The Jones County Board of Commissioners took a step that had been anticipated for months at their meeting last week toward the removal of the remaining three members of the Jones County Board of Tax Assessors.
The decision to start that process was made following the closed session at meeting’s end.
The Nov. 19 meeting was called to order by Chairman Chris Weidner, and the opening prayer and pledge were led by Julie King, branch manager for the Jones County Library.
Weidner requested an update about the library from King. The manager said the library is thriving and gave a brief overview of the activities. She said it was going to be a busy Christmas and gave an example of a recent Home School Day that had 70 in attendance to provide interaction for the students.
The Jones County Library Facebook page is regularly updated with its numerous activities.
Under board appointments, LaShunda Whipple was unanimously reappointed to the Middle Georgia Regional Commission Board for a one-year term to represent Jones County.
Ronald McCant talked to board members about an issue he is experiencing connected to animal control. He said the county has a problem with feral cats and dogs.
The speaker said his dog was attacked last month and was recently attacked again. He noted that it is hard for him to get out.
“I shouldn’t have to come out of my house with a firearm,” he stated.
McCant said it was his opinion that the county spends too much money on recreation instead of roads and animal control.
New business
Tri-CoGo Chief Operating Officer Greg Mullis gave commissioners an update about remaining ARPA funds.
County Administrator Jason Rizner said, out of the $5 million that had been allotted to provide broadband coverage to areas of the county in need of coverage, $805,270 remained. He said the use for the remaining funds needed to be obligated by the end of the calendar year.
Mullis said he had emailed board members for ideas. Tri-CoGo Fiber Operations Manager Joe Lightsey and Fiber Operations Supervisor Kevin Brookins accompanied Mullis at the meeting.
The areas remaining without coverage by Tri-CoGo included areas that were not easy to reach, which made the projects more expensive.
Mullis presented a chart with the number of homes in the areas and the cost to run the fiber to the area.
“We would much rather help people who are hurting and need it the most,” he said.
The chart also showed what, if any, broadband was currently available in those areas.
Commissioner John Wood said there were people in his district still struggling with poor or no coverage.
Commissioner Sam Kitchens said there were big problem areas during the pandemic with school kids not having internet.
Lightsey said a lot of Jones County Fire Stations now have free internet available in their parking lots.
Mullis said 9,000 customers have been reached.
“We appreciate the partnership and want to see more people connected,” he said.
At the conclusion of the discussion, it was agreed to come back Dec. 3 for a 5 p.m. work session prior to the board meeting to make the final decision.
Joy Carr spoke to commissioners about the Criminal Justice Coordination Council Grant awarded to Jones County’s Operation Early Intervention. Carr is the manager of OEI, and Shana Backus is the director.
Carr said all participants are referred by the court system. In the past four years, she said the program has received $51,000. The program is called Strengthening Families, and it is a 10-week program.
“The focus is on parenting skills, social skills and family life skills. The 10 weeks are packed, and we have had great success,” she said.
Carr said they are in their fifth year of the grant.
“It helps expand our budget and allows us to help more families.”
Kitchens made the motion to approve the grant and the vote was unanimous.
Weidner presented issues with the recently approved HB 581. He said the city and county joined the Board of Education at a work session about the bill.
“The gentleman who wrote the bill is now advising everyone to opt out,” he said.
The chairman said they learned that the final version of the bill was nothing like the bill’s author had intended. He said the process to opt out of the bill was time sensitive and asked for the thoughts of board members.
Wood said the wording on the ballot about the bill was very telling, but the tipping point was the bill’s author said the bill did not do what he wanted for taxpayers.
Kitchens said the bill was poorly published from the beginning.
“We are just now learning what it is,” he said.
The commissioner said the board needs to inform the public why the county is opting out.
The board agreed by consensus to opt out, but Rizner pointed they could not begin that process until Jan. 1.
Alcohol sales
The county overwhelmingly approved package liquor sales on the November ballot, and the chairman said he is already getting calls from interested people.
Rizner said the next step is to modify the county’s current beer and wine ordinance for package sales. He said, although it would be part of the same ordinance, the addition of liquor sales would need to be a separate application.
Weidner said he would reach out to counties with existing ordinances for examples, and Rizner said he would send board members the current beer and wine ordinance.
Kitchens made the motion to change the current ordinance to include package sales, and the motion was approved unanimously.
Commissioner Daylon Martin brought up the topic of committees for the county. He said the county previously had committees, and he felt it would be beneficial.
Martin said the committees would have one commissioner as chairman and another as vice chairman and involve citizens and employees.
Kitchen said he knows other counties have committees, but he feels all commissioners should be involved. His suggestion was having regular work sessions to discuss the departments and listen to issues.
Commissioner Wendy Vaughn said she agreed the county needed open communication more often than at budget time, but she would like all the commissioners present.
Martin made a motion to establish committees, but the motion was not approved.
Commissioners unanimously approved skipping the second board meeting in December. Weidner said, if another meeting in needed, the board can always have a called meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m. to go into closed session to discuss real estate, personnel and possible litigation.
Meeting reconvenes
Weidner called the meeting back to order at 8:06 p.m. and recognized Kitchens, who had two motions to present.
Kitchens said the first motion was to change the position of special projects manager for the Public Works department to assistant director. That motion was approved unanimously.
The second motion was for the Board of Commissioners to begin the process of removing the remaining members of the Jones County Board of Tax Assessors for reasons of inadequate sales ratio studies in 2022 and 2023, the improper use of overrides, general mismanagement of the appraiser process and open meeting violations.
That motion was seconded by Wood, and the vote to approve was 4-1. Martin was opposed.
The next meeting of the Board of Commissioners is scheduled Dec. 3.
