JONES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Jones County Commissioners honored two public servants to begin October’s first Tuesday Board meeting and attempted to deal with a spooky issue.
The Oct. 4 meeting was called to order by Board Chairman Chris Weidner, and Tim Ingram led the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. All board members attended the meeting.
Commissioner Wendy Vaughn asked Bobby and Joyce Coulter to come forward and then read a proclamation in their honor. Vaughn said she worked as a Jones County Rescue volunteer under the leadership of the couple and personally spoke about their service to the county. Bobby Coulter held various leadership positions in the department including Deputy Director of EMA, Rescue Chief and Assistant Fire Chief.
The proclamation recognized the Coulters’ 33 years of service prior to their retirement in 2009. Everyone in the room gave the couple a standing ovation.
The meeting began with Planning and Zoning items.
The first was a request to rezone one-half acre on Oak Valley Drive from R-R to C-2 with a conditional use to allow storage and servicing of vehicles for a trucking company. Commissioner Sam Kitchens made the motion to approve the request, and the motion was approved unanimously.
The request to rezone 2.87 acres from R-R to C-2 with a conditional use to allow a contractor’s trade shop at 325 Highway 49 N was also unanimously approved. Vaughn made that motion.
The final P&Z item was a request to rezone 6.9 acres at 351 Old Highway 18 from R-R to A-1 with a conditional use to allow a single wide. Commissioner Daylon Martin made the motion to approve, and the motion passed unanimously.
New business
The first new business item was the approval of a memorandum of agreement between the Middle Georgia Regional Commission and Jones County for the administration of a grant from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund for water improvement project for Jones County.
Martin made the motion to approve the MOU, and the motion passed unanimously.
William Stanford with BTBB had good news for the commissioners about bids for the renovation of the Jones County Health Department. He said the low bid was $64,000 under budget for the project.
Stanford recommended acceptance of the bid from Stafford Builders.
Kitchens asked if the budget had a contingency fund, and Stanford said it did not. He said the $64,000 would serve that purpose. The commissioner made the motion to award the bid to Stafford Builders in the amount of $1,220,100, and it was approved unanimously.
Haunting problem
Steve Handley came to commissioners with a permitting problem for a haunted house he plans to open in the former Bradley-Wayside School building. He previously received a conditional use to operate the haunted house with board members giving him unanimous support for the idea.
Handley said he was trying to do everything right by applying for a business license. The issues took place when the building was inspected by the zoning office, and safety concerns arose.
He brought up questions of how the auction had been operated in the building for years if it would not pass inspections.
Kitchens said he understood the biggest issue was about fire hazards.
“The board did agree with your intent, but we have to go with the inspection. Now we need to figure out how to get there,” he said.
Handley said they have not done anything to cause a hazard.
“I’ve tried to do the right thing,” he said.
Martin asked Zoning Officer Tim Pitrowski what could be done to get the building operational.
Pitrowski said his office has to comply with building codes. He explained the building codes were strengthened after a 1984 fire caused several deaths. The officer said the most significant problem was coverings on the walls. He said the coverings must be non-combustible.
Handley said he bought the building from the county.
“It was being used, but now that I bought it, it’s unusable,” he said.
Commissioner John Wood said pallets that are being used are part of the problem.
“They burn hot and fast,” he said.
Pitrowski noted that it was the change in ownership that triggered the inspections.
Martin said he wants to solve the problem.
“We sold the building with the intent it be used; I want to help you get open,” he said.
Kitchens said he understood Handley’s frustration. He said it was the county’s building, and it went through several owners.
“The flip side of that is there is no way we can assume liability for the fire issue. We knew your intent and was all for it,” he said.
Pitrowski said he spent four days researching the problem and came up with a plan.
Handley asked that Pitrowski come to the building in the next couple of days.
Weidner apologized to Handley.
“We are all for you,” he added.
Playgrounds
Parks and Recreation Director Bert Rosenberger talked to the board about the county’s playgrounds. He said five bids received to update the playgrounds were not apples to apples.
Rosenberger said the main issue is the surface of the playground. He said the surface at the inclusive playground is more expensive, and that cost makes a big difference.
Kitchens said there was a lot of fundraising that made a difference in the inclusive playground at the Morris Bank Recreation Complex. He said fundraising could be an option for the other playgrounds.
Martin said he grew up with no playgrounds, and he was on board with fundraising.
Maintenance Director Donald White said he is seeing some damage to the surface at the inclusive playground and suggested the board keep that in mind.
County Administrator Jason Rizner asked for thoughts for the playgrounds that were not inclusive. Kitchens said there are other surfaces that are less expensive and require less maintenance.
He said a less expensive surface would allow for more playground equipment.
Kitchens made the motion to explore the lesser-expensive surface in order to maximize the playground equipment. The motion was approved unanimously.
Rizner spoke to the commissioners about a Capital Reserve Use Policy. He said the policy would give guidance of how funds for the projects could be used. Following a brief discussion, Kitchens made a motion to postpone a decision on the policy for more time to review it. The motion was unanimously approved.
Rizner next talked about right of way acquisitions for McKay and Luke Smith roads. That issue was also postponed.
Storage needs for elections
Elections Superintendent Marion Hatton spoke to commissioners again about the need for storage space for election equipment.
Wood said he visited the elections office and agreed.
“She is in dire need of space,” he said.
Hatton said she appreciated Wood listening to the problem. She said the office has to have a workable space.
Weidner said they had previously talked about expanding to the area now occupied by the safety officer and time clock.
Hatton said that is not enough space to make a difference. She said there needs to be room to work on the units. Right now the county’s election equipment is spread out in three different spaces.
“I don’t want to lose the security we have here at the Government Center,” she stated.
Rizner said he met with 4-H recently, and the department is interested in moving. He said that would open up that portion of the building.
Vaughn said the Maggie Califf Complex could house 4-H and be a community center.
Kitchens said the board needs to get with the interested parties and come up with a plan.
Hatton said the number of hours she is working is another issue that needs to be addressed.
“There is no way I can do my job in 40 hours,” she said.
Hatton said she has 683 hours of vacation accrued, and she is getting burned out.
“My family is not coming first, and that’s not sitting well with me,” she said.
The next meeting of the Board of Commissioners is Oct. 18.
