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By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Commission approved the replacement of the bridge over Beeswax Creek during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, March 10.

The meeting began at 8 a.m. and the commission immediately approved the resolutions on the agenda. The commission awarded bids for two separate infrastructure projects, which were the restriping of several county roads and a bridge replacement over Beeswax Creek.

The bid for restriping of various county roads went to the only responsive bidder, Highway Management Systems in the amount of $137,940.

County Engineer David Willingham noted that there was only one bidder for the bridge replacement project. The bid award went to The Bridge Builders of Alabama, LLC for the bridge replacement and approaches on County Road 61 over Beeswax in the amount of $2,535,754.

The meeting then moved to a proclamation announcing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the county. Janelle Sierra, the executive director of SafeHouse, a nonprofit providing care to those affected by domestic and sexual violence throughout Alabama, spoke on the importance of the proclamation and expressed her gratitude to the Commission.

“Your consistent financial backing and public commitment to addressing violence in our community not only makes a tangible difference but also sets a powerful example for others to follow,” Sierra said.

Sierra further explained the mission of SafeHouse and how the issue of sexual and domestic violence impacts Shelby County.

“For those who aren’t familiar, we are a nonprofit organization and proud United Way partner, providing essential domestic and sexual (violence) response, prevention and intervention programs here in Shelby, Coosa, Clay and Chilton counties,” Sierra said. “We served over 600 victims last year through our office in Pelham and our emergency shelter. Over 80 percent of those clients came from Shelby County.”

County Manager Chad Scroggins then gave a report on various developments around the county, including announcing that the proposed slot limit on bass fishing in Coosa River is now a dead issue.

“That might not seem like much, but we had everybody and his brother coming out to actually go against this (proposal),” Scroggins said. “The more people that utilize the Coosa River system, the more people that will actually fall in love with it.”

Scroggins also announced that the county is also converting basketball courts to pickleball courts at Forest Park, and developing houses for caretakers of various parks in the county. Scroggins concluded by announcing that all of the county’s summer internships have been posted.

“I can’t express to you how important this (program) is for us,” Scroggins said. “We get as much out of (the interns) as they get from us.”

The next Shelby County Commission is scheduled for Monday, March 24 at 6 p.m. For more information on the commission, visit Shelbyal.com/93/County-Commission.