Board of Commissioners Agendas and Minutes - Special Meeting

Call this meeting to order. Mayweather County Board of Commission special calling March 23rd, 2026 4 p.m. Please silence your cell phones and other electronic devices. Please stand while the invocation is given by Vice Chairman Jennifer Smelson followed by the Let us pray. Dear Lord, we come to you humbly today to do the work for this county. Lord, we want what we do to be pleasing to you and honor you. Lord, help us hear the voices and what needs to be done to make the right decisions and be with all of us as we handle this in a business orderly fashion. And we praise you and thank you for all that you do. In your name we pray. Amen.

Amen. 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. Mayor, would you like to open your meeting? Um, good evening. I'm Dana Ingram, the city attorney for the city of Greenville, Georgia. Um this is actually not a meeting of our council because we do not have a quorum present. It requires three council members and our another council member was not able to join us. So actually right now we only have one. We expect another. So we are here to attend the meeting and and to participate in discussion but this is not an official meeting of the city of Greenville because we're not able to transact business without quum. Okay.

This is an official meeting with us. I'd like to adopt our agenda. Changes to the agenda. I make a motion to adopt. I have a second. Second. All in favor?

First item, new business, discussion of city of Greenville proposed annexation of property for residential development. I'd like to open it up for discussion. Other discussion.

So, I'll open the um this up just to kind of set the record straight as it relates to where we are procedurally. Um an application was received or petition was submitted by the developer on December 1st, but on December the 18th that we received a letter indicating that that application was withdrawn. And so right now we do not have a pending application for annexation for the city and there is no application by the city of Greensville. So the city of Greenville is not proposing this annexation, but I do understand why we're having this meeting. There's a lot of questions regarding the development and the developers here. Um but I just wanted to be clear that this is not the city's proposed annexation. it is a potential um application from the potential applicant who's here who will be a part of the discussion and we'll be asking questions and so um as it relates for the city of Greenville um and opening we are here to participate in the discussion and hear additional information the developer has shared some information as late as I think February um with the council um via email but we have not received an additional application um because I do understand that there's some concerns regarding the project. And so, um, that would be kind of our opening discussion and we would follow the lead of the commission, um, as to when the developer may be presenting or sharing information. Um, and then a part of our questioning, uh, what we like to hear through the presentation is when they anticipate filing another application for annexation so that then we can send the appropriate statutory notice to the county um, indicating that we've received it. The county then has 30 days to object. and if there's no if there's a um issue that we might need to address, we can go through arbitration. So, there's some procedures or processes that happen after that application. But for today, um I just like we like to know when they might be applying again. Um and hopefully this discussion will

help that petition or help um ensure that there's information within that application that might get ahead of some of the concerns that the commission may have. And thank you for sharing that. But we are aware of the uh procedures that need to take place for that. So it was brought before or brought up to us that it was going to happen and I guess one of the biggest questions that I had is what is the plan? What do you propose? What is it that you see and how do you get there?

May may we speak now? I don't proceed here. Um my name is Richard Ferry. with Print Holdings. Uh we're our address is 98 East Highway 16 in Soi. And uh this is Joey Penley. And Joey, if you want to just introduce yourself real quickly. Yep. Hey, I'm Joey Pinley. And um I'm Brent and I have partnered on this Greenville 174 LLC.

Right. And I think the important part at this point, as um the city pointed out, is our application has withdrawn and we are merely property owners at this point. We do not have an application pending. We have a proposed uh project that we're looking at, but right now it's in the state of we are property owners discussing it with the city. Uh she was also accurate in saying that we made our initial application in December. um towards the end of or to the middle of that month um we were asked uh to withdraw that application and the purpose of withdrawing it was so that we could allow time for the city and the county to get together and discuss um some of the items that might come up if this project were to move forward. uh as you know in an annexation the city is being removed from the service delivery area of the county and moving into the into the lo into the city and the goal of that is uh for us to develop the project that we propose. So, at this point, uh, what we're looking to do is kind of just have an open discussion about what our project is. Um, and then, uh, as was as was brought up by the city, just talk about some of the items that might come up so we can avoid a, uh, a lengthy, uh, process going through the, um, through that annexation objection process. And so, u, did I cover everything appropriately? Is that about right to me, Richard?

Yeah. Well, I mean, everybody know. Yes. So, basically, I've got a lot of experience with these. And once the letter comes in from the city of the intent to consider an annexation application, it has a lot of legal implications and says a lot of deadlines that are no good for the city, the county, or the development. So, I called Richard and I said, "Would you consider withdrawing this so we get some time and board can learn?" It's like I don't know if they're going to have an objection or not, but the only way they can figure it out is to talk to you and you come down. You talk to some of the board members. Yes, sir.

I believe the board of commissioners wanted to get everybody together rather than two by twos, one by ones. So, everybody's hearing the same thing. We appreciate city and development being here today. Yes, sir. So, um um can we go to the the shot of the I I asked um I don't know what it the IT director's name is over there.

Ask Brian to to put this up on the screen. And we did bring paper versions of it also. Um if you all be easier to look at it that way rather than looking at the uh at the screen, but what we had proposed was a u a single family subdivision. And I guess we can pop these. We can share these among on the table, too. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to flip this at you. I apologize for that.

Yes. So, the property that that um that Greenville 174 owns is on the western side of Greenville. It is um on the southern frontage of the Gay Connector and then um has access over to Highway 100 also. I'm sorry, 109. Highway 109 spur. We're showing um I'll let her hand out some

might I appreciate it. Thank you. For the ease of of the discussion, I'm going to use the screen. Oh, no. It doesn't reflect up on the TV, does that? No point. It ain't going to work. Yeah.

Well, this is for the for the sake of the discussion, we'll refer to the man in front of you. Um really what I what we're proposing here is is 81 single family homes and we understand that this single family home section of the project will need a second entrance. Uh we haven't gone into any of the discussions with the fire marshall but um in our previous discussions with the um city that was one of the items that came up is making sure we had the proper number of entrances or access points in egress. Um, so we will need a a second entrance up there on on that on gate connector. And then adjacent to that is a uh a town home subdivision. And that town home subdivision has 2

30 units. Um, and this is a conceptual plan. So although we we did do the delineation for the creeks and the wetlands, um the buffers are shown in there uh based upon what we anticipated per um per city code. Uh there might be other items we have in there where we have to add buffers and other items in there, but generally what we're showing in there is 230 town homes and 81 single family lots with with multiple access points onto um onto Gay Connector and onto Highway 109. And that's generally the plan. We have we have single family amenities in that um in the in the single family section and we have other amenities within the uh the town home section. And so don't have a an elevation proposed yet at this point. We're way too early in the in the planning process to have any type of um of builder on board who might be willing to propose a um a type of project there. So generally that's all we're proposing and um we'll happy to take some some some u questions from y'all about the project itself and then also um try to figure out a path forward.

So 311 units total. Yes sir. And what acreage for the single family homes are you looking at per home? Um, let's see. What's the frontage on these? The city the city requirement on those is6 acres for single family and 0.92 on multif family. I think we've got 1.78 units per acre is what it equals out across the whole project. Y'all plan to keep it that way or try to change it to the city council after it's approved. Uh, you you said city of Greenwood 6,

correct? I've heard that once it got approved, city council going to change 0.25 portreaker lots. Would that be y'all's intention? Then I don't think we heard that from us. We haven't we haven't had that conversation with city council. Not on this project. And this was drawn per the city um requirements, current requirements. What I'm saying here today, y'all would not go in there and try to change it smaller than 26. No, sir. That's not our intention. Our intention is to with the city council. Uh, no. I would think with lots this size and the cost that we would leave that 6. Yeah. I haven't heard anything about smaller lots.

No, we've not talked about it on our side at all. So I guess a question that's in my mind is to the city is how would we provide water and sewer to this? We already have the uh 650 gravity line that runs the most directly through the middle of the property and the water infrastructure very set up in place where we don't have to add any more water towers anything like that have enough pressure for our system now to sustain. So you'd be able to provide 311 homes. Go ahead. Sorry.

No, go ahead. here again. His communication just uh I thought you kind of correct the branch. The branch. Well, it's coming from Yeah, it comes from the reservoir, right? But what I'm saying is I was told that they may limit how much water y'all can have because depending on what happens to the data center. I've never had a conversation with y'all haven't had no notification on that. No, we have not. No,

it was in the January. Y said it in the January city council meeting that the talks were to be that they were limiting the water coming from LR is here. I heard it on May I watch it. They were cutting it back. Yes. So our contract is up for renewal with Lraange in June 30th. And so right now there's no change in capacity. Yeah, we don't know.

We haven't received we haven't had those conversations with Lraange about limiting capacity and we're also exploring how we expand our capacity to be able to provide water. So there are other options potentially available but at this moment we don't are not aware of any restrictions or limitations. What other options? Well, we just had a conversation this morning. I'm sure you're aware with the region water regional authority Mary County Mary County um water regional water authority saying there's other options where would that even come from because right now it's coming from but correct

county but I don't know of any other water close by coming in

so there's discussion in this region about how we work together as cities to ensure that everyone in this region has order and so those conversations are very new recent conversations but the city is always open to exploring options I think uh as board member here I want to see uh not just options how that take place who's going to pay for that infrastructure and how far is it coming from how going to take to get it and also if I was go I'd reach out the branch and get a commitment letter from them to present to the board to the Philippines that you're guaranteed the water that this may or may not take. But they didn't give it to you in writing and that's the only place you're get water from. I see a big problem.

So currently we'll get about 20 million 20 million gallons per month of water from Lraange and we're using 25%. So again that contract is up for renewal June 30th. We get about 5 million gallons. We have the capacity buy about we purchase about 20% of what our available capacity is correct by about five 5 million gallons a month what we use now and our contract goes up to 26 or 27 million gallons. So they do this is going to double this proposed project will double the water water needs

about no not double you're looking at about 70% I've asked the developer, y'all done this, you're professionals at it, so forth. If this was a complete project, how much water do you think it would take to supply all those homes, town homes and everything? A good accurate number? Um, gosh, typically what is about 250. Is that what what the average household is? The average Americans is 82 gallons of water a day. What's the average? We, you know, 3.1 people per house. Yeah.

But about 250 gallons per day, I think, is really what what engineers um like to use as the capac as the um amount of water that would be in each household. So multiply that number times 311 and you come up with your um with your base there. But you know, obviously you have some irrigation. Uh yeah. So, u have some irrigation on the outside of of the um of the neighborhood where we have our open space, you know, maybe another 10,000 10,000 gallons total. How many gallons would you say the average home would use? Average household typically 250

250 homes 77,750 gallons. Can you get 5,000 gallons? I'm sorry. Yep. So to the city, if y'all have looked at this taxation wise, have y'all looked at what it may bring in tax- wise because residential park probably not going to be enough to cover the services that are provided in something like this. So it may be a situation to where you lose money, not get enough tax in based on this proposal to cover the services that you have to provide 3001.

Why would you say that it would not be enough tax money? I mean, if each home was taxed, regular taxes, uh why would you think it not be enough money to cover the usage by the time you have to put the pipes in the lines in the sewers, what have you in there, you're not going to get enough off the tax.

I can address that is that what a lot I don't know if Ringle's ever done one or Mother County, but a lot of like FET has done one, Cow has done one and what they show is that residential I mean like it would be lower in Merryweather probably because of the price of real estate, but still for comparison purposes and CW and I get you the exact numbers. is something like over a million dollar including schools and without schools is something like seven or eight or $900,000 for residential. That's why that the counties are trying to improve their commercial basis because got lease five roads bridges road length is those kind of things and I don't know Georgia Tech does these studies I don't know how to do

so 800,000 to a million dollar home would that tax base would cover the services different jurisd I think I know one of it done here they do Georgia Tech but that's just that's the problem you hear all these local jurisdictions trying to increase their tax basis. They're trying to act commercial and industrial because of the resident because most people don't live in a house nice enough to offset the service. I just don't want the city to get in to a situation that you may actually lose money over. Well, I don't think neither will be $800,000 home.

No, no, no. But I'm just saying either way that right off the bat. So that's that's not going to help. Remember all these folks we talk, you know, about 63% of our property taxes goes to school. All right? So they're going to have a county tax and a city tax and then you tell how much goes to the school board and so forth that he's exactly right you know because y'all going to be y'all have provide everything for not the county you know you're putting into the city so uh unless we end up with intergovernment agreements uh so forth but that's bring in a big expense to the city of Greenport and citizens agreement so you need to do your research on that

so again We don't have an application pending before us. So we haven't looked at the number. We haven't looked but and it was withdrawn within two weeks and really strictly you know we're having this discussion but it been nice if it was applied for and like you said it goes quicker. So it is getting us a chance to talk and citizens to listen and for y'all to say they say and that's to say so we you know figure out what's the best for the county and what's best for the city. If y'all have disagreements, it's better to talk about them before we're under the deadline of the I mean, everybody, you know, I've had developers and cities all say this is a terrible process. I say the county agrees. You know, I like to look at I like to look at as a concern instead of a difference.

Well, not anything you have time to talk about now because we're immediately in a litigation posture. I guess what I'm saying too is before it happens, just make sure you look into it to make sure that it's going to benefit you before anything. But I just I don't see where it's going to. I think it is actually going to cross the line.

Thanks. One concern that I have is right now I've been studying a lot that's going on in the legislature and our governor is looking at signing a bill at the end of it that is going to do away with property tax in the next seven years. It's going to reduce what citizens have to pay. So we're already going to be looking at how we're going to run our budgets on 25% of what we were getting as property tax revenue on homeowners. their homeowners exemption is going to be a lot more. So, you're gonna the counties and cities are going to have to run more on your commercial revenue from taxing. Um, schools will still get their portion of their penis like they've been getting. It's counties and cities that are going to face the hardship and it's going to be businesses and lands if it's not under homestead exemption. Have y'all looked into any of that and watched that coming through to see how that might impact because that it's already passed and made crossover. So I didn't know if you had looked into that because they're talking about reducing property tax in the next seven years. They weren't thinking 100% but not 1075. So it's going to cut this amount threequarters out in the next seven years.

May May I speak to that a second? Yeah. I mean I I don't know what role I play here but um in the if if if that's that that is an accurate fact. Yeah, I've heard about it also. So therefore the increase of the commercial base is absolutely necessary.

Um we also do commercial development and we do it in places that there are um more rooftops. So, if everything is is geared towards putting the uh the tax base on on commercial units, it'd be very difficult to have a a higher commercial base without having rooftops to support it. U it just the the rooftops come first, the commercial comes second. And so, if that's the actual plan of of the state government, then areas of that are more rural are indeed going to be um going to be hurt by that. they are. I mean, that's a big concern, but I don't want it to be that Green Bull's expecting this and it's going to come out great for the by the time they get the rooftops, but then if the commercial doesn't follow with it and then how are we going to sustain that area?

No, I I agree. It is a big concern of mine looking at in the f in the next I mean we're talking about they're talking about cutting it down over seven years and I just want to make sure everyone was aware that it's something that's coming so we don't look and say oh in a couple years because I understand you want to do this in phase not jump it in it's going to be a phase project correct sir yes ma'am that's absolutely correct phase you expecting this to project out um this is a what a 300 lot if we could be in the ballpark of 50 lot per phase That would be probably every two but six, seven years. Mhm. Six or seven. Yes. Yes, sir. No. No. 50 lots at a time.

Yeah. So when you do the whole thing. Yes, sir. Okay. You know where? Yeah. No, we we we could do more than that, but I think the absorption would be about that so that we could make sure that we're not creating an overabundance of developed land. We're we're creating it in phases so that it is that the absorption equals the development. So I think we'll have a better idea after April second when the legislative session ends. If in fact that passes, that's something we'd have to consider. If it doesn't, we won't until the next legislative session, but they're pushing that one through. So, it's a concern

and once it passes, we'll know what the final numbers are of final percentages and that's something we can consider. Any traffic studies been done? I know that been discussed at one time, but I didn't know if y'all had done any of the preliminary traffic studies. Not at this point, ma'am. No. No. We were waiting to get to a point where where we at least had a pending application and waiting for the when we got when this meeting was called, we decided we would hold off until this meeting was was um discussed. I got a question. Yes, sir. So, I was looking I gave my map out to some citizens, but I just was looking the one that you gave me earlier says LP2

and this one says LP1, but you looks like maybe there's an anything was add maybe I'm not reading it probably but are this is this the same plan or it's generally the same plan um it's all the only thing that really shows differently is the location of the ponds okay so the units are all the same yes sir and we'll have a final one with the application I didn't mean to interrupt I am curious as to what just individually I know you're not here as a whole but what are y'all's thoughts on it

my cause out but could address what Jennifer is saying right now. We currently have a rooftop problem. We have new business success. We don't have enough um rooftop to support the business. I look at downtown development and we're trying to develop our downtown. It's kind of hard to develop the downtown bringing people in when they cannot survive with the uh rooftops that we have here in Greenville. But we definitely need rooftop in order to support our commercial businesses. Uh that's one of my main concern. Another main concern that I have is that Greenland has always had a big population. We used to have like 17,000 population. Now we're down to like 700. And so we don't have any rooftop here to support the business even if we bought them in. And we have always maintained I know the sewage system the last 10 years when I served on this board on the county commissioner uh they just put in a new sewage system in the county I mean in the city so that's a attribute for us what we're looking at and we do currently get water from the graange and I don't think that there is going to be a shortage and getting water from the grains. So those are my main concern. My main concern is that if we going to develop our downtown Greenville or we going to develop our town, we have to have some roof talk here to support the big otherwise it's no use to inviting them to come in because they have no one no customers and we can't survive on people traveling through break on time. That

seems like you want some slow growth, you know, instead of I mean this is like doubling your roots. Well, that is true. But you know, we've been slow for a long time. Like I say, we have more than half our population is growing and our population is leaving because we have nothing here in Green to keep them here. When someone graduates from school, their first thing is I got to get out of Green to support. So, we are going to have to do better as a city to support our youth and our older people. And I realize people are coming in, they're going to close the door behind them because they'll come into a slow or bedroom community, but we need to open that door up to allow young people to be able to come in also and to be able to stay here and survive with jobs and things. So we can't just close the door just because you came from history city and no one else come in. We have to open that door and allow everyone have that same opportunity and bring them need to grow. Everything else around us is growing. Bringley is the only place that's staying steady, that's not growing.

We're we're right there with in my part of the area. So, I've got a question. Um either I misunderstood your numbers, but you said it used to be 17,000 and now 1700 is down to what? 1700. All right. So, where's all those rooftops at? Why aren't they doing them? They are lapated. If you go across Okay. So, they need to be bought and rebuilt and Right. And so all those are the available for somebody to come in or they just sitting there rocking this

sitting there rotting. Most of them are sitting there rot there are air properties so that's another thing that we have to address or the lack of buildings. So those are things that the city would have to address. That'd be awesome if y'all could reach out to those people and tell them you want to get more rooftops and have nice homes or bring people to Greenville and you will, you know, either build something there to make a rooftop or sell it to somebody that will. And there's, you know, that's another 800 homes, whatever your number is using, but that just worries me that there's places that rooftops can be built, but nobody's trying to buy it and build it. But I don't know how running over here doing 300 over here is going to help just aren't adding up.

Mr. Richard, I have a question. If when this gets started being developed, is it going to be I know with Scarra they go in and clear the land and get it ready and then eventually a builder comes in and purchases like the project. Is it going to be where there could be lots that people could buy a lot and come in and build their own homes on it or is it going to be pretty much turnkey like what's over like in Hogensville where they just come through and start building in the phases and I mean is it going to be more cookie cutter or is there going to be room for custom homes? Are there going to be lots skipped in it? You know what I'm saying? Like to leave room so someone says I really like this lot but I'd rather buy my lot and the one next door with it blank.

Yeah. Is that a possibility or is it something pretty much just

Yeah, typ typically that's a great question. U typically in a project like this, we would um we would sell the lots to the individual to the individual builder. Uh we haven't selected a builder team yet. Uh we don't know if we're going to have a team or whether it's going to be one builder. Um on a project of this side of size, it would typically be one builder. On the single family side, uh the town home side, I think it's a little bit different market. Um and so that would be much more difficult to do as multiple builders. But these these are 100 foot lots as proposed um as required by the uh city regulation. There might be some opportunity for that, but that's not what we typically do. Now we typically sell them to a uh a single builder and they would go in there and and build all of them out.

Yes or no? So, are you going to sell individual lots or when it gets done, you going to sell the whole project?

Well, so um probably being in a takedown is how it would work. Um so, we we would like I said, we we would target that 50 lot um initial phase and there's 81. So, let's say there's we target two 40 lot phases in the single family section. We would do the first 40 uh begin selling those to a builder and probably do them in groups of 10 where they buy 10 and then they buy the next 10 until they move through the whole 80 of them. But usually it's the same builder sir builder do not come in pick subdivision then I miss so and so go build her house and so they they like to keep it under what they want what they want to see and it all seem to be flow together and all a sudden you know then they can develop the HOA and so forth

for for a lot of reasons that that makes more sense. They're not gonna let somebody come out and take that lot, but I want my uncle so to build me a house. He wants to sell the lot so he can make the money off the house and the lot.

Correct. So, it we do have a project where we have three builders in there much much larger than this. Um, and they're all over each other. So we've had to we've had to segregate them into these are your 20 and they're all together and these are your 20 and managing that as you've already explained a lot of the reasons but managing it on our side is extremely difficult in a size project of this size it just seems more practical you'd have one now the towno might be like I said it's a different development that might be someone entirely different and and what we would build with the single family Yes, I want to piggy back off what may said. Um, our population is around 800. We are indeed revitalizing our downtown area. We have our uh created our first uh downtown development authority and with more people coming in um we we could get more uh money for squads as you well know uh the slabs the lame and the uh cheese squash all of those we get money uh based off our population. So, as our population go, we would get more funding uh revenue coming into the city.

Well, I I just know that Manchester has done probably what, four, three or four of these projects over the last 20 years. Yeah. And it hadn't helped them cuz their population hadn't grown a bit. They don't have any uh any places to eat hardly down there. So it hadn't really helped any of the commercial businesses or anything. That's a very true state. Very true state. How many did y'all have right now?

Well, we just had our supermarket, a new supermarket just open and ice cream. Um we have AJ. We have

Yes, we have the laundry store with store next to it and another store in Mexico here. And we also have we had two new businesses business owners who came by uh to this stuff opening two more the only uh chicken play a big chick and also uh and the shutter the the shutter pl

I would just think since we're the county se for y'all uh will be the county seat for pork tags elections, everything going on. There should be a plenty of people coming here. And I don't know why they're not helping these businesses. You know, I just don't see how more rooftop is going to actually bring business when y'all are a county seat. A lot of traffic come through here. A lot of people come here. Maybe they're just not choosing the paper. I don't know.

When you buy, what do you see? um that the uniform was going to get something uniform that we get the people here business here for them to stop. You're right. This was named after one of our presidents. They come through here and they keep right on down to the white. They don't have nothing to stop for. We got to give them something to stop for. That's what I'm saying. White businesses being a bu you open a business here and you have nowhere to live. You got to comp open your business at 8 o'clock in the morning. Drive way back to Atlanta and turn right back the next morning.

People don't know that. Yeah, I see. If you don't know that

and that's also you're trying to get recreation here and bring their stuff here. I understand you need I do seem like this just I don't know this time or what's going on but like commission said I don't see how it's just going to make green so far from the interstate so far from other things

I guess I would I guess my question minutes away from 20 minutes away from Yes. Council member Hill. No, I don't. Three council members. There's a quorum. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm council member. Sorry. That's okay. I didn't do myself. Sorry. And if we had a quorum, there's no business to transact because we have no application. But I guess with um Greenville being the county seat of Merryweather County and you all are the commissioners of Merryweather County um you know what has been the history or what is the appetite to help work together to attract businesses to the county seat of Merryweather? Because Greenville is a county seat.

But we talking businesses or we talking about residential?

We're talking businesses whatever whatever the businesses will bring. So businesses can bring residential and we've heard from the developer that businesses follow rooftops. So there's two different positions, right? So my question is to the commissioners, what um have you all had any discussion or has there been any thought about what you can do to help revitalize Greenville since it is the county seat of Merryweather? But what we've been doing to for the citiz county as a board of commissioners as you may know if anybody went got a tag lately we've got the new building over here for the building department tax assessor's office going I went there for the part of time today and I got to draw one I thought I was in a big city I got to pull my tag my number and go sit down wait for them to call me and then uh we just went down that little old abandoned building the elections office and put them over to a new building if you've been there to register and vote or do anything there. It's a beautiful building there. You came into the courthouse square. You see all the scaffling that been worked on for the LA, it was even things done to it five years ago. And this board has finally been able to get the money allocated, do things that takes place. And you see, we're renovating the historic building of the county seat, which belongs to the is in Greenville, but belongs to the county. You know, we we're getting a lot of things done. You know, people thought about, well, why aren't you doing this with the road? Well, it took all this time to finally get someone on board that can run an asphalt group to get the money allocated from T squass field that get equipment purchased and now all of a sudden we're going to start doing way more miles per road asphalt per year with the county we ever had before. Of course, some people say less custle next year. That has nothing to do with it's because we finally got the money. We finally got the equipment and we finally got to go ahead to rock and roll and people are going to start seeing this board is really making things happen.

I don't think board I'd like to address a question about business though what this board does for that. So

we this board is supporting fully the IDA industrial development authority for the pirate member of Canada. Uh zoning restrictions. Well, not restrictions, zoning allocations at this time is industrial park. If the city has an industrial park in in Manchester, Woodbury, if Ringo has one, I don't know if you have an industrial park or zoned industrial area. If you do, we will gladly incorporate that into the IBA plan. The citizens want us to keep the industry into the industrial allocated zones. So that is where we are working to do and expand industry because that's what the citizen developed. If Greenville had an industrial park that was owned industrial then we could include that in there. If we do and I don't know about it I apologize but that's we fully support that and and fund that have another meeting with them later on to continue that program. So we we're all for it in the right areas of the county in the right businesses that will count. So, I serve on the IDA and board and I do appreciate everything that you all are doing for the IDA. But to get back to uh Commissioner King and I appreciate all the things that you all are doing to revitalize the new building out here, the board house and the tax and all, but as you can see, you all are revitalizing those and that's our plan to revitalize the entire and maybe by you all doing what you all doing is going to help bring him away because when people arrive through they see something different that they had not been seen. So you all are upgrade and our ideal is to upgrade also and we cannot do that without rooftop without having money without people here to support our business. We have to have people here to support the business. Otherwise, they're going to go out of business. You can take the restaurant, you can take the ice cream, you can take

HA if six months they have not had enough people to pump through to support that business, what are they going to do? They're going to go out of business. So therefore, it's very important that we get some rooftops here in Green to support our business. other way around it. Has there been an analysis of what the cost to the city is to get water to or any of those services that you have to do inside this annexation comparatively to tax revenue that's going to generate?

Well, there's already the 6 in sewer line running through the property. So, the sewer is already set up and our water system essentially we don't have to add another water tank, add another pump, anything. you have a loop system after this. All we do is add on to that loop system. You have enough water pressure that' be sick. I apologize. I was late. I had to work from that. So, we've already covered that and then the developers.

May I also address that one item? Um, it was it was said a couple times. I just want to add for clarity that the city is not installing the any of this infrastructure. We as developers install that. So the the water the sewer the collection the sewer collection line goes through the property already. We would have to we met with the city early on in this project understand where the water line ends and what we would have to do to bring that water line down and complete the loop that that um that was mentioned. So we understand what needs to be done. We we take on those responsibilities as part of as part of the development. It's not a a cost to the city. So, I just want to make sure that that was clear that that after after we're complete though, we hand we hand over the uh the the u project the roads and the um and the sewer and the uh water system over to the city.

I just want to say I am very concerned that you won't recover on the taxes what you think you may. I would highly suggest figuring out how to do that before you make a move because that's one thing you don't want to do for yourself or the taxpayers in your area is to move forward with a project that in the end is going to wind up costing you instead of helping you to get what you all see right now as moving forward for Greenville. That's that's one of the biggest concerns for me is do that study and make sure and reach out and let your citizens talk to you, the ones that put you in your seats. What do they want? What are their concerns? And listen to them because this is a huge project. It is not a 20 house project. It's a 311 homes. It's more rooftops than what you have right now with the 7 to 800 people living in Greenville. I promise you, they don't live in 311 houses. they probably live in a lot less than that. So, do yourselves a favor and the people who put you in your seats a favor. Make sure that you calculate everything you can to make sure that something like this is going to actually benefit you to be able to do what you dream that you want to do before you move forward and try to do it.

Right. Very good point on that because something else you need to consider have a fire department, right? We have a government agreement where we start. That's what I'm saying. But I'll say you go and y'all decide to do this with Elton and that's requiring our fire department if we can continue agreement with y'all to upgrade systems, upgrade this, get more trucks, get all this. We're not putting that expense on the county taxpayers to cover that for the city for so that's that's what he I referred to. Look at all those numbers right everything everything adds up. So

can I add a question? So when they are building all the housing outside of the city li and m county are five trucks are supporting them. Are you telling me it's make a difference if they're inside your city limit or if they're outside because I see plenty of houses going out.

It can make a big difference. Just like you said he'll turn everything over to y'all. Y'all responsible for the water. Y'all responsible sewer problem. If them roads start having like we've got roads that been turned over to us over Hunter Wel sinking, y'all responsible for paving them. Y'all responsible taking care of them and like everything else. You would come to us and ask would you be willing to do another intergovernment agreement uh for the fire and so forth. You got your own police department, but that's that's like with some of these other warehouses we're talking about coming in that's going to require uh so so much height to ladder trucks and so forth. We can't put that cost on to the taxpayers. So, I'm just saying that's something you need to consider because it could you could have a more than one million. So, y'all need to have your own fire department. You know, there's too many homes over there. We're stretched out all over the county. So, that's what things say really need to think hard on all provide services for cities, county provided part of the county. county they provides I guess I didn't know they provide fire agreement to inter county obligated fire fire protection services city so

correct and it sounds like if this goes forward the county may not renew their IG I don't think they would ever say no we're not going to do it I'm just saying that we require the fire department come before us and go we need two more tanker trucks we need this we need that. The city's not paying for that. The city could pay for it unless we feore because the county fire department is got the money from the county factors and then we're going to take their money. That's what I'm getting at. But all Yeah. No, but I just think

county you got to understand also because we pay city and county taxes here. So you got my money in that fire department and just like you have the ones on the outside. We pay city and county tax and you do the green. But there's no obligation for a county fire department to serve inside the city absentation.

Correct. But I think what is important because this conversation is very premature because we don't have an application that we don't create an environment where the community starts thinking whether community whether it was withdrawn okay in it was drawn in December. So you're aware that there's no pending application. Correct. So right now, so right now we're speculating and now we're talking about public safety and we're talking about and we're talking about pulling potentially pulling fire from a city if there's potentially an issue. Right. So the the attorney for um the county was speaking. So now I'm speaking.

What are y'all to let her talk for you? I'm not talking for them. I'm talking I can't talk. But I think she correct in the fact that's all I just want to make sure the public doesn't think that the county is obligated to provide fire or police protection to any city that's not

right and I think having that in this context about a development that doesn't seem to be that favorable right now for the county might put out in there and this um commissioner indicated that that's only one person I think it's very um prudent that we make sure that there's not this sentiment that goes out there that there may be a fire protection a public safety issue I think before we start talking about public safety, we should at least have an application. We should be providing notice to the county. The county then has 30 days to object and if that's a part of the objections, we can deal with it at that time. But once we start going into public safety, that is a real concern for the community. Well, the reason I brought it up is because that's why we're having this open discussion today is to cover everything. And that's one of the thing I'm telling to consider uh throughout the whole process just like city of Woodbury just a proof of development down there. And you know, they're worried about how they going to have a ladder truck tall enough to get in there. I don't know how tall the town houses are going to be, but they require a ladder truck.

I'm not sure. I'm not a We don't have that yet, you know. So, I'm just I've been just throwing that out there. We're here to talk about things to consider, but we need to consider everything. My goal is is to make sure the county's taxpayed citizens aren't taking on a burden of something that they didn't want or they wasn't part of. That's my job as a commissioner. Question. Sorry. Go ahead, Mr. Richard. I say I understand that. I respect that.

Yeah. As the Greenville City Council, when this application was brought before, did you ever have it brought up in a public meeting to get input from your citizens from the city of Greenville citizens at a council meeting to see what their thoughts were to let them have a discussion with you before like when the application was first brought in? I know this was before you were there. That's why I'm asking, but I'm aware of the timeline, but I'm asking her, did you ever open it up for your citizens to come in and have a space to tell you how they feel? I mean, I'm just asking, did y'all ever have a public hearing or anything about it?

No. Because I our past our previous city attorney said we had not that point. The application was received by the city on December 1st. Council had a its last meeting on December sec 2nd. So there was no other meeting that month and it was withdrawn on December 18th. So there was no there was no time there was no time in December once the application was before the council to go to the community. She was aware. I didn't know if she'd had reached out to the citizens ahead of time. That's what I was asking her. I wasn't asking you.

Yes ma'am. And I just I just answer answered your question. Our attorney said that we had not reached that point and and we he had to resign in December. So here we are. So I think we need more input on the citizens their views before anything because they need to have a say if they're in favor of something like this. I mean it impacts them on the dayto day and there are county citizens as well but in the city of principal I wish they had more of a voice to be able to speak on behalf. So you're s you're acting you're suggesting that a decision has already been made. It has it has not been made.

You saying that there you would like for the community to have had did the council vote to send that application over to the county? Yes. Then action was taken. The law requires, as you know, attorney Lee, that once you receive the application, you have to send it over within 30 days. So that's a stat that's a statuto that's a statutory requirement. That's a statutory requirement. Okay. And so then it was then it was withdrawn. Then it was withdrawn. So right now it was sent over. They were under a deadline by law as the statute said to reply

and it was withdrawn. And so by at this point there's more than enough time for the community to be made aware and be engaged when we get an application. But right now we don't have one. And I'm not sure what the developer is going to do after this conversation. So if we get it, we will move forward. If we don't, then we won't.

Well, I think we're running short on time. And the reason that I wanted to sit down with everybody is to talk about exactly what I've said. I'm concerned that I don't want to see Greenville put themselves into a situation. It's like EMTT said, Manchester's built four of these areas. It has not helped the growth. If it knocks the socks out here, that would be great. But dreams sometimes turn into nightmares. And that is my biggest concern for y'all and for the citizens too is to just do everything you can to make sure that every eye is dotted, every tea is crossed, and that there will be money to do your downtown to get it where it needs to be because if not, you've taken 20 minutes back. My final word is, you know, I appreciate the county commissioner for what they're doing and what they're saying, but I think that we're coming to you as a municipality to ask you to annex that land into our Greenville understanding that whatever problems may come with it, that's on the city of Greenville, but then that's our problem. Once that land is decked, then that becomes our problem. Now I don't see how it's going to affect you all decision as to whether you can allow to index delay and to bring or not understanding that we may do come into some problems but those are our problems and we will deal with those problems citizens because they ultimately are the ones if there's a problem it's not just city of Gramble it's the citizens of Gramble which are the

and we will have hearing we'll public hearing for those citizen but those agreeable citizens they are not Mar County citizens but you're making the decision on what Mara County citizen might think they're you're referring to any corporators here the people do not even stay within city limits of Greenville no ma'am I've talked to people in the city limits so you do what you have to do but like I say if you do what you're supposed to do and allow us to engage that land you to whatever problem that we have. Thank you.

Only the city can annex property. The county can only object on very limited grounds. The county does not give a say so. It's very squarely on the shoulders of green. The county can object and try to get some out of it. But it's not the county's decision. Okay. So then if we have that that application then we should not hear a problem from the county. No, that's up to the county commissioners. That's what I thought. But I I would like to get something straight that that your your constituents are our constituents too. So that's talking about the fire truck and from my understanding when I pay taxes just like everybody out in the county. I pay city taxes also.

But just make clear I know somebody's I just realize she go for whatever talk about public safety and all that's concerned. But when you just sit there and made a statement that this will be our problem. No. And then when this chief comes to us and says, "Look, the townhouse is over there. It's going to require a ladder truck." This and that. We're going to remind you that that became city agreement problem. How are y'all going to buy the fire truck? And it affects the county because all these roads will eventually have to leave the city to get on the county roads require traffic signalization and all that stuff. Does it matter that the county an acre I mean two acre minimum and they're going to do this in 6

that's why they wanted in so they

anybody concern is kind of along with commissioner thre we we get all the facts that we need so we can make the best decision because we don't want it to turn into something bad my opinion is this uh probably too large of a project right now. I would like to see the the growth that would support the tax base enough to allow our citizens to have the amenities that other counties have without us having to raise the taxes to do that, but there not be enough growth that it overwhelms the county at the same time. Uh and if I knew how to do that, I would probably be a wealthy man not sitting here. But I would think that if we would find a way to do a smaller version of this than bringing in some businesses at the same time. So I understand both sides of that, but I just want to make sure that for the city sake we don't create a headache to commission and I want to make sure everybody's done that thought process. We need both of us to kind of want to talk. You know, this wasn't our intention of getting an adversarial condition between the attorneys and the the county. You know, this wasn't what we wanted to do. We wanted to talk about the project and talk about ways to improve it. And, you know, we we I'll let Joey, this is his line, but you know, our our goal was to come in here and do a project that that really makes everybody proud. And it seems to me that all we did was create a firestorm here that um that in our opinion's a little bit unnecessary. I think we can get to to uh I'm sorry I didn't get your name when you first came in. uh Adam uh you know we let's come to a project that that if it is needs to be smaller or if it does need to be phased then we do that and we do bring it in slowly but it still needs to be annexed you know to

into the city in order to do something different and if the town homes are the issue you know because I was said many times okay we don't we might be able to punt and go a different direction and maybe it's a single family lot that achieves a a much more comfortable position because if town homes are the issue, well, there's a way to get around town homes. We just don't do them. But we're here to talk to y'all, not create a a negative uh attitude between the city and the county. I don't like that. So, what I wanted to do, and and Joe, this is, you know, he's one who got I I've been in city government uh uh prior to my current position, and we were always able to work these things out. Now, I've seen other cities and other counties not be able to work things out. So, the fact that you were able to sit down and talk is good, but the idea is talk and come to a consensus that works and that's really what we were trying to achieve by coming to this meeting. I don't think I achieved that at all.

That's what the mission is. Try to get all them so peace meal from their from their perspective. They want to sit down and talk, but instead of coming, they wanted to do it together rather than oneonone, right? And and I appreciate that.

I just think it came out came out, this came out wrong. And maybe it was us leading it incorrectly, but you know, I just feel that there that we created an ugly situation here. And I didn't want that to happen. And I wanted it to be a a more u you know a give and take of ideas, not necessarily a give and take of my idea, not your idea. And so I apologize if this is how it turned out to the mayor of the council commission. Apologize for you at all. Obviously the you know you you attorneys this is an adversary relation. You guys love this stuff. You know fashion. Yeah.

Well, let's look at this here. They said they need rooftops, properties in the county. We have orders of now to go in there and curb and gut and asphalt, put houses, but the reason no one's going to go in there and run water and sewer and put houses on one and a halfacre lots because the developer and the builder can't make enough money. There's no return on that. I know that's what it's all about. But if if they're wanting rooftops and the water and sewer's already there, we need somebody to come in. They'll go in there and do cafe with water and sewer in a county. I think right now or states you can have one acre lots or one one acre. Yeah. If you got water 1.6, but if you got water and sewer, it's 1acre lots

and there would be no discussion. You go there and ply right now and put curb and gutter and have one acre lots and y'all would have rooftops and it could stay in the county. Wouldn't even have to be annexed in. But I know the fact is the reason going like that is to be able to get 300 lots on 170 ac issues to make a pile of money and go. That's what's concerning the citizens right you know and I I understand what you're saying that's not the get in get into the community and go is absolutely not what we do. This man lives in the county. He's not going anywhere. I live in Senoi. I'm not that far away. you know, that that again, it's just a negative way of talking about it. We can come up with something that that isn't isn't so adversarial. And so, you know, we apologize if this was came across wrong. You know, that's not our intention. You know,

we'll do something differently.

Yeah. I' I'd like to speak for one second. So, excuse me. I do I am a Mar Brother County resident. Commissioner King is my commissioner up in District 1. Um I do we got a farm up there. We we do farming. We do uh my business is in Kawita, but um I'm the one and I want to clear the air on a couple things. Um there've been some social media going on and of course that's always going to happen, right? Um Brent Scar is not the guy that came with this idea. This was my idea. Um I got a 22-year-old daughter that can't afford to buy a house just like any other young kid can't. If you want to know where the town homes came from, that was where my idea was was how do we provide a community where you have single family homes and you provide some town homes where you know the young people can get started out. Now, this meeting was not to approve or deny. It was anformational meeting that both heads of the city and the county agreed to have so that we could just talk about it. Is it good? Is it bad? What is the infrastructure? Are we going to be able to have water? You know, is Lraange going to cut us off? So, this meeting was not in any way for approval or denial. It's to talk about it. Is it a good idea? Is it a bad idea? Hell, to be honest, it's a great piece of hunting land. I mean, whichever way it goes. But my idea on this development was to try to build something where we could have more obtainable housing for the younger crowd. Now, if we, you know, again, we've heard both sides and there's a lot to work out. We're nowhere even close to, and we're not even close to having a public hearing on this thing yet. I mean, this is so premature and early, but we wanted to get everybody together to at least discuss, talk about issues, talk through what are our challenges and hurdles and how do we overcome them. So, I just wanted for the citizens mainly to

clear the air on what this meeting was about and where the idea came from. So, if anybody wants to beat anybody up, we walk out. It was my idea. Y'all can come after me. That's fine. Thank you, George. Yep. Anybody got anything else? No. I I wanted it to be just a communication thing to to sit down and everybody bounce off of each other ideas and at the end of it be able to make the best decision. That's that was my full intention and that's all I want to Thank you all. and thank you all for your consideration. And we will

I would like to thank all the citizens that have reached out and called and let us know some in favor, some not. Either way, I appreciate keep letting us know your thoughts on things and we appreciate you taking time out of your day to come and be a part of these conversations even when they turn not as pretty, but we appreciate you showing up. Yeah. Thank y'all for coming. Does grand have anything else y'all want to say? I'll make a motion. All in favor? Okay.

Make a motion to go into executive session for litigation person tax matters. All in favor? Have a good night. Okay. Motion go back into session. Second. I make a motion. Second. Thank you.