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Editor Becky Watts: Phone # 770-468-7583 editor(@)pikecountytimes.com
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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Wednesday, April 9, 2025 – 9:00 a.m.
Courthouse, Main Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia
Town Hall Meeting at 8:45 a.m.
ZEBULON - The Pike County Board of Commissioners will meet in the upper courtroom of the courthouse on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 – 9:00 a.m. for a regularly scheduled meeting. There will be a Town Hall Meeting at 8:45 a.m. for anyone who would like to speak to the commissioners about any issues that you may have. The meeting is open to the public will be broadcast live on Pike County Times' Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/pikecountytimes.
[Note from the Editor: It will be nice when our county joins so many of the surrounding cities and counties to record and broadcast its meetings in a central place so citizens who cannot attend the meetings can watch at their convenience with a better sound quality than what I can produce in the courtroom.]
Click here to see the documents that have been uploaded with the agenda on the Pike County government page.
1. CALL TO ORDER ........ Chairman J. Briar Johnson
2. INVOCATION ........ Silent Invocation
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ........ Chairman J. Briar Johnson
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. § 50-14-1 (e) (1))
Motion to approve the agenda. Approved 5-0.
5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e) (2))
a. Minutes of the March 25, 2025, Regular Monthly Meeting.
b. Minutes of the March 25, 2025, Executive Session.
Motion to approve both sets of minutes. Approved 5-0.
6. INVITED GUEST
a. Employee Recognition for service to Pike County.
• Zandra “Lisa” Caslin – Pike County Sheriff’s Department
Lisa Caslin. Morton. You’ve done a lot of jobs and duties for the Sheriff’s Office. You’re a joy to work with. Always have a smile. Sheriff Jimmy Thomas. She’s been an absolute pleasure to work with. An employee and a friend. A community person, a person who is your friend, a person who has brought stability to the department. Major Tracy Vincent. I love her. She makes me laugh.
Thank you to Lisa for 20 years of service!
• Jared Peoples – Public Works
Peeples. Morton. Thank you for your service in Public Works. Public Works Director Chris Goodman. 5 years ago, he came from a grading company. Use him every day on something different.
Thank you to Jared for 5 year of service!
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.
Discuss/Approve/Deny
Pullin. Final adoption of Impact Fees. Is that approving the report or what happens next? Scheduling an Impact Fee Study Committee, etc. There will be an ordinance passed when it is finished. Motion to approve the reports. Approved.
[Note from the Editor on the March 13, 2024 County Commission Meeting which can be read in full by clicking here: "There has been an ongoing argument/discussion over the implementation of Impact Fees since last fall between Shannon Mullinax and 9 other signatories on a letter that was sent to the Pike County Board of Commissioners, the county manager, and the Director of Planning and Zoning on September 25, 2023 and signed by eleven "Concerned Stakeholders of Pike County" that laid out an argument that the increase to the residential impact fee schedule was "haphazard and inappropriate." They also requested that the January 31, 2023 motion to approve the increased fee schedule be reversed and the Board of Commissioners follow its ordinances and procedures for a change to impact fees which includes the forming of an Advisory Committee and two public hearings which was not done before the new impact fee schedule was implemented. Apparently no response was given to Shannon Mullinax from that letter so she sent an email on November 29, 2023 requesting for a formal response from the Board of Commissioners regarding the September 25, 2023 regarding the increase to residential impact fees and spoke at the 12.13.23 Commissioners Meeting which is included below along with pertinent information from county ordinances and state code..."
"...My thoughts? If we did not follow the rules on this, we need to go back and do things correctly even that means returning all of the money that has been collected to this point until we can get things done correctly. And transparency in government is vital to keeping citizens informed as well as citizens taking the time to get informed on what our representatives are doing on our behalf." (End of March 13, 2024 meeting notes.)
My thoughts today are the same as they were a year ago. It appears that we did not follow the rules when the Impact Fee amount was changed two years ago, and we need to make that right before we go any further. It won't be an easy task to undo what has been done, but we could end up being sued just like Henry County and being forced to pay pay attorney's fees and costs along with what we have to refund to citizens who built in our county. Here is the million dollar question: Why would we be doing things differently now than we did 2 years ago if we did things correctly back then?
Here is the first paragraph of an article from February 6, 2025 concerning the Henry County lawsuit: "Henry County Chief Superior Court Judge Brian Amero invalidated the Henry County development impact fee scheme because it was “fatally flawed,” according to the February 5, 2025 order. He ordered the County to immediately stop charging the illegal impact fees, pay back those the County wrongfully charged since 2023 (over $14 million in disgorgement), and pay the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and costs, which amount to over another $500,000 due to the County’s bad faith and stubborn litigiousness..." Click here to read "BLOOM DEFEATS HENRY COUNTY IMPACT FEES; COUNTY ORDERED TO PAY BACK OVER $14 MILLION."]
b. County Manager Report
Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ........ $1,196,055.10
Fire Dept. Donations ........ $10,905.91
Cash Reserve Account ........ $110,318.25
Jail Fund ........ $14,314.10
E-911 Fund ........ $116,273.87
DATE Fund ........ $25,158.18
Juvenile Court Fund ........ $13,746.25
Residential Impact Fees ........ $493,520.22
Commercial Impact Fees ........ $36,759.21
C.A.I.P FUND ........ $85,780.38
General Obligation SPLOST 2022-2028 ........ $1,985,928.01
L.M.I.G. Grant (DOT) ........ $139,600.44
c. County Manager Comment
Senior Center. Contacted a surveyor to identify the corners and working on parking needs.
McCard Lake Road. Concerns are being addressed. Any questions for Atlanta Paving? Driveway transitions then going to Friendship Circle, Gaulding, Harden.
McKinley Road. McLeRoy is the paver on this. Working on right of way response from Georgia Power. 3 utilities that needs to be relocated.
Board of Assessors. Met yesterday. Some changes to fee schedule.
Happy birthday, Ken!
Discussion.
Pullin. Everyone is very happy that McCard Lake Road is paved.
Johnson. Met with IT and asked them to provide amount for live streaming meetings. [Note from the Editor: It is budget time so this is the perfect time to talk about this. I would hope that new microphones would be discussed too because many times people cannot hear what is said even when they are sitting in the courtroom. The echo is even worse online.]
d. Commissioner Reports
None.
e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners
None.
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Discussion of the permitting fees for Sun Tribe Flat Shoals Energy Center.
Request from developer for reduction in development fees. Sun Tribe Representatives are here. Previous tax abatement is not tied to this development.
Permit fee, conditions, and abatement. Competitive project for Georgia Power next month. The fee is pivotal to make sure that this is competitive. 100 mega watts project. 130 million dollar development cost. Thinks that $130,000 is reasonable. This is a phenomenal site, but we had no idea about the previous Madden solar project.
Pullin. 3 legged stool. Permit fee to be reduced. Some condition items that are being submitted. An abatement will be next. Pullin. What is the typical timeline on this? Answer. We’ll know in the next month. Pullin. Construction? Answer 2027. Roughly a year. Pullin. Typical life span. Answer. In full life for 30 years. 15 year life span. 30 years is typically what you see. Sometimes longer. For the foreseeable future. Design? 600 or 700 acres of the 1300 acres. Storm water plan is being drafted. Know our boundaries and buffers. Everything for wetland, setbacks, etc. from old project have been implemented. 25 year manufacturer’s warranty for the panels with lifespan longer than that.
South of Hwy 18 with no expansion up to Flat Shoals.
[Note from the Editor: One representative had no relationship with the former company, and the other speaker did.]
Pullin. Economic impact? Estimation for 30 year project. 2020 MOA as a baseline for the abatement. $130 million project. Applied a 17 year sliding scale to find this number. This is what other counties are doing. Pullin. Taylor County is slightly different. Answer. The abatement item is tied to the RFP and has the best bottom line. Pullin. How does this compare to others in the state? Conservative project. Preliminary plan using the landscape there.
Johnson. This proposal is using less than half of the land. Will it be visible from Hwy 18 or Madden Road? Answer. Using the buffers from 2018. 250 foot setbacks. Included screening and planting of evergreens to help too.
Guy. Thinks that middle range is $2.00 or $2.50 per $1000. Well within what they are asking. Motion to go with $2.50 per $1,000 rather than $1 per $1,000. Morton. This would be a reduction from our current fees. Approved 3-2 with Pullin and Jenkins opposed.
[Note from the Editor: Click here to read about Sun Tribe from the March 25, 2025 meeting.]
9. NEW BUSINESS
a. Consider use of Courthouse Grounds from Bryan Richardson with Pike County American Legion 197 on Monday, May 26, 2025, for Pike County Memorial Day Observance Program.
Recommended for approval. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
b. Consider Tax Refund application from Desmond Foster in the amount of $378.54.
Application and supporting documentation has been included. Chief Appraiser Hobbs. Built a home in 2022. Constructed in 2023. Notices went out. We had a 100% finished basement because we do not walk in people’s houses. They advised that the basement was unfinished. Changed this for 2024, but this is for 2023. Motion to approve.
c. Open Sealed bids for the Woodard Road Paving Project.
Received 6 sealed bids. 1 mile.
Atlanta Paving and Concrete. Peachtree Corners. $352,786.50.
Blount Construction Company. Marietta. $380,148.96.
CW Matthews. Marietta. $350,860.80.
McLeRoy Construction. Pike County. $317,000.
Piedmont Grading and Paving. Newnan. $418,845.00.
Triple R Paving and Construction. Morrow. $441,253.80.
Can award to the lowest bidder or move to receive the bids. Motion to award to the lowest bidder, McLeRoy Paving. Discussion. Contingent upon ensuring that it’s apples to apples. Added: Contingent upon meeting bid specification. Motion to award to the lowest bidder, McLeRoy Paving, contingent upon compliance with all bid specifications. Approved 5-0.
d. Discussion of Health Insurance and related renewals
Met with McGriff. 9.5% possible increase. Aetna. 23.5% increase based on the last year. Recommendation is to allow them to negotiate with Aetna. This will impact our budget. Motion to receive and allow McGriff to renegotiate. Approved 5-0.
e. FY 2025-2026 Budget Status
Had intended to present the draft budget today, but in addition to insurance, included 9.5% increase in current draft. We have not finalized the final draft pending this and the possible livestreaming request and other item requests. April 29 meeting is the current presentation date. Public hearings. 1st and 2nd reading. Final adoption on June 11. This will not be the final budget, just the recommendation from the budget officer.
10. PUBLIC COMMENT - NONE
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION: 9:47 a.m.
a. 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).
b. Chairman Briar Johnson 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.
[Note from the Editor prior to the meeting: I expect that the commissioners will come back into session and announce who will be the new county manager. It really should have been advertised so the public would know that it was happening ahead of time -- because we have been sued in the past for not placing items on the agenda, but hopefully we can move forward from here and do a better job at public advertisement of items that are expected to be discussed in a meeting from here on out. Erring on the side of caution and acting in a manner that is above reproach will build trust between the board and the people that they represent.]
Motion to come back into Executive Session. 10:25 a.m.
Chairman Johnson said that this needed to be done in 3 motions. Motion to appoint Rob Morton as county manager. 2nd.
Discussion. Pullin said that one of the justifications on this decision for allowing the same person to serve in both positions is that the commissioners know what is best for the county even though we’ve heard from citizens against this decision. He said that there are times when commissioners have to make tough decisions like the budget and easy decisions like which roads to pave or who to allow to use the courthouse, but he said that he doesn’t consider this to be a tough decision. He said that constituents all over the county and not just in his district understand that combining these positions isn’t in the best interest of Pike County.
He said that he shared his thoughts on this decision on Facebook. He said that while people have been very nice to Mr. Morton and said that he’s done a great service to the county, the public has made their voice loud and clear against this. He said that he thinks it's easy to listen to constituents on this.
He also gave a list of other reasons not to do this. No other county in Georgia is doing this because they know that there is a separation of duties, roles, responsibilities, and powers that these two positions have. He read from the county ordinances that the county manager shall be the chief administrative officer responsible for efficient administration of all county departments. It also says that the county manager shall devote all work and time to the county.
The county attorney’s job is to provide legal advice and protect Pike County. One of the most important jobs is to keep us and the county manager out of trouble and represent us in litigation. He said that he and a majority of the constituents in Pike County see this as two separate roles.
Pullin advised that Ken Gerrard from the State said that there is no clear guidance, but combining the two positions is “unorthodox and opens up opportunities for conflicts.” Gerrard went on to say that the county manager operates independently of the attorney, and that the natural checks and balances may be compromised if the two positions are combined. Pullin stressed that our code says two separate people.
He also said that only two people out of hundreds who have spoken to him have been in favor of this. He said that he is against this but will support Mr. Morton as county manager. I hope this works well because if it does, it will benefit everyone in the county, but he said that can’t support voting for it. There was applause from the crowd in attendance at the meeting when he finished speaking.
Commissioner James Jenkins said that he agrees “wholeheartedly” with what Commissioner Pullin said and that he wanted to add something to that. He said that the new contract needs to be done by outside counsel which was also suggested by Gerrard.
He said that he thinks the world of Morton and that this is not a personal issue against him. He said that Morton has always been accommodating when he called for whatever he needed but said that he going to vote no as well. There was applause from the crowd in attendance at the meeting when he finished speaking.
[Note from the Editor: I am not supportive of this either and am glad to see some sort of checks and balances with outside counsel looking over the new contract since there isn’t anything else to support checks and balances for our county government in this new arrangement. And it’s not personal with me either. I don’t think that anyone anywhere should serve as both the county attorney and county manager because commissioners are abolishing that necessary check and balance between the judicial and executive branches of our local government. Legal and ethical aren’t always the same thing in my book. (Forgive me for being blunt, but there are less misunderstandings in life when we clearly say what we mean.)
But it’s done now so we’ll see where this goes. I’m very interested in the transition agreement that will lay out the when and how of our new county manager position with stepping away from various job positions that Morton currently holds. Morton is currently serving as the attorney for the cities of Meansville, Williamson, and Zebulon in Pike County as well as legal counsel for more than one board and authority in Pike County, and as judge for more than one city for cities not located in Pike County.
You can read my breaking news article on the appointment of the county manager by clicking here. There is a link to the two finalists included in that article.]
Chairman Briar Johnson said that this will not be long-term -- maybe 3 or 5 years. He said that it will save the county money even if the county has to hire outside counsel. He said that the county has run well when Morton has been the interim county manager, and he hopes that this is smooth as well.
He said that he appreciated Commissioner Jenkins’ and Pullin’s opinions on this but also agreeing to work with Morton as a team. “We can disagree, but we’re still a team,” he said.
Approved 3-2 with Jenkins and Pullin opposed.
Motion to compensate $3,000 each month since August 2024 through end of the fiscal year June 30, 2025 for his work as interim county manager. Approved 5-0.
In the discussion, Commissioner Tim Daniel said that he is not opposed to having outside counsel look at this. It was specified that someone will present the contract and then the external attorney will review it. Commissioner Tim Guy included that in his motion and Commissioner Tim Daniel approved it for his second to this motion.
The commissioners approved finalizing a contract with Morton in the amount of $65,000 that will be included in the upcoming budget year and seeking outside counsel to review the contract in a 5-0 vote. [Note from the Editor: This will be in addition to the $92,500 (plus expenses) that is the amount paid on the county attorney contract.]
Pullin. Motion to terminate the 2019 county attorney contract between Morton and the county. It failed 2-3 with Jenkins and Pullin in favor and Johnson, Daniel, and Guy opposed.
12. ADJOURNMENT: 10:39 a.m.
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.]