Rebuild Alabama projects highlighted at commission
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — At the Jan. 12 Chambers County Commission meetings, commissioners shared announcements and information for the community, and County Engineer Josh Harvill shared a report on the projects completed by the Highway Department using Rebuild Alabama funds in 2025.
“I would just like to announce that we've been talking about the signs for the law center that we purchased some years ago, and we've come up with the name of Chambers County LaFayette Extension — so the signing will be going up on that building over there, real soon,” said Commissioner for District 2 Douglas Jones Jr.
County Commissioner for District 5, David Eastridge, said he wanted to remind the community to keep yard signs for elections in one's yard.
“We've had a special election, and most everybody did pretty good about keeping [the signs] on their property and off the road driveway, but we're fixing it into a full-blown [elections for] Governor, Senate and everything else,” he said. “So we ask y'all, please, if you get a yard sign, please put it in your yard.”
Harvill shared information on where locals can see the records of how the Rebuild Alabama funds were used by the Highway Department throughout the year.
“At the first of every calendar year, by the Rebuild Alabama legislation, county engineers are to present a report of how the Rebuild Alabama funds were spent in the previous fiscal year,” he said. “So I'd like to give that report to you all today. You have an annual report, and this is just more or less a spreadsheet that summarizes where we spent our money and a description of the project. [We show] how much money was spent, how much money was received in the county Rebuild Alabama funds and how much was received in the Federal Aid Exchange Fund accounts, and we put this on our website. We also sent it to our Association County Commission, who also published it on the website, but they also share it with the House, Senate and the Governor's Office. So we’re very, very transparent with how we spend this money that we have so much needed.”
With spending being recorded by the fiscal year instead of the calendar year, Harvill explained that some projects and spending are not accounted for in the report, but assured the commission that the projects and spending were completed as planned.
“I just want to make sure y'all had a clear understanding that we're spending the money, we just might not be spending it by October every year, but our intent is to spend as soon as it comes in — we just can't always line up our projects that way,” he said.
In Other Business
• The commission voted to approve the minutes and warrants payable for Dec. 22, 2025.
• The commission voted to approve the agenda for Jan. 12, 2025.
• The commission voted to approve the fiscal year 2026 First Quarter Revenues and Expenditures Report.
• The commission voted to authorize the County Engineer to execute the agreement with Safe Span, LLC for professional services related to the bridge inspections of the following structures:
- Bridge 3 on CR11 over Norfolk Southern RR, BIN 2926
- Bridge 87 on CR 02 over Norfolk Southern RR, BIN 21622
- Bridge 42 on Phillips Road over CSX RR, BIN 13066
- Bridge 36 on CR 278 over CSX RR, BIN 10821
• The commission voted to accept the FY25 Rebuild Alabama Annual Report as presented by the County Engineer.
• The council approved the purchase of three 2026 Chevy Silverado PPV from McSweeney Auto.
• The commission voted to approve the purchase of one 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe from McSweeney Auto.
Announcements
• The next commission meeting will be held on Jan. 25 at 4 p.m.
• The courthouse will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. and Robert E. Lee Day.
• There will be a Rules, Ways and Means Meeting on Jan. 26 at 8 a.m. at Attorney Skip McCoy’s office.
