council committee on public health and social services which met with members of the hospital committee Monday to discuss options for filling the two seats on the Union Hospital District Board of Trustees currently held by physicians who work for the hospital district creating a conflict of interest.
• Adjourned into executive session to discuss legal matters. No action was taken in open session following the closed portion of the meeting.
Sinclair requested a special council meeting for next Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 5:30 p.m. to hear an update on the public health and social services committee’s progress on the hospital district board seat issue. The committee also will meet again Monday, Feb. 15.
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