Jimmie Stephens acknowledged receiving lots of phone calls after he was absent from Tuesday’s committee meeting of the Jefferson County Commission.

Several people called to make sure that the commission president was alright, remembering his recent announcement that he is receiving treatment for cancer.

“I figured I better tell everyone what was going on,” he said after Thursday’s commission meeting at the Bessemer Justice Center. “This is part of my treatment plan, what we have going on.”

Stephens said Tuesday’s absence was a conflict with a doctor’s appointment. He said he has to prioritize things.

“When I prioritized, y’all came out second,” he said.

Stephens announced that he expects to miss a few of the upcoming commission meetings as he continues to receive treatment.

“My health activity, my treatments are going to pick up considerably at the end of January and during the month of February,” the commission president said. “That’s according to the plan. We should be able to get through that and I’ll be back reengaged as quickly as possible.

“I expect to be out for the next commission meeting, and possibly the next,” Stephens said. “People shouldn’t be alarmed. … I’ve spoken with the county manager and Commissioner (Joe) Knight and everything is in good hands and taken care of. We have a good commission. They work well together, and I foresee no problems moving forward.”

Cold Can Wreak Havoc on Roads

The recent cold snap has opened potholes where there were none before, Stephens observed during the meeting.

“Weather, obviously, is probably one of the single most important things that we fight when it comes to just wear and tear on infrastructure,” said Deputy County Manager Heather Carter. “Usually, we don’t have to deal with those freezing type events. But every time that does happen, we get that water that we have an abundance of, it freezes and Mother Nature’s jackhammer is very, very effective.”

Carter provided a bit of a science lesson, saying water in the pavement freezes, expands and pops the materials in the road apart. As a result, the road fails a lot faster.

“There’s just really no way to stop that moisture from being there and so we just have to go out and fix it,” Carter said. “That’s why we are continuously working on the roads. It is something that doesn’t stop.”

The deputy county manager urged citizens to report potholes when they discover them. The My JeffCo app is a good option, she said. Reports also can be submitted online.

“We’ll put it in the system, get out there and address the pothole,” Carter said. “We’re constantly evaluating those roads to make sure that we’re getting them in that paving cycle and getting them addressed. We have that target of keeping them in that constant maintenance and rehabilitation cycle.

“We just appreciate everybody’s patience with us and the commission’s ongoing financial support because maintaining 2,100 centerline miles of road is a big task.”