5/18/2021 BOC Regular Session Minutes
GORDON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
MAY 18, 2021
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners held their Regular Meeting on May 18, 2021 beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the conference room of the Administration Building.
MEMBERS PRESENT
BECKY HOOD, CHAIRMAN
CHAD STEWARD, VICE CHAIRMAN
BRUCE POTTS, COMMISSIONER
KEVIN CUNNINGHAM, COMMISSIONER
OTHERS PRESENT
JIM LEDBETTER, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
ANNETTE BERRY, COUNTY CLERK
MEDIA
APPROXIMATELY 25 GUESTS
Chairman Hood called the meeting to order.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chairman Hood asked if there are any additions, omissions, or deletions to the Minutes for the Work Session and Regular Meeting of May 4, 2021. Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the Minutes. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Potts, Steward, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Administrator Ledbetter read the Administrator’s report (copy attached).
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT
Commissioner Potts reported that he attended a DEFAC meeting, the Planning Commission meeting, the Airport Authority quarterly meeting, and the Public Works Committee meeting. Also a meeting with the District Engineer with GDOT, he met with Craig Sparks regarding a new recreation ball field that SPLOST funds will help build, attended CERT training, met with the Foreman who is working on the Peters Street project, and talked with GDOT about sight lines through the school zone at Redbud. Chairman Hood reported she met with Dr. Fraker and attended the Joint Development Authority meeting.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to go into the Public Hearing for Zoning. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and all voted aye.
PUBLIC HEARING FOR ZONING
Application #Z21-06 Robert Burton’s Request to Rezone from A-1 to R-6 Rural Agricultural Reserve
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is Application #Z21-06, Robert Burton’s request to rezone from A-1 to R-6 rural agricultural reserve. This is on 2.9 acres to permit four lots with mobile homes on each lot. There was a concern about the soil suitability, and a concern from GDOT about having multiple driveways on subdivided lots less than five acres. This comes to the Board of Commissioners from the Planning Commission with their recommendations for approval with stipulations that all applicable state and local regulations be complied with especially Environmental Health and Georgia Department of Transportation. Mr. Burton spoke to the Board and explained that he changed the application from four lots to three lots. He said he met with GDOT and the State now requires that you have five acres for your single driveway from the State highway, but if you are making multiple tracts you have to have a shared driveway and we’ve met that requirement also. The concerns listed from GDOT and the initial soil samples have been covered. One person signed up to speak, Mr. Stephen Delli spoke in opposition to the rezoning concerning the R-6 zoning. The ULDC requirements say this property goes against R-6 zoning. Administrator Ledbetter advised the Board that Mr. Delli is confusing the manufactured home park requirement of the ULDC, that is not what this rezoning is. The rezoning should, in fact, be R-6.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the rezoning to R-6 for 3 tracts and two driveways. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Potts, Cunningham, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
Application #Z21-07 Cody & Belinda West’s Request to Rezone from A-1 to R-1
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is application #Z21-07 for Cody & Belinda West to rezone from A-1 to R-1. This is for one acre rezoning, and comes to the Board of Commissioners from the Planning Commission with their recommendations for approval. No one signed to speak for or against the rezoning.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve rezoning application #Z21-07. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Potts, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
Application #Z21-08 Paul Dao’s Request to Rezone from A-1 to Conditional Use
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is application #Z21-08 Paul Dao’s request to rezone from A-1 to Conditional Use. The conditional use is for the purpose of building chicken houses. This is for 140 acres and comes to the Board of Commissioners from the Planning Commission on a 2 to 1 vote with their recommendation for approval. We incorporate all of the notes and findings in the material as part of the record in this matter. This property is adjacent to existing property that the applicant owns that has six chicken houses on it and one mobile home. This would be for four additional chicken houses on this tract of land. Mr. Jeremiah Collis spoke to the Board in opposition to the rezoning due to so many chicken houses being built in the area. He advised that here is an existing driveway he is going to use to access the property, I’m asking that the Board require him to go down the road to cut another driveway in and it would help tremendously. There are currently 62 chicken houses within a mile radius. Mr. Dao came before the Board to address Mr. Collis’ concerns. He advised that where he will be building is 1,000 feet from Mr. Collis’ house, traffic will be mostly in the daytime because this is a henhouse. Mr. Collins said he could not address the issue of moving the driveway until he has an engineer do some analysis on the trucks stopping traffic and the noise from the brakes. Administrator Ledbetter asked Mr. Dao if he has plans to expand beyond four chicken houses and Mr. Dao said he does not know right now, but if he has the opportunity then he would come back. With these four being hen houses, he would have only a maximum 12,000 chickens per house and this would come up to less than 50,000 chickens. Administrator Ledbetter commented that he may be under the Conditional Use permit for the number of birds. If this is for fewer than 82,000 laying hens there is no requirement to get a Conditional Use permit. If Mr. Dao wanted to increase to over 82,000 he would have to come back. Concerning moving the driveway, Mr. Dao said he did not want to commit anything now about moving the driveway until he checks with his engineer to determine costs, etc.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to table this application for rezoning in order to verify information. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Cunningham, and Potts voted aye. Motion passed.
Application #Z21-09 Jerry Conaway’s Request to Rezone from A-1 to R-1
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is application Z21-09 Jerry Conaway’s request to rezone from A-1 to R-1. This is for 1.34 acres to get into compliance for R-1 zoning for a single family residence. This comes to the Board of Commissioners from the Planning Commission with their recommendations for approval.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve rezoning application #Z21-09. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Potts, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to close the Public Hearing for zoning. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioner Cunningham, Potts, and Steward voted aye. Motion passed.
CONSIDERATION OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS
THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH ADVENTIST HEALTH SYSTEM OF GEORGIA FOR RENEWAL JULY 1, 2021 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is for the third amendment to the Ambulance Service Agreement with Adventist Health System of Georgia for renewal July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. He advised the Board that they had this on the agenda at a previous Board meeting and a question came up about the level of ambulance service, the item was tabled to gather more information. Administrator Ledbetter advised that he met with Karen Steeley and Mr. Merrell from Advent Hospital and they confirmed that there is no discussion whatever to drop the level of ambulance service below what they currently have. The debate is whether or not they would need to increase service depending on response times, volumes, etc. The Administration advised the Board that Ms. Karen Steeley is in attendance at this meeting to answer any questions.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to bring this item off the table for Board consideration. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Potts, and Cunningham voted aye. Motion passed.
Ms. Karen Steeley came before the Board and advised that they currently run four 24-hour trucks and one 9-hour truck that runs 5 days a week. They are changing that 9-hour truck to a 12-hour truck for 7 days a week so that was already in operation to expand that coverage. Call times have been within the accepted limits. If call volume continues to expand, they looking at expanding the current 12 hour-truck into an additional 12 hours with a total of five 24-hour trucks, that’s what they are looking at for this year.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the third amendment to the Ambulance Service Agreement with Adventist Health System of Georgia. Commissioner Potts seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Steward, and Potts voted aye. Motion passed.
CONSIDERATION OF NEW BUSINESS
PRESENTATION OF RECOMMENDED FISCAL YEAR 2021/2022 GORDON COUNTY BUDGET
Administrator Ledbetter advised that the Board is being presented the recommended new fiscal year 2021/2022 budget. This is for the Board members to have time to look at the budget and to ask, if there are any questions and to hold any hearing they think are necessary. The Board will hold a public hearing on the budget on June 1, 2021.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS’ COUNCIL CONTRACT FOR JULY 1, 2021 TO JUNE 30, 2022
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council Contract for July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 and the resolution authorizing the contract extension.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the contract and the authorizing resolution for the contract extension with the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council. Commissioner Cunningham seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Potts, and Cunningham, voted aye. Motion passed.
BID AWARDS FOR PAVING MATERIALS
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is for bid awards for paving materials. These bid award recommendations are based on price. Prices are changing so rapidly now, and these prices may, in fact, change during the year, it’s hard to keep up with those changes. Chairman Hood read the list of materials with each recommended vendor to be awarded the bid. Purchasing Director and Public Works Director comments were that these are fluctuating prices that potentially could change some; these are the lowest prices for now.
Commissioner Potts made a motion to approve the bid awards as read for paving materials. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Steward, Cunningham, and Potts voted aye. Motion passed.
ROAD REPAIR ON HARBOR ROAD QUOTATION
Administrator Ledbetter advised that this is the road repair on Harbor Road. The Board has approved going forward with Harbor Road as an emergency repair so that we can order goods and materials as fast as possible. This is a contract for $142,800 that is locked in as long as materials are available. These materials are probably ten weeks out and we will be prepping the site while we wait, so the road will probably be closed for a while.
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to approve the quotation from Contech Engineered Solutions for the road repair on Harbor Road. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and Commissioners Cunningham, Steward, and Potts voted aye. Motion passed.
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Cunningham made a motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting. Commissioner Steward seconded the motion and all voted aye.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:05 p.m.
