The
Thomas County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on the above date
at 6:00 p.m., in the second floor courtroom, with the following members present:
Chairman Josh G. Herring, Vice Chairman Karl Abrams, Commissioners Bobby D.
Brown, Moses Gross, I.L. Mullins, J. Elaine Mays, Ricky Smith and Mary Jo
Beverly. Also present, Honorary Commissioner James Lawyer.
I.L. Mullins gave the Invocation.
Commissioner
Mullins made the motion to approve the minutes of the July 9, 2002 Regular
Board Meeting. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Brown and approved
unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING
Chairman
Herring explained the public hearing process and declared a public hearing open
to consider (1) one zoning request.
Application #02-6-1
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States – Allen Cook Post 4995- 3.1-acre
tract located on Old Cassidy Road – Request to rezone from Residential Mixed
Use (R3) to Commercial Limited (CL) – Johnny Reichert, Thomas County
Building and Zoning Official explained to the Board the proposed rezoning
request. The proposed amendment will allow owners to construct a metal building
to be based as a V.F.W. Organization Meeting Hall. The building and use will be
suitable in view of existing uses and nearby properties. The Staff and PLUS
Commission recommend the request be approved.
Chairman Herring
recognized George Passmore, on behalf of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States.
Mr. Passmore asked the
Board for approval of Application #02-6-1 so that his fraternal organization
could build a 60 x 40 building for them to meet the 3rd of each
month.
Commissioner Beverly
asked Mr. Reichert, Thomas County Building and Zoning Official would Mr.
Passmore and his fraternal organization be able to play bingo under the current
proposed rezoning request.
Mr. Reichert stated that
they would not be able to play bingo. They would have to come back before the
board with a new request.
Chairman Herring called
for comments in favor of Application #02-6-1 and there were none.
Chairman Herring called
for comments in opposition of Application #02-6-1 and there were none.
Chairman
Herring declared the public hearing closed.
FORMAL ACTION
Commissioner Mullins made
the motion to approve Application #02-6-1. The motion was seconded by
Commissioner Smith and approved unanimously.
Chairman Herring opened the meeting for Public
Comments.
Chairman
Herring stated that the citizens at the meeting have questions and concerns
about the action taken at the July 9, 2002 Commission Meeting concerning
mandatory door-to-door garbage pickup. There are citizens for and against this
action. He also stated that there is a problem with solid waste in Thomas County
and we need to come to some type of agreement to try and help resolve this
problem. Georgia law only allows certain items on a referendum and this is not
one of those.
Chairman
Herring stated that a monthly user fee has not been set and it could be anywhere
from $10.50 to $13.00 per month. In addition, questions concerning the elderly,
disabled and the indigent will be taken in consideration.
The
Board gave the citizens of Thomas County the opportunity to voice their
opinions about mandatory door-to door garbage collection.
Chairman Herring explained the rules and regulations
in giving public comment.
Chairman Herring recognized Edwina Courtney.
Mrs.
Courtney presented a petition to the Board of citizens against mandatory
door-to door garbage collection. She also stated that she could not afford the
service and citizens should have a right to decide whether or not they want the
service.
Chairman Herring recognized Mark Monk.
Mr. Monk expressed his opposition of the mandatory
door-to-door trash pickup.
Commissioner
Beverly stated that the number one topic of the board has been dumpsters and
trying to address the sanitation problem.
Chairman Herring recognized Charles Greggs of Heather
Way Lane.
Mr.
Greggs stated the problem would not be resolved with door-to-door pickup. The
problem is illegal dumping and the County should put up illegal dumping signs.
Mr. Greggs asked the Board to rescind their action.
Chairman
Herring stated that there is a problem with dumpster sites being abused. It
cost more to man sites than for door-to-door garbage collection.
Chairman Herring recognized Judy Baggett.
Mrs.
Baggett expressed to the Board and the citizens of Thomas County that whoever
was responsible for the shooting of the Courthouse and Commissioner Herring’s place
of business was wrong. She also stated that it was wrong of the Board to force
mandatory garbage collection on the citizens of Thomas County.
Chairman Herring recognized Hope Williams.
Mrs.
Williams stated that she and her husband are foster parents and cannot afford
the service.
Chairman Herring recognized Lawson Croft.
Mr. Croft stated citizens should have the right to
choose how to live their own lives.
Chairman
Herring stated the Sheriff’s budget would not accommodate an officer being
placed at each dumpsite. Rescinding their action will not solve the problem of
solid waste in Thomas County.
Chairman Herring recognized Ray Varnedore.
Mr. Varnedore stated that one of the main problems
was enforcement.
Chairman Herring recognized Harriet Lister.
Mrs.
Lister stated that putting officers at the abused dumpster sites would
eliminate the problem.
Chairman Herring recognized Dean Smith.
Mr.
Smith stated that advertising how reasonable it is to carry garbage to the
landfill would help eliminate the problem because a lot of citizens in Thomas
County are unaware of this service.
Chairman
Herring stated that any citizen of Thomas County could carry up to 1000 pounds
of household garbage to the landfill free of charge.
Chairman Herring recognized Danny Rogers.
Mr.
Rogers stated that the citizens of Thomas County should attend more commission
meetings and door-to-door garbage collection should be voluntary instead of
mandatory.
Chairman Herring recognized Lewis Rehberg.
Mr.
Rehberg stated that the Board’s recent decision to mandate door-to-door garbage
collection is not about garbage collection but about revenue.
Chairman Herring recognized Billy Jo Lewis.
Mr.
Lewis stated he lives in an elderly community and some of the elderly citizens
cannot physically push a 90-gallon trashcan to the road.
Chairman Herring recognized Wayne Stokes.
Mr.
Stokes states it would be impossible to service 7,500 homes in a 5-day working
week with the amount of trucks to be used and how would these large trucks have
access on wet and dirt roads.
Chairman Herring recognized Frank Riley.
Mr.
Riley stated the picture of the dumpsite on the front of the July 22, 2002
Times Enterprise was a shame and disgrace, but trash up and down the roads
would be worse.
Chairman Herring recognized Jack Brooks.
Mr.
Brooks stated that the Board should have taken the time and gotten the opinions
of Thomas County citizens on door-to-door garbage collection. Mr. Brooks asked
the Board to rescind their action.
Chairman Herring recognized Mrs. Bobby Bell.
Mrs. Bell stated her opposition of the mandatory
door-to-door trash pickup.
Chairman Herring recognized Harriett Hawkins.
Mrs.
Hawkins stated that the Board should enforce the monitoring of roadsides and
dumpster sites and she is not able to push the 90 gallon container.
Chairman Herring recognized Shirley NeSmith.
Miss Smith stated that she opposes the idea of having
to pay for garbage pickup.
Chairman Herring recognized Judson Butler.
Mr.
Butler stated that the only solution the County could come up with to collect
revenue for garbage pickup is to put liens on property and he was opposed to
this action.
Chairman Herring recognized Charles Moore.
Mr.
Moore stated that the citizens of Thomas County should not be forced to accept
the door-to-door garbage pickup.
Chairman Herring recognized Sylvia Wilson.
Mrs.
Wilson stated that the mandatory garbage collection was not advertised so how
were the citizens of Thomas County to know. She also stated she was in favor of
manned sites to get rid of the scavengers.
Chairman Herring recognized Sarah King Lewis.
Mrs.
Lewis stated that there is a problem with scavengers who dig through the trash
to find cans and leave trash all over the ground outside the dumpsters.
Chairman Herring recognized Rodney Holton.
Mr.
Holton commended Commissioner Smith for voting against the door-to-door garbage
pickup.
Chairman Herring recognized Randi Smith.
Miss
Smith stated that her grandmother cannot push a 90-gallon container to the road
and a lot of single-parent family are on fixed incomes and cannot afford the
service.
Chairman
Herring stated provisions would be made for the elderly, disabled and the
indigent.
Chairman
recognized Don McCarter.
Mr.
McCarter stated that the citizens of Thomas County would go higher if the Board
did not rescind their action.
Chairman Herring recognized Phillip Bradley.
Mr. Bradley stated his reasons for opposition of the
mandatory door-to-door trash pickup.
Chairman Herring recognized L.D. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson stated that monitoring the dumpsites
would eliminate illegal dumping.
Chairman Herring recognized Judson Butler.
Mr.
Butler stated that most of the trash that is being dumped at the Metcalf
Dumpsite comes from the city.
Chairman Herring recognized Harold Jackson.
Mr.
Jackson commended the Board for the good things they have done for Thomas
County but wishes the mandatory garbage pickup had been handled differently.
Chairman
Herring made the motion to postpone and change the ordinance date for the
Thomas County Solid Waste Ordinance to January 1, 2003 to give the public an
opportunity to voice their opinions and the County Board of Commissioners an
opportunity to answer questions. The vote was seconded by Commissioner Smith
and approved unanimously.
Chairman Herring called for a 10-minute recess.
Chairman called for the meeting to resume.
Chairman Herring recognized Yvonne Linton.
Mrs. Linton stated that she is opposed to mandatory
door-to-door garbage collection
Chairman
Herring stated the green box dumpsters are being abused and are costly and
something needs to been done about them.
Chairman Herring recognized Jamie Jones.
Mrs.
Jones stated that she only signed the petition to clean up the dumpsites not to
implement mandatory door-to-door garbage pickup. She also commended the Board for
handling themselves very professionally and asked the Board to create a
committee of citizens to help with the Solid Waste decisions.
Chairman Herring thanked everyone for conducting
themselves in a professional manner.
Chairman
Herring introduced Vice-Chairman Karl Abrams as the Chairman of the Solid Waste
Committee.
Jamie
Jones, Judy Bassett and Jim Miller were asked to serve on the committee of
citizens to serve on the Solid Waste Committee.
Mrs. Jones asked that someone else be appointed in
her place.
Commissioner Mays asked that the committee be an
unbiased committee.
Chairman
Herring stated the committee should consist of (3) citizens against and (3)
citizens for the mandatory door-to-door garbage collection.
Chairman
Herring stated that the County does not have the revenue sources the city does
and raising taxes is the only way the county has to increase revenue.
Chairman
Herring recognized Harold Pullen
Mr.
Pullen stated that the county could not compete with private companies.
Chairman
Herring recognized Greg Collins.
Mr. Collins asked once
the mandatory door-to-door garbage collection is resolved, how would the brown
goods be handled.
Chairman Herring recognized Tommy Bozeman.
Mr.
Bozman asked the Board what was the purpose of this meeting because the
Commissioners are going to what they want to do anyway.
Chairman
Herring recognized John Willis.
Mr. Willis stated he
hauled trash for the county for years and it would help if the city would open
the landfill earlier because some mornings waiting for the landfill to open
caused them to get behind on their routes.
Chairman
Herring thanked everyone for his and her comments.
PURCHASING
Commissioner Smith made the motion to ratify low bid for 7,500 gallon of
low sulfur diesel from Petroleum Products at $.7553 per gallon. The motion was
seconded by Commissioner Brown and approved unanimously.
Commissioner Brown made
the motion ratify carpet purchase for the Jail Justice Center for
$6,366.30.
·
23 Cartons Vinyl Cove
Base $42.00 $
966.00
·
1010 yards 12’ wide
carpet 3.82 yd. $3,858.00
·
270 yards 15’ wide
carpet 3.93 yd. $1,061.00
·
Freight $ 481.00
TOTAL $6,366.00
The
motion was seconded by Commissioner Mays and approved unanimously.
Commissioner Gross stated
the families affiliated with the County Cemetery would come before the Board at
the next meeting.
There
was no County Attorney Report.
Commissioner Beverly
announced there would be a Public Property Committee Meeting Tuesday, July 23,
2002 at 7:00 A.M. at the Building Maintenance office.
Commissioner Abrams
announced the Solid Waste Committee scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, 2002 has
been cancelled.
Commissioner Mullins made
the motion to pay all bills, accept committee reports and adjourn. The motion
was seconded by Commissioner Smith and approved unanimously.
Signed by:
Josh G. Herring, Chairman
Monnette Monahan, County Clerk