Pike County Times
The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. Click here to donate through PayPal. Becky Watts: Phone # 770-468-7583 editor@pikecountytimes.com
 
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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.

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REGULAR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONTHLY MEETING
March 8, 2017 at 9 a.m.
Courthouse, Main Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia

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

All five commissioners were present along with County Clerk Jo Ann Wrye, County Manager (CM) John Hanson, and County Attorneys Rob and Tom Morton. There was very little attendence today compared to the last evening meeting.

2. INVOCATION………………………………………………………………………….…Ben Maxedon

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

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

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

a. Minutes of the February 28, 2017 Regular Monthly Meeting.

6. INVITED GUESTS - 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.

b. County Manager Report
Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ............................................................................................ $3,246,457.79
Fire Dept. Donations ........................................................................................ $4,595.64
BOC – Jury Account………………………………………………………………$0.00
Cash Reserve Account ........................................................................ ….....$506,134.70
Pike County CD Special Revenue funds………………………………………….$0.00
Jail Fund ........................................................................................................ $16,135.08
E-911 Fund .................................................................................................... $25,554.73
DATE Fund ................................................................................................... $42,708.46
Juvenile Court Fund ....................................................................................... $13,961.30
Residential Impact Fee ................................................................................ $417,391.42
Commercial Impact Fees ............................................................................... $20,638.37
C.A.I.P FUND ............................................................................................... $23,010.62
General Obligation SPLOST Tax Bond Sinking Fund, 2011 ...................... $579,051.92
L.M.I. Grant (DOT) ..................................................................................... $577,348.61

c. County Manager Comment

CM Report: Relocations: Tag Office is moved. Public seems to like it too. He said that he appreciates the patience from staff and the public on office moves. The District Attorney's Office will move sometime next week. Last move is Planning and Development. And the County Manager and County Clerk will be moving to the new location for the County Commission Office after that.

Road conditions after last storm. They’ve been out and scraping and doing preliminary work on patching. Hopefully up to full speed in the next couple of weeks.

[Note from the Editor: This info is from the written County Manager Report.]

The Sheriff/Jail Impact Fee Request: Sheriff Thomas is requesting the use of Impact Fees to construct a multipurpose training facility for both the Sheriff and Jail operation. Brandon Rogers has worked closely with the Sheriff's Office with both structural needs and cost estimates for construction. Staff and County Attorney both reviewed this and advised that it meets Impact Fee eligibility requirements.

Here are some interesting tidbits from revenues that came into the county this year: $3,500 for filming the Walking Dead in our county, $1,500 for Logan Lucky at the Courthouse for an afternoon, $8,400 for fire station rental income, and $74,486.28 from the City of Williamson for paving. This is part of the quarterly 2016–2017 Budget Amendments Resolution discussed below.

There will be a series of Service Delivery Strategy meetings to discuss services of the cities and Pike County with regard to House Bill 489. There will be meetings with each of the cities to discuss overlap and gaps in services. [End of CM Report]

d. Commissioner Reports

Commissioner Tim Guy commended those who did the work on the Tag Office.

Chairman Johnson said that the National Honor Society will be working with Pick Up Pike (PUP) on Saturday from 9-1 to clean up our roads. Please take care on the roads.

e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners.

None.

8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

a. Approve/deny SE-17-03 – USC Timber Holdings, LLC, property owner, and Madden Solar Center, LLC, applicant, are requesting a special exception in an A-R zoned district to allow for a solar farm on a portion of the subject property, per the standards of Chapter 166. The subject property, located off of Ga. Highway 18 West and North . Madden Bridge Road, has approximately 10,550 feet of total frontage along the northern and southern sides of Ga. Highway 18, approximately 4000 feet of frontage along the eastern side of North Madden Bridge Road, and approximately 1980 feet of frontage along the western side of Nixon Road. The property is located in Land Lot 166 of the 9th District of Pike County, Georgia. The subject property consists of 1371 acres and is further identified as Tax Map Parcel #032 012.

Planning and Zoning Director David Allen advised that the Public hearing at the last meeting. He reread all of the conditions from the Environmental Board Review and the Board of Appeals. The wording has been reviewed by our attorneys and Ryan Gilchrist as well.

Does the BOC want to review the landscape plan or is it ok for David to review it? They would like see it and approve it. No unlawful encroachment on wetlands: Ok with ok from the Army Corps of Engineers. Bond amount was in question. $5,000 per acre will be required. Access to the substation from North Madden Road will be only for maintenance and they will improve the gravel road up to that point. Final site plan will have a 200 foot setback. Approval not transferable: They gave a transfer based on large company and dollar amount as stated in the past meeting.

Revised Recommendations: Acceptance of Environmental Review Committee report, with the following conditions: (Verbatim from Jo Ann's Post Agenda)
1. Minimum 100 foot buffer from stream banks.
2. Minimum 50 foot buffer from property lines and road frontage, and minimum 200 foot setback from Highway 18 and North Madden Bridge Road for solar panels.
3. Evergreen buffer along Highway 18 as a visual screen. Where possible, retain existing vegetation along Highway 18.
4. No use of herbicides for vegetation control.
5. Strong erosion and sediment control plan is required, with regular inspections to protect Elkins Creek.

Revised Recommendations from the March 8, 2017 meeting: (As verbatim from Jo Ann's Post Agenda)
1. Any specified perimeter buffers on the property shall be honored and maintained. Board of Commissioners' approval for the landscape plan is required for the planted buffer along Highway 18, and the location and extent will need to be field located.
2. There shall be no unlawful encroachment into any specified state waters buffers or wetlands.
3. Any land disturbance greater than 1 acre shall require approved erosion / sediment control plans and a land disturbance permit.
4. An annual business license shall be required.
5. The proposal shall conform to any solar farm standards set forth in the Pike County Code, Chapter 166, except as may be otherwise conditioned. The bond amount specified in Section 166.06 shall be adhered to.
6. A formal study of wetlands and sensitive areas on the property needs to be completed prior to construction.
7. Herbicides shall not be used for vegetation control and maintenance.
8. Access to the solar farm via Nixon Road is prohibited. Access to the solar farm via North Madden Bridge Road shall be limited for the purpose of maintenance to the southwest substation area, and contingent upon the developer improving North Madden Bridge Road to applicable Pike County standards to the point of access of the substation area.
9. The final site plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Zoning Administrator.
10. This approval is non-transferrable to any other use and shall continue to meet all conditions, criteria, and regulations in the event that the solar farm operation is sold or otherwise transferred.
11. Upon cessation of the solar farm, the subject property shall be restored, at no expense to Pike County, to the agricultural conditions of the property prior to the solar farm development (i.e. removal of all solar panels and equipment).

Motion to approve based on information gathered with conditions. Guy, Powers. Commissioner Guy said that he thought it would be great for the county and the schools for not impacting the schools or county roads, and it will bring in tax dollars for the county. Approved 4-1. Jenkins opposed.

9. NEW BUSINESS

a. Approve/Deny request to use Impact Fees for Sheriff’s Department in the amount of $40,000 and the Jail in the amount of $85,000, this will be used to build a multi-use training and storage facility. County Manager Hanson addressed the Board stating the training facility will be utilized by the Jail and the Sheriff’s Department and will be located where the gun range is located. County Manager Hanson said he recommends approval.

CM Hanson said that this money will be used for a training facility and has been a plan for a long time. The same goes for the jail. They are looking at plans and getting estimates. Recommended approval.

Motion to approve. Powers, Daniel. Approved 5-0.

b. Approve/deny quarterly 2016–2017 Budget Amendments Resolution and authorize Chairman Johnson to sign.

Changes to take place to adjust revenues and expenditures. CM Hanson went through each one individually. This is done quarterly so it isn’t a long process at the end of the fiscal year. Motion to approve. Daniel, Powers. Approved 5-0.

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

11. EXECUTIVE SESSION – None

12. ADJOURNMENT: 9:21 a.m.

[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.]

3.10.15
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