PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
3 FEBRUARY 2025
Chair Commissioner Rose Brown asked Roger Reedy to open the meeting by offering a prayer and leading the pledge. The minutes of 20 May 2022 were moved for approval by Commissioner Joyce Woodard, seconded by Commissioner Gayle Jones, and were approved unanimously. The Chair then asked County Executive (CE) Graham Stowe if he had any announcements. He discussed the receipt of three applications for using the opioid settlement funding under the established usage criteria. He then said the applications will be sent to the Opioid Board for their consideration and if approved will then be sent to the Budget Committee. He also noted that Mr. Randy Jones, Department Head, Abernathy Field Airport, was available based on Commissioner Joyce Woodard’s request for his attendance. While not on the agenda, the CE suggested Mr. Jones be allowed to speak if the Chair so desired. Later in the meeting an update was given by Mr. Jones and is described later in these minutes.
First and only Agenda Item – Animal Shelter adoption fees. The Chair asked if the public had any desire to speak on the agenda with there being none. The Chair then asked Ms. Jaclyn Payne, Director of the Giles County Animal Shelter, to discuss the adoption fees which had been provided by email to committee members. A motion by Commissioner Roger Reedy, seconded by Commissioner Annelle Guthrie, to approve the adoption fee was made. Discussion followed. Commissioner David Wamble asked the Director to give her assessment as to how the shelter was doing. She discussed adoptions, intake and outtake, vaccines, and food donations, and said she considers the Shelter to being doing “good”. Commissioner Guthrie discussed changing the wording from “donation of $50” to a “minimum donation of $50”. Commissioner James Lathrop mentioned an average cost of $116 for all the shots, and Ms. Payne said the vaccines given to the incoming animals is limited to their core vaccines, being one round, and treatment for flea/ticks. Two commissioners Terry Jones and Carman Brown were most complimentary of the Director noting her prior experience, her work to improve the shelter facility, and all done since August when she started the job. Commissioner Evan Baddour asked what basic checks are done on adopting the animals, e.g., can they afford to feed the animals if some can’t afford the adoption fee. Ms. Payne mentioned the back of the adoption application has that type of information requested, and she mentioned that given the large amount of donated food, they currently can send a bag of feed home with the adopting family. Financial Manager (FM) Beth Moore-Sumners mentioned the use of social media and that it was working. She also mentioned Ms. Payne’s action during Christmas to work on improving the shelter. Ms. Payne in collecting the fees asked if the Humane Society, a Non-profit, could do that so the adopting person could use as a tax deduction. The FM described how donations are currently handled, and how if identified for possible use, must be done in that fashion. The FM said additionally she thinks that would still be considered a donation. A vote was then taken on the minimum adoption/donation wording and was approved. The CE said that the members would see that change on the 18th for the full commission. A motion by Commissioner David Wamble seconded by Commissioner Carman Brown, was made to accept the amended resolution, and that motion was approved unanimously.
Mr. Randy Jones, Director for the Giles County Abernathy Field Airport, then gave an update on the airport. He discussed the following: He mentioned receiving the bids on a “much needed” hangar, and those coming in much over the available funds within the grant. He discussed the work around with another airport being able to provide around $600K funds (which they would be losing otherwise) and also discussed a night time approach being pursued within the total funding. Commissioner Erin Curry asked about the match for the funding with Mr. Jones noting the county would be ½ of 2 entities (Pulaski being the other) responsible for the match and with the total match funding being 2 1/2%. Mr. Jones also mentioned the timing of the funding, noting August would allow use of the Federal funds. Commissioner Gayle Jones asked about possibility of tours with Mr. Randy Jones enthusiastically saying yes. He was also asked how many hours he worked with his reply being 70 hours per week.
With no new business Commissioner Roger Reedy moved for adjournment and with Commissioner David Wamble providing the second, the meeting was adjourned.
ATTENDEES: Members of the committee – Chair Commissioner Rose Brown, other commissioners David Wamble, Roger Reedy, Joyce Woodard, Annelle Guthrie, Gayle Jones and Carman Brown/ Other commissioners in attendance: Joseph Sutton, Tracy Wilburn, Erin Curry, James Lathrop, Matt Rubelsky, Terry Jones, Caleb Savage, Tim Risner, Judy Pruett, David Adams, Matthew Hopkins, Evan Baddour/ Other in attendance: County Executive Graham Stowe, Director of Schools, Vickie Beard, Financial Manager Beth Moore-Sumners and staff Shana Woodard, Director Airport Randy Jones, and public
