This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. The Editor can be reached at 770-468-7583 or at editor(at)PikeCountyTimes(dot)com. Pike County Times is a website for citizens to keep up with local events and stay informed about Pike County government. It began on November 13, 2006 as a watchdog on county government and has turned into an online newspaper.

If you enjoy reading Pike County Times, consider buying an advertisement for your business or sending a donation to support the only free online newspaper in Pike County. Donations can be sent to: The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. Click here to donate through PayPal. Thanks for supporting Pike County Times.com!

ZEBULON - The Pike County Board of Commissionersmetin the upper courtroom of the courthouse on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 – 6:30 p.m. for a regularly scheduled meeting. There was be a Town Hall Meeting at 6:15 p.m. for anyone who wanted to speak to the commissioners about any issues. The meeting is open to the public will be broadcast live on Pike County Times' Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/pikecountytimes.

Click here to see the documents that have been uploaded with the agenda on the Pike County government page.

This meeting was attended by Commissioners James Jenkins, Ken Pullin, Tim Daniel, Tim Guy, and Chairman Briar Johnson with County Clerk Angela Blount and County Attorney/Interim County Manager (CM) Rob Morton also in attendance.

1. CALL TO ORDER ....... Chairman J. Briar Johnson

2. INVOCATION ....... Kyle Garner

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ................................................................... Chairman J. Briar Johnson

4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. § 50-14-1 (e) (1))

Morton please amend the Executive Session for Pending and Potential Litigation and not Personnel. Motion to approve the amended agenda. Approved 5-0.

5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e) (2))

a. Minutes of the March 12, 2025, Regular Monthly Meeting.

b. Minutes of the March 12, 2025, Executive Session.

Motion to approve both. Approved 5-0.

6. INVITED GUEST - NONE

7. REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS, DEPARTMENTS, COMMITTEES, AUTHORITIES

a. Monthly Reports submitted from County Departments and County Authorities, including a Revenue/Expenditure Statement for all departments and a summary check register. There are no Department reports as they will be provided during the first Board meeting of April. Revenue/Expenditure Statement and Detail Check Register is included.
Discuss/Approve/Deny

b. County Manager Report

Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ....... $2,173,223.70
Fire Dept. Donations ....... $10,905.91
Cash Reserve Account ....... $110,318.25
Jail Fund ....... $10,791.39
E-911 Fund ....... $53,372.50
DATE Fund ....... $25,158.18
Juvenile Court Fund ....... $13,746.25
Residential Impact Fee ....... $473,192.25
Commercial Impact Fees ....... $33,100.53
C.A.I.P FUND ....... $85,780.38
General Obligation SPLOST 2022-2028 ....... $1,424,716.34
L.M.I.G. Grant (DOT) ....... $36,916.79

c. County Manager Comment

Announced the opening of the applications for LRA from the state for help with roads. Our application deadline is June 15. $650,000 received in the past. We can seek up to $685,000 in our application for Woodard and Melville Brown. Woodard was not on the original list, but we have added it. Goodman has received a lot of complaints about Melville Brown which was not on the original roads list either. Motion to approve with signatures. Approved 5-0.

Received a modification of permit fees for the solar farm today. Asked for a reduction of permit fees to $130,000. Motion to put this on the next agenda. Discussion: There were some questions asked so will try to get those answers prior to the next meeting. New project or continuation of an old project. New project at the old location. Sun Tribe. Approved 5-0.

Click here to read an open records document on this project: pikecountytimes.com/secondary/SunTribe.solarproject4.8.25.pdf

Dump trucks. Sometimes a need for vendors. Goodman provided a response about protocol about how they hire. Start with local. Basically go down the line of vendors on a list. Then go outside if needed. Do not use them every day. Goodman wants to ensure that we are doing this fairly since there was a discrepancy with the past administration.

Discussion: Guy. When we deliver a load to a road, do we have anyone from the county there to accept tickets when they get there? Goodman. Yes. All the time. Morton. We’ve learned some lessons from last summer.

d. Commissioner Reports

Commissioner Daniel. Talked with Mrs. Beckham about parking needed at the Senior Center.

Chairman Johnson. Thanked those who helped with the last storm. Public Works, Road Department, Fire, and EMA Director. They are always working to help with the storm before and after. If it’s 3 a.m. for a storm, they’re out there working.

e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners

None.

8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - NONE

9. NEW BUSINESS

a. Consider one appointment to the Pike County Family and Children Services Board to fill a five-year term, set to expire December 31, 2029. Applicant has met the criteria.

Rachel McDaniel. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.

b. Consider use of Courthouse Grounds from Cami Hoopes with the City of Zebulon on Friday, September 5, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. for Bicentennial Celebration – Dance on the Square with Food Trucks.

Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.

c. Consider use of Courthouse Grounds from Cami Hoopes with the City of Zebulon on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. for Bicentennial Celebration – Arts and Crafts, Food Trucks, Dunking Booth and Bounce House.

Continuation of that event with the second day with the previous being the first day. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.

d. Discussion of Employee Appreciation Day

Scheduled for June last year. Schedule this year? There are funds for this event in the budget. Friday June 13 or 20. Last year, they took the rest of the day off. Again this year? Not looking for vendors today but just need an ok to prepare options for a later date. Up to $15 per employee from last year. Discussion: Johnson. We appreciate our employees. Do we think that we need 2? Don’t know how the employees feel about this either. Can go either way. Guy. Also can go either way. Morton. Making sure that there is enough time to plan if we go for June. Pullin. This is already budgeted? Morton. Yes. Plan for about 180 employees. Contributions and using outside ways to provide gifts. There is sufficient funds for this. Pullin. Supports moving forward with June. Daniel. This is a good time for our employees. If this is budgeted, wants to move ahead. Morton. Will move ahead. Asked for approval of up to $15. Motion for June 13 up to $15 per employee. Approved 5-0. Morton. Ok with the employees having the rest of the day off? Consensus. Yes.

e. Request for workshop Chestnut Oak.

Need two commissioners for April 7 at 1 p.m. to be a part of a workshop for event coordination. Need to have issues clarified. Pullin would like to sit in. Motion for Johnson and Pullin to sit in on this meeting. Approved 5-0.

f. Scott Road Extension.

Provided with information about this matter. Last year approached by a resident from this area. Goodman and Morton went out and looked at this section. Scott Road makes a turn and turns into Ward Road. They are blended at this location, and because of the recent paving there that did not include the section that goes north, looking to clarification. Asked to abandon that road with no action taken in the past.

We are going to maintain that road. The intent is for it to be a gravel, unpaved road. Needs mulching and ditching. Buses could use the culdesac, and this would allow people to turn around without ending up in this property owner’s driveway. Motion to identify this section as Scott Road Extension and do the maintenance. Approved 5-0.

g. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding SUP-25-02 - Matthew and Stephanie Gravitt, Owners and Windy Field Farms, LLC Applicant request a Special Use Permit to allow an Event Center/Wedding Venue to be located at 628 Sands Road, Molena, GA, 30258. The subject property is further identified as Parcel ID 007 002 and is in Land Lot 257 of the 9th Land District. The property consists of 417.75+/- acres. Commission District 2, Commissioner Tim Guy.

Public Hearing.

Johnson read description. Planning and Zoning Director Jeremy Gilbert to speak. Then 20 minutes on each side for and against.

Gilbert. Special use permit to allow an event center at this location. 417 acres. Requesting for weddings, fundraisers, and use for other you pick options that do not require other ok’s. Built a building in 2020. 6920 feet and fits within the event center requirements for the county. Planning staff reviewed this and recommended approval. Planning Board heard this and approved with 5 conditions. Existing building up to commercial standards. Change of use permit. ADA requirements met. Annual business license. All UDC conditions have to be met. Was built for personal use to begin with but need to ensure that it meets the commercial requirements.

IN FAVOR: None.

OPPOSITION:

Harper. Not opposed to the event center but opposed to bringing in without addressing the condition of the road. Mud bog when it rains, no ditching, and not room for more than one vehicle. No way to control the traffic if people follow google map. Opposed to the road conditions and not opposed to the event center. Also an issue with coming in on Sands Road.

Closed the public hearing.

Guy. Good point on the roads. What have we discussed on this? Gilbert. Nothing in zoning for this use. Gilbert recommended paved roads, etc. but that was not approved. A subdivision is required to fix the roads, but the Zoning Board said that this is a county road, and the county is responsible for making sure this is passible. Gilbert. It depends on where you’re coming from. Recommended West Jones be designated as a one way road if it is only passible in one direction. Guy. This section is in the city and not the county. Trying to head off a problem before it happens. Gilbert. No more than 200 guests. No other regulations in our UDC Code. Pullin. Any way to direct people the other direction? Morton. You can require signage for the use, but we can’t regulate city streets and can regulate the county side. Maybe look at a joint operation with Molena on this. Maybe they can put in an application for state funds with the county for road improvements. Guy. Wants to approve this, but he wants to avoid traffic problems in the future. The road needs to be widened. Daniel. Our responsibility to properly maintain the road at the very least. Gilbert. We can’t regulate signage in the city.

Motion to allow the owner to speak. Approved.

Gravitt. Doesn’t plan to have events every weekend. Has on the website for people not to use that road. We’ll do our best for people not to use that road.

Motion to approval with conditions from staff and Planning Board. Approved 5-0.

10. PUBLIC COMMENT (Limited to 5 minutes per person) - NONE

11. EXECUTIVE SESSION: 7:18 p.m.

a. Interim County Manager Rob Morton requests an Executive Session for discussion or deliberation on the appointment, employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or periodic evaluation or rating of a public officer or employee or interviewing applicants for the position of the executive head of an agency, as provided in O.C.G.A. § 50-14-3(b)(2), germane to personnel.

b. Interim County Manager Rob Morton requests an Executive Session to discuss the possible acquisition of real property pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-14-3 (b)(1).

Back in Session. 7:45 p.m.

Motion to adjourn. Approved 7:45 p.m.

12. ADJOURNMENT

Agenda subject to change.

[Note from the Editor: If you appreciate being able to read information from county meetings for free on Pike County Times, please make a donation to Pike County Times through the PayPal link at the bottom of the page or by check to Pike County Times at PO Box 843, Zebulon so I can justify the amount of time that I am spending away from family. It may not seem like much but sitting in a meeting and then typing it up takes a lot more time than you might imagine! Thanks for reading Pike County's only FREE newspaper.]