Appling County approves board appointments, election hire and public-safety training grant

Appling County commissioners approved several personnel actions and a training grant during the meeting.

Appointments and reappointments: commissioners nominated three people to fill a vacancy on the hospital authority and approved the slate. The nominees included Judy Acott (retired nurse), Chippy Twiggs (noted for ambulance experience) and Perry White; the board moved and approved the nominations for the temporary seat that will come up again July 1. The board also moved to reappoint Miss Burnley Moody to the tax assessor board; she indicated a willingness to continue serving.

Elections hire: commissioners accepted a unanimous recommendation from the elections board to hire Sandy Domeney as assistant election supervisor; the elections board had conducted interviews and forwarded the recommendation to the commission.

Training grant: the board approved county participation in a first-responder/EMR class. Staff presented a budget showing the statewide grant would provide $150 per student for textbooks and $1,600 for the instructor; the total class cost presented was $13,001.25, with the grant paying $5,400 and the remainder to be covered from department budgets. Staff told commissioners those funds were available in current departmental budgets.

Why it matters: the appointments fill board vacancies for local institutions, the elections hire implements the election board’s staffing recommendation, and the emergency medical responder training expands local first-responder capacity supported in part by a grant and county funds.

Votes taken included motions to approve the hospital authority nominations, reappoint the tax assessor board member, hire the assistant election supervisor, and approve participation in the first-responder class and associated budget split as presented. Each motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the transcript does not include a roll-call tally in those items.