3/7/2017 BOC Work Session Minutes
GORDON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
WORK SESSION MINUTES
MARCH 7, 2017
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners held a Work Session Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in the conference room of the Administration Building.
Chairman Hood called the meeting to order.
The Board discussed each item on the agenda for the Regular Meeting and made no changes; one item was added to the Regular Meeting agenda later in the meeting.
County Attorney Ledbetter advised the Board that the agenda item for Request for Approval of Posting a $100 bond for the appeal regarding Redbud Grocery & Tobacco’s beer license application that was denied by the Board, is a technicality that we cannot waive. Redbud Grocery is appealing to Superior Court the denial of a malt beverage license for their store across the highway from Redbud School. The appeal bond is in the estimated amount of $100 to cover court costs the County might have, such as the court reporter.
County Administrator King advised the Board that the item for Change of Equipment Purchase under SPLOST Funds for Public Works was looked at by our Director of Public Works and he has evaluated equipment and saw a need to replace a 27-year old roller. Public Work Director, Blake Nicholson, came before the Board and advised that his department has a base roller that needed repairs, parts are no longer available for it and have to be made. The estimate to repair was $20,000 and he did not want to put that money in equipment that is that old. He is asking to use the funds for a roller and truck instead of a mower tractor which the funds were originally budgeted for.
County Administrator King explained the item for requests from the Historic Preservation Commission for approval to allow Southern Paranormal Investigators to conduct a paranormal investigation at the Resaca Battlefield Historic Site and also a request to allow the Rotary Club to hold their April 6th noon meeting at the Resaca Battlefield Historic Site. Mr. Kenny Padgett spoke to the Board and advised that the Historic Preservation Commission has voted on both these requests and their vote was 5-0 in favor of approving the requests.
Commissioner Steward stated that he would like to add an item to the Regular Meeting Agenda for the Board’s consideration. Chairman Hood asked if the Board should go ahead and discuss the item that Commissioner Steward is requesting to place on the agenda. County Attorney advised that the Board can go ahead and discuss the item now. Attorney Ledbetter commented that a couple of weeks ago the Board enacted a moratorium concerning acceptance of applications for new or expansion of commercial poultry operations and expected to have a public hearing on that tonight, but we received a call from the Georgia Poultry Association saying there is an instance of bird flu up in Tennessee and their protocol is that they don’t want poultry growers getting around each other where the bird flu might get inadvertently spread. So the Board wants everyone to be available at the public hearing. We don’t know when the bird flu issue will be solved so we have determined from the phone calls of the public calling in, that there are some growers, small chicken operations, who have been negatively impacted. These would be growers who are building more traditional-styled chicken houses, no more than two houses with a maximum size of 50 ft. x 500 ft., these houses do not fall into what we intend to control, which is the mega houses of 60 ft. x 600 ft. with 52,000-birds operations and where they have six, eight, or twelve of these. Commissioner Steward will be making that motion to change the moratorium as it would apply to those small operations. Chairman Hood asked if anyone has any questions, and if not, then that item will be
added to the agenda for the Regular Meeting.
Chairman Hood advised that the next item on the Work Session Agenda is a Proclamation for “March is Red Cross Month”, and since Commissioner Owens was Chairman of the local Red Cross, she asked him to read and present the Proclamation. Commissioner Owens advised that it is an honor to have some great people here at the meeting representing the Red Cross. He had the privilege of being involved with the American Red Cross since 1983, as a volunteer and on three different occasions serving as Board Chairman. Commissioner Owens asked Jeffrey Putnam, Executive Director, to introduce everyone here with the Red Cross. Commissioner Owens read the Proclamation and presented it to the Director and Board members.
Commissioner Steward made a motion to adjourn the Work Session. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and all voted aye.
There being no further business, the Work Session adjourned at 5:49 p.m.
