By Jamie Gardner
The Appling County Commissioners were split regarding appointments to the Appling County Development Authority at a monthly meeting held on Tuesday, April 7. County Manager Lee Lewis stated that there were four positions up for appointment or reappointment for the authority with terms expiring by April 30. Currently the positions are held by James Rentz, Jerry Strickland, Sidney Wildes and Ronnie White. Lewis stated that James Rentz did not want to continue to serve on the authority.
County Commissioners split on Development Authority appointments
Commissioner Sarah Boatright made a motion to reappoint Strickland, Wildes and White and to appoint David Douglas to fill Rentz’s position on the authority. Commissioner Theodore Wilkerson seconded the motion. Commissioners Daryl Edwards and Charlie Leggett expressed concern that Commissioner Ronnie Rentz was not present at the meeting and they would like to wait until the entire board was present before voting on the measure.
With a motion and a second on the floor, Commissioner Chairman Lewis Parker called for a vote. Boatright and Wilkerson voted in favor of the motion and Edwards and Leggett voted against the motion. This set up a rare tiebreaker vote for Chairman Parker. Parker voted with Boatright and Wilkerson to move forward with reappointing the members willing to continue to serve and appoint David Douglas to the Appling County Development Authority.
Other business
The commission approved a proclamation proclaiming April 19 – 25 as National Crime Victims Week in Appling County.
Board members agreed to contribute $50,000.00 toward the Rural Hospitalization Program. Appling HealthCare was selected, by Governor Nathan Deal, to be a recipient of the program. The state will provide $3,000,000.00 toward the pilot program for four rural health care systems (including Appling) and each recipient and county was also asked to contribute $50,000.00 each toward the program. The program will assist rural hospitals to obtain new equipment for emergency services.
Appling County Road Project Manager Hayden Rozier updated the commissioners regarding the status of the Lennox Road resurfacing project. Rozier stated that the contractor is making good progress on the road adding that 5.5 miles of the 12-mile widening project is complete and the contractor has a couple of more days until deep patching on the road should be complete. The road manager added that the contractor should meet the end of May deadline, weather permitting. Manager Lewis then told the commissioners that he and Rozier would recommend that the commissioners consider using asphalt on the road due to the amount of heavy traffic on the roadway. Lewis stated that the additional cost would be $300,000.00 to use asphalt instead of double surface treatment. The original cost of the project with the double surface treatment was $850,000.00. The commissioners voted to use SPLOST funds to pay the additional $300,000.00 and use asphalt on the road instead of double surface treatment. Lewis and Rozier expressed that this should extend the life of the roadway.
Manager Lewis reported that Golder Associates is still going through the permitting process on the Tara Lake dam project. The manager stated that the county will have to purchase some wetland permits and that the project should be ready to bid this summer and the project could be completed by late 2016. There was some discussion by the commissioners to go ahead and place signage at the landing at the lake and Lewis said he would check on getting the appropriate signage placed.
The board approved to appoint Manager Lewis to serve on the Pineland Mental Health Board.
After some discussion, the commissioners agreed to purchase new voting equipment at a cost of $40,000.00. Lewis told board members that they would need to move forward with the purchase in order to have the equipment back in time for next year’s elections due to software programming.
The commissioners agreed to enter into an automatic aid agreement with the City of Graham and Jeff Davis to provide aid in the case of a fire in the area immediately around the City of Graham.
The commissioners voted to move forward with extending the turn lane near the Appling County Middle School on Georgia Highway 15. Manager Lewis reported that the Georgia Department of Transportation has committed to assist the county with the project. The state will contribute up to 90 percent, with a $100,000.00 threshold. The project is expected to cost approximately $192,000.00. The county will use TSPLOST (also known as TIA) discretionary funds to pay for the project.
Before the close of the meeting the commissioners discussed drainage canals in the city and county and the need to clean up some of the canals. Manager Lewis stated he would meet with Baxley City Manager Jeff Baxley about the issue. The manager did tell the commissioners that this would be a major undertaking if they decided to move forward.
With a motion and a second on the floor, Commissioner Chairman Lewis Parker called for a vote. Boatright and Wilkerson voted in favor of the motion and Edwards and Leggett voted against the motion. This set up a rare tiebreaker vote for Chairman Parker. Parker voted with Boatright and Wilkerson to move forward with reappointing the members willing to continue to serve and appoint David Douglas to the Appling County Development Authority.
Other business
The commission approved a proclamation proclaiming April 19 – 25 as National Crime Victims Week in Appling County.
Board members agreed to contribute $50,000.00 toward the Rural Hospitalization Program. Appling HealthCare was selected, by Governor Nathan Deal, to be a recipient of the program. The state will provide $3,000,000.00 toward the pilot program for four rural health care systems (including Appling) and each recipient and county was also asked to contribute $50,000.00 each toward the program. The program will assist rural hospitals to obtain new equipment for emergency services.
Appling County Road Project Manager Hayden Rozier updated the commissioners regarding the status of the Lennox Road resurfacing project. Rozier stated that the contractor is making good progress on the road adding that 5.5 miles of the 12-mile widening project is complete and the contractor has a couple of more days until deep patching on the road should be complete. The road manager added that the contractor should meet the end of May deadline, weather permitting. Manager Lewis then told the commissioners that he and Rozier would recommend that the commissioners consider using asphalt on the road due to the amount of heavy traffic on the roadway. Lewis stated that the additional cost would be $300,000.00 to use asphalt instead of double surface treatment. The original cost of the project with the double surface treatment was $850,000.00. The commissioners voted to use SPLOST funds to pay the additional $300,000.00 and use asphalt on the road instead of double surface treatment. Lewis and Rozier expressed that this should extend the life of the roadway.
Manager Lewis reported that Golder Associates is still going through the permitting process on the Tara Lake dam project. The manager stated that the county will have to purchase some wetland permits and that the project should be ready to bid this summer and the project could be completed by late 2016. There was some discussion by the commissioners to go ahead and place signage at the landing at the lake and Lewis said he would check on getting the appropriate signage placed.
The board approved to appoint Manager Lewis to serve on the Pineland Mental Health Board.
After some discussion, the commissioners agreed to purchase new voting equipment at a cost of $40,000.00. Lewis told board members that they would need to move forward with the purchase in order to have the equipment back in time for next year’s elections due to software programming.
The commissioners agreed to enter into an automatic aid agreement with the City of Graham and Jeff Davis to provide aid in the case of a fire in the area immediately around the City of Graham.
The commissioners voted to move forward with extending the turn lane near the Appling County Middle School on Georgia Highway 15. Manager Lewis reported that the Georgia Department of Transportation has committed to assist the county with the project. The state will contribute up to 90 percent, with a $100,000.00 threshold. The project is expected to cost approximately $192,000.00. The county will use TSPLOST (also known as TIA) discretionary funds to pay for the project.
Before the close of the meeting the commissioners discussed drainage canals in the city and county and the need to clean up some of the canals. Manager Lewis stated he would meet with Baxley City Manager Jeff Baxley about the issue. The manager did tell the commissioners that this would be a major undertaking if they decided to move forward.
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