The Henry County Board of Supervisors addressed several county facility and technology projects during its regular meeting Thursday evening at the Henry County Emergency Management Building in Mount Pleasant.
County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss provided his weekly report, saying secondary roads crews are continuing to blade gravel roads following several weeks of rainfall and are wrapping up mowing along gravel roads before shifting back to paved roads next week. Construction projects continue to move forward as weather permits.
Hotchkiss also updated supervisors on the county’s annual fuel bid process. The county partners with the City of Mount Pleasant, the Mount Pleasant Community School District, Henry County Health Center and other entities to purchase fuel together, helping secure more competitive pricing. Fuel bids were opened this week, and Hotchkiss said he will review the proposals before bringing a recommendation to the board at next week’s meeting.
Supervisors approved repairs to the courthouse’s south entrance door after learning the automatic opening mechanism has reached the end of its service life. While repairs may still be possible, replacing the mechanism is estimated to cost approximately $3,900.
The board also continued discussions on courthouse space allocation, including office space for Veterans Affairs, the County Attorney’s Office and Juvenile Services. In addition, supervisors reviewed plans to improve the county’s IT server room by constructing a dividing wall and relocating staff workspaces. Chairman Chad White called the project “a need, not a want,” citing safety concerns, insurance requirements and the importance of protecting the county’s technology infrastructure. Officials said the county fire marshal will be consulted as plans move forward.
Supervisors approved a one-year renewal agreement with Solutions, the county’s current software vendor. The contract includes an approximately seven percent increase over last year. IT Director Gunner Sloan said the renewal is the best short-term option while the county continues evaluating a possible transition to Re-Gov software. Sloan noted additional planning is needed before all county departments would be prepared to implement a new system.
The board also spent considerable time discussing Historic Preservation Fund Resolution Number 9-2026. The resolution would have provided $11,000 in fiscal year 2026 funding to the Henry County Historic Preservation Commission but failed on a unanimous 3-0 vote.
Supervisor Steven Detrick said his concern was that the funding was originally intended as seed money to help the commission become self-sustaining through book sales, not as an ongoing annual appropriation. He also questioned the commission’s practice of awarding grants to other nonprofit organizations. Supervisor Marc Lindeen agreed, saying taxpayer dollars appropriated to the commission should remain with the organization to support its intended preservation projects rather than be distributed elsewhere.
No representatives from the Historic Preservation Commission were present to answer supervisors’ questions. With the fiscal year ending before the board’s next meeting, the resolution was not approved. The county’s fiscal year 2027 budget does include another $11,000 allocation for the commission, meaning the issue is expected to return for future discussion. Detrick indicated he is also opposed to approving that funding.
Following committee reports, the Henry County Board of Supervisors adjourned its regular meeting before convening a public discussion on potential commercial solar energy, battery energy storage systems and data center development in Henry County. That story is available here.