Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Down. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey.

Heat. Hey everybody. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. All right. Welcome everybody to the Tuesday,

April 7th, 2026 Board of County Commissioners meeting. We're going to start by uh with invitation for Mr. uh Jim Goodman and followed by the pledge of allegiance.

Let us stand and pray, please. Our father and our God in heaven, we come to thee in prayer and we thank thee for the many blessings of life. We thank thee for the rain. We we pray for peace, Father, in this world that's so troubled. We pray for the safety of the combatants. We pray that our enemies may come to the realization that cruelty to humans is not the thing to do. We pray, Father, for the safety of all of those involved. We pray for the safety of our unformed people who keep us safe here at home. Father, give us wisdom as we consider the things we're going to be considering tonight. And all of these things we ask in thy name. Amen. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay, roll call. All commissioners are present. Okay, we'll uh move on to the uh amendments to the agenda. We do have one item number 14 we would like to add. It's an addition to for the approval to submit for the Elmeig Safety Action Plan Administration fund from the Georgia Department of Transportation. Um I'll make a motion we add item number 14 to the agenda. Second, Mr. Chair. Have a motion and second. All in favor? Motion carries. Any other amendments to the agenda? Seeing none, let's move on to the adoption of the agenda. Do we have a motion to adopt the agenda as amended?

Mr. Chair, I move to adopt the agenda as amended. I'll second. We have a motion in a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Okay. We'll move on to the approval of the minutes from the March 27th or I'm sorry, March 17th, 2026 regular meeting and public hearing. I assume everybody's read the uh minutes. Uh, do you have any corrections to the amendments? Make a motion to approve the minutes of the March 17th regular meeting and public hearing.

I'll second. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. We have several presentations. I guess Mike, you're going to handle those.

Yes, sir. The first three and the fifth one, actually. But, um, I have the pleasure tonight, Mr. chairman of presenting three individual proclamations uh for this week and this month. Um so the first of which is a proclamation of the Camden County Board of Commissioners recognizing the week of April 12th through the 18th of 2026 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Whereas emergencies can occur at any time that require deputies, fire or emergency medical services. When an emergency occurs, the prompt response of deputies, firefighters, and paramedics is critical to the protection of life and preservation of property. The safety of our deputies, firefighters, and paramedics is dependent upon the quality and accuracy of information obtained from citizens who telephone the Camden County Emergency Communication Center. Public safety telecommunicators are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services. Public safety telecommunicators of the Camden County 911 system have contributed substantially to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires, and treatment of patients. So now therefore, be it proclaimed by the Camden County Board of Commissioners that the week of April 12th through the 18th of 2026 be recognized as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Camden County in honor of the men and women whose diligence and professionalism keep our citizens safe. So I think we have some folks here to receive the proclamation. Fire rescue, maybe the sheriff, if you guys want to come down and uh take a picture with him, that'd be fantastic. So, a quick story. Holly Douglas, who's the 911 administrator, the day that I started, she told me a story that has stuck with me uh this whole time. She talks about how every phone call that are 911 operators take, the person on the other end of the line, it's the worst day of their life. And can you imagine working in that environment? So,

they're worth every nickel they get. two rows.

Don't get too comfortable. You have to walk down two more times. I was going to suggest that. Thank you. Appreciate it.

All right. Uh, Mr. Chairman, the next proclamation is a proclamation of the Camden County Board of Commissioners recognizing the week of April 12th through the 18th of 2026 as National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week. Whereas the National Animal Care and Control Association has designated April 12th through the 18th of 2026 as National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week. Various federal, state, and local government officials throughout the country take this time to recognize, thank and commend all animal control officers for the dedicated service that they provide to the citizens, public safety, domestic animals, livestock, and wildlife across the nation. Every day, animal control officers put themselves in potentially dangerous situations to protect the health and welfare of animals and the public. Whereas the Camden County Board of Commissioners recognizes and commends the work done by the officers of the Camden County Animal Control on a daily basis to the uh to the citizens of our community. And Camden County recognizes the animal control officers who answer the calls for assistance, capturing roaming and potentially dangerous animals, rescue animals in distress, investigate reports of animal cruelty and neglect, and provide education for pet guardians about responsible pet care. Now therefore, be it proclaimed by the Camden County Board of Commissioners the week of April 12th through the 18th, 2026 to be recognized as National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week throughout Camden County. And we encourage all citizens to express their appreciation for the services of th these officers proclaimed this day uh chairman Robbie Cheek, Camden County Board of Commissioners. So, I think uh Jared Wells is in the in the stadium tonight. We'll have him come receive this uh from the board. Be sure to get more shoes. I will do my best.

That sounded real.

Mad dog. All right, the third and final one tonight. This one is a proclamation of the Camden County Board of Commissioners recognizing the month of April 2026 as National County Government Month. Uh whereas the nation's 3,069 counties serving more than 330 million Americans provide essential services to create healthy, safe, and vibrant communities. Counties fulfill a vast range of responsibilities and deliver services that touch nearly every aspect of our residents lives. Counties as intergovernmental partners enact local, state, and federal programs to address the needs of all residents. Camden County and the county and all counties take pride in our responsibility to protect and enhance the health, well-being, and safety of our residents in efficient and cost-effective ways. The nation is celebrating 250 years of independence this year and counties have a long and rich history of serving residents. Each year since 1991, the National Association of Counties has encouraged counties across the country to elevate awareness of county responsibilities, programs, and services. Now therefore, be it proclaimed by the Camden County Board of Commissioners that the month of April is recognized as National County Government Month and encourage all residents, elected officials, and community organizations to join in recognizing and encouraging all county officials, employees, schools, and residents to participate in county government celebration activities proclaimed the 7th day of April, 2026. Robbie Cheek, chairman, Camden County Board of Commissioners. Thank you. Oh yeah. Yeah.

Do we want to ask all the county staff to come up too on this one? Yeah, it would probably be pretty cool. You got the phone? Yeah. So, uh, they would like all county staff that's in attendance to come up for this as well. You all want to be in a picture? that way.

They'll never see you. Everybody smile.

I can't see you. That would have been that would have been a good thing. Jared, you're going to give a presentation on the uh adopt a park program.

Good evening, commissioners. How are y'all? Good. How are you? Couldn't be better.

Good, thanks. Okay, so Jared and I are here to present the adopt a park program proposal. You might have you might remember that Commissioner Smith brought up something like this uh maybe a month ago or so and we have worked together to provide this proposal. You have in front of you a resolution just a proposed resolution. You also have an adopt a park agreement and you also have a uh very small handbook in front of you. So, I'm just going to go through this quick presentation and get some ideas. We'd like some input from the commissioners to see how to move forward with this uh project. There we go. All right. So this adopt a park program establishes the structured partnership between Camden County and community participants to assist in maintaining and enhancing and preserving public parks. It's like it it's a this is a good partnership with different groups that we can have that we have in our area. What we're looking at is volunteer volunteers um to participate in the program to help strengthen the uh civic pride, promote stewardship, take ownership of some of these individual parks in the sense that they can be help support these uh facilities and make them a little bit better for everyone to enjoy. What? Oh,

I hit the wrong one. Okay. Um, beautiful and clean parks are essential to building stronger communities in Camden County. I really believe this. I have a a background many many many years ago in parks and recreation and uh I I like this idea of adopt a park. Uh and it it does bring communities together and it engages our local different local groups, church based or faith-based groups and boy scouts, civic organizations, etc. to do some nice things for our park, our park system. Okay. uh eligibility like I just mentioned, here's some individual or here's some groups that we're looking at that could possibly be a volunteer group to adopt a park. So, civic organizations, scout troops, schools, um youth groups, faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, maybe HOAs, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses in good standing. Sorry, I'm having trouble with the clicker. These are the parks that Camden County currently uh maintains. These are the ones that we have recommended to go into the adopt a park program and uh there's the I think there's nine or 10 of them.

11.

A lot of parks. A lot of parks, a lot of opportunities for partnerships. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Your commitment and activities. So, this is a one-year commitment. Minimum, what we're looking at is a minimum of four cleanups per year. Uh, submit a cleanup activity report within 10 days following the event. That way we can keep a closer eye on what's going on at the location. Some of the approved activities would include the litter and debris cleanup, uh, sweeping sidewalks, weeding, uh, minor beautifification projects. That would be with written approval, uh, and reporting any vandalism or hazards, anything they see at their particular park that they've taken ownership of that might need a little a little love. These groups would be recognized in uh a variety of ways. Uh our county website and on social media. Also, um the parks in the next slide, I think I'm going to show a sample of some signage, but we we'd like to put out flyers uh at the different park locations in a in a variety of different areas encouraging groups to contact us to be a part of this adopt a park program. Uh, and obviously we'd have things on our website and through social media as well. And then on the next slide is going to be just a a little sample of the signage cuz we definitely would want to recognize the individual groups that participate in this program and are with us, you know, for the year or so that they're going to continue to um take care of the park. So, this is just a sample sign that Jared worked on getting put together. And I don't know if you can tell from here, but the little A in

Adopt a Park, the little A is the outline of Camden County.

And so hanging off the bottom of that sign would be a small little sign with the group's name for their recognition. So we could take a picture of the group with them out there by the sign. Um things like that. uh the the groups that are interested in this particular program and adopting the park. Um commissioners, you have in front of you the handbook and you also have in front of you the agreement. We would need to work on a liability um a waiver. Uh and we also have specific guidelines for the groups when they come out to us. Um and the bigger groups would have to have insurance as well. But, you know, we do recommend only like six people if there's youth involved, just six children with one adult present. Um, and we we would encourage them to set daylight hours only, not to work at night. Uh, there's a variety of things that are listed in the agreement uh that we would pass along to them and have them sign off on. So, it's a it's an affordable I think. Um, it the signage the signage is going to be the most expensive thing and really I think Jared said less than $400 for eight signs. So, it would be a little bit more than that because we have a few more parks than that um involved, but a good way to incorporate uh civic organization and groups with us to do something better for the county. this program. So, we have to have it overseen by somebody. Uh the public works department would oversee this uh in addition to myself as well. Um right now, but the the groups would contact and the phone number would be for the public works office and and that would

be our program coordinator. Uh so that's what we're we're thinking of right now, but we are certainly open to suggestions and ideas from the commissioners to move forward with this. I know uh there's a difference, you know, between adopting a park and adopting a a road. Those are kind of different programs, but uh we have done some things like that before here in the county in the past a long time ago um with different organizations. So, that's uh what we wanted to present after Commissioner Smith had talked about that uh and just see what you all think about it.

Well, I think it's a great idea. Um I'm not sure about some of the other parks, but I know now we already have groups, Jackson, Maple Ford, Marishmart, they're already community groups kind of doing this. I think this takes to another level where it's a little bit more structured and they could get recognition. we're better protected and they get recognized for what they're doing. So, we we've got a good core group already in those three parks. I know there's other parks, too, but uh um I think it's a great idea. Okay, great. So, this wouldn't interfere with groups that are already doing this. We're not going to

No, I mean, if there are groups at certain parks that are already kind of doing the same thing that this talks about, let's let's get them pointed to the right person so that they can talk about making this, you know, official. Maple Ford, for example, the North Camden Association already kind of does that. So, they're already a organized group. That'd be an easy fit. Some of the others we've got to work it out, but it wouldn't get in the way of what anybody else is doing. No, excuse me. I'm sorry. Sure. No, I'm just saying it wouldn't get in the way of whether other folks are doing already. Good. This just makes it a more

also worth pointing out that there are at least a couple of guys in here who have already done this. Um and and they're sitting on the front row um on each side and and we should say to them we appreciate the efforts you've undertaken in the past and hope this u formalizes the process so that you don't have to do it by yourselves again in the future. And with that I I am in favor of this. if you need a motion. I I think she was just presenting it today to get feedback. Yeah, I think um my understanding I think we're just presenting today. Give us a month or a week or two or a month to kind of gel and we'll tweak some things together.

Let's make a formal u motion that you know maybe the next meeting or the following meeting that way official action. Yeah. Right. Right. Me personally, I'm excited to see this much positivity about the program. Absolutely. It's been a little bit more than um a month ago. It's actually since the beginning of 2024, I believe I was pushing for an adoptive park program. So, I think there's a lot of value in what you're doing as far as creating the structure uh for something that can really grow into something nice. And and thank you, Cody, for doing it. Oh, I I don't want to take all the credit. Like you said, a lot of people involved and including county staff on putting this together. So, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Casey. You good?

Okay. Awesome. Thank you all commissioners. Thank you all. Um, so the next presentation is on the self- insurance program. I guess Mike's going to handle that. Hey, Mr. Chairman. Uh, thank you for giving us a a couple of minutes tonight. Uh, we were asked to just kind of do a presentation, and we've done this periodically before just to uh show that the fact that the county is self-funded for our medical programs uh is still the best way for us to go. It's a it's a cost savings uh for Camden County. I have with me tonight uh Miss Ashley Tilman. She's a principal uh and senior account executive for Palmer and K out of Savannah. They are our broker uh for um health insurance um medical stop-loss, ancillary policies, vision and dental and all that kind of stuff. So, she's just here with me um if there are questions or if things that she feels like I might need to add here. So, let me see if I can figure this out. All right. So, just to start here, um Camden County's um medical program consists of a couple of uh four different things actually. So, we have the the self-funded medical program with Etna. Etna is our uh TPA, a third party administrator. We uh use Etna to have uh pre-negotiated rates for uh doctor appointments and pre uh and medical procedures and then to be part of their uh network uh of doctors. Uh Etna is one of the biggest networks that's out there. They basically handle our claims for us that when you go to the doctor's office, you present your Etna card, they file the claim, but then it comes to us to pay the claim. Uh so they just are a third party administrator for that. We

offer four medical option medical plan options. We've got two uh that are traditional co-pay plans where you uh pay more premium uh to then only have to pay a 20 or 30 or maybe up to $40 co-pay to go see a doctor, have a prescription filled. And then we have two plans with different levels of deductibles that are called high deductible health plans. Um uh and about 80% of our folks that are enrolled in our health insurance plans are in one of the two high deductible health plans. And that's a miniature version of the county being self-insured. Those folks are are picking the plan with the higher deductible so that they can keep their money and only have to spend it if they have to. And that's the principle of self- insurance for the county. Okay. We also have an integrated pharmacy contract, what's called a PBM, a pharmacy benefit manager with a company called Vital1. Uh, and they're able to offer us lots of big discounts on prescription costs and and methods for folks that can't afford their medication to be able to afford them. And then lastly, as you all know, we have the on-site medical clinic that's available for all employees of Camden County and for the dependent of uh employees that carry our medical insurance plans. And the clinic is set up for uh cost avoidance. The goal of the clinic is to try to uh bring folks in and if we can identify people that are prehypertensive or pre-diabetic, maybe pre high cholesterol, and we can address those issues. Now, we've saved a ton of money on the back end if we've prevented somebody from having a heart attack or having, you know, issues that go along with diabetes and high cholesterol. Uh that's why our wellness programs um have folks come in and do uh an annual physical each year so that we can get that information to try to keep our folks as healthy healthy as possible. So, just to kind of explain the difference between fully insured and self-funded, right? So, a a fully insured plan is one where we pay money a health insurance premium to an insurance carrier, an insurance company. What I want to point out is I want you to

remember that insurance companies are forprofit businesses and they make a lot of profit, right? So, we want to be able to hold that money as as opposed to pay it to them if we can. That's the underlying uh thing here. Fully insured plans also uh the rates that the employees would pay and the county would pay would be based on trend and pulled risk. So, um that would be based insurance is based off the law of averages. You've got maybe some older folks at the top end that need more medical assistance that more medical spend. And then you've got young folks at the other end that maybe don't, you know, need to see doctors as as much and they kind of weigh what your population looks like. And then your um your rates would be based on that. Fully insured. Also, all services and vendors are controlled by that insurer or carrier, which means that we have to go with who they want us to use for pharmacy benefit uh and that type of thing. And then for fully insured, that insurer maintains and reserves and keeps all unspent portions of the reserves. And you're going to see here in a minute, it would cost us, it cost the county about $7 million if we were fully insured. And on average, we're somewhere four and a half to$5 million in our medical spend. If we were fully insured, the insurance company would get to keep that other couple million dollars as opposed to us being able to hold it and then only using it if we needed to. oppose that to if you're a self-funded group like we are, the employer now assumes the risk up to, and this is important, the individual stop-loss deductible. So, we are what's called self-funded, but really what that means is we have a really high deductible. Camden County assumes the risk of the first $125 to $150,000 of any medical claim and then the insurance company picks up and pays anything after that. Does that make sense? So we're essentially have a high deductible uh on our plans is is what we are. Um the rates are based on claims experience for groups. That's how we determine what the cost is going to be

uh for employers. Um for self-funded plans, the employer gets to choose the TPA. So we get to choose whether it's going to be Etnner, whether it's going to be Humanana or something like that, whichever uh best suits our uh our needs. And then we have control over the policy design. We can decide what we want to have covered and what we don't want to have covered. And then we can manage the care providers, specifically the pharmacy benefit manager. We can carve that out, which we'll talk a little bit more about in a second. And then lastly, for self-funded, and this is the most important part, this is the brass tax of the whole thing. When you're self-funded, the employer gets to maintain the reserves of unspent portions. That money gets to be kept by the employer as opposed to paid to an insurance company that's making a ton of money. All right, moving on here to just some of the the the the cost comparisons relative to self-funded plans. Again, a fully insured plan, if you see there, includes about a 3 to 8% profit margin for the insurance company. You know, they're going to make their money. They're a for-profit business. And when you're self-funded, you eliminate that profit margin completely off the top. Any surplus money gets to stay with the employer, with the county. So, that's about a 3 to 8% savings. When you have a fully insured plan, uh, you have to pay a state premium tax on that, too, to the state of Georgia, which when you're self-funded, you're exempt from the state premium taxes, the cash flow here. So, a fixed monthly premium, if you're fully insured, you have to pay that, you know, up to $7 million. There's a chance that depending on who that company is, you may have to pay that $7 million on July 1st for the whole year. uh or you might get lucky and pay three and a half million in July and three and a half million in January if you pay it twice a year. So that you know takes a whole lot of money out of the coffers right away. So being self-funded we eliminate that too. Um if you're uh self-funded those

claims are paid as they're incurred. So we you know pay that stuff monthly. The employers can keep and invest any of the reserves until they're needed. the plan design and management. It's with with a self or a fully insured plan, the limited flexibility with a preset plan options for the insurance carrier as opposed to selffunded. Uh we have that flexibility to customize the benefits to what works best for our employees and uh we get that pharmacy benefit part. Um and this is big here too. The last one, claims history data. If we're fully insured, the insurance company owns all the claim data. We don't get information on are we seeing more claims for uh folks having cancer, more claims for folks going to the emergency room or more, you know, we get information on where the money is being spent when we're self-funded. Whereas, if we're fully insured, you don't get any of that information. And that again is how the clinic operates is by being able to find out where we're spending those claims dollars, the clinic can focus on those those areas to try to reduce um the medical need for those folks. Can I ask two questions before we get too far into this?

Yeah, there's only a couple more slides. So, when the employer retains the earnings, and this kind of what prompted I think me to even ask you to bring this up. Yes, sir. Um, so I see for like an an employee $20,000 is allocated in in health coverage, but if someone only goes to doctor once or twice, you retain not you, the county, the county. That's exactly correct. What do we do with that money? That that's kind of my big question. So I mean if the money is not spent then uh the you know the budget comes in under budget and that money can be used for anything else um for the next or

potentially you know but with a self-funded plan you know the goal is to you know keep the dollars in there uh so that you you might have years uh where you don't spend a whole lot of money don't have a whole lot of medical spend. If you remember a few years ago, we had an employee with dependence that had some pretty severe medical issues, uh, which caused the spend to be a little bit higher, uh, significantly higher actually for that year, but we were able to absorb it because we had we had the money in the account in the coffer for the self-funded, uh, insurance plans. Now, um, as I understand it, that that money can be invested while it's not being used. Um, and that's what's done with it as I understand it. That's a finance question, but um that's how that works. Does that make sense? I don't know if I

It does. Explain that properly. And I had a further question about the four to point the 4.5 to 7 million in medical spend as opposed to to what here. Let me go into the next slides back. Yeah, sorry. I'm starting to get a little Well, let me go into the next Well, actually, okay.

Into this slide here. This is the one. This is Camden County, right? So we we have uh 307 employees out of our four 307 of our 450 employees that take uh medical insurance from us. 307 employees equates to about 650 covered lives because each employee that's covered generally has a spouse or children. Um and so the the quote for us to be fully insured for the next year would be 6.948 million based on our population and the ages of our employees. So currently uh we pay the self-funded administration fee. That is what we fa pay pay Etna to for them to be our TPA, our third party administrator for them to process the claims for us. And then we have the stop-loss insurance and that's the policy that pays any claim that goes above $150,000. So that's $845,000 a year. And then the clinic operating cost, the budget for the clinic is about $547,000. And then our claims cost per year, what we actually pay out in medical claims uh for medical and pharmacy claims for the last fiscal year was 5,632 5,63,239. So the total program cost there um is 6.618956 compared to the fully funded fully insured estimate which would have been that 6.9. So, it's a $329,000 savings just in the last fiscal year. Now, that and I will tell you we had, you know, the spend was a little bit higher that year. We're trending better this year than we were in the last fiscal year. I also want to point out though that our clinic does so well that the cities of St. Mary's, Kingsland, and the PSA all now participate in the clinic. So, of that clinic operating cost, uh, the city of Kingsland pays us $92,000 a year of that. The city of St.

Mary's pays $110,000 of that and the PSAs pays $19,000 of that. So you actually could add uh $225,000 more onto the annual net savings. So it's closer to about half a million uh $550,000 a year that we save vice what it would be if we were fully insured. And then the last thing here is just the the pharmacy contract. This is substantial as well. uh our PBM, our pharmacy benefit benefit manager. And because we're self-insured or self-funded, we're able to carve out the pharmacy benefit management. So, if we were fully insured, we had an Etna card, you would use your Etna card at the doctor and at the pharmacy. But because we're self-funded, we can have a separate pharmacy benefit manager. So, right now, our folks would use an Etna card to go to the doctor and a Vital One card uh to have their prescriptions filled. And then Camden now, because we've moved with them, has an auditable guaranteed contract um where they can guarantee a savings over the next three years uh in excess of $800,000 in prescription costs because they are able to um do substantial cost savings with with power buying. And we're paying um wholesale costs for medication instead of retail. Vital one has also just in the first quarter of this year already they've saved us $50,922 uh in programs available to employees to save on prescriptions. We're spending a ton of money on the GLP1s and those things that are kind of all the rage now and Vital One has been able to help us uh find cost savings for all of those medications. And then lastly, this is just kind of the conclusion. So, you know, while self-unding does involve greater administrative responsibility, right? because we are uh my office is overseeing claims costs as they come through and we're reviewing records and trying to uh direct care where it's

needed most. There's financial risk. However, we mitigate that risk by using the third party administrator and by having that stop-loss insurance that covers us on any claim that's over $150,000. And just finally, the superior control of the plan design, the cash flow, cost containment strategies uh make it a better, more strategic option for employers capable of managing that kind of inherent volatility. I will tell you that, you know, self-funding is what companies want to get to and Camden County has been self-funded since the uh fiscal year 2013. So, back in July of 2012 was when Camden County went self-funded for their health insurance. And that's what we have, gentlemen.

Thanks, Mike. Yeah, it was veryformational questions. Happy to help. Just kind of a one-off question. What does a cost containment look like? Because we're talking about people's medical.

Yeah. So, an example would be um if you're going to get an MRI, um there are several places you can do that and the cost can vary greatly across different facilities. they may recommend a facility that you can get the same MRI for a lower cost. That would be an example on the medical side. On the pharmacy side, um for example, there are lots of bioimilar drugs that have come out that are the exact same as some of these very high dollar expensive ones we see commercials for. Um so they are reaching out to members and saying, "Hey, did you know you could take this drug instead? you may want to talk to your doctor about switching to this medication. That's going to save the member money on their co-pays and also um the plan in the total cost generic instead of name brand.

That's a good example as well. And you know the MRIs and the X-rays and things like that, small medical procedures, it varies incredibly. Like you might go get an MRI at one office and it might be $1,000. You go get an MRI somewhere else and it might only be $600. So if we can know where those places are and direct those people there, those are those are cost containment measures. Mike. Yes, sir. As a as a former risk manager, I understand the the down and dirty nitty-gritty of this. Who in county government here is keeping their hands on the pulse of this on a daily basis? Is that Lance or

uh Heather Frell in the in the audience here is my uh benefits and wellness specialist for Camden County. She's the one that's on top of the claims reports that come out once a month and is watching out for um you know all the different categories that those could come in. Um we do see historically this year um over half of our medical spend has been on spouses of employees. So that's something that we look at. We also had something recently where we had for some reason we had a a large amount of people that were going to the emergency room for non-emergent issues. We had folks that were going to the emergency room. never happened before

because they have sore throats and things like that and those are the folks we can reach out to and say hey you know you could have uh you know could have gone to the clinic could have gone to and if if it's on a Sunday and it's e you know that's one thing but when we see that those numbers spiking we can jump in and try to control those and offer other containment measures for them to uh get offer options to get the care they need that doesn't cost the county so much money. Well Heather thank you very much. Let's give Heather a round. Yeah,

that's all right. But are they free to go to a provider of their choice? Absolutely. Free to go to a provider of their choice. Free to use the clinic uh for what they want uh you know for what the clinic can do. The clinic can do acute care uh and then um chronic what they call chronic disease management CDM. Um you know the clinic isn't going to put stitches in you or do x-rays and stuff. you know, they're going to recommend they're going to send you out somewhere to do that. But anybody that has county insurance is free to take that Etna card and go to any doctor that they want to. Even if it's out of network, there's coverage for that. Very nice. Again, thank you. You're very welcome. My pleasure. Bottom line is this program saves the county millions of dollars. 500,000. Yes, sir. I I would

over time probably been $20 million since 2012 that it's saved. Yes. Wow. I will tell you as well too that we field calls with some regularity, Heather, as well and and the fact that we have a clinic and a lot of the other counties don't have that. We feel calls with some regularity from other counties within the state and even some of them out of the state that want to know how we manage our programs because they want to emulate them. This is something that we're very proud of and I just I want to I want to stress that. Thank you guys. Appreciate the time. Good job, Mike.

Thank you. Okay, now we're going to move to our first public comment section. Uh, anybody has comments regarding items featured on the agendas? Anybody signed up? Katie, I do have someone for the first. It's Mr. Ricky Manning.

We're not going to use the light, but everybody knows three minute rule, so I'm Rick Manning from Bullhead. I want to touch on a few things real quick that's on the agenda. Uh the license plate readers. I would like to caution all this is covered by grant funds, but nowhere can I find the cost for long-term upkeeps on the systems, who's running the systems or anything. I did talk to the sheriff and he will be in charge of the systems. So that alleviates one little problem. As you have already seen on several news reports about flock cameras and other license plate readers and stuff that you going to have liabilities for violating constitutional rights. So with our sheriff, I don't think we're going to have that problem, but we need to make sure before we go to just willy-nilly and stuff. I don't see no nothing about long term. We always get this little dangling thing and we just jump right on it. We never ask questions. So, here's the questions you needed to ask. Long-term costs. Make sure Mr. Cheney is involved so that we don't get liability lawsuits. Data centers. That's a pretty much gimme. We know we need to have stipulation on data centers. I've been involved in this for the last couple of years. They're not environmentally friendly, but it's no problem. thing is you're not nobody's putting in what needs to be done with them. We can build data centers. We can do it environmentally friendly and cost friendly. But this the cost has got to go on to the developers, not us or any other county for that fact or any other people. It can be done. How many dozens of little reactors we got out there on those ships right there at King's Bay? One of those little reactors involved takes care of that whole system. It's all you need. I've been preaching that for a while now. It'll take care of all the electrical needs, the AC needs,

everything. Y'all need to look at things. I'm glad y'all bringing that up. The airport, we already know that thing ain't going to never be self-supporting. You know that. It's no different. Some of these other projects. We can't run a project in this county. It's a proven thing. It's going to cost the taxpayers. Let's take those funds and let's divert those funds to somewhere else for the infrastructure or for the new jail that we don't have the funds for so we don't have to borrow it. I'll touch on the rest of this later. Thank you. Anybody else? Yes, sir.

Spot on three minutes by the way. That was spot on three minutes by the way. Sorry. That's how you I'm speaking to item 16 now, the airport. As you embarrassingly recently discovered, 20 years hasn't been enough time for county staff to figure out how to qualify for FA funding for the replacement airport. The letters from the FAA and Georgia DOT were grotesque considering that we've been paying not just this county commission but previous county commissions have been paying and the city have been paying for up to 20 years try to figure an airport out. And the letters that are posted now on Camden First and that you'll see uh attached to the document I gave you uh should be grotesqually embarrassing to everyone in an official position in the county. Even worse, we all know that there's nobody in this room that can operate an airport. The airport has always been a stretch of the imagination as a public benefit. for instance, the 2022 airport justification study. And I want to point out that the most recent edition of that study that is posted today on the county website has the same information in it claimed the Kendon airport which he said would be only 11 miles from White Oak

Conservation's front gate in Ulie Florida and would be used by White Oak's class who visit and stay in Florida and play golf at White Oak's private pet guy uh Pat die golf course. Camden residents can't even pay for a tour of the place, but we can build an airport for them. It's ridiculous. The consultants want us to all want us all to believe our replacement airport will play a vital role in supporting economic development at Hyundai's car factory that's 165 miles from Camden County. As the crow flies, we tried to get copies of the required tax documents for the 17 airplanes consultants implied were located on our tax roles, but none of the listed owners had filed their Georgia required aircraft tax returns, and Camden County has consequently not collected the taxes on those aircraft. that were used to support the need for the airport, but we're expected to build an airport for those. Airport promoters also counted on longgone express scripts. And of course, the Cumberland Inlet project that was supposed to be completed by next year. And we'll be lucky to have contracts for next year that might or might not materialize into something real because nothing has turned out good on the Cumberland Inlet project. And believe me, this is not as embarrassing for you as the forthcoming damage to Camden's small businesses and our reputation brought on by former

board decisions about Cumberland Island. I want you to understand there's a momentum outside of the county that's going to put the burden for the problems that occur on Cumberland Island squarely on the back of the Camden County government. Now, most of y'all have never had a vote on that. Two weeks ago, you declined to vote on it. But the fact of the matter is is that it was the Camden County uh government and the county commission that precipitated the situation that's coming to a head during your term. Now, we're going to fight that at a national level and there will be very large organizations like the Nature Conservancy on our side. Most importantly, taxpayers will not forgive you for spending even one more dollar on an airport that is simply of no value to 60,000 or more of the 61,000 residents of Camden County. All the wishful thinking doesn't matter. For instance, in the budget for the airport, they're claiming that the insurance cost for each of the two employees at the airport will be $4,000. We just saw a presentation where the cost is $21,51 per employee. And so if we can't even get the insurance presented to the public right in the documents that are online today and that's something flew within your control and has nothing to do with consultants work, then how are we supposed to believe

anything that's in there supporting the benefit of an airport to Camden County? as I'm bringing it up because it's on your agenda tonight. Looks to me like y'all are inclined to want to shut that program down. It should have been shut down years ago and I'm hoping that's what you'll do tonight. Thank you. Anyone else? My name is Ben Goff live here at SPluff. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Thank you for the addition of the airport continuence on the to the agenda. Here's anticipation that it will result in a motion to discontinue the pursuit as it is evident that we don't have the money. Truthfully, we've been living off splust and area and ARPA funds to pure to purchase a majority of our shiny things in the last few years. Anyway, now most of that is history and we're left to survive off tax funds. I know there's been a reluctance to poll or put forth a referendum. So, we did ours did our own. There were like 1,600 people that viewed a little poll on the internet on Facebook. And by and large, the vast majority said no. Now, we were concerned about bots and so forth and people out of the county. I

went through every name on there. There's no bots and there's nobody out of the county. I just got a bunch of nos. Again, thank you for putting that on the agenda. Anybody else?

Uh Tom Bishaw from St. Mary's. I got a question about the uh Agenda 12, the long range acoustical device. Um first of all, what's the maximum output decibel level for this device? Um do we have a set uh minimum safe distance when it's going to be operated? Um, do you have like a use of force standard set for this? Uh, is there insurance for it for when people are, you know, their hearing gets damaged from it or they have use cases where there's actually damaged hearing because of these? Cuz these are usually more like military devices. So, I was kind of curious why it was being purchased here in the county. seemed a little odd to me that something that's that you know 160 decibel devices are going to be used here in the county because generally that's for crowd control riots and things like that. I mean they can be used for things like um you know hurricane warning and stuff but there's usually much better uses of sharing that information. So, it seems a bit odd because uh insurance and liability for damaging using a device with people that aren't properly trained. Is there a training protocol for who's going to use it and who's authorized to use it? Because it's more of a military, like I said, riot and crowd control device than anything else. So, I was a little confus confused why it was being purchased in the county. Those are all my thoughts. So,

Mr. Bishop Could you just state that what city you live in? Uh St. Mary's. St. Mary's. Yeah. Anyone else? Okay. Seeing none, uh let's see. We're going to move up move past the public comment section. We have two public hearings tonight. First public hearing is uh to receive comments regarding the from the public regarding amendments to the Camd County Code of Ordinances Chapter 27 Fire Rescue Fire Prevention and Services. Mr. Chairman, I move to adjourn the regular meeting and convene a public hearing. I'm sure. Yes. Thank you very much. Okay. I'm making that motion now.

We have a motion to adjourn the public hearing and uh convene the public hearing. Do I have a second? I'll second. All in favor? Thank you, Commissioner Smith.

Okay, so good evening, Commissioners. Uh, this is the first reading of the propos proposed amendments to the fire rescue services ordinance. Um, our original ordinance was adopted in 2008 and the amendments are to primarily clean up language related to state and national codes that are already enforced throughout the county. Um, we did present this to the planning commission uh roughly a month ago and they did recommend approval. Here to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you. So basically, you're just aligning our current ordinance to follow the IFC guidelines. So you don't have to come back to us for changes every so often. Correct. Yes, sir. That's correct. It's really just to clean up the language to where um as the state and national codes that we already enforce update every 3 to 5 years. Um we we took out some of the language that would cause us to come come up before the board. Yes, sir. So, this just kind of uh Yes, sir. just keeps us in line with what we're currently doing. Okay. Thank you. So, this is public hearing. Does anybody have any comment?

You seeing none, we uh make a motion to adjourn public hearing number one. Have a motion. Let's make a motion to adjourn public hearing number one. I'll second. Uh any discussion? All in favor? Okay. Now we're moving on to uh public hearing number two. Have a motion to uh enter into public hearing number two. I move to adjourn the public hearing. Have a motion. I'll second. Oh gosh. Okay. Let's just I'm trying to read it verbatim on here and the wording is way off. Adjourn the public hearing and convene a public hearing. Yes. Number two.

I'll second. All in favor? Cassie.

Good evening, commissioners. Up first, we have a request to reszone um approximately 75 acres. Um this is located at 13244 US Highway 17. The request is to reszone from agricultural forestry to single family residential. Along with this will be a future land use change from commercial to residential. And this is for parcel 078F1. Um, the applicant is requesting to reszone in order to recombine parcels 078F1 and 078F1A. And okay, there we go. Uh, this would make the total acreage 1.21 acres. Here is a outline. The blue is the proposed parcel to be reszoned. The outline in red is what they would like to combine it with. And here is a copy of the plat that they have submitted to our office. And planning commission does recommend approval on this item. Up next, we have a request to reszone a um approximately 1.21 acres from re uh agricultural forestry to residential single family. Along with this will be a future land use change from commercial to residential and this will be for

parcel 078F1A off US Highway 17. The applicant is requesting the reszone in order to recombine parcels 078F1 and 078F1A making the total acreage 1.21 acres. The outlined parcel in blue is the proposed reszone and the outlined parcel in red is what they would like to recombine. Again is a copy of the plat that was submitted to our office. Uh planning commission recommends approval on this item as well. Okay. Is anybody uh here in favor of this item and the previous item since they're connected? Anybody in favor? Anybody want to speak against? Okay, seeing none.

Okay. And lastly, we have a special use request. This is to allow a second dwelling to be constructed in a single family residential zoning. This will be located at Griffin Bluff Road at 108033L. Um the future land use is residential. The applicant is requesting to allow a second dwelling to be constructed in the R1 zoning. Currently, R1 zonings are restricted to only one principal residence on any one lot. Uh the Department of Health has given their approval on this request. This is the parcel in question. This is the proposed site plan that was submitted to our office. how it will be laid out with both uh dwellings.

And the planning commission has recommended approval on this item as well. Would anybody like to speak in favor of this item? Yes, ma'am. Come up. State your name and address, please.

My name is Maya Stansel. I am the owner of the property. My address that I live at is 11698 Thornapple Drive in Jacksonville, Florida. Um, I just want to let y'all know this is a generational arrangement. This is the second dwelling is more of a guest house. So, my mother can live with us when she's down here. The six to eight months out of the year that she's in uh this side of the country. Um, this was not intended to be a rental property or anything. It it is purely generational aging in place uh living. I just wanted to make that clear.

Thank you. Anybody uh want to speak in opposition? Seeing none, I entertain a motion to adjourn the public hearing and reconvene the regular meeting. Move, Mr. Chairman. Second. We have a motion and a second. Discussion. All in favor? Motion carries.

So item number one. Item number one, we have a request to reszone approximately 75 acres from agricultural forestry to single family residential. Along with this will be a future land use change from commercial to residential. Uh the property is uh I'm sorry, the property is 078F1 and located at 13244 US Highway 17. and the planning commission recommends approval on this. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve. Second, Mr. Chairman.

We have a motion in a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Up next, we have another request to reszone approximately 46 acres from agricultural forestry to single family residential. Along with this will be a future land use change from commercial to residential. Um this is to recombine parcels 078F1 and O1A. This will be parcel 078F1A and planning commission recommends approval. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve. Second. Mr. Chairman,

we have a motion and a second. Any uh discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Lastly, we have a special use request to allow a second dwelling to be constructed in a single family residential zoning. Property is located at 018033L on Griffin Bluff Road. It's approximately 75 acres and the future land use is residential. Planning commission recommends approval on this. entertain a motion. I'll make a motion we approve this, but we need to discuss some stuff first. So,

second, Mr. Chairman. We have a motion and a second discussion. Okay. Have Have we done anything like this before on such a small piece of property? Not that I can recall. Not. Yeah. Not since I've been here. Okay. Um Joy, you might know this a little bit. Would this set a precedent on anything? I think that's a great question. Um sometimes it is a difficult one, but special use

each each circumstance is different. So setting a precedence is is can be subjective at times. Um, but with the health department approving this with only one septic tank, I think that's the reason why our our Cassie has approved this. But, uh, when it comes to precedence, each circumstance is different. Um, but it is a great question. I mean, it really is. It is such a small parcel. Well, you don't want to set a precedence where somebody's got a small parcel and they got a mobile home on it, then they want to pull put in another mobile home on the on two mobile homes on a half acre. But but this is a special use. So,

what's the square footage on that cottage? I mean, it looks like it fits. Doesn't look any bigger than like a shed. You got to remember also that the um the septic tanks are based on bedrooms, not Yes, sir. anything else. It's basically how many bedrooms you got. With it being a one-bedroom house, I don't really have a problem with it. But if somebody was to to do two houses with, you know, multiple bedrooms, that could be an issue. Um to answer your question, uh Commissioner Smith, it's 9uh 58 square feet total.

But then again, it the septic system is based on number of bedrooms. And that in this case, that would be number of bedrooms in that house plus the main house. So it basically this is a mother-in-law suite, right? Yes, sir. Is it attached or detached? It's detached. Okay,

that's all I got. Further discussion. You just wanted to make sure we're not setting a precedence where this gets approved every time, right? Yes. Okay, we have a motion and a second for approval. Any more discussion? All in favor? All opposed? Motion carries. Thank you. Now move on to item four. Uh memorand of understanding with the uh extension office.

Good afternoon. I just was here in case you guys had questions about the financial agreement. This is the financial piece that's signed every year that um is the financial agreement for what the county is responsible for in regards to the salaries for the extension program. Um there's very little change to what it was last year. The um a agents salary was moved to the new minimum as required by the University of Georgia and the admin salary was also moved up to that. We did not ask for a change on the educator salary considering that position is vacant. So they would start new when they started. And then um on the 4 agents position, we just did a cost of living instead of bringing it up to the minimum. They said that we could piece that up. We didn't have to do that all in one spot. So that was what we submitted to you guys. And um there is a letter that also covers the teacher um retirement and the other retirement option that we have the increases um that the state sets. We don't have any control over that and the county pays the portion of that um based on the portion of the salary that they submit for our payroll and then there was a a copy of the agreement that if you guys agree to pass this that we would need signed so we can submit it to the university.

Thank you ma'am. Okay. Any discussion from the board? Uh Mr. Chairman, I I move to approve the memorandum of understanding with the board of regents of the University System of Georgia by and on behalf of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. I'll second it. Have a motion in a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Thank you very much. Move down to item five. Number five is the we're going to I'm going to make a motion that we wave the first reading of the amendment to the Camden County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 7, Fire Rescue, Fire Prevention, and Services. You don't want to hear it? Pardon? You don't want to hear it

again? You can read it if you want, ma'am. I I'll second your motion, Mr. Chairman. So, we have a motion and a second to wave the first reading. Um, any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Item number six is fire and emergency medical services mutual aid agreement with Charlton County. I was wondering how he got away with not having to come back up here.

Good evening, commissioners. I wanted to bring for you the fire and emergency medical services mutual aid agreement with Charlton County. They have recently combined fire and emergency medical services into one um entity. So we have re um completed the mutual aid agreement at this time and would like your approval for this. Um normally they're done separately um fire separate from the EMS. Um but they've actually brought the two entities together. This is something we do often is just um every two years. Yes, sir.

And this this mutual aid agreement will be done for two years or until both parties agree to um eliminate the contract. And with the Charlton County fire not long ago, this was an active agreement. Yes. And we do a lot of EMS service with um the EMS portion too. Um it goes both ways. Okay. I'll make a motion to approve. Second. We have a motion in a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. No. Item number seven is a bid award for the joint comprehensive transportation plan. Kelsey,

good evening. Good evening, commissioners. This agenda item is for your consideration to the pro to approve the contract with Goodwin Mills Kwood for the joint comprehensive transportation plan. Developing a joint comprehensive transportation plan is a strategic plan initiative. Camden County was awarded the raise grant to cover the cost of the transportation plan. purchasing issued an RFP and received three responses. Of the three responses, GMC was the most responsive and responsible proposer that met all requirements. Staff recommends approval to award the contract to GMC.

Thank you. I'll make a motion to approve. Second. Have a motion and a second. Discussion. They're also the lowest costs, too, weren't they? Correct. But we did not take cost into consideration with this proposal. I like that answer. Do we have a motion in a second? Any further discussion? All in favor? Thank you. Motion carries. Before we move into uh Julie's items, I make a motion that we take a fivem minute comment lesson break. Uh second, Mr. Chairman.

I have a motion in a second. We'll be back in uh five minutes. What do you say? Heat. Heat.

Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

Down. Okay. Okay. I'll make a motion to uh reconvene the regular meeting. Second.

Have a motion to second. All in favor? We need a younger board at some point. Okay. number. Uh Judy, it's your game.

All right. I'm requesting that the board approve a $5,000 grant from the Georgia Forestry Volunteer Fire Assistance 50/50 grant program. These funds will be used to purchase pump testing equipment and a deluge gun with interchangeable nozzle tips. This equipment is critical to maintaining operational readiness and improving our capability to respond to wildland fires. This is a 50/50 program, which means that they are going to give us 50% and we have to put in 50%. So the $5,000 for the match will come from the grants matching fund line item. At this time, I would like approval to accept award as presented. Okay. Having heard the item, we entertain a motion.

I'll make a motion to approve this. I'll second. Have a motion in a second. Any discussion? I just want to know what's a deluge gun. No idea. Sounds cool. Yeah. She can answer it.

So the deluge guns, we have two different purposes. Um it's the one that you see on the top of the engines, the deck gun that we can use. Um but these are going to be purchased for actually pump testing. Um, we do not contract out our pump testing for all our engines. So, these will actually be used for doing those pump testing. So, we're not outsourcing it and paying that expense. Thank you. Further discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Number nine.

Okay. I'm requesting approval of a grant award through GEMA's state homeland security program for equipment in the amount of $137,9410 cents. These funds are available to counties to prevent terrorism and other catastrophic events. Funds will be used to purchase license plate readers. This equipment will strengthen the county's capability in screening, search, and detection while improving operational coordination during planned and emergency operations. No matching funds are required for this project. At this time, I would like approval to accept grant award as presented. I move to approve item number I'm sorry I probably should have waited for you to ask but uh I make a motion to approve this item. Mr. Chairman, we have a motion for approval. Second.

Have a motion in a second. Discussion. All in favor? Motion carries. Thank you. I'm requesting approval of a grant award through GEMA State Homeland Security Program for equipment in the amount of $76,3.50. These funds are available to counties to prevent terrorism and cash truck events. These funds will be used to purchase portable radios. This equipment provides a cash of radios to EMA to ensure reliable real-time coordination during multi-jurisdictional operations, maritime incidents, and domestic terrorism responses. Sorry, no matching funds are required for this project. At this time, I would like approval to accept grant as presented.

Okay. Do I hear a motion? I move to approve this grant award. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Thank you.

I'm requesting approval of a grant award through GEMA's hazard mitigation grant program for equipment in the amount of $135,229.18. These funds are available as a statewide declaration based on the CO9 pandemic. Funds will be used to purchase variable message signs and longrange acoustical device. The county is responsible for 6% of matching funds totaling $8,13.75 that will be covered through the grant matching funds. Also, GEMA will provide $2,526 in management costs that can be used to cover a portion of my salary. At this time, I would like approval to accept grant award as presented. Uh I move to approve with discussion. We have a motion. Second.

Have a motion to second. Discussion. Mr. Chuck, you know, I want to ask you about this uh L A LRAD.

So, long range acoustical device. We've been using them for about 5 years in Camden County, but you wouldn't know it because you haven't heard it. Um, so the technology is very effective and what it does is if you think about the old school bullhorn, you might remember from high school with the principal, right? very unintelligible, very static laden, very nondirectional sound coming from the speaker. The way LRAD is designed from a technology standpoint is it directionalizes. I want you to think of a straight line with a rifle 15° to the right and 15° to the left. So that's a 30° bite as it extends out to provide intelligible voice hundreds of yards out. And I'll give you a direct application for that. You get a fire in a large apartment complex here in in Kingsland St. Mary's and you know we know that cellular goes down, internet goes down, but when people are sleeping and a lot of people will silence alerts, how do you alert them to start evacuating because this complex is on fire? LRAD is one of those technologies that you sit back, stand off, set it on the vehicle, you hit the alert tone, and then you talk directly to them, providing very crisp, clean, intelligible voice to what you want them to do. We've used it in silver alerts, um, you know, um, uh, Alzheimer patient, somebody wanders off in a woodline. It's just a very effective technology to be able to take your voice and push it where you need it to get the results that you want from the person that is receiving that signal.

No. No. Thank you. No sir. Am I up? Okay. We have a motion in a second. Any further discussion? We take a picture. All in favor? Motion carries.

Do we have to Dear Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a point of clarification. Um, often times we don't realize it. We don't sit close enough to the microphone and we're not heard. Commissioner Smith asked a very, very valid question because of concerns expressed a little earlier this evening

about this acoustical device being used as a weapon. And his question was, is this going to be used in any way? It's a very good point, and I appreciate you making it, Cody, but you were way back away from the microphone and we couldn't hear it. So the answer from from Mr. Director was no. It's not to be used as a weapon against our public. Am I clear on that? Yes, sir. You're clear. And and that is a very important point and I appreciate the citizen bringing the question of whether we're using this against our population and we are not for our population. It's for our population, not against.

And listen, remember guys, we need to be heard by the public. I don't think people have a problem hearing me. And just take a quick informal poll. Do you have any problem hearing without singling anybody out? Do you have any problem hearing anybody else? Hold your hand up if you do. Yeah, there's one or two of you that have problems. And he's like me. He's an old man, so help us out. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Goodman.

Okay. Um, good evening, Mr. Chairman. Commissioners, this is item 12 on your agenda. I'm here to request the approval to purchase of three variable message signs from Millennium Products, which is a GSA approved vendor, and one long range acoustical device, LRAD, which we've just been talking about, from Quantico Tactical. The revenues are 135 229 uh,000. The expenses 134,388.885. This is a grant funded from the hazard mitigation grant program, HMGP. Uh both vendors are compet competitively bid GSA approved contract holders. Both vendors have provided equipment services to Camden County in the past. Both vendors have provided excellent warranty support and the hazard mitigation program will be used for 94% of the expenses. A 6% match is required for the VMS and LRAD equipment. Grand matching funds will be used to fulfill this match requirement. Staff recommends approval.

Okay. Do we have a motion? I make the motion we approve this purchase. Second. We have a motion in a second. Any more discussion? All in favor? Motion carries. Thank you all. Move on to item 13. That's uh submitt of the local road assistance L administrative fund.

Yes. Good evening, commissioners. Um, in front of you tonight is the uh approval to submit for the LRA, the local road assistant administration fund grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation. This has become a an annual thing in in addition to LMIG. Um, they don't have the two just be lumped in together because I think at some point they had the opportunity to back off on the L if if funding is not there. So, this year we are fortunate enough to get the LRA um um grant opportunity. Um what's nice about this one as opposed to the original LMIG LME has a 30% match the LRA portion does not. So as long as we have a project that fits um the terms and is under is at that budget number or above it it qualifies. Um so we've uh um taken one of the roads that we've selected through our um analysis. Um the application needs to be submitted by June 15th. Um, we're looking for your guys's recommendation or I'm sorry, your approval of the recommendation of the road list. Um, of course, we go back to the pavement assessment that was completed in 23. Um, and we look through that PCI rating and take the next best available road up to uh, as for each project that we have um, that comes through. So, as funding comes available, we take the next uh, I shouldn't say best road, we take the best road that fits the needs to be improved. So, the the best worst road in the county. Um, uh, additional loss funds will be requested in order to continue with the the initiative. Um, so I I looked at an estimated $600,000 for the project um that we uh estimated. Um, that puts uh the grant is for $584,8151. So, that puts us at bringing um $15,19849 out of our Splash Road Improvement Fund. So again, um looking to consider the

approval for the uh recommended road list um to put uh submit to uh G dot. Thanks Jared. I'll make a motion to approve. Second. Have a motion in a second. Any discussion? And so the only road on that list is Vuna Road, correct?

It so it's going to play in more u with the projects that we have ongoing. So it's Vakuna Road. There's one section remaining that we haven't done. We've uh improved two ends of the section. Um this will tie in the the middle the larger portion of the road. The road will then be completely redone within the last year and then it'll work in in um in line with the the second approval here that I have in front of you uh with the the SAP grant. Gotcha. Thank you. Any further discussion? All in favor? Motion carries.

All right. With that being said, we've been waiting um for um our turn on uh or our bite at the apple on the the SAP grant this year. Um we were just notified yesterday that there are um some funds available for us. Uh SAP grant is the safety action plan. It's another subsidiary of the LMIC program. It focuses mainly on having lowcost high impact improvements to roads that have um crash crash and safety issues. Um, two of our roads that have u some of the highest ratings are Refuge Road and Vakuna Road. So, what we wanted to do was tie in um um preservation and and restoration to those roads along with adding this the SA um the safety improvements. So, Refuge Road, Coal Rain were already two roads that were on our project list um for need for restoration. Vacuna was a little lower on our list, but they were one of the higher ones um for us to do uh safety improvements. So, taking the combination of the two, um Cold Rain doesn't have a lot of safety issues, but we can loop them in as well because we're already doing work on the road and it was valid uh on their list of a road that we could submit. So essentially um 2025 and 2026 Elme and LRA uh funds were were set aside specifically to um restore Refuge Road, Vakuna Road, and Coal Rain. And so we're going to tie in the while we're doing this work, we're going to tie in the safety improvements at the same time to get more bang for our buck and to get these roads back into compliance with with safety standards. So, um, long and short of it, um, we're looking at $338,423. There is a 30% match. So, they're offering $256,30.75 in a grant. So, that brings us at

$82,3925 that we'll be utilizing out of our SPLOS 9 road improvement fund. And I'm here for any questions. I'll make a motion to approve the safety action plan as presented. Second. Have a motion in a second. Discussion. I just want to make it clear for the voters in my district that these are specifically unincorporated roads. Correct. Roads and uninorporated Camden County. They are. Yes. Okay. Because we talk about like intersections that have a lot of accidents. I would think of Laurel Island and Correct.

Correct. So these are unincorporated roads. Correct. unincorporated roads that are maintained by the county only. Now, if it's in the city, that's Oh, absolutely. That's why I'm making it clear. And obviously, we have a lot of state and and you know, highways that go through our our county. So, yes, there's a lot that that aren't protect under our umbrella of maintenance. Plate of spaghetti of jurisdictions, right? that it is at times

and the the funds a lot of the funds that we use for unincorporated area is paid directly by the unincorporated people. The people that are in the cities do not pay those taxes that fund these items in the unincorporated area. I understood that. I was making it clear for the public that we're not ignoring all the concerns out other areas. We can only work with

a prime example would be uh you know uh Laurel Island or I'm sorry um Laurel Park and uh Winding Road, right? Big accident uh intersection. It isn't under the county's jurisdiction, but I get calls weekly on people wanting to know what's happening there and why aren't we taking care of, you know, improving that road. It it's just it people just don't understand there's different jurisdictions that intertwine, right? Thank you. No problems. We have a motion to second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Thank you, John.

Thank you, Jared. Move on to item 15. Uh discussion of a resolution by the board of commissioners to uh put a temporary moratorium on data centers. I'll make a motion that we I guess it's appropriate. I make a motion that we discuss the temporary moratorium on data centers. Sounds like a good motion. I'll second. Yeah, we have a motion in a second. It's open for discussion. So, you don't want to vote on on this or anything?

Well, I think that we I'm not against the the the moratorum. We just got to be careful from a legal perspective. Well, my question is, um, why isn't the planning commission handling this first?

Have they put one together? I I'll go ahead and I'll speak on this because I'm the one who put this draft together. It was brought to our attention as a board that um our joint development authority, an entity that we fund, had entertained not one but two data centers. There was project Apex, allegedly, but confirmed was Project Produce. that was reported on in the paper. So, I don't think this is something that we want to be behind on, especially because they're obviously entertaining. They're being entertained all around us and there's all sorts of of environmental concerns and and and and resource concerns. So, I I put a draft together. I submitted to the board to discuss as per the chairman's motion. And I think uh that's a great idea, Ben. If we want to get this in front of the planning commission, I think that's a great idea. But I'm full disclosure I'm the one that brought it forward. So I don't want you to think anyone was trying to step around. I was just trying to introduce it to the board for discussion. And if you think it needs to go to planning, I think that's a great idea.

Well, you know, that is their their job anyway. But um uh from my understanding, these data centers were um they approached the city of Kingsland. We have no jurisdiction what happens inside the city limits of Kingsland. So, so if somebody wants to come in, put a data center in the city of Kingsland, the county really can't stop it.

I would certainly hope the city of Kingsland would follow suit. And this is to protect unincorporated Camden County. Absolutely. If you take a look at the morator or sorry, the resolution for the moratorum, it specifically states actually since I didn't have it in front of me, it specifically states to give staff and the planning and zoning department time to formulate what those regulations would be. That's actually the specific verbiage in that if you had taken a look at it. But

well, one thing that um the planning department is doing, they're putting a uh an or ordinance package together strictly for data centers. Um working on that now. We don't have it tonight, but they're working on an ordinance to to further protect us through an ordinance through the planning commission to bring to us. All they I'm not against the a moratorum at all. It's just we got to be careful how we step through this process. Yeah, of course. And I probably wouldn't even have brought it if I had been made aware of that. I definitely think things like that should be communicated. Oh, absolutely. So, we're not duplicating work either.

Yeah. Another thing is Georgia Power has offered to come down and do a work session with us to give us the pros and cons of a a data center because they're they're the big power supplier. officer and deeply involved all over the state and they've offered to come down and do a a work session for us and I think we ought to take them up on that. Yes. Yes, we should. And maybe as part of the work session we incorporate the ordinance that we're putting together so make it one package and again I'm not against a temporary moratorium. We just got to be very careful how we step forward.

Well, keep in mind like it's not a decision. We we didn't up here we didn't decide to bring a data center into Camden County, but it was brought to our attention that the joint development authority actively was. So, you know, without with all these code names and not really knowing what they're working on, I think this is just a way to protect y the citizens in unincorporated Camden County. And again, like I said, the verbiage specifically directs planning and zoning to formulate those ordinances, which it sounds like they're already working on. Maybe um this is not the motion, but maybe we table this till the next meeting. Give Jackie a chance to look at the the language. Is that fair? You got me, Jackie?

I I would like a little bit more time. I honestly have been a little busy with some of my other practice to get to reviewing that. It wasn't present. Like if we're looking to do this, if you'll direct it directly to me first so I can get you some direction, have be prepared for that sort of thing. I I it would make it a lot easier for me to give you better advice. I can do that. Yeah.

There was a couple of things in in your ordinance that that kind of struck me was is one thing, the unincorporated county, we don't have a water source big enough and we don't even have a way to get rid of the waste water and we don't have a treatment plant. Now, there's other counties that have got ordinances. I took about 10 minutes today and and found quite a few uh counties in Georgia that have ordinances on data centers. Uh Georgia Tech has got a good website that that provides a lot of those ordinances as well and other data that's involved. But one thing that um you got to think about with a data center, you know, everybody's talking about the cooling water and stuff like that. You do a closed loop system where you reuse that water over and over. Then the only water you have to add is what would be called makeup water from evaporation from the coolant towers. There's other ways

that sounds like something that should be in our ordinance. Absolutely.

Oh yeah. Um, another thing that that you know some we couldn't do it here because our wastewater systems don't generate enough uh treated water to be used in a cooling system like that. But somebody like Jacksonville that has a lot of waste water that's been treated, they could potentially use that water to cool the equipment, then discharge the water wherever they need to discharge it. So there's a lot of stuff that needs to be worked out on on a data center. But one thing about a data center is is if it comes in and we get a data center um that would probably lower everybody's taxes.

Now everybody's thinking about you know property taxes but it's the taxes on the equipment that is changed on a regular basis inside that data center. That's where the money is. Certainly not an expert on the money. I am more concerned about our our utilities and and our natural resources for sure. Well, yeah. What uses more water? A paper mill or a data center? Well, we don't have a paper mill. We don't have a paper mill anymore. I'm wondering who owns the water rights to all those wells that Gilman had. That's a good question. That's a lot of water that could be permitted for some kind of use. So,

are you saying we're potentially get a data center there? No. Well, and that's again and that'd be on the city of St. Mary's, but for unincorporated Camden County, I do want to see us take some measures. Again, I don't want to be on the back end of it, which it seems like we already are when we're, you know, it's being told to us by a citizen information. I don't I don't know if you knew about Project Apex, but when it's being told to us by the public, things that we're unaware of that could potentially harm this area, I think it's better for us to get out in front of it with the moratorum. So that way we're saying no more until the planning and zoning department, which you said is actively working on this now, can get those regulations in front of us for to for us to adopt. A moratorum simply says stop no more.

Well, we need to understand the moratorum. It doesn't uh exclude a property owner from entertaining a data center. We just can't do anything from an approval process inside the county under a moratorum. We don't have an approval process for medicine. Right. That's that's the point is um so I guess I'll change my motion to table it so that Miss Jackie can miss Miss Forier can go over it. But uh I I'll revise my motion to table the temporary moratorium on data centers until the county attorney has an opportunity to review the uh language and I'll second

and at the same time the language on the moratorum on the moratorum and at the same time let's get Georgia Power down here for work session. I don't know how the timing is going to work but I'll make that part of the motion. Oh well if it can be a public work session. Yep. Absolutely. For sure. Perfect. Y second. Okay. I I would recommend that you break this up into two motions. So one, you can direct me to do the uh to review this moratorum uh proposal and I will give advice back and I can do that by next meeting. That would be the first motion. The second motion I would recommend then be addressing the work session. Okay. You want me to do it? I have the first motion. You have the first one?

Yes. Okay, let's deal with that one first. We have a motion to table it so the county attorney can review. Have a second. Any more discussion? Scott's trying to get somebody's attention. Sorry, my microphone wasn't on. I apologize. No more discussion. All in favor? Okay. Second motion is um have staff contact Georgia Power to um give us a work session in a public forum to explain the pros and cons of a data center and they have offered to do that. So just as is a formal motion have a motion in a second. Any discussion? All

in favor? Motion carries. If I may just add real quick, Mr. Forier, uh I'm not scared of any red lines, but I do want some protection. Thank you. Okay. The next item is discussion of the proposed replacement airport project and consideration of continued pursuit. Can we get a motion in a second so we can open up discussion? I'll make a motion to discuss it. Second. We have a motion and a second to discuss. just going to discuss or or are we actually going to vote on something? You have to decide that.

Well, usually you make a a motion for or against something, then you go into discussion, then you vote on it. I think we need to discuss it first. Is that an appropriate motion? I guess we'll vote on the motion. Well, we can have discussion, right? We going to have discussion for sure. I'm with Ben. I say we put our I say we quit kicking this can around whether it's down the road or up the road and and make a decision tonight. So I I think we've we've discussed ourselves silly on this subject. So are you for or against? Um if if the motion is to discuss it, I'm going to I I withdraw my motion. Put yours out there. Okay. I move that the county formally

Wait. Does Commissioner Goodman withdraw his second? I withdraw the second. I move that the county formally withdraw from the proposed airport project. Second. Any and all on what that entails. Withdraw.

We have a motion in a second for the county to withdraw from the airport project. Discussion. Well, I think I'm I'm the only one left that actually met with the FAA on this project. When we met with them up in Atlanta, the statement was they were going to give us uh 90% of the total cost of an airport. When we met with the state, they were going to give us 5% of the total cost of an airport. Uh my understanding was it was going to cost us about $5 million over a 20-year period to pay for an airport. We uh we we dealt with it on financial only mode. Now, I think it was our last meeting. It may have been the meeting before that where we asked Joey to actually contact the FAA and the state of Georgia and get something in writing because all this was verbal. Everything was verbal. in that meeting it was verbal. Uh I remember I kept asking are you going to put this in writing and um never did really get a clear answer on that. So we were waiting on that. We decided uh basically or I did that I was not going to support it unless they could you know get the community involved in it. Never did happen. Uh I talked with several people. I talked with a lot of friends of mine. I read the book. Uh, I did all of that. I don't think we ever had community support for this item. Now, we've got to build a public safety complex and that needs to be our number one. So, with that in mind, I I'm I'm with you on, you know, stopping doing this because we don't have the funds to do it. The uh the FAA would not put it in writing. As a matter of fact, you read the letter they wrote. It basically said they weren't going to do it to begin with.

Part of the challenge though too is that 90% would have been for a replacement airport. Exactly. Specifically saying that we're developing a new airport and not a replacement. So right most likely it's not 90%. Well, it was considered a replacement airport though was my understanding on it. We want it to be because that makes

and I think it I think it would have been a great thing for the community. I really do. However, I think that uh financially we can't afford to do this and we've got to at some point we've got to make our mind up which direction we're going. And in my mind, we're going for the public safety complex. I don't know if you've made a trip around our jail is pitiful. Uh it's got we've got to do something with that. So, if we're going to go anywhere and try to borrow any money and do anything, it needs to go into the public safety complex. I hate that. Tried to figure out a way to do it. I talked with some people, some very intelligent people, um, who said this is not a good idea. So, I mean, I'm I'm I'm not against it. I wish we could do it, but I don't think it's possible at this point. Doesn't make sense.

Thanks, Martin. I think you're pretty smart, too. No, no, but I I did want to hear all the facts, you know, just like this, just like the uh the data center. I want to hear all the facts, you know, and uh cuz we we would we would get a um we would get this on Friday afternoon and make decisions on it based on Tuesday night and that was tough. A lot of reading. Sometimes it's three and 400 pages you're reading over the weekend. You don't spend any time with your family. You're reading, reading, reading. Same thing here. So the airport, uh I would vote at this point to stop it and move on. That's just me. I haven't talked to anyone, have I?

I don't speak to you. I know. I don't I don't speak to you either, but uh this is this is what's in front of us. So, we have to make that decision. Hard decision. Do you want to offer anything, Bill?

Well, I've said it before. This is this is our only shot at getting this replacement general aviation airport. Uh if we don't do it now, Camden County won't ever have an airport, more than likely, you know. Do we need one today? No, absolutely not. Will we need one in 50 years? Yeah, there's a probably pretty good chance we might need one in 50 years or 30 years. We don't know. You know, uh, history kind of offers a little bit of a lesson on this. Back in the 1950s, members of this board voted against a bridge going from St. Mary's to Nassau County. Then again in the 70s, that same project was killed. Think of what St. Mary's would be like now if that bridge was there. But, you know, that's kind of a little bit of like apples and oranges, but you know, if we don't do it, then we're not going to have an airport ever. More than likely, they're not doing new airports. This is a replacement airport,

but the challenge with that, and I I understand we want it to be a replacement. the FAA sees it as a new airport and so we're gonna have to spend more money and time trying to convince them that it's a replacement when there's a whole host of other issues and metrics that we haven't even had.

Well, there's there's um over $4 million set aside to build this replacement airport that the Navy has set aside. Now that money has been sitting in a bank account somewhere drawing interest. So it's more than what it originally was. Um if we don't do the airport that money is doesn't come to us. It goes to other airports in the state. So,

and literally I was told basically I can't remember it's seems like it was around $1.3 billion dollars that they actually had and uh at one point we would have been at the very front of the line. Uh but I've been told recently that no, not necessarily. They would have dealt with all the safety issues in all the other airports across the United States and we'd be on the tail end of the stick. I just think that u I I don't you know4 or $50 million needs to go towards the jail, not the airport. There's no way around it. Uh I mean I I wish there were but there is I don't see it. Uh if I were running a business I I know I couldn't invest money I didn't have. That would be hard to do.

Yeah. People talk about, you know, the St. Mary's airport wasn't viable. Of course, it wasn't viable when the after 911. Who in their right mind would want to spend money on that airport when the Navy wanted it shut down?

Now, if if the Navy wouldn't have shut down or had it shut down, that airport would be a good asset for Camden County. We used it. Uh, one of one of the people I talked to was a former meal manager. I would have thought that he would want a replacement airport because we did use it. And if we're still working with JDA and trying to bring industry to Camden County because I've got grandchildren. I'm I'm I'm in my retirement years. I I don't really need a job, but my my children and grandchildren do. And when I brought that up, I said we I even talked to him. We used an airport. If we needed parts and we needed them quick, we'd jump in the the uh the the the the meal airplane and fly to California or wherever we had to get those parts and bring them back. And I think eventually you would have had the same thing here. Uh you would have had people that were Fortune 500 companies that wanted to come see this place and they would have used it. There's just there's no doubt about it. The only the only thing is being where are you going to get that money? That's the key, you know, and how would it affect the public safety. I mean, that's that's that's where I'm at on it. Um,

and I don't think your vision is wrong, but you know, you were talking about the industry. Uh, I was at a class recently and um, it's worth noting that a general aviation airports rank higher than rail or port access in industrial site selections. Airports ranked 19th and they're cited by 75% of the site consultants. Ports were ranked 29th with 47.62% and rail was 30th with um 40 46.88%. Yeah. So

I get it. But yeah, we we went to a ribbon cutting what, two weeks ago from an Italian company that's coming in now. That's a small company and they're building pumps and those kinds of things. And they came here literally because of the interstate. That's the only reason they built where they built. They were close to the interstate. So, I get it. And I think the airport I think an airport would have added to that. Uh but again, it does come down to economics. I get it. Yeah. I would like to say too though in in speaking to Representative Sains about this particular issue with the airport. Can you get a little closer? I I haven't heard a word you said all night hardly.

Thank you. Sorry about that y'all. Thank you. Uh in in talking with Representative Sains and I don't want to speak for him in any way. Um but in in in relation to this exact issue, he doesn't want to see us lose that transportation money either. Um he said if if if the will of this board is to withdraw from this project, he would be more than happy to advocate alongside us for federal inter intervention um on what that money can be used for. Um now obviously that's not a guarantee, but if if an airport isn't in the cards, I don't think it's right that Camden County should lose that money, especially because it was given to us in trade for closing the airport. They did shut our airport. It was given

to help pay for a replacement airport. If we don't have a replacement airport, they going to take that money and use it somewhere else. If we decide that, yeah, if we decide not to move forward with a replacement airport. And the weird part about this to me, we can advocate to have that money used for other transportation infrastructure within Camden County. So, well, you can I hope you're right. Yeah, you definitely won't get it if you don't ask. It's election season. when it's the best time to ask. Yeah, I don't I hope that's not the reason, but uh that's that's where I'm at on it. So, I just I had to share that.

We have a motion in a second. Any further discussion? Would you restate the motions because we Yes. discussion, please? The motion The motion was to withdraw from any further Camden County involvement in a replacement airport. Uh, and I do want to say, Ben, I don't disagree with your vision and and the needs of the future. Absolutely. I just don't think we can afford it right now. So, we're clear on the motion. It's in our strategic plan. You know, it's it's one of the high priority deals on our strategic plan. We would have to take it off. That would have to You'd have to take it off the strategic plan.

We haven't really been going by our strategic plan anyway, unfortunately. you know, just less than a year ago, um, four of us voted, let me back up a little bit. During that, uh, special call meeting on June 24th, uh, Mr. Goodman made the motion to withdraw all funding from the airport from the budget. Um, that failed. Uh, Mr. Goodman was the only one that voted for that removal. It's not true. Yes, it is the removal.

Yes. You can also go now after that. I know where you're going. After that, we voted on the budget and Mr. Goodman was the only one that voted against the budget because it had funding for the airport. So, if we're going to read back to the minutes though, I want us to be truthful. When he made a motion to remove all the funding for the airport, close to the mic. Closer to the mic. when he made a motion to remove all funding for the airport from the budget. You're saying I voted against that motion. You second it, but it was four to one with Mr. Goodman.

No, it was two to three. And then the following motion to adopt the entire county budget where he again said he wanted to remove Well, your video must be different from the one that I watched. But but anyway, let's go ahead and vote on it. I'm I think it's going to be four to one. So, so we're clear on the motion. We're clear on the second. We're we're we're killing that. Is that what you're saying? Yes. The original I'm bringing it up again. It's over. Let Katie read it. Katie repeat. The motion that was previously made was to formally withdraw from the airport project.

I do have a question before we vote. Would we have any outstanding obligations like unpaid bills to the consultant or anything like that? I believe the last payment was sent to the consultant uh last week or it's been we're finished with it. Yes, we're we're done with all the payments to them. Yes. And and that was a supplemental request for additional funds from what was already contracted, right? Yes. Okay. Yep. So, we don't owe anybody else any more money for an airport? Oh, okay. Not that I'm aware of.

Perfect. All right, we have a motion and a second. No more discussion. All in favor? All opposed? That's four to one. Okay, moving on to reports the calendar. Katie, Mr. Chairman, there I'm sorry on this m Mr. Winkle, if you could wait. There's not going to be any public involvement in the airport decision. Do you want one that the five wise men are the ones who Mr. Winkl if you could hold and for the public comment section just until after the meeting?

Yes. Yes. Just just for protocol. So calendar Katie, there's no changes to the calendar at this time, but Mr. Winkle, if you'd like to make a public comment, that'll be coming up in just a moment.

Yes. Thank you, chairman. Uh, first I'd like to begin by sharing a a few important staff updates that we have made recently. First would be our um promotion to Cassie Turpin as our interim planning and development director. So, I definitely haven't had time to formally announce her, but I I really appreciate all that she's done for us. She will also continue Yes. Welld deserved. Uh she will also continue to work in the flood pain management area while she's doing the interim. So like I said, I really appreciate everything Cassie has done for us. Also, I would like to also congratulate Shannon Nettles. Uh we've elevated her to the interim deputy county administrator. Uh so congratulations to you, Shannon. Again, welld deserved. Uh during Shannon's absence uh in elections, Rock Carter will be overseeing the elections department uh with the assistance of Dennis Irvin. So congratulations to them as well. And just know that uh each of our departments are being well taken care of and overseen uh by our great staff. I'd also like to announce uh we have hired a new CFO. So, I'd ask that Lisa Lynch would stand and uh please join me in congratulating her and welcoming her as our new financial um chief financial officer. Uh Lisa does bring an extensive government financial uh experience or finance experience with her and we are excited that you've joined our team. So, thank you very much and we look forward to the journey ahead and uh all the challenges and and things that we can overcome and uh together. that's important together. Um, also I would like for our community to know

that I'm currently working on putting a schedule together to have more um series of town hall meetings so you can hear from me and we can stay connected together. Uh the sheriff has graciously um invited me to participate in his upcoming town hall on April the 28th at the uh resiliency center in Kingsland at 135 um Gross Road. So we do look forward to meeting with everybody, sharing comments and and visions together. Um I strongly believe that moving forward together is listening to one another. I've always been a great listener. Uh I think it's important that we do listening and uh understand one another. Uh very important in growing is vital that we bond together and bind together as a community. It's important that we learn from our past. Very important that we learn from our past and move forward together. Uh that's the only way we can grow. We all know that and we need to grow this community. we see our five commissioners binding together more and more and listening to each other is very invitable to me. I'm also excited to announce and um that we are starting our citizens academy this coming Thursday night. Uh new directors, new people in places, new ideas. Very exciting. I can tell you it's very exciting time. So I'm excited to um see the new participants, the the new ideas and hearing each other. So, uh, new things and new ideas are coming about. Uh, very exciting things happening in the county in terms of growing together. Uh, I can't I cannot stress that enough that it's it's very important that we listen to one another and we bind together and move forward together. Uh, we are one. That's the only way we're going to grow this community is we listen to one another

and grow. So, I know I keep repeating myself, but I'm I feel Yes, you're right. I do apologize. Uh, so thank you, Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to respond to something to Joey and the other interim people. The five of us up here are interim also, so you ain't got nothing on us. Thank you for what you're doing and stepping up to the plate. Thanks, Joey. Um, now we're going to move on to additional public comments. I do have a few people registered. You do? Yes, sir. Okay. Uh, Miss Emily Floor.

Good evening. Emily Flor, uh, St. Mary's Riverkeeper. I live at 211 Palmetto Street. Um, thank you for withdrawing from the airport because I live around the corner of that. Um, so for uh St. Mary's Riverkeeper, one thing I did want to mention uh was that the city of Kingsland did adopt an ordinance regarding data centers uh in early March. Um just so that was very recent, but I did want to share that uh to uh require established definitions, zoning standards, and supplemental regulations for data centers and provide permitted locations, designed environmental and operational infrastructure requirements. um and to provide application review requirements for special land use permits uh to provide enforcement and other lawful purposes. So, I just wanted to bring that to the intention of the commissioners uh that that was a recent um thing. Uh but I really came here for was to announce the uh St. Mary's River cleanup uh that we do every year. This is our 28th year um of doing it. St. Mary's Rivereper took it over 10 years ago when the organization formed. We are turning 10 this year, which is a big milestone for a local small nonprofit. And we really value partners of the community and our elected leaders uh to ensure that our St. Mary's River is protected from harm uh affluent discharge and pollution. Um so I did want to let you all know that we have five locations around the county. uh Temple Landing boat ramp, which we tend to pull a lot of tires out of uh in that area. Um Blue Blue Bridge Boat Landing, which we almost always get over a,000 pounds of trash along the roadway. Um it's also our biggest site with over 50 people working together to do that. Meeting Street Boat Ramp, uh the Burell Creek Kayak Launch, and then Nter Pond

on the North Causeway are our five locations around Camden County. Um, and we typically see a lot of the community that comes out. Many of the commissioners have come out and helped out with that event. Um, we are very grateful to our big sponsor, White Oak Conservation, for hosting our celebration afterwards and feeding us uh and all of the uh over 400 volunteers that show up on one day and pull six tons of trash off of boat landings and tributaries of the St. Mary's River. Um, and I especially wanted to be grateful for the board of county commissioners continued support including the staff uh Camden County solid wa waste which donates the dumpster rolloffs at our two boat landings. We're very grateful for that. Um, and then St. Mary's public works who helps pick up the trash for the St. the three St. Mary's sites. Um, but if you are available, please come out April 18th. That's next Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. You can register or I gave you all my cards, so just text me. Um, and I'm happy to get you registered for one of those sites. Um, and we'd love to see you all turn out. Um, and help support a clean river and then come to White Oak afterwards for some hot dogs and hamburgers and celebrations. And here are all the crazy things that everyone around the watershed has pulled out of the river. Uh, thank you so much. If anybody has any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

Would they open the golf course on that day? Uh, negative. However, we do, uh, White Oak also, um, is again our biggest sponsor and a founding organization of St. Mary's Rivereper. Um, we do have a golf tournament. We're one of the only organizations that is allowed to play on their golf tournament, uh, on their golf course. It's the Legacy course, not the die course. Um, but we do have that tournament coming up. It's a beautiful course. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, Mr. Ricky Manning.

Rick Man from Bullhead again. Uh, first of all, I just want to thank Joey and all y'all commissioners and everybody else uh for the town halls, sheriff. That's a good idea. We've been after it for a while. I'm glad to see it coming. And yes, I'll be there. Anyways, on non-aggenda items, uh, have we already decided that we are going to proceed with the new jail complex without a vote? There are because there are several cuts that can be made that we can move millions into the jail fund, public safety complex, whatever you want to call it. So, I call it jail simpler for me. We had one cut tonight. Let's move that money over there so that we can not borrow so much money and it doesn't cost us as much in the long run. We do know we everybody knows we need a safety complex. We put it off for 20 years now. It's time to move forward with it. Dropping that airport's a good good start. We need more. All right. Now, monetary gift policies with the county. Might want to check with council on that. Vendors giving gifts to county employees. Uh without knowledge of the board and approval of the board is a no no. Yeah, I I'm not mistaken. It's state law. might want to check with council on that because it's happening anyhow. All right. Now, again on county projects, we are making entirely too many mistakes. This is part of our town halls that needs to get going forward. We can all discuss things and there's a lot of people out here with a lot of knowledge. We have people in the county with a lot of knowledge. We're not putting heads together. We're wasting money, piles of money. One of them is right out here in our new public works complex. Why in the world whoever back when decided that's where we wanted to put a public works complex

on top of a swamp and haul in 10 million loads of dirt and have to compact it? I don't know. I I pity for poor Jared having to deal with that. That's a pile of money being wasted. We could have purchased high land somewhere a lot cheaper. We're not thinking ahead of time and what the consequences are of our actions. And this is why we're wasting so much money. We don't have this public safety complex. Folks, uh, let's do better. We're trying to do better. I see us moving forward and, uh, discussing things and that's a good thing. Thank you for your time.

Anybody else? Yes, ma'am. very briefly. I'm sorry. It would make everyone who is a constituent and a voter in Camden County feel much better about our local government if we knew that once the commissioners were presented with new facts that were contrary to the old information that was obsolete that they had made a prior decision about that they would consider changing their mind. And so the example that was just used about how Commissioner Goodman was the only one who voted against something a year ago or 6 months ago, whatever, and now four commissioners are going to vote against something. That's an indication that you are listening and that's a good sign for our government. staff has demonstrated that we are getting better performance than we got in the past. Communication at the highest levels is the problem. And so when I made this statement that y'all are the five wise men, that's exactly what that conversation sounded like. Y'all were just discussing among yourselves, stuff that could be easily disproved in black and white facts. I pointed one of them out earlier to try to make it easy for you. Insurance for the airport, for the personnel. The quote that you mentioned tonight for the value or the cost of the

airport, that's from 2022. A more recent quote was done in Brian County for an airport with a 25- foot narrower runway or a narrower runway the same length that was over $80 million. And so when you're quoting 40 or 44, you are way out of whack because the quote that they got was for a similar airport without hangers and without a control tower. When we talk about a replacement airport, that's exactly what we're going to get, a bare bones airport at $80 million. But worse than that is that no one in this room that's matter of the public has any idea where you're going to drop that airport. Is it going to be convenient to the people who might wish to use the airport that are in business on Kings Bay? Why is it still a secret after 20 years? And so the point is is if you can't be honest with us, the taxpayers who are going to have to pay for that airport for 10 years to the tune of five or 10 or $15 million. You don't have any idea. And I know you don't have any idea because I know the numbers. If that's the situation we're in, you cannot move forward. And so you've done the right thing. There's no reason to him and hall. It really is black and white. And you don't have to be wise men. You just have to be good observers. There's

a lot of things in Camden County like that. A lot of things that go on because they persist in one person's mind as being important and we should listen up to a point and then make a decision. Thank you. Hi, my name is Carly Simeone. Um, you guys might remember me. A few uh months ago, I came up here with Judge Kelly um as a success story from drug court. Um, this is my partner in crime, uh, Sarah. We are we wanted to bring to your attention that we are starting a recovery community organization within Camden County called Come as You Are Recovery. Um there's RCOS's all over Georgia that have great success rates in um bringing light to uh addiction recovery. Instead of um you know turning a a dark corner at it, you know, we make it um Can you help me a little bit?

So recovery community. My name is Sarah Jumper. I am from Woodbine. Um, recovery community organizations are nonclinical, peer-led organizations that exist to fill the gap in services for people who enter recovery. A lot of the times we see failures because people come home from treatment or detox or leave jail and there's no support. So, what we're going to do is take that um take the stress off of families, off of local services, off of the hospital, off of EMS. We're going to create a community for people to come and flourish in their recovery so that they can receive services and then give back um once they reach that point. And we hope to do that by reducing overdose rates, distributing the lock zone, and using our lived experience to coach others um in their own recovery. And we just wanted to introduce ourselves today. So, thank you. Good.

Thank you. Anybody else? Of course.

Ben Goff still from Harris Bluff. Been a lot of conversation about the public safety complex and I absolutely totally agree. After a a tour of the jail myself, I wasn't locked in. There is definite need for I wouldn't even call it a replacement. There's definite need for a new look at a safety complex which includes the 911. uh and a couple other buildings. But I also want to make a point that that current jail is a county asset. It's a it's a public asset. It belongs to us and it's a crying shame as to what we've allowed to happen to that building to that asset and it needs to be fixed. If we started today, I've asked this question amongst a couple of three people. If we started today with intent to build a new jail, how long would it be before the first inmate sets foot in it? And the best guess that I've gotten was three years. Some as high as five years, and some as high as seven years. I honestly don't know. It could be 18 months. But regardless, we've got conditions over there that need to be addressed and fixed. I mean, at the end of five years,

when we have this new safety complex, what are we going to do with that asset then? What's going to happen to it? We're just going to raise it. We need to do maintenance on that asset today. The roof leaks, the electronics don't work, the plumbing don't work, and that's probably the most important part of it. But we definitely need issues to be addressed at that complex today. Thank you. Anybody else? Good evening. My name is Janie Everett and I live in Woodbine and um I need the county commissioner's help. We have House Resolution 6559 that's on the floor of Congress now and um we only have three co-sponsors. We need to get up to 290 to get this thing for a vote. So, I'm asking the county commissioners to reach out to the 14 uh members of Congress from the state of Georgia and ask them to support the bill because right now we only have three of the 14 um that's um with it. Uh we reached out to the 100 um veterans in Congress to get their support. So, it's like we're fighting it from the grassroots and with veterans groups. Um, we have um some veterans and citizens in Tennessee, Virginia, and South Carolina that are

also writing letters. We asked um Steven Sance and um Mike Hodges to write letters. We really need the state of Georgia to stand up at least the 14. Thank you. I'm John Wjek. I live off of Clarks Bluff Road. I don't know if I'd want Georgia Power to come down here to give advice on data centers because I got a feeling they'd be biased. I don't think they they'd look both directions. But anyway, Camden County is an easy sale. Everybody's talking about taxes and how to cut them. I'm surprised we don't have more stuff being as far as uh warehouses being developed, but given uh planning the responsibility of the data centers, I don't understand where that coming from. Uh I I think that ought to be a commissioner duty also. Uh I don't think data centers will reduce our taxes. Uh Chattam County is busting at the seams with all kinds of industry and they're still raising their property tax. Fernandina, they they've got so much building going on down there. Nassau County is raising their taxes. We're not going to get away from taxes. I don't care what we build here. We're going to still have taxes. Uh if I'm not mistaken, a grand jury should have been appointed yearly to look at our jail.

And I don't know when the last time a grand jury has been appointed to look at the condition of our jail. I agree with Mr. G and a few others. I've been through that jail twice as far as a visitor once because of the door hinges. I wanted to go see what condition they were in. And a citizens academy. I went there and we graduates were appalled at the condition of that jail. I can imagine what a grand jury would say. They would probably tell you, "We're going to condemn it and you're going to have to build a new one." I think the jail should be a priority since we have dropped the airport. Uh, Commissioner Turner, you said something about what we need to do as far as the jail, and I agree that we need a new jail. Sooner we start on it, the better. I don't, like Mr. Golf said, 1 to 5 years. We need to start building it now. That ought to be a high priority. I I appreciate the two ladies that came up here cuz I was here when they talked when the judge was here about their addiction. That was a good success story. If you happen to be here and I appreciate them coming tonight to say that they're still on their way. Matter of fact, I'm addicted to sugar and I'm doing my best to get off of sugar. So, I can imagine what it's like to get off of drugs when I'm trying to get off of sugar. Okay? But I'm not here to belittle any of you. I appreciate each and every one of you for the job that you're doing. I I thank you.

Anybody else? Mr. Mr. Chairman, can I make a point of inquiry real quick? Sure. Uh Mr. Wjack brought up not being able to escape taxes, and that brings up a really good point. Are we going to do a budget louder? Are we going to do a budget committee? Um I just know last year they met throughout the month of April and we're in April now. I I haven't gotten any. No, we're we're not doing a budget committee. So, at what point are we going to start reviewing? staff and Joey are going through the budgets now and we'll get the budgets two weeks prior to the first hearing fully more than that. We'll we'll we'll begin uh work sessions in May with the board.

But I'm saying we'll we'll get the information a couple prior to Yes, absolutely. You'll get the information way ahead of time. So, we'll start doing a deep dive in May. Oh, absolutely. Cool. Thank you. U have a motion to adjurnn. Make a motion to adjurnn, Mr. Chairman. I'll second. Have a motion in a second. All in favor? Thank y'all.