Residents who live near Danville and Punkin Center communities along with employees of 3-M Corporation will soon feel safer when a tornado warming is issued.

The Morgan County Commission approved low bids totaling $272,053 from Aqua Marine Enterprises Inc. to construct safe rooms/shelters at all three locations.

A safe room at Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department will be constructed at a cost of $68,991 and will accommodate about 100 people. Danville Volunteer Fire Department is getting a second safe room of similar size at a cost of $65,596 while a larger safe room will be constructed at the 3M plant site for $137,466.

The shelters are being paid for by a federal grant at no cost to the county.

The commission also approved a resolution appointing the Morgan County Emergency Management Communications District as the county’s agent for a re-banding services agreement involving Harris Corporation, Sprint Nextel, Morgan County, City of Hartselle and State of Alabama.

Ryan Welty, director of Morgan County 911, said Sprint Nextel’s frequency reconfiguration would enable E-911 to switch to an 800-megahertz frequency at no cost to the county. He said it would enhance and add life to the emergency communications system.

He commission acted on other matters as follows:

• Rejected all bids to purchase four cart tippers for Morgan County Environmental Services and authorized the chairman to re-advertise for bids with revised specifications.

• Accepted a bid of $1,018.21 from Avanti for the purchase of computers for the various county department and authorized the chairman to issue a purchase order to the low bidder to be paid out of Morgan County Data Processing funds.

• Accepted a low bid of $38,718.56 from Election System & Software for the purchase of a minimum of 100 four-station voting booths for the Morgan County Office and authorized the chairman to issue a purchase order to the low bidder to be paid with a HAVA grant. The new voting booths will replace existing ones used at voting precincts throughout the county.

• Approved four 2010-2011 budget amendments totaling $118,611.

• Approved checks totaling $6.873 million for the month of March 2011.

• Approved payment of $429 to Sirote & Permutt P.C. for legal services provided by Julian D. Butler in the Doug Keel appeal April 4-5.

• Approved paying $1,000 each to Morgan City Founder’s Day Celebration and Eva Art Guild for Eva Frontier Days, payable out of the Tourism, Recreation & Convention Fund.

• Proclaimed Tuesday, May 17, as “Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Day” in Morgan County.

•Authorized the chairman to execute the FY 2011-2012 Urban Transportation Grant application to assist in the operation of the Morgan County Area Transportation System transit services for the period Oct. 1 through Sept 30, 2012. The amounts being sought are $311,294 in federal operating assistance and $203,295 in federal capital assistance.

• Authorized the chairman to execute the FY 2011-2012 Rural Transportation Grant application to assist in the operation of Morgan County Area Transportation transit services for the period Oct. 1, 2011 through Sept. 30, 2012. The amounts being requested are $41,070 in federal administrative assistance, $151,715 in federal operating assistance and $200,000 in federal capital assistance.

• Authorized the acquisition of the Brindlee Mountain Community Center property at the request of District 4 Commissioner Greg Abercrombie. A $40,000 grant from the Farm Services Agency has been acquired and will be used to make improvements after the property title has been transferred to the county, Abercrombie reported.

The Morgan County Commission approved low bids totaling $272,053 from Aqua Marine Enterprises Inc. to construct safe rooms/shelters at all three locations.

A safe room at Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department will be constructed at a cost of $68,991 and will accommodate about 100 people. Danville Volunteer Fire Department is getting a second safe room of similar size at a cost of $65,596 while a larger safe room will be constructed at the 3M plant site for $137,466.

The shelters are being paid for by a federal grant at no cost to the county.

The commission also approved a resolution appointing the Morgan County Emergency Management Communications District as the county’s agent for a re-banding services agreement involving Harris Corporation, Sprint Nextel, Morgan County, City of Hartselle and State of Alabama.

Ryan Welty, director of Morgan County 911, said Sprint Nextel’s frequency reconfiguration would enable E-911 to switch to an 800-megahertz frequency at no cost to the county. He said it would enhance and add life to the emergency communications system.

He commission acted on other matters as follows:

• Rejected all bids to purchase four cart tippers for Morgan County Environmental Services and authorized the chairman to re-advertise for bids with revised specifications.

• Accepted a bid of $1,018.21 from Avanti for the purchase of computers for the various county department and authorized the chairman to issue a purchase order to the low bidder to be paid out of Morgan County Data Processing funds.

• Accepted a low bid of $38,718.56 from Election System & Software for the purchase of a minimum of 100 four-station voting booths for the Morgan County Office and authorized the chairman to issue a purchase order to the low bidder to be paid with a HAVA grant. The new voting booths will replace existing ones used at voting precincts throughout the county.

• Approved four 2010-2011 budget amendments totaling $118,611.

• Approved checks totaling $6.873 million for the month of March 2011.

• Approved payment of $429 to Sirote & Permutt P.C. for legal services provided by Julian D. Butler in the Doug Keel appeal April 4-5.

• Approved paying $1,000 each to Morgan City Founder’s Day Celebration and Eva Art Guild for Eva Frontier Days, payable out of the Tourism, Recreation & Convention Fund.

• Proclaimed Tuesday, May 17, as “Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Day” in Morgan County.

•Authorized the chairman to execute the FY 2011-2012 Urban Transportation Grant application to assist in the operation of the Morgan County Area Transportation System transit services for the period Oct. 1 through Sept 30, 2012. The amounts being sought are $311,294 in federal operating assistance and $203,295 in federal capital assistance.

• Authorized the chairman to execute the FY 2011-2012 Rural Transportation Grant application to assist in the operation of Morgan County Area Transportation transit services for the period Oct. 1, 2011 through Sept. 30, 2012. The amounts being requested are $41,070 in federal administrative assistance, $151,715 in federal operating assistance and $200,000 in federal capital assistance.

• Authorized the acquisition of the Brindlee Mountain Community Center property at the request of District 4 Commissioner Greg Abercrombie. A $40,000 grant from the Farm Services Agency has been acquired and will be used to make improvements after the property title has been transferred to the county, Abercrombie reported.