At Monday’s meeting, the Franklin County Commission formally commended several individuals and departments for their work in getting the old Franklin County Jail torn down and the debris hauled away last month.

Commission chairman Barry Moore read a letter thanking solid waste manager Philip Wilson, Jeremy McCarley and David Nichols for the part they played in the project.

Moore also thanked the county highway department for the use of their equipment.

“The demolition of the old jail is something we have discussed for a long time, and when it finally came time to move forward with the project, Phillip came to me and said his department should be able to do the actual work, which would save the county a significant amount of money,” Moore said.

“These men worked hard and long hours to get this project completed. They not only got the jail torn down, but they also got all the debris cleaned up and hauled off and got the land cleared off and level.

“This was a large undertaking, but these men managed to do this in a timely manner and worked closely with the court system to make sure there was as little disruption to the business taking place at the courthouse as possible.

“They also did this job carefully and safely with no injuries occurring throughout the course of the project.

“We appreciate their willingness to help the county move forward with this project and their dedication to seeing this project through to completion.”

Moore said with county departments working together to get the project completed, the county was able to not only save money, but actually come out ahead on the project by selling and recycling the scrap metal.

“The original bid we received for this project was $75,000,” commissioner Chris Wallace said.

“When all was said and done, we came out ahead around $3,000 thanks to Phillip and the guys at the solid waste and county highway departments.

“This was a great example of working together to save the taxpayers’ money and using our funds efficiently.”

Moore said now that the jail has been removed and the land has been cleared, the commission plans to let the land settle through the typical rainy and cold winter and spring months as well as the hotter summer months,

He said he hopes to move forward with the paving of the lot by the fall of 2014.

“We have needed more parking for the courthouse for years now, and this will be a great thing for our county’s citizens,” Moore said.