The Crenshaw County Commission heard from John Jones at their Monday meeting, who cleared up several questions regarding his application for a liquor license at Billy Cafe and Lounge, Inc. in Helicon.

Jones came before the Commission in November, but an agent with the Alabama Beverage Control Board said that a background check by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the FBI turned up a charge of strong-arming and assaulting a police officer in Michigan.

The Commission denied the request until the questions about the charge were resolved.

“He has presented a letter of clearance from his lawyer in Michigan that the charge did not belong to him,” said Commissioner Charlie Sankey. “It was notarized. I did tell him that his lawyer has to get that charge removed so that when the FBI runs a report it doesn’t show up.”

Sankey said that Jones has reapplied for a license, and the only other charge on the report was selling alcohol without a license, and Jones payed the $1,000 fine for that.

The Commission agreed to a public hearing on the license application on Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.

Another public hearing is scheduled that day concerning the proposed closing of Last Chance Road between Dozier and Brantley.

During the regular meeting, the Commission heard an update from County Engineer Benjie Sanders about meetings with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management concerning the county landfill.

In late 2010, the county was fined by ADEM for violations at the landfill, and since that time, the Commission has worked to bring it up to code.

One of the steps taken was to contract with Hodges, Harbin, Newberry and Tribble, Inc., a civil and environmental consulting firm from Macon, Ga.

Michael Stubbs met with the Commission last month, and he accompanied Sanders to the meeting with ADEM last week.

“It seemed like ADEM was receptive to the plan Michael laid out,” Sanders said.

Sanders also said that the plan will likely cost the county money because it requires upgrading wells for testing, though some wells can probably be abandoned.

“We can spread the cost out over a period of time,” he said. “You don’t have to climb the mountain all at once – you just have to show that you are making steps in that direction.”

Another meeting is planned for February.

The next Commission meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23 with two public hearings planned before that meeting.