10:05 AM. Houston County Commission Meeting - Appointments To Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: Oct 12 2021 11:05 AM

HOUSTON COUNTY:     The Houston County Commission met in their regular scheduled meeting. This is a voting meeting where the commissioners are allowed to vote on items.

All commissioners were present except D-1 Commissioner Curtis Harvey who was not present due to being sick.

The Commission issued a proclamation FARM CENTER WEEK, declaring the week November 19 - 25 as Farm Center Week. Present for the proclamation - Glenn Malloy and Gloria Jeffcoat. The proclamation was read by D-2 Commissioner Doug Sinquefield.

The commission request to award revised ACCA joint county bid for concrete pipe.

The commission approved the request from the Houston County Personnel Board to concur in the 2022 County Holiday Schedule.

The commission approved the necessary appraisal work for Trail Grant Application and authorize Chairman Mark Culver to take actions necessary with approved appraisers and authorize documents.

The commission approved a request for survey and environmental work for Trails Grant Application.

APPOINTMENTS TO SOUTHEAST ALABAMA HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY

DISTRICT ONE APPOINTMENT:    Houston County Commissioner D-1 Curtis Harvey was not present. Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver told D-2 Commissioner Doug Sinquefield that D-1 Commissioner Curtis Harvey wanted James Kelly re-appointed.

D-2 Commissioner Doug Sinquefield made the motion for D-1 Appointment, James Kelly, as per directions from Chairman Mark Culver as to D-1 Commissioner Harvey’s request. The motion died from the lack of a second.

D-3 Commissioner Ricky Herring and D-4 Commissioner Brandon Shoupe stated they had not heard from D-1 Commissioner Curtis Harvey, and this being a six year appointment, they felt best for D-1 Commissioner Curtis Harvey be present.

DISTRICT TWO APPOINTMENT:   Houston County Commissioner D-2 Doug Sinquefield appointed Tony Strickland to the board. Strickland is a current board member who followed his dad, Foy Strickland, who was a long term board member of the Healthcare Authority.

DISTRICT THREE APPOINTMENT:    Houston County Commissioner D-3 Ricky Herring tabled the appointment for District 3. Commissioner Herring stated that he wanted to get with the appointment committee for Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority and discuss the issue more. Commissioner Herring said that he intends to appoint Steve Hicks to the Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority. 

The current appointment is Lance Shephard. That appointment will remain until a new appointment is named.

The appointment committee submits three names to the commission for them to select someone to appoint. Going back to when Wylie Yelverton was a Houston County Commissioner, Yelverton did not like that at all. So the compromise was the nominating committing for Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority to meet with each commissioner discuss their recommendations and the commissioners feelings. Hopefully working out a compromise to who the County Commissioner, the appointing authority is comfortable with appointing.

Commissioner Herring has stated that he met with Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority appointing committee and requested Steve Hicks be placed on this list. However the committee did not place the name on the list.

Today D-3 Commissioner Ricky Herring made it clear he intends to appoint Steve Hicks to the Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority.

DISTRICT FOUR APPOINTMENT:    Houston County Commissioner D-4 Brandon Shoupe re-appointed Don Owens, Owner of Dothan Powersports, to remain on the Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority for six more years. That motion passed.

BACK TO THE MEETING

The commission approved to award bid for crushed limestone to lowest bidder meeting specifications.

The commission approved to sell the following items on GOVDEALS:  2005 Chevrolet Blazer and a 2007 Chevrolet HHR.

Meeting Adjourned

WHO IS STEVE HICKS?  

STEVE HICKS lives in Dothan ( Houston County Alabama ). At one time Steve Hicks served as Administrator for Houston County. The only person on the commission at the time of service is Chairman Mark Culver who was a Commissioner and not Chairman.

When he left Houston County he served as Administrator for the Pike County Commission. Following Pike County Steve Hicks went to Enterprise as City Clerk.

The City Clerk in many cities, such as Enterprise, serves much like that of a County Administrator or City Manager. They manage a lot of the day to day operations and report to the Mayor of the city. The City of Enterprise is a strong Mayor form of government, unlike Dothan. In Enterprise the Mayor runs the city and is the boss, subject to some items approved or not approved by the City Council. So Hicks was the right hand of then Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell. And Hicks served a number of years.

When Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell took over the position of Director of ADECA for the entire State of Alabama after being appointed to the Governor’s Cabinet by Governor Kay Ivey, Enterprise City Clerk Steve Hicks started looking to move on in his career.

Hicks was one of the finalist for Dothan City Manager. But being a resident of Dothan, for some reason, Dothan Mayor and Commissioners never have faith in local residents to be the city manager and always appoint someone with a out of town address.

The City of Donalsonville Georgia hired Steve Hicks as City Manager. And he came along at the right time. The entire county, Seminole County, was hit hard by Hurricane Michael. Well Steve Hicks served along side of Enterprise Mayor Kenneth Boswell when the City of Enterprise was hit hard by a tornado. So Hicks brought to the table an extensive amount of experience in dealing with FEMA and other agencies to rebuild what had been severally damaged.

WHY DID THE SOUTHEAST ALABAMA HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY NOT NAME HICKS ON THE LIST?

That I do not not know. When former D-3 Commissioner Francis Cook recommended Chester Sowell as a Board Member the hospital board was not excited. But then D-3 Commissioner Francis Cook was strong willed in telling the Healthcare Authority this was her appointment and she made that decision. Then D-4 Commissioner Phil Forrester voted against Sowell, but only because he did not believe a sitting Mayor should serve on the hospital board with there being two hospitals in Dothan - Houston County.

Current Chester Sowell serves as Chairman of Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority. Sowell has two more years on the board. 

The Houston County Commission appoints 12 of the 13 members of the Southeast Alabama Healthcare Authority. Each commissioner has three appointments, all six year terms. The Chairman of  the County Commission does not get to make an appointment to the board.

Chester Sowell has two more years on his term as a member of the board. The appointment for Sowell is one from District 3, which currently is Commissioner Ricky Herring. However Herring did not appoint Sowell. Those appointments for Sowell started by former D-3 Commissioner Francis Cook and D-3 Commissioner Jackie Battles re-appointed Sowell.

Next year is election year for the members of the Houston County Commission. It depends on if Ricky Herring gets re-elected as D-3 Commissioner if he will be the deciding factor on Sowell’s appointment. Speculation is that Herring will not re-appoint Sowell, but, Herring has to get re-elected as County Commissioner before that appointment comes up.

There you have it and up to date.

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