Jan 22 2024
County Commission convened a 5pm meeting on Jan 22nd. By
meeting time, upwards of 50 taxpayers were in attendance.
For the most part, Clayonians refuse to attend public
meetings. It takes something real special to get em out on a
sunny day. On the 22nd, the side roads were still ice
covered with snow blanketing the hillsides. What was so
special did you ask?
Here's
what brought em out.
Just above is a pic of the old nutrition site in Two Run. Last Summer word spread on the streets that the dynamic duo of Commissioner Joyce Johnson led by Dave Schoolcraft, they had been working magic behind the scenes, they were up to something. In a nutshell, and according to voices spoken during CCC meetings, the Duo was working in lock step to do $30,000 in repairs on the place minus the required by law, bidding process; planning to sell the place (or at least rent the place to a favorite buddy); and, busting several laws including, renting to a for profit company and "stringing" invoices to aid in the quiet process.
Word got out none the less. Commissioner Schoolcraft learned real quick, he and Joyce were up against wet hens, AKA women in the county that weren't taking his antics for granted. In other words, Schoolcraft had peed off the wrong folks.
At the lead for the protest was Donna Salisbury who had just received funding for a new social service provider, Clay Family Resource Support Center (CFRSC).
When people do show up, they normally vent their frustrations and then go home never to be heard of again. The CCC likes it that way.
Salisbury was, is, different. For nearly a year she kept up the in their face assault in the old style business as usual. During some meetings she asked the Duo for facts. At others she showed up with public information that normally hides under the radar. For this Jan 22nd gathering, Salisbury made a plea to her friends to come out and show support for doing things above board and for the benefit of County Clay. It worked. Around 50 people sat there in support.
Just above is a pic of the old nutrition site in Two Run. Last Summer word spread on the streets that the dynamic duo of Commissioner Joyce Johnson led by Dave Schoolcraft, they had been working magic behind the scenes, they were up to something. In a nutshell, and according to voices spoken during CCC meetings, the Duo was working in lock step to do $30,000 in repairs on the place minus the required by law, bidding process; planning to sell the place (or at least rent the place to a favorite buddy); and, busting several laws including, renting to a for profit company and "stringing" invoices to aid in the quiet process.
Word got out none the less. Commissioner Schoolcraft learned real quick, he and Joyce were up against wet hens, AKA women in the county that weren't taking his antics for granted. In other words, Schoolcraft had peed off the wrong folks.
At the lead for the protest was Donna Salisbury who had just received funding for a new social service provider, Clay Family Resource Support Center (CFRSC).
When people do show up, they normally vent their frustrations and then go home never to be heard of again. The CCC likes it that way.
Salisbury was, is, different. For nearly a year she kept up the in their face assault in the old style business as usual. During some meetings she asked the Duo for facts. At others she showed up with public information that normally hides under the radar. For this Jan 22nd gathering, Salisbury made a plea to her friends to come out and show support for doing things above board and for the benefit of County Clay. It worked. Around 50 people sat there in support.
Commissioner Connie Kinder
County Clerk Sheila Stone (L), Commissioner Joyce Johnson
For this meeting, Commission Prez Dave Schoolcraft
participated via a speaker phone. Agenda item 9 was a vote
to decide on which non profit would get to use the recently
remodeled nutrition site as their operation center. The main
contender was of course CFSC plus long standing mental
service provider, Prestera based in Charleston.
In the hot seat with all eyes on em, without discussion or comment, CFSC received all three votes and the dust settled. Dave and Joyce had averted a hanging! Applause was heard and a few Yeas in the peanut gallery
The entire meeting was over in just 9 minutes, almost a record!
Other important things were voted on . Like, number 8 was a vote to hire ZMM Architects to complete the interior of the the Judicial Annex building beside the Courthouse. It will take millions to make the space usable. It's also the place that flooded during the 2016 Great Wash Out damaging the 911 Center already located in the nearly vacate building.
We haven't mentioned the third Commissioner, Connie Kinder who is up for reelection this year. On many occasions, Kinder has spoken up on doing govt business above board. At other times it is Kinder that has made public those "sticky" problems. For this meeting when things actually went "kosher", we saw senior Commission Kinder grin. Nice!
Readers, when your house flooded in 2016, were you provided Fed $$ to rebuild in the same place? Didn't think so.
Note: We told you back on Nov 22nd that we were shutting down the Communicator and Clayberry website. We did it to. But, when something juicy is in the works and someone tells us about it ahead of time, we can't help but come out and watch elected leaders squirm.
AW
In the hot seat with all eyes on em, without discussion or comment, CFSC received all three votes and the dust settled. Dave and Joyce had averted a hanging! Applause was heard and a few Yeas in the peanut gallery
The entire meeting was over in just 9 minutes, almost a record!
Other important things were voted on . Like, number 8 was a vote to hire ZMM Architects to complete the interior of the the Judicial Annex building beside the Courthouse. It will take millions to make the space usable. It's also the place that flooded during the 2016 Great Wash Out damaging the 911 Center already located in the nearly vacate building.
We haven't mentioned the third Commissioner, Connie Kinder who is up for reelection this year. On many occasions, Kinder has spoken up on doing govt business above board. At other times it is Kinder that has made public those "sticky" problems. For this meeting when things actually went "kosher", we saw senior Commission Kinder grin. Nice!
Readers, when your house flooded in 2016, were you provided Fed $$ to rebuild in the same place? Didn't think so.
Note: We told you back on Nov 22nd that we were shutting down the Communicator and Clayberry website. We did it to. But, when something juicy is in the works and someone tells us about it ahead of time, we can't help but come out and watch elected leaders squirm.
AW