County officials are trying to negotiate an agreement that will allow the use of debit and credit cars when doing business at the Escambia County Courthouse.
Escambia County Commission Chairman David Stokes said some wrinkles have to be worked out with IMS, the processing company for credit and debit card services.
“I know some our departments are anxious to get going on accepting the cards,” Stokes said. “With tax season coming it would be nice to have that in place.”
County Attorney Thad Moore said IMS did not accept the original contract submitted on behalf of the county.
“There was an issue concerning charge backs at their expense,” Moore said. “I’m confident that we can come to an agreement and get a contract in place.”
County Administrator Tony Sanks said once a contract is reached it would take little time to implement the service.
“We have been told it would only take about two weeks to get everything set up to accept debit and credit cards,” Sanks said. “It would be a great benefit to our departments and to the public.”
In other business, a “memorandum of understanding” was put into place concerning a portion of Atmosphere Road in the Poarch community near Atmore. County Engineer Bill Bridges said the work involved the unimproved area of the road.
“The memorandum will allow the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to pursue federal funding to make improvements on a portion of the road,” Bridges said. “The improvements will be along the unpaved, northern portion of Atmosphere Road from Poarch Creek Road to Bell Creek Road.”
Commissioners also approved bids for a variety of items approved on an annual basis.
• Southern Energy Company/Cougar Oil, Inc. was awarded the bid on gasoline and diesel fuel; Vulcan Signs was awarded the big on signs and signposts; Harvey Culvert Company was awarded the bid for high density poly pipe and couplings; Ozark Striping, Inc. won the bid for road and traffic striping; Three companies won bids for asphalt plant mix with Wiregrass Construction Company being awarded the bid for materials in work area one, APAC Southeast awarded the bid for materials in work area two and Mobile Asphalt  Road, Inc., for materials in work area three; Gall’s won the bid for county uniforms and Family Life Center, Inc., was awarded the bid for drug testing supplies used by Community Corrections.
Bridges said a contract was awarded to G.W. Norell for work to be done on bridge replacement along Smith Dairy Road. The bid was in the amount of $227,000.
“The work is coming along well and should be completed soon,” Bridges said.
David Stokes said staff members at Escambia County Drug Court will be seeing more travel in the coming year as they assist with training in other counties.
“They will be doing more traveling and we sent out bids for a vehicle for their department,” Stokes said. ‘Peach Chevrolet won that bid. We’re glad we were able to keep it here in town.”
In other business, the Commission:
• Reappointed Candice McDaniel and Emilie Mims to the Escambia County Healthcare Authority and appointed Alexis Maloy to replace retiring Benjamin “Mac” Stone. Commissioner Raymond Wiggins made a motion, which was unanimously approved, to official commend Stone for his years of service on the Authority.
• Approved a long-term detention subsidy contract with the Alabama Department of Youth Services based on a requested by Judge David Jordan. The agreement will be with the Baldwin Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Bay Minette at no cost to the county.