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By Jeff Moore

Contributing writer

 

Crisp County County Administrator Clark Harrell gave an at-times emotional farewell remarks as he prepares to step down to take another position.

During the Tuesday, March 11 Crisp County Commission meeting, Harrell said it has been an honor and a privilege to serve in the role over the past five years.

Harrell said the county commissioners are great elected officials.

“I’m truly quite proud of the accomplishments that we all have made together over the last five years, like you are” he said. “Thank you for the privilege.”

Harrell is leaving Crisp County to become the next county administrator in Harris County.

Commissioner Larry Felton said he is going to miss working with Harrell, noting how his work has helped make the commissioners better at their jobs.

“I don’t want you to go,” Felton said, adding, “but, you gotta do what you gotta do.”

Commissioner Arthur Nance told him that he has done and “outstanding job” for Crisp County.

“Thank you for your service,” Nance said. “I rate you up top.”

Effective March 12, Harrell appointed county Planning and Zoning Director Mickey Dunnavant as the interim assistant county administrator, which will remain in effect until the commissioners hired a new county administrator.

 

Judicial alternative approved

The county commissioners approved a contract that will allow Crisp County Magistrate Court the option using ankle monitors as a condition of a person’s bond.

Chief Magistrate Judge Brandon Rivers told the commission that ankle monitors are being used in both Superior Court and Probate Court in Crisp County.

Rivers said they have only done three leg monitors in the past year.

For those unable to pay the full amount of a fine or are not a risk to the public’s safety, he said ankle monitors provide an option that a person can be released with this as a condition of their bond.

Ankle monitor use is not a requirement in Georgia, Rivers explained, adding that it is an option.

Commissioners did pose questions about the cost of the the monitors, but Rivers said he doesn’t know about that part because private companies handle those.

“We don’t determine who puts the monitors on,” he said. “We just require them to have one.”

Ankle monitors would not be an option for everyone in Magistrate Court.

“If I think you’re dangerous to a specific person or to the public, I’ll just keep you there (in jail),” Rivers said. “But with the ankle monitor, I can release you and know where you are. That’s that’s kind of the whole purpose of the leg monitors.”

For example, he said if it is a person’s first offense and the individual doesn’t meet the criteria for being held without bail, the monitors provide an alternative that would be determined case by case.

Rivers said they would not be putting ankle monitors on someone accused of shoplifting or a misdemeanor crime.

“I can see this is an alternative of folks keeping people in jail

or just having to pay the fine all at once and giving them time to try

to deal with me,” he added.

Rivers and Magistrate Judge Scott Hawkins told the commissioners they have put a lot of thought in whether a monitor is appropriate.

“We try to make adjust and fair decision,” Rivers added.

Commissioners approved the services contract to allow for use of ankle monitors on an unanimous vote.

 

Container donated to CFD

Harrell said Crisp County Fire and Rescue requested the commission approve donation of a surplus shipping container to the Cordele Fire Department.

Three shipping containers were purchased in 2018 with the intent of building a live fire training facility, he explained. However, that has not occurred.

The county paid $2,295 each for those shipping containers.

The county and city fire departments are can be put into service at the Cordele facility,” Harrell said.

“This would save Crisp County money by those two entities working together so that we would not have to set these things up,” he told commissioners.

The commission unanimously approved the shipping container donation.