Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Good evening. We call the meeting Liberty County Board of Commissioners to order. Good evening to everyone. Good to see you. Thank you for coming. Uh, let me just go ahead and make that announcement that as we are speaking, the tip off is going on with the Brain Institute Tigers against Lady Tigers, whomever the opponent is, and some of us would like to catch at least some of that uh game. I told Commissioner at least help them celebrate. Um, so we're going to try to move through our agenda expeditious. If you will help us in that, we appreciate it. Mr. Mosley has a medium and profit advertised. Yes, sir.

Thank you so much. Pastor Cage, would you uh Paige, excuse me, would you please come and lead us in our prayer and our invocation, please? Let us stand if you will for our invocation and our pledge. Let's pray. Most holy and righteous God, we come to you this evening thanking you for grace and mercy. Thank you for your loving kindness towards us. Thank you, God, for breath in our bodies and activities of our limbs. Thank you for this uh meeting tonight. We pray God that um that you will be glorified in it. We thank you for every commissioner. We thank you for their families. We thank you for every assistant that's helping out. God, we thank you for this c this county, Liberty County. God, we ask you right now to continue to guide us uh to all truth so that as we we do your bidding here, God, that people will uh lives will be impactful, the greater. So, we thank you and we bless you in all things in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. I pledge allegiance 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. Thank you, K sir. Always good to see you, sir. Okay. All right. Let me do this to uh want to congratulate the first preparatory Christian Academy boys for winning the state championship again. Back to back championship. give them a hand and we'll work toward having them come and and recognizing them. Uh I know the Liberty County girls made it to the playoffs, too. And the boys

and the boys. The boys. So, congratulate them on on having a successful season. Congratul kind of games. Of course, the girls are playing tonight also. So, congratulate them. So, hats off to all those teams. Commissioner Gillick, how is Commissioner Walder?

I spoke with him yesterday, Mr. Chairman, and um he um told me to tell everybody that he's um you know, still u a little under the weather, but he's um getting better. He's still up in Atlanta and that um you know, just continue to pray for him. He said that um he's going to be back stronger than ever. and I told him that that was scary but but that um you know but that we're praying for him and looking forward to his return. Thank you sir. It was good to hear report on him are praying for him. Approval of February 2026 meeting minutes. So move Mr. Chair second.

Motion second we approve the February minutes. Any further discussion? There all in favor show of hands please. Minutes are approved. Thank you so much. Moving right on expeditious once again proclamations. Dr. Bell, Great American Cleanup and American Red Cross Month 2026. Good evening, sir. Hello,

commissioners. Um, we'll start off with the greatest American cleanup, which is the largest nationwide cleanup in the um world. And simply said, we just need your help to help keep our community clean, green, and beautiful. And with this being America's 200th uh birthday, the Keep America Beautiful goal is to remove 25 billion pieces of litter from our parks, waterways, and public services by July 4th, 2026. And we know that this goal may sound large, but with everybody helping, especially here in Liberty County, we can do it. The Greatest American Cleanup for Liberty County is from March till um June and we're looking for all the cities in the county to um set up a um date to clean up their area.

It's mostly uh reading in short form. The the greatest American cleanup 250 2022 26 proclamation. Whereas keep America beautiful is the nation's leading community improvement nonprofit organization that envisions a country in which every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live and establish a great American cleanup as a signature national effort for involving American citizens in improving their community enrollment environment. Whereas with the 250th anniversary of the United States on July the 4th, 2026 approaching, this initiative serve as a historic multi-year call to action to clean, green, and beautify neighborhoods, parks, and waterways. Whereas, keep Liberty Beautiful and the Liberty County Board of Commissioners are committed to elevating the importance of volunteerism and and motivating everyone in our community to become stewards of the environment. Now, therefore, I, Donald L. beloved chairman and the commissioners of Liberty County Board of Commissioners do hereby proclaim March 21st 2026 keep America beautiful greatest American cleanup day and call upon our citizens to join in activities that promote responsible environmental stewardship and help us to renew our commitment to building a better world today and for future generations so declared on this third day of March 2026.

Thank you sir.

And moving right on into u the American Red Cross day. Um, this has been a tradition since 1943, starting off with President Roosevelt for making March um, the American Red Cross Day. And the march is a way that we honor and recognize all of those who answer the call to volunteer and to serve the community. And um right here in our little county of Liberty County, we do that very well with our blood drives, re reacting to um fires. And next Saturday, we'll be going out, we just finished, I'm sorry, in Midway doing the um smoke detectors, and now we're doing it in um Hinesville next Saturday. And then the last s last Saturday in March will be in Liberty County. So the American Red Cross is not just a word. It is a action and is u filled and power filled by our um volunteers here.

Mosley

reading short form proclamation American Red Cross month 2026. Whereas March is American Red Cross Month a special time to honor the kindness of our neighbors who aid families in every need every day in Georgia across the United States and around the world. That dedication touches millions of lives each year as they carry out the organization's mission of preventing and alleviating suffering. And whereas every day, these ordinary individuals lend a helping hand to make an extraordinary difference for Georgia residents in need. Local families have relied on American Red Cross volunteers for comfort and hope while coping with various emergencies. And whereas the support, volunteerism, and generous donations from these inspired individuals are critical to our community's resilience, we hereby recognize this month of March in honor of all those who fulfill Clara Barton's noble words, "You must never think of anything except the need and how to meet it and ask everyone to join this commitment." And now, therefore, I, Donald L. Beloved, chairman of the Liberty County Board of Commissioners, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of Liberty County and Georgia, do hereby proclaim March 2026 as Red Cross Month, I encourage all Americans to reach out and support in humanitarian missions. In witness whereof I have here to set my hand this third day of March in the year of our Lord, 2026, and of the Liberty County of the State of Georgia. All right. If you over yesterday, come for your photo op first. with the with the smoke detectors. You all give them out or you

they actually go into the homes um and um place them. I was asking Dr. Bill about the smoke detectors because there nothing hurts my heart more than to hear about a fire especially that's loss of life and and then the news reporters say there were no working

smoke detectors. Thank you for doing this. Ready? One, two, three. Ah, better. Uh, American Red Cross right on three. One, two, three. ready.

Yes, sir. I move over here so All right. Great American Cleanup on three. One, two, three. Great clean up. Got it. Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you.

Now, let's make sure those pictures uh I I see the city of Hinesville is on their website. Are we placing those on our website also? Okay. All right. Thank you much. Uh conditional use 202605 LC District 4. Mr. Rickersonson, how are you, sir? Good. Thank you. Good. Good evening, Chairman Love it, members of the board. Good to see you.

We have one item this evening for your consideration. Uh this is a conditional use request that's been submitted by uh Emmy Sack on behalf of the owner, Ricky Reeves, for a tree service business, including staging activities and managing timber materials. This is a 43.41 acre site. It's located in unincorporated Liberty County off of Leroy Kofer Highway. It's about one mile from the North Coastal Highway. It's in District 4. I may need a little help driving this thing. It's not responding. Here we go. Back up. Okay. So, you see here our ad in the coastal courier and the sign on the property. And this is the location, north coastal highway here, the eastern most uh intersection of flaming loop here. So, it's kind of halfway between those two roads. You see the outline of the parcel there. And this is zoning map. You'll recall uh several months ago last year, uh you approved a I1 uh portion of this property for use as Thomas Concrete Company and that's still in the works for still planned to be done. what they're proposing to do. Uh the the timber business is located back here in the rear of the property in the agriculturally zoned property and they're asking for a conditional use very similar to the one that y'all approved on Loop Road a couple months ago. And this is the flood map. You can see probably about a little over half of this property is in the flood plane. Uh the area where they're using they're proposing to do this uh uh staging area sort of sits right here a stride the flood plane and this the wetlands. They will be out of the wetlands with their activities. And the future lineage map calls for this area to be agricultural forestry. We consider this to be a agricultural forestry type of business. The narrative, the application seeks the

approval of a conditional use permit under the A1 a zoning for this parcel in Liberty County to allow the continued operation of Rick's tree service owned by the applicant Ricky Reeves. Ricky Reeves Tree Service is a locally based business that is operated responsibly on this property. The requested conditional use will allow the site to be used primarily for staging activities and managing timber materials in a manner that fits the rural and agricultural setting of the area. The scale and nature of this use are well suited for the property. The proposed operations are low intensity and not expected to negatively impact the neighboring properties or the public infrastructure. This is their concept plan. Again, you see over here the concrete company here, the driveway is right here on the edge of the concrete company. the driver they'll be using. It'll just extend back in here to this proposed area where they want to manage the the timber. Uh this is just a few photographs of the site looking in from Leroy Cooper. You can see back into the property. Uh that concrete company will be over on the left hand side and the uh timber business will will be back in the in the rear. You can see the picture of the driveway looking at Leroy Copeland. And these are just a few pictures of the site where they'll be staging the uh the the timber materials for either grinding or incineration. Several pictures of stack timber back there. And this is just a view looking from the driveway back uh to the east uh toward Coastal Highway. Uh in order to consider these, we have to look at the conditional use criteria that are in the UDO. Number one, the you shall not adversely affect the economic values or physical appearance of the neighborhood or areas surrounding the lot in question. We answered no to that. This area, this this proposed business location would be completely screened by the trees uh around the property. Uh number two, the use shall be consistent with the comprehensive plan and the

purpose and intent of the land use district. Uh yes, the this property is in the agricultural forestry area and this is a tree service business. Number three, the establishment, maintenance, and operation of the use shall not be detrimental or endanger the public health, safety, or general welfare. We answered no, it would not. Number four, the use will not create undue burden on transportation, including streets, transit, schools, public safety. Uh, we answered no to that one. Number five, the design uh shall minimize adverse physical environmental effects on adjacent properties including including adverse visual impacts. buffer zones were necessary to shield any adverse factors shall be considered. That was all included on the site plan that I showed you earlier. It's kind of in the middle of the site. There will be tree buffers and all the way around it and of course a a concrete plant up in the front of between it and the highway. And then number six, we haven't identified any additional measures that need to be uh implemented. Planning commission heard this at their last month's meeting and they recommend approval with standard and special conditions. And the two special conditions are one that a 50-ft vegetative buffer shall be maintained around the perimeter of the tree service business. That's that's consistent with what you required of the previous applicate over on Loop Road. Number two, an air curtain uh incinerator shall be required for any on-site burning of debris. And that's you also required that on the one for Loop Road as well. So, I'd be glad to answer any questions. The applicant and his engineers are here. And chairman, this has been advertised for a public hearing.

Has it been? At this time, the chair motion go to public hearing. So move. Second. Second. All in favor, show hands. All right. Commissioner Blunt. I have a question. Um, first off, for the record, I have one person that's called me in opposition of this. I'll leave it at that. It's only one person that's called me. All right. So, you answered my question on the air curtain burner and the vegetated buffer. That's great. You know, we're following uh what I think Summit Tree Service doing on Loot Road. Correct. Okay. Um the median break the concrete company is required to put that in. That's correct. Uh they still on plans to put that in.

They they are I mean it if if they build the concrete company, they will be putting that in. But if there's not a concrete what if they back out, how would this affect Mr. Reeves then? Because he's going to have traffic coming in and out, right? that they'll have to put in a a a median break there that meets the G dot standards or they'll have to go up and make a U-turn and come back to the property. Who will Rick will? If the concrete plant doesn't come through

that Rick will have to go up and make a U-turn and come back. They'll have to be in a G dot approved break in the intersection. There have been some trucks evidence of trucks going across the the median in the meantime. That's a that's a law enforcement issue because it's there's no approved median break there at at the present. So, uh, I mean, I've talked to the concrete company. They're hoping to be operational, uh, with the medium break and everything by this October of this year. Um, but if that falls through, and we grant this to Mr. Reeves now, is there a timeline to where he would have to fall back and put in a meeting break himself? I think he would either if he wants to you if he wants to cross over that meeting, he would have to get with G dot and put in a a an a G dot approved break himself or go down to the traffic signal and make a U-turn and come back. Those those are his two options. He he's not allowed to illegally cross the the U-turn. But again, it's an enforcement issue. Somebody's got to catch that act.

I'm good. You know the concern I got with that U-turn up at 17 and 196 law enforcement you can't just I hear you very well but so it doesn't fall on with trend so it doesn't doesn't become a g issue they ask for right in right out then they get right in right out and then they have to Unless state says you got to do a left turn. I was speaking state.

Yeah. Them coming across there, you know. So it's I mean that's that's an issue for the entire length of Leroy Cove for anybody who crosses over the median in an unauthorized crossing is violating the law. Yeah. It doesn't matter if it's a truck, car, yeah, moped. Right. It happens all up and down 196. some trucks and cars, some big trucks and also it uh the concern is the way it's worded that if they were headed towards Highway 17 and you go down there where if they don't go across the median like they're doing now, they have to make a U-turn, right? It's almost an impossible U-turn in a tractor trailer truck because I've seen tractor trailer trucks go in there with debris in them,

right? Um, you would think that they need to go around Highway 17, come down and make the legal left turn. Might be a mile or two further from where they're coming from, but it would be a lot safer. Um, that's my only concern. That would be an operational issue for Mr. Reeves and his drivers. Mr. Rickersonson, I know commissioner say he had one phone call. Did you have anybody to attend the We did not have anybody come to the meeting and we have not had anybody that I know of that have called the office uh about Okay. And is anyone in or that is here to speak to this conditional use request? No one signed up. No one signed up. All right. Thank you. Then chain a motion to come out of public hearing.

So move. Second. All in favor show hand back into regular session. All right. Commissioner Blunt. I've addressed my concerns, but it uh seems like it's going to be a law enforcement issue and see how things go. Hopefully, the concrete plant follows through, has the medium break, and everything will be legal like it needs to be. Okay. Uh I'll make a motion we approve this for the special condition permits as Mr. Rickson has presented. Second. Motion, a second we approve the request as made by Mr. Rickson. Thank you. Any further discussion? All in favor, show hands, please. Good to go, gentlemen. Thank you all.

Mr. Long. Yes, sir. You can start talking when you're walking to the mic.

Okay. Um, you know, we took bids from uh for the renovation of Live Oak Drive. Uh, we did, we've talked about this several months in a row. Um, the bid price we received was 2,428,920. Something's wrong there. Two mill. Yes, that's right. So, what we ended up doing is having several meetings, tried to get some uh money from the city of Hinesville as far as relocating waterline. And uh what this was going to do was pretty much deplete uh Commissioner Fraser's uh funds. And so what he's asked us to do is look at other options. Um one option would be to just do an overlay. Uh and some of the pro some of the items that are associated with doing just an overlay. Um, so what you see in blue are what we what it would take out of this contract to do an overlay of the project instead of putting in curb and gutter and the sidewalks. So that reduces it down to uh $292,270. So um that way it' get some fresh asphalt out there and clean it up a little bit. Would tie back down to the existing uh driveways. few manholes that we'd have to raise. Um, tie in a few things. So, I think that would be enough to cover it. So, um, I think that's kind of what Commissioner Frasier is looking for us to do.

Frasier speak.

Yes, sir. Uh, I I appreciate my fellow commissioners and Mr. along for, you know, helping me move this project along on the portion of live vote. But at the end of the day, you know, spending and depleting all of my spots funding, you know, in that one area, knowing that I'm trying to make my uh particular district more pedestrian friendly with sidewalks throughout the the district, I I want to kind of spread the wealth a little bit. Uh, and Commissioner Gillard, I commend you and I appreciate your your contributions that that you uh to help with this project. Uh, but I'll give you a call later about the things that we discussed as well about the other sidewalk projects that I'm might need some help with. And with that being said, I want to make a motion that we we uh we approve would that be how how do I need to word that? You approved the contract with a change order reducing the price to $292,7270.

That part. That's my motion, sir. Oh, plus 10% contingency. Yeah. And then the 10%. Sorry, I almost spoke too fast. I forgot about that. Yeah. And then add the 10% contingency on there. Uh, scribes, we have that number. Okay. He said up. All right. Any further discussion? I have one. Uh just another I mean Commissioner Fraser. Um now part of that where the city left off at the at the three-way that's that's in the city limits,

right? And see and and and that's the thing whenever you look at the the the drawing and the totalities. It's a small portion of it that's in the county, but you know uh so a lot of it is still in the city. And then what what made the the original price go up so high is because of the moving of the of the piping and everything that was what an extra what 600 something thousand dollar right right at 500,000 right for just moving water lines that we don't own. Yeah. My my question was the at the three-way at Bmore that's in the city and the city limits goes all the way up toward 196 to uh to Trinity. Now now that part is in the city the part in the county is from Trinity

to 196. So are you just you're doing the overlay just on the that would take part or that would take it all the way down to the intersection. Yeah. From Belmo all the way down, right? So you are paving park city, right? Do do they know that? They should know that. They know that, right? Now I haven't had a had a chance to have a conversation with them since Friday, but I I will let Simon know tomorrow that that's kind of what they want to do. But Oh, Paul wasn't here at the meeting. Right. Okay. All right. Yeah. Well, I mean it it is a that portion is a city street. Yep.

And the county takes over right past Trinity from Trinity to 196. So from Belmore to Trinity is city and you're going to be so gracious to even that part. Yeah. Okay. Absolutely. Just I'm trying to remind you that how generous you are for this project. I just hope our friends across the road right across the street. Yeah, right across the street understands the generosity. Okay. Yes, sir. Good. Okay. All right. All in favor, show of hands, please. All right. Motion passes. Thank you very much. We appreciate it. When would that proceed? What's the timeline on?

So, we'll do the change order, get the contract documents put together. So, he'll probably have the contract documents in hand Mondayish. Then he'll have 10 business days to get them executed and back to us. Um, so we probably won't be able to have a pre-construction conference until first or second week in April and then so shortly thereafter he'll be able to start. It'll be a great improvement on that street. Yeah. M I I would want to say um that Halter there'll come a time where that maybe that'll be uh annexed into the city and and um because that that is a gateway into the city of Hinesville and that it was a great project that was proposed. Hopefully that um we can revisit that.

The interfering part has already been done. So it I know the cost more um five years from now but at least that part has been done and we maybe we can find it somewhere. Absolutely. Okay. Appreciate it. Thank you very much. Y'all have a good night. Thank you sir. Agreement fifth amendment to tower license AT&T. Mr. Mosley.

Mr. Chair, members of the board, you have before you here the uh amendment to uh agreement and that should be new singular wireless and it's a five-year agreement um council review. We put in the document on the section one on page two a um that we can get out withund where was that? It wasund and something days six days I'm sorry on the number one. And the second thing is we wanted to make sure we went back and negotiated with them on number three that at the end of five years we it would be a 15 automatic 15% increase. So those are things we want to bring to the body's attention. This is this may was it an increase?

Um last I don't have the original agreement. Commissioner uh they may have kept it the same number. So this is the this is the big tower over near the EMA building. Okay. Okay. Who owns that tower, Mr. Mosley? Sir, who owns that tower? We do. We do. Yes, sir.

I remember in past times that there had been some tower sharing where sometimes it would be our tower, but we would allow other entities to and that's what this is the collocation on our tower. Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. Okay. Mr. Mr. Chairman, I make a motion for approval of the um agreement with the fifth amendment to tower license by AT&T.

Second, a second we approve agreement presented. Just for the sake, I see some young people here. Um there are a lot of things you'll find out. We are the county, but we sit in the city of Hinesville. So the tower we're talking about right behind emergency management office. It's a tall tower, but our tower, but the city of Heindsville also uses it for some of their equipment. So, there's some sharing of that. All right. So, a lot of times you'll find even though uh it may be a county project, there's some sharing with with we talked about Hindsville by the street for Commissioner Frasier's district. So, a lot of times we reach beyond those lines. Technically in the city, they have what the mayor, right? Okay. So, we are the county, but all things we do together. uh especially when it come to sale sale tax dollars. We put those t dollars together to make it to make it work for our community. So that's kind of what you're hearing with the tower as well as what you're hearing with the um sale tax dollar tes for the street.

Yeah. Still still tax dollars. So So that's kind of how it works a lot of times. We can't tell them what to do in the city, but there are things we do together between the county and the city. Not just Hinesville, it would be the same Midway, Riceboro, all those cities. They have their own jurisdiction, but a lot of things we do together as partners. We make your dollars work better for you by co-artnering with them. That makes some sense. Okay. All right. Give me a vote. No, we did not. All in after that speech. Keep keep my young people in the loop. Any reports, sir?

Uh, Mr. Chair want to remind everybody uh board u March 16th 17th at the airport we'll be doing our planning workshop um starting at 8:30 and then um we started our budgets uh they were due uh today and we'll start reviewing them next week and we will bring them to you guys in April so we can start um trying to get them in line in terms of balancing the big budget. And then on the 13th, um the LCDA had

offered the board to take them a tour of the uh all the parks. So that's a uh invitation. Now, the only thing I need to know is how many of y'all want to go and if it's a quorum, I do have to advertise, but but the LCDA want to take the board of commissioners on a tour of all the facilities they own. And uh so so we'll if it's more than four I have to because I'm not sure. Do you do you know today or do you want to be contacted via email or contact by email? Okay. Okay. That sounds LCDA. Are we meeting here to start that meeting? Uh they want you to meet over there at that site

and they're going to take I think a van out so y'all can tour all the facilities. So we're meeting there at 8:30. Yeah. Uh, at the airport you'll be the 8:30. Uh, I need to get specific dates from Bren on that particular We have a date I believe an invite, but I I'll let you know here shortly. Okay. All right. LCDA. Yeah. Yes, ma'am. All right. Uh, ju just for the matter of record. Uh, yes, ma'am. Can we have this group identified for our records? This group that's here, if we can put that in records that they were here. Come to the mic. Come to the mic. Yeah. Come on.

She said, "I didn't volunteer about that." We head to the Bradwell game. Hi. Hi. My name is Mackenzie Blanchard and I'm the president of the Marcus Scott Allstars. We're a group that meets once a month and we are learning different leadership qualities and how to be better in our community. Thank you so much. Good to have you all. We're going to adjourn, but if you all have any questions, please approach us after this meeting. Okay. Chair turn a motion to move. There we go. All right. All in favor. All right. All right.