Chairman appoints two to committee

By Tom Smith
Senior Staff Writer

Published: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 9, 2009 at 10:27 p.m.

LAUDERDALE COUNTY - It's now up to a committee to end the stalemate over a joint appointment to the Florence-Lauderdale County Tourism Board.

A quick look

The issue: For the past six weeks, the Lauderdale County Commission and the Florence City Council have been trying to select someone for a joint appointment to the Florence-Lauderdale County Tourism Board. The two entities each nominated different individuals, causing a stalemate.

What's new: Two commissioners have been appointed to work on a committee with two council members to come up with a compromise and submit a recommendation.

What's next: Commissioners are to meet with council members as soon as possible to try and work through this deadlock.

During its regular meeting Monday, the Lauderdale County Commission gave Commission Chairman Dewey Mitchell the authority to appoint two members to a committee designed to work through an impasse that has developed over the appointment.

Mitchell appointed commissioners D.C. Thornton and Fay Parker. They join city Councilmen Andy Betterton and Barry Morris, who were appointed to the committee by the Florence City Council last week.

Mitchell instructed the two commissioners to sit down with the council members and reach some kind of compromise to end the impasse.

"This committee is charged with trying to work together to bring back a recommendation to be submitted to the City Council and commission so that we can work through this," Mitchell said.

Since late September, the commission and the city have been deadlocked over what to do about the joint appointment.

At the Sept. 28 commission meeting, commissioners by a 3-2 vote reappointed Bill Hunt to the position. The Florence City Council, however, voted unanimously Oct. 20 to nominate Jan Ingle to the position. Both entities must agree on the appointment.

"I'm looking forward to our appointed committee working with the City Council's appointments on this," said Fulmer. "I hope it can be resolved as soon as possible."

Thornton said he thinks the committee will be able to come up with a resolution.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.