County Commission | The Magazine January February 2018 | Page 38

FROM THE COVER Support legislation amending Alabama law to remove the requirement that the sheriff must be appointed conservator or guardianship of an incapacitated person if no other suitable person qualifies as general conservator. • Support for legislation imposing an express duty to require service providers to collect and remit the monthly statewide 911 fee from all of their m s ti m e Support for legislative and administrative efforts to implement state-funded video conferencing for certain court appearances and to expand the • 38 | COUNTY COMMISSION • Support ensuring the State has sufficient resources to assist county governments with the protection of the public’s health and safety in the event of an environmental emergency. Support legislation to clarify that the County Commission is not liable for the improper expenditures of funds authorized by law to be expended at the “sole discretion” of a particular elected official. Belief that the statewide 911 Board should conduct only those activities delegated by the Legislature. • • • Support authorizing Emergency Management Agency vehicles to utilize emergency lights and sirens as other emergency vehicles. Support for shifting regulation of certain prefabricated storm shelters from the Department of Finance to the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission. Support legislation requiring that a driver’s license testing office be open in each county for no less than two days per month. • • Support for adequate funding of state supplements paid to counties with a certified county EMA director. Opposition to any legislation authorizing a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle without a valid pistol permit. • Support for restoring state EMA revenues in the state general fund budget • to ensure both state and county EMA programs receive proper funding. • Belief that debris placed on the right of way of a state road following a disaster event is the State of Alabama’s responsibility and should be removed at state expense. Support to protect the county commission against the payment of any costs or penalties issued as a result of any local elected official defying a validly-issued court order. • • Support to provide adequate funding to ensure that ambulance services are available throughout the county. e • • use of video court proceedings in the state. ea Opposition to prohibiting state law enforcement officers from conducting investigations or providing other services on county roads. t i m • m s Support for legislative or administrative procedures to reduce or eliminate county costs for transportation of mental health patients. Belief that 911 services are best provided through locally operated and administered boards without statewide coordination and encouraging the statewide 911 Board to seek meaningful input from existing 911 district boards and personnel in developing any proposed reforms or initiatives. re a • • | D on a county without the county commissions consent.