Columbia County commissioners approve multiple labor agreements, indigent defense contract, reappointment and grant support

The Columbia County commissioners approved several routine but consequential items at a Dec. 22 work session, including two union contracts, an indigent defense agreement with counsel and a one-month transition addendum, the reappointment of a Civil Service Board member and a letter of support for fairgrounds restoration.

The chair introduced a collective bargaining agreement with the Deputies Association and said the union had approved and signed the document. The board voted by voice to accept the agreement. The chair then presented a similar agreement with Public Works Union Local 1191; commissioners again voted to accept the contract after confirming it matched the version previously reviewed.

On indigent defense, the board accepted a contract with attorney Randy Reid to provide indigent-defense services for Columbia County. The chair moved the item and commissioners approved it by voice vote. The board also approved a one-month addendum to that contract so that Ashley Kolbert will assist with the transition to Reid during January.

Virginia moved the reappointment of Steve Tapio to the Civil Service Board for a full term; the motion carried by voice vote. There was brief uncertainty during discussion about the length of the standard term—one speaker asked whether it was four years, another referenced three—but the board completed the reappointment without recording a definitive term length in the meeting transcript.

The board agreed to sign a letter of support for the Friends of the Fairgrounds, who are seeking grant funds from the Wild Horse Foundation to restore the East Grandstands; commissioners approved the motion by voice vote.

Most votes were handled as voice votes; no roll-call tallies or individual votes were recorded in the transcript. The chair noted that a planned 10 a.m. presentation on the Lacock Act was postponed and that the WCAG group will be rescheduled to present on Jan. 5. The chair also announced that, unless urgent business arises, the next meeting will be Jan. 5, when the board expects to appoint Commissioner Rondell as chair.

(Attributions in this report follow speakers as identified in the meeting transcript: statements introducing motions and confirming approvals were made by the chair and by the participant identified as Virginia.)