By Ray King

With no dissent, the Jefferson County Quorum Court on Monday approved an ordinance allocating nearly $84,500 to the Metropolitan Emergency Communications Association (MECA) to add additional personnel.

Karen Blevins is director of the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management and supervises MECA and told Deltaplex News about the request and where the money is coming from.

In a memorandum to County Gerald Robinson, Blevins said two of the positions to be added had previously been cut, one in 2017, the other in 2019 to reduce expenses.

In a very brief meeting, the county’s legislative body also approved a $7,092.50 appropriation for the Sheriff’s Office with the funds coming from the Drug Enforcement Agency which pays deputies overtime while working on DEA related cases.

The County Road Department received a check for $1,250 from an attorney representing Union Pacific Railroad for damage done to Gaddy Koonce Road on June 22, 2019 from a trail derailment and the Quorum Court appropriated those funds to the road department.

During committee meetings last week, a resolution approving the Sherill Volunteer Fire Department absorbing the Wright-Pastoria Volunteer Fire Department was tabled. On June 22, the board of directors of the Wright-Pastoria Volunteer Fire Department met and voted to let their department be absorbed by the Sheriff Department and relinquished all control, equipment, buildings, and all finances past, present and future to the Sheriff Volunteer Fire Department.

Sherill agreed to keep a fire truck at the Wright station for quick responses and to keep the community room at the Wright station available for rental and in the event of natural disasters.