CELINA-Commissioners established a county public records commission, voted to adopt a strategic economic development plan, and came up one vote short in appointing a 5th District school board member at their August meeting last week.

The eight commissioners present voted unanimously to appoint a nine-person public records commission, in accordance with state law, “for the orderly disposition of public records created by agencies of county government,” the resolution said. 

State law says the body must have at least six members and stipulates three of those members should be: a member of the county legislative body, a judge of a court in the county, and a genealogist.

Members appointed to the commission were:

* Beverly Young, commissioner,

* Jimmy White, general sessions judge,

* Melissa White, genealogist,

* Pat Hix, county clerk,

* Brenda Browning, county register,

* Lisa Thompson, county mayor’s office,

* Judith Cutright, county librarian,

* Lillian White, member at large, and 

* Peggy Davis, member at large. 

In other action at the August meeting, commissioners:

• established a strategic economic plan as part of the certification process in the state Three-Star Community Program. The plan “includes the county’s economic goals in promoting economic growth, a plan to accomplish those goals and a projected timeline in achieving those goals,” the resolution said.

The plan also “addresses the county’s goals pertaining to existing industry, manufacturing recruitment, workforce development, retail and service, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure assessment and educational assessment,” the resolution said,

• came up one vote short in selecting a 5th District school board member for the vacant seat there, with two commissioners absent. Nominee Jerry Eads received five votes from commissioners Forney, Young, Young, Langford and Coons, while Nathan Sherrell received three votes from commissioners Scott, Gray and Lee. Commissioners Cherry and Boles were absent. Commissioners will vote again on the matter in September,

• voted to “affirm compliance with federal Title VI regulations,” dealing with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, also as part of the Three-Star Community Program, 

• voted to allow the county highway commissioner to purchase two new pickup trucks and sell a truck to the city of Celina,

• approved a budget amendment of $58,665 transferring funds from “insurance recovery” to “other equipment,” concerning equipment destroyed by fire in the old rescue squad building in June,

• added Doss Lane, extending off Jackson Street in Celina, to the county E-911 map,

• accepted the quarterly report from trustee Charlie Key, and

• approved John Denton, Tim McLerran, Cristy Beasley, Joann McLerran and Judith Smith as notaries public.