County commission moves forward with bid process on 2026 Rebuild Alabama road improvement projects

The Franklin County Commission approved moving forward on a grant application available as part of state Semiquincentennial Grant funds.

The Semiquincentennial is America’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce complete the paperwork for the grant application, with up to $2,500 available would be used for expenses related to the Franklin County Watermelon Festival.

In order to be eligible for the grant, the Chamber needed a partnership with either the Franklin County Commission or the City of Russellville.

This year’s Watermelon Festival is set for August 14-15, 2026, in downtown Russellville.

Commissioners approved partnering with the Chamber at the March 16th meeting of the Franklin County Commission.

In other agenda items at the short meeting, the commission:

—approved renewing a $25,125 line of credit with CB&S Bank.

—advertising for bids for projects in FY2026 Rebuild Alabama Act funds. The projects available for bid include resurfacing and traffic striping on Highway 177 from Hwy. 48 to Hwy. 56, Bates Landing Road from AL-13 to the dead end, Whitten Road from Russellville City Limits to Waterloo Road and Pritchard Road from Hwy. 524 to the dead end. 

Bids will be received until 10 a.m., on April 15, 2026, and will be publicly opened as soon as possible thereafter.

—approved the resignation of Zy Traywick as a Corrections Officer/Dispatcher, a change in status for Franklin County Courthouse Security Officer Robert Hicks to full-time 30 hours per week, hiring Justin Epperson as a temporary Corrections Officer/Dispatcher and Kayla Tabares as permanent Corrections Officer/Dispatcher with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

—approved the transfer of a 2017 Ford Explorer from the Sheriff’s Office to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office.

—declared as surplus property in the Franklin County Solid Waste Department a Ford F550 truck and approved selling the vehicle to Marion County for $7,000.

—declared as surplus property a 2005 Ford F150 truck, a John Deere tractor and a 1998 Chevrolet GMT ambulance and authorized their sale on Govdeals.com.