Jackson County Commission Regular Session, Budget, Video and Agenda-10 Commandments Issue

Jackson County Commission: from left to right - Mr. Venable, Mr. Ledwell, Chairman Mr. Hodges, Mr Guffey and Mr. Miller 

AGENDA

BUDGET

Page 2

VIDEO

Liberty Institute and agreements: http://arklite.blogspot.com/2014/09/jackson-county-commission-attorney.html

Video citizen presentation

Chairman of the Jackson County Commission Matthew Hodges - 2014 State of the County Address - Jackson County Alabama - Discussion with TVA Officials

State of the County Address  by Commission Chairman Matthew Hodges - Hollywood, Alabama, September 10, 2014 at TVA's cannibalized, 5 billion dollar nuclear facility which has never produced electric power. It has been a long time since BFN's, Bellefonte Nuclear Facility, parking lot has been this full. It was revealed that approximately 30% of the commission's budget relies on TVA's in-lieu-of tax payments. Mr. Hodges did not mention the diversion of TVA in lieu of tax funds by the Jackson County Legislative Delegation.

Prior to Mr. Hodges' presentation I sat down with TVA Public Relations and Plant Management personnel, impromptu, and asked about the current status of the Bellefonte Facility. I was told that the Quality Assurance Records were reconstructed to cover the time frame of the nuclear facility's cancelled construction license and that the current plan was to begin construction in 2016. The steam generators which were removed/cannibalized between 2006 and 2008 were still on order. The management team also commented that much was dependent on the current IRP, Integrated Resource Plan.

Mr. Matthew Hodges, Chairman of the Jackson County Commission delivers the State of the County Address at TVA's extremely wasteful, cannibalized, cancelled, then reinstated nuclear reactor project.

Comments and questions (33 min. 45 sec in the video) concerning the commission's history of support and non-support of open government and their recent history of secret agreements: Q 1) Secret financial settlement to previous County Administrator which cost taxpayers money (You Tube Video - http://youtu.be/Ld_L5zePSr4  ; Q 2) secret discussions concerning the 10 Commandments issue with representatives/attorneys of the right wing organization The Liberty Institute. (You Tube Video - http://youtu.be/nQkafuiph40  ) "The Liberty Institute is a conservative Christian advocacy and legal defense organization founded in 1972 under the name Free Market Foundation," Wikipedia.

Jackson County Commission Regular Session and Open Government Failure - Secret Decisions, Secret Settlements

Scottsboro, Alabama June 23, 2014 - Jackson County Commission Meeting - SECRETS - Secret financial settlement, secret decisions. Agenda states "litigation," but no court filing according to County Attorney John Porter. The County Attorney would not release any information as to parties involved or the terms of the settlement.

County Government secrets as a result of a weak Alabama Open Government Law. The Alabama Supreme Court gutted the Alabama Open Government Law and the Republican and Democrat Legislature enjoys their facilitation of secret government actions. Local governments such as this County Commission have historically abused the peoples right to know what their government is deliberating. 

                                            Meeting Agenda

Approvals

1) Bridgeport sidewalk Project, $5000.00 from commission. 2) Commission web site videos, CGI Communications. 3) Personnel consulting agreement, personnel policy & handbook improvements. 4) County District Lines approval - resolution to accept current district lines. 5) Public Purpose, assistance to Boy Scouts for hauling gravel to Camp Jackson. 6) Water treatment contract for boiler and air cooler. 7) Jim Green reappointed to EDA Board. 8) Council on Aging budget. 9) Secret decision, secret settlement - stated pending litigation on agenda. However, County Attorney stated there was no action filed in public court. The County Attorney would not release any names involved in the settlement nor terms of the secret agreement. Commissioner Ledwell voted no concerning  the secret financial agreement. The Chairman of the Commission was approved to fulfill the terms of the secret decision/agreement/financial settlement. Did this secret settlement involve the past County Administrator? 

 

Regular Session Video

TVA SECRECY, Federal Sunshine Law

We are the TVA, shh, we have secrets and treat our ratepayers like mushrooms. Meanwhile, the local political gentry care specifically about TVA in lieu of tax money, not about the health, welfare and law governing the actions of government.

The TVA has a continuing problem with open deliberations as required by the Federal Sunshine Act. Commission Chairperson Sadie Bias along with Chamber of Commerce Director Rick Roden attended a tour, luncheon and discussion of Bellefonte prior to a TVA Board decission with a quorum of TVA Board members and staff concerning the Bellefonte Plant. Decisions do not have to be made for the law to be violated, any deliberation of an issue which may come before the board at a later date is a violation. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110910/NEWS11/309100046/Critics-say-TVA-operates-secrecy

The "Tennessean" article quotes Spokeswoman Barbara Martocci, "[she] said informal board gatherings are briefings that meet the letter of the law..." "Board Chairman Dennis Bottorff of Nashville said great effort is made to be open.“That was a tour,” he said. “There weren't any kind of decisions being made."

If a briefing is conducted that is a discussion of information which may come before the board at a later date. The meeting was not just a luncheon as TVA officials would have you to believe, it was a "briefing" and discussion about the nuclear plant as TVA officials admit. The Federal Sunshine Law contains more than just provisions for decission making, the law covers deliberations of a quorum of Board Members.

Issues of Open Meetings and secret decission making has been an issue for the Jackson County Commission on previous occasions. The TVA has been chastised for its brand of secrecy as a government entity. It frequently attempts to use excuses such as commercial exceptions to avoid Freedom of Information Act disclosures. The TVA Committee process is a ruse to disguise secret meetings where approvals are made behind closed doors prior to the TVA Board meetings.