MINUTES MERIWETHER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FEBRUARY 25, 2025 6:00 PM Commissioners Present: Chairman Adam Worsley, Vice Chairman Emmett Collins, Commissioner Gene King, and Commissioner Jennifer Snelson Commissioners Absent: Commissioner Bryan Threadgill Staff Present: County AdministratorFinance Director John Gorton, County Clerk Allyson Stephens, Administrative Assistant Hailee Palmer, and County Attorney Michael Hill Staff Absent: None I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Adam Worsley called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. II. INVOCATION The Invocation was given by Fire/Rescue Chief Danny Stephens. III. PLEDGE TO THE FLAG All. IV. ADOPT AGENDA A motion was made to Adopt the Agenda by Vice Chairman Emmett Collins and seconded by Commissioner Jennifer Snelson. All were in favor. V. PRESENTATIONS 1. Lanny Rampley - Meriwether County Cattleman's Association Mr. Lanny Rampley provided a packet for the Board and Staff. Mr. Rampley stated he was the President ofthe Meriwether County Cattleman' s Association. Mr. Rampley stated that their association had 122 members as ofFebruary 1, 2025, and they currently meet at McCoy Grading in the safety training room that seated roughly 72 people. Mr. Rampley stated they were in need ofa larger space, and the Cattleman's Association wanted to propose an agriculture center and an arena. Mr. Rampley stated that the Ag Center would be approximately 60x80 space with an upgraded front façade and would provide offices for Meriwether County Extension, a large meeting room that would hold around 120 people, and a community kitchen. Mr. Rampley stated that this would allow for educational programming from UGA Extension, as well as a space for the community to create homemade goods in the kitchen. Mr. Rampley stated that the arena would be a covered space approximately 200x300 feet and it would host events for the community and other organizations. Mr. Rampley added that events could include farmer's markets, student farm days, and other community events. Mr. Rampley stated they would recommend steer shows, heifer shows, horse shows, and rodeos could use the facility, and this would help to raise students' interest in those areas. Mr. Rampley stated that Meriwether County did not have a large animal vet, and it was in hope and huge need for the community. Mr. Rampley stated there was a legislative bill proposed to promote large animal vets and increase numbers in rural counties. Mr. Rampley added that the arena would provide an area for vets to come into the County and practice safely. Mr. Rampley stated he wanted to speak more about student's farm day and that the Meriwether County Cattlemen had been doing this for two years at Darrell McCoy's farm. Mr. Rampley stated that they brought every fifth grader in the County on the bus, and they did this in conjunction with Meriwether County School System. Mr. Rampley stated they had roughly 50 volunteers and the kids were exposed to all kinds of stuff: horses, milking demonstrations of dairy COWS, beef cows, poultry, vegetables, and DNR would bring pelts and skulls of their local wildlife. Mr. Rampley stated that the community kitchen was part of the ag center, and it would bring a large resource to the County. Mr. Rampley stated that this would be used for educational purposes on topics like canning and food safety as well as community resources for small scale production. Mr. Rampley stated that community kitchens are often launching pads for small businesses, and they were often used for large scale cooking for County events. Mr. Rampley continued that this would provide a space that would be open for all. Mr. Rampley stated that Meriwether County had over 80% rural population and agriculture was the top industry in the state and County. Mr. Rampley stated that the Meriwether County Cattleman' s Association and the Meriwether County Farm Bureau were in support of building an AG center as many of their surrounding counties had built in the last few years. Mr. Rampley stated that this type of facility would have many uses as well as rental income value. Mr. Rampley continued that, moving forward with the concept, they were asking the County for approval and support. Mr. Rampley stated that the County Commissioners would play a big role in the project, and it would show a commitment to growing the top industry in the County. Mr. Rampley stated that the immediate need for the project was land, and they were looking for a commitment of15 acres. Mr. Rampley concluded that their approval would allow them to move forward with detailed plans. Mr. Rampley provided an image ofthe Heard County Arena in Franklin, Georgia. Mr. Rampley added that the top picture was just the arena itself, and the bottom picture was the covered seating which they would have down one side of the arena and then would have 50 feet on the back side of the arena for housing livestock (i.e., horses, etc.) for rodeos and stuff. Mr. Rampley stated that the next picture was from Monroe County of an Ag Center they had just built. Mr. Rampley added that they had not seen it in person yet, but had plans ofs seeing it soon and would see what they could take away from that. Mr. Rampley stated that the last page was an image of land across the road from where they were right now. Mr. Rampley stated that it was next to West Georgia Technical College and that was where they were proposing to go into. Mr. Rampley stated they would put the ag center in the front and would somehow fit the arena in the backside ofthat property. Mr. Rampley concluded that was what they were proposing and asked Mr. Kenneth Murphy to make a few comments. Mr. Kenneth Murphy stated he was a dairy farmer in Meriwether County and was the President ofMeriwether County Farm Bureau. Mr. Murphy stated they had 720 farm members in the County, and they were willing to put some seed money into this ifthe Board donated some land. Mr. Murphy stated they would be heavily involved in it and that several counties around them had a facility like this. Mr. Murphy stated that Meriwether County was one of the few that didn't have a facility like this, and he thought it would help the number one industry in the County. Mr. Murphy stated not to per se creating students to go out there and get their hands dirty but creating outside jobs that would pertain to agriculture. Mr. Murphy stated they were in full support of this and at some point, in time when they would decide who would own the building, who would operate the building, etc. then they would commit to a good chunk of money. Mr. Murphy stated that this would help pay for engineering and startup and they could get a grant from the State for the USDA for this project. Mr. Murphy stated that he hoped they would look into some SPLOST money. Mr. Rampley stated that was the biggest concern he mentioned - who would own the building and who is going to operate the building. Mr. Rampley stated they were open for discussion about that. Chairman Worsley asked who he was expecting to pay for construction of the building. Mr. Rampley stated they had spoke with plenty ofHouse Representatives and what they had been told by them as well as Commissioner of Agriculture is that they needed to get their land acquired because they were going to need about 25% ofthe value of the property. Mr. Rampley stated that ifit's a million dollar project then they would need about $250,000 in land or in commitments of money. Mr. Rampley stated that once they got that together they would bring it to them in June or July ofthis year to be presented to Appropriations, which occurred in September, to find money. Mr. Rampley added that Tyler Harper said that there was plenty of money out there and they just needed to find it. Commissioner King stated that both the facilities Mr. Rampley had mentioned - they competed their regularly. Commissioner King stated that the one in Monroe County was nice and the one in Herd County. Commissioner King stated that before he was a Commissioner he asked Theron Gay and said that there were grants available and they needed something like that in Meriwether County and was surprised that they didn't already have something like it. Commissioner King added that he was sure the rest of the Board would be wondering how much the State was going to give, how much they were going to give, and then how much the Board would give or could give. Commissioner King stated that legal would help give them direction and help them figure out how to make it work. Commissioner King concluded that he loved the idea. Mr. Rampley stated that they had looked around and they knew across the street - there was a 30 acre spot, and they were asking for half of that. Mr. Rampley stated that there may be other spots, but they didn't know where they were. Mr. Murphy stated that the community kitchen was a big thing beyond agriculture, and that if anyone had a garden or something and they wanted to can then they could. Mr. Murphy added that they could pay a fee and use the kitchen. Commissioner King stated that the rodeo came through once or twice and they used the arena over at Quercus Farm and they paid yearly for that. Mr. Rampley stated there were a lot of economic development opportunities because when people came to shows they would need to eat, buy gasoline, and would need a place to sleep, there were other opportunities that this would bring to the County. Commissioner King stated that from his understanding they were looking for some kind of commitment SO that way they can present it to the State, and then they could see where it goes. Mr. Rampley stated they would also need to see who would own and maintain the building, but before they went any further, they just wanted to know if the Board wanted to commit to it. Mr. Rampley stated they would have to hire an architect to do some drawings and configurate on a piece of property and to do that - they would need some form of commitment. Commissioner King mentioned saving money on an architect by using the other counties. Vice Chairman Collins stated that he thought it was a good thing, and he was glad they were trying to go forward with it. Vice Chairman Collins added they he didn't know how much money the County would be able to put it in, but they could possibly give them land. Vice Chairman Collins stated they would talk with legal and discuss it between them. Mr. Rampley stated that he appreciated that, and they had been talking about doing this for a year now and told Kenneth and Darrell that they needed to go and talk to the County about it. Commissioner King recalled his phone conversation with Mr. Rampley and stated that the County rented a space for the 4H agent, Ashley. Commissioner King stated they rent from the School Board, and they had to pay for that building sO it might be during the process that they received a lifetime office there, SO they don't have to pay rent. Commissioner King added that the best place for 4H to be was in an ag center. Mr. Rampley stated that it would have to be worked out between the Board and the School Board because they paid part of their salaries. County Administrator Gorton stated that he was correct. Mr. Murphy stated that they spoke with Dr. Griffin. Commissioner King stated that it would be great to get 4H stuff back in the schools like they used to. Mr. Murphy stated that he and Darrell presented to Dr. Griffin to put an ag teacher back in Greenville High School and that there was one in Manchester. Mr. Murphy stated that they had committed and are having interviews now for an ag teacher at Greenville High School. Commissioner King stated that was awesome. Mr. Murphy stated that ifthey could get this thing going - they needed to get the kids involved and have a steer and heifer show. Mr. Murphy stated that they were committed to offering up some livestock for the kids and let them take them home and raise them for a period of time and come back and show them in some shows and they would work out the difference with them. Mr. Murphy stated that a lot of the kids don't have the money, especially with how the cattle prices were today. Mr. Murphy added that it was a good time to be in the cattle business. Commissioner King stated that he missed those days and for 10 years straight he bought the grand reserve champion at the Coweta County fairgrounds, and then all of a sudden, they let it drop and go away. Mr. Murphy stated that he started showing cattle when he was about 8 or 10 years old. Chairman Worsley stated that it was a very interesting project, and they had questions they needed to get answers for Mr. Murphy stated they could call them with any questions, and they would meet again if they needed to. Mr. Murphy thanked them for the time. The Board thanked them too. 2. Nathan Klause - Repairs needed on Brown Gilbert Road Mr. Klause stated he had about 8 or 9 slides to show pictures. County Clerk Allyson Stephens asked ifl he had a printout of the presentation. County I.T. Director Matthew Brown stated that he had one. Mr. Klause stated he was a wildlife biologist for Georgia DNR and was ofthe great privileges in his life was managing the SP Bluff Wildlife Management Area. Mr. Klause stated that he knew everyone had been there and loved it - on the Upson side where the park is, the day he got married, he and his wife jumped off the big rock in the river. Mr. Klause stated that he was sure they had some good stories about it too. Mr. Klause stated that the Wildlife Management Area was a little different from the parks side and a substantial part of it was in Meriwether County. Mr. Klause stated it was a very pretty place and a lot of it was wild. Mr. Klause stated that it had a common mission in terms of the WMA versus the park. Mr. Klause stated they would be providing recreation for the community; they were doing conservation of wildlife on-site and the spends off in terms of money for the environment or for the local community. Mr. Klause stated they had hunters come and most ofthem come ofthe southern exurbs of the Atlanta area and a lot of them spend more than one night in the area because they typically don't get the deer on the first try. Mr. Klause stated that they would like to encourage them to stay a little longer. Mr. Klause stated that a lot of them stop at Ingles and in Woodbury, which would hopefully provide some for their tax base. Mr. Klause showed the next image on his presentation and said he had to brag on this place and was really proud ofit; he had been working on it for more than 20 years and they had it looking to what Pine Mountain used to look. Mr. Klause stated it was open with piney woods full of rabbits and quail and all the things their grandparents got to enjoy. Mr. Klause stated that it had come a long way and it was a beautiful, inviting, open woods that were very pleasant to hike and hunt in. Mr. Klause stated they were trying to get access to a couple parcels that they had picked up about two years ago. Mr. Klause showed a picture with an arrow pointing out where the Wildlife Management Area occurred in Meriwether County. The next slide of the presentation showed the same picture zoomed in. Mr. Klause stated they were approached by the owner ofthe two tracks shown in the picture. Mr. Klause stated that they wanted to sell and wanted to know if they were interested. Mr. Klause told them that they were, and they picked them up a couple years ago and added them to the WMA. Mr. Klause added that most oft the stuffin that area dated back to Georgia Power when they were going to put a dam on the Flint. Mr. Klause continued that it had been State owned for a while now. Mr. Klause stated that the problem was the access to the tracks from the south and that it was very difficult. Mr. Klause added that if they had been up on Pine Mountain = there was a very steep ridge that was on their WMA and showed the tracks that they purchased. Mr. Klause added that it only touched public roads in two places = Cartwright Road and Gilbert Brown Road. Mr. Klause stated that it barely touched Cartwright Road, and they had been having problems with their users and parking on that road. Mr. Klause stated that it was blocking access for the locals that live back there, and it was hard getting in and out of that road. Mr. Klause continued that there was no place to pull off and they couldn't put a road there because ofthe steep bank. Mr. Klause added that there was no way for them to push a road there, but on the other hand - Gilbert Brown Road there was already an existing road going in, but it had a blown culvert on it. Mr. Klause stated that they were trying to get that fixed. Mr. Klause stated that he understood that the County was working on improving Gilbert Brown Road, and they got to a place that was unclear whose land and whose road it was. Mr. Klause stated that they hired a surveyor and provided the surveyor's quote on his presentation. Mr. Klause stated that the blown culvert was on the County road and was not on their property, SO that had them at a loss of trying to fix it with the State funding. Mr. Klause stated that he walked out there with the surveyor, and they found the pins that were still in the ground and provided a picture on his presentation of a cement monument and the blown culvert was just above that. Mr. Klause stated they were trying to gain access for a lot of reasons = one is that they need to try and make those roads drivable for the public SO their users could get in there. Mr. Klause added that they couldn't get rock in there and they couldn't go down the mountain with a loaded dump truck due to safety conçerns. Mr. Klause stated they didn'thave a road that came in from the south that the public could use, and there was one track of rough roads and they could only imagine two members of the public going in opposite directions and them coming head-to-head and then one of them would have to put their vehicle in reverse and try top either back up or back down the mountain, which raised safety concerns. Mr. Klause stated they were hoping to get access for law enforcement and fire issues. Mr. Klause added that there was a long history of arson fire there and they didn' 't have a way to get in there nor did GFC. Mr. Klause stated they were trying to develop an RV campground. Mr. Klause continued that he manages three of them currently = one on the Talbott County side ofthe WMA, but he would like to add one just inside the property line south of the blown culvert. Mr. Klause stated that it would be a good road for an RV to get in. Mr. Klause added that they put a campground down at the mouth of Pigeon Creek, but it wasn't RV accessible. Mr. Klause stated that the goal was to have a place where hunters could camp and have big sort of bonfire in the middle and get to know each other. Mr. Klause stated that he was in hopes of the hunters spending more time and money in Meriwether County, rather than just traveling down there to hunt deer. Mr. Klause concluded that this was his pitch, and why it was possibly a mutual interest to try to get that fixed. Mr. Klause moved to his next slide on the presentation which showed a picture oft the blown culvert. Mr. Klause stated that it was a good road other than that one culvert and just 100 yards past that was where their road picked up and they could get it all in good shape and get it rocked. Mr. Klause stated that he spoke with Vice Chairman Collins about this and that he asked good questions: Why was this in Meriwether's interest? Why was this in the public' S interest? Mr. Klause stated that he believed it had been established and that it was a County road, and they needed to eliminate the nuisance parking problem. Mr. Klause added that there was an RV camping opportunity, and he would like to make this accessible to the residents of Meriwether County. Mr. Klause stated that several parcels on the west side oft their property were actually accessing their properties from Mr. Klause's property, and that they needed the culvert to get fixed also. Mr. Klause thanked them for the time to speak and said he would be glad to answer any questions. Commissioner King requested that he back up a couple slides where it showed the blown culvert. Commissioner King asked if those were trees growing in the creek area. Mr. Klause stated that yes there were some small young trees = couple years old, maybe three years old. Commissioner King asked ifthat's what they called a dry bed and ifit could be graded and sloped down to where there is rock, and they can travel in and out that way. Mr. Klause replied that he would love to see that - like a shallow water crossing. Mr. Klause added that it would make it a lot easier to maintain in the future. Mr. Klause stated that he understood that they were painfully aware ofa all the blown out culverts that had happened in the last year and they were dealing with that too. Mr. Klause added that it would be the smart fix sO that they didn't have another blown culvert in the next 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, was to make it a shallow water crossing. Commissioner King asked ifhe stated that people were trying to access their property through the County side or their Mr. Klause's side. Mr. Klause stated that they would cross through here and Cross the WMA on the northern edge in Meriwether County and there were roads that led to those parcels on the WMA's west side. Commissioner King asked if they had to go through the WMA to get to their property. Mr. Klause stated that they do. Vice Chairman Collins asked how they accessed it now. Mr. Klause replied that some of them don't have access - some of them were coming through the Talbott side and parking on their common line and walking down where they have little hunt camps and trailers down there. Mr. Klause added that they couldn't get their vehicles down to those RVs and they basically had to hike to get to them currently. Mr. Klause stated that none of them were developed in terms ofl having a permanent residence on them, but three or four oft them were along their west side. Chairman Worsley asked if he was looking for the County to pay for this repair or to grant him authorization to do the maintain. Mr. Klause replied to pay for the repair on the County road, which was the blowout. Chairman Worsley asked ift they had a current dispute with the data on whether it was a County road or not. County Administrator Gorton replied that he was correct, and they had researched it. County Administrator Gorton added that according to Mr. Bill Cawthorne, he had looked at it and from Public Works perspective, they had always stopped at a trailer on Brown Gilbert Road. County Administrator Gorton stated that from everything they could find - it was possibly a prescriptive right-of-way on Mr. Gilbert's land because it was on the back end ofhis property, but they could not find anything in the deed books granting that perspective. County Administrator Gorton stated that Mr. Nathan was right about there being a monument out there and it was marked as indicated on his survey. Chairman Worsley asked ifthe County owned it or not. County Administrator Gorton stated they were still researching to try to find a definite answer in the deed books. Mr. Klause stated that their surveyor told him that they found an old survey that indicated it was a County road to that cement monument. Chairman Worsley stated that he would have had to find that in their County records and offices - and they needed to reach back out to the surveyor and ask where he found it. Chairman Worsley added that ifthey couldn'tf find the information then how did the surveyor. More discussion continued about who owned the road and what to do to settle the matter. Mr. Klause stated that there was a workaround that cut across the neighbor and there was no easement or right of access, and only his property. Mr. Klause added that in the past he had been charging the hunt club, the neighbors, and the timber company to cross his property, but there was no easement of any kind. Mr. Klause continued that it was not an arrangement that they could get into with the State of Georgia. Mr. Klause stated that he couldn't write him a check for $500 every time he needed to get in there. Commissioner King asked if he had his own equipment that they managed on their own land. Mr. Klause stated that he had two tractors = one with a bat wing mower and one with a little road grader. Commissioner King stated that he was with the State of Georgia. Vice Chairman Collins stated that DNR had dozers and stuff. Commissioner King stated that they had big tracks, and they had to go in to cut berms, cut fire breaks, etc. Mr. Klause stated that work is contracted. Commissioner King stated that ifthey were to give permission to work = it couldn't cost the State that much to send some equipment over there and grade it down and bring a load of rip rap in there first and dress it up. Mr. Klause stated that they contracted that work these days, just like with many other things in government. Vice Chairman Collins asked how long the DNR had the property. Mr. Klause stated he believed it had been somewhere in the order of 18 to 20 months since they closed on it. Vice Chairman Collins asked ifit was like that when they bought it. Mr. Klause replied that he was correct. Chairman Worsley stated that they needed to continue investigation to find out if the County owned it or not, and then they could put it back on the Agenda for discussion. Mr. Klause stated that he would make sure they received that information from his surveyor. Chairman Worsley stated that would be helpful to share whatever the surveyor found and share that information with Staff. Mr. Klause stated he could do that. County Administrator Gorton stated that he had his latest survey, and it is mentioned that it was an unmaintained County road but looking in the deed books - he could not find anything concrete yet. Chairman Worsley asked ift there was a cost estimate of fwhat they were looking at. Mr. Klause stated that he was a wildlife biologist, but he ended up doing a lot of road stuff, sO his ballpark would be maybe $6,000 to $8,000 to fix a pipe and maybe bring three loads of dirt to fix it. Commissioner King asked ifh he had asked the State before coming there if they were to contribute what they could contribute. Mr. Klause stated that his problem was that it wasn't DNR land, SO he didn't have the ability to spend money on property that didn'tb belong to the State. Commissioner King stated that DNR was the one that needed to cross it and not the County. Mr. Klause stated that he could fix up the road right up to their property line, and he planned to, and he had a budget for that, but he couldn 't fix somebody else's property. Commissioner King stated that if they found out that the 100 yards was the County's, could they just deed that to DNR and they could have it. Mr. Klause stated that was beyond his pay grade and couldn'timagine the ramifications that he would have. Mr. Klause added that it didn't know ifi it was just a County road easement on Gilbert Brown's) property. County Administrator Gorton stated that he believed SO. Mr. Klause stated that it may not be that anyone owned it outright other than him and that there's an easement. County Administrator Gorton stated that Staff was under the same impression because it was on the back end ofhis property, and he couldn't see a County road going back to the end of someone' s property. County Administrator Gorton stated that it wasn't common. Chairman Worsley stated that six to eight thousand maybe ten thousand was not a huge amount of money. Chairman Worsley added that he thought the heartburn ofthe Board originally, was that it was above approval level and the work was started without the Board's knowledge or approval. Chairman Worsley continued that they needed to finish getting the right data to make sure they weren't fixing someone else' s road and make sure that it was a County road and not DNR's or Mr. Gilbert' 's and then they could probably work something out. Mr. Klause stated that he appreciated that. Vice Chairman Collins stated that he understood they couldn' 't spend money on private property, but he wanted the County to spend money to let him access his property. Vice Chairman Collins stated that they had no need of getting over there. Mr. Klause stated that the public did and that was who they were all serving. Chairman Worsley asked if there were any further questions from the Board. There were no further questions or comments. Mr. Klause thanked them for their time. Chairman Worsley asked that Staff provide an update on that at the next meeting. County Administrator Gorton replied yes sir. VI. FINANCE REPORT County Administrator John Gorton proved the bank balances as of 4:00 p.m. February 25, 2025. County Administrator Gorton stated that all funds were still holding good, and Finance had no issues with any funds. County Administrator Gorton stated that they would see three million in the General One Fund, but they had just issued checks on the 25th County Administrator Gorton stated there was $11.8 million in the investment pool and he would see how much interest that would bring around the next meeting because it came around the 5th or 6th ofthe month. County Administrator Gorton stated that the second page was their SPLOST and TSPLOST Commitments SPLOST balance was $446,777.95 as of February 25, 2025. County Administrator Gorton stated that everything they had looked back and found, commitment wise, was listed including elections. County Administrator Gorton stated that the TSPLOST available balance to spend was $233,838.51 which included the 30% minimum match. County Administrator Gorton stated that their LRA = they would see the 2024 LMIG Project for $517,885.10. Chairman Worsley asked ifthey already had the LMIG money for 2025. County Administrator Gorton stated that he was correct, and that was part of the $3 million of the fund balance that needed to be transferred over to the investment pool. County Administrator Gorton added that he usually did that at the end ofthe month because they gained interest after thirty days. Chairman Worsley suggested the Board have a work session soon to discuss some other projects that they have funds to put to use for. Chairman Worsley added that the interest money they were earning was not citizen's money. County Administrator Gorton stated he was correct. Chairman Worsley stated that they needed to prioritize those projects and have a work session to figure that out. County Administrator Gorton stated that they were going to suggest to the Board a work session in March, but they were trying to get through the House Bill 581 Public Hearings and didn' 't want to load February down. Chairman Worsley stated that he understood and knew they had talked about it a couple times, but they needed to keep bringing it up. County Administrator Gorton stated they would send some dates out in March and see ifMarch would work, but if not then they did have April. County Administrator Gorton added that they needed to have one within sixty days. Chairman Worsley stated that it was a tremendous opportunity with the kind of return they were getting and with the amount of projects that they have, and they could do some things if they prioritized it correctly. County Administrator Gorton stated he was correct, and they were looking at probably $45,000 a month if they kept $11 million in there. County Administrator Gorton added that he did move some SPLOST and TSPLOST funds because SPLOST was growing and why not stick them in to earn a little interest while they were waiting to spend it. Chairman Worsley stated that was a good idea and asked ift there were any further questions from the Board about the Finance Report. There were no further questions. VII. DEPARTMENT HEADS County Administrator Gorton stated there were a couple of updates from Department Heads. County Administrator Gorton stated that the Recreation Department had 180 kids sign up for baseball. County Administrator Gorton added that those were ages from t-ball to 14U. Chairman Worsley asked ifthat was just for Meriwether. County Administrator Gorton stated it was just Meriwether and Mr. Randy had recently sent him a text stating that 180 kids signed up for baseball and softball. County Administrator Gorton stated that Animal Control had a fundraiser with Jordan's Way on February 26, 2025, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. that including a hot wing eating contest. County Administrator Gorton stated that the Elections building was moving extremely well. County Administrator Gorton added that they had only been at it for 12 days, but ift they walked in the building, they would think the contractor had been working on it for a month. County Fire Chief Danny Stephens stated that on January 17th they completed their annual inspection of all of their EMS units, and they passed with flying colors. County Fire Chief Stephens stated that they were doing research for their EMA agency license and that would be completed roughly next week, but the deadline was not till the end ofMarh. County Fire Chief Stephens added that they were wrapping up on an EMTB class, and most of the students were doing their clinicals and once they finished with that, they would start their EMTA class, and that was the next level of their EMT certification. County Fire Chief Stephens gave a quick rundown of their incidents from January 1 to the current date [February 25, 2025] - they have 344 calls of service which was about seven calls a day. County Fire Chief Stephens continued that out oft those, eleven of them were structure fires, 292 ofthem had been EMS calls, three of them were hazardous conditions, six ofthem were service calls, and 24 of them were good intent calls, and eight ofthem were false alarm calls. County Fire Chief Stephens stated that the data was coming from a new software that they had purchased, and he was in hopes of giving them the data from the previous month at the first of next month. Vice Chairman Collins asked ifl he had just finished with EMTB class. County Fire Chief Stephens replied that it was finalizing but was not complete yet. Vice Chairman Collins asked who taught the class. County Fire Chief Stephens replied Robert Ethridge, Michelle Canon, and he was working on two more instructors, but they were in-house people. Vice Chairman Collins asked who would teach the EMT-A class. County Fire Chief Stephens replied that it would be the same people. Commissioner King asked if the trucks from Coweta County were in-service yet. County Fire Chief Stephens replied that he had been lettering those, and theyj just finished lettering them last week, sO he was in hopes oft the trucks being in-service within another week. More discussion continued about the trucks from Coweta County. Commissioner Snelson stated that she knew the trucks were bigger than the ones they had been using and asked if they had enough fireman trained to drive them. County Fire Chief Stephens replied yes, and their month on January was spent doing driver training on those. Commissioner Snelson asked if that had all been documented. County Fire Chiefs Stephens replied yes, and he had training sheets on all of those. VIII. CITIZEN COMMENT There were no Citizen Comments. IX. MINUTES 1. Minutes February 3, 2025, Special Called Meeting 6:00 p.m. - Tabled from February 20, 2025, SCM at 6:00 p.m. County Clerk Allyson Stephens stated that the Minutes from the February 3, 2025, Special Called Meeting at 6:00 p.m. were tabled until the February 25, 2025, Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m. County Clerk Stephens continued that those that were in attendance on February 3, 2025, were Chairman Adam Worsley, Vice Chairman Emmett Collins, and Commissioner Jennifer Snelson. County Clerk Stephens concluded that Commissioner Gene King and Commissioner Bryan Threadgill would need to abstain the vote. A motion was made to approve the minutes from February 3, 2025, Special Called Meeting by Vice Chairman Collins. This motion was seconded by Commissioner Snelson. Voting in favor were Chairman Worsley, Vice Chairman Collins, and Commissioner Snelson. Commissioner King abstained from the vote. 2. Minutes February 10, 2025, Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. A motion was made by Commissioner Snelson and seconded by Vice Chairman Collins to approve the Minutes from February 10, 2025. All were in favor. 3. Rescind Minute Approval from February 11, 2025, Special Called. Meeting at 6:00 p.m. County Clerk Stephens stated that the vote taken during the February 10, 2025, Special Called Meeting at 6:00 p.m. would need to be rescinded. County Clerk Stephens added that after the vote was taken and the minutes were approved, it was realized that Chairman Worsley was not in attendance for the February 11, 2025, Special Called Meeting. County Clerk Stephens continued that those that were in attendance on February 3, 2025, were Vice Chairman Emmett Collins, Commissioner Gene King, and Commissioner Jennifer Snelson. County Clerk Stephens concluded that Chairman Adam Worsley and Commissioner Bryan Threadgill would need to abstain. A motion was made to rescind the Minute Approval from February 11, 2025, Special Called Meeting and approve the February 11, 20256 Special Called Meeting Minutes by Commissioner King and seconded by Commissioner Snelson. Discussion occurred between the Board and Staff for further clarification on who needed to vote. Voting in favor of the motion were Vice Chairman Collins, Commissioner King, and Commissioner Snelson. Chairman Worsley abstained. 4. Minutes February 11, 2025, Special Called Meeting 6:00 p.m. - Minutes need to be approved after rescinding. A motion was made to approve the Minutes of the February 11, 2025, Special Called Meeting by Vice Chairman Collins and seconded by Commissioner Snelson. Voting in favor were Vice Chairman Collins, Commissioner King, and Commissioner Snelson. Chairman Worsley abstained the vote. Commissioner King stated they might want to check the motion and vote because earlier he made a motion to rescind and approve February 11, 2025, Special Called Meeting Minutes. County Clerk Stephens stated that it was okay. 5. Rescind Minute. Approval from February 18, 2025, Special Called Meeting at 6:00 p.m. County Clerk Stephens stated that the vote that was taken dure the February 20, 2025, Special Called Meeting at 6:00 p.m. would need to be rescinded. County Clerk Stephens continued that after the vote was taken and the minutes were approved, it was realized the Commissioner King was not in attendance for the February 18, 2025, Special Called Meeting. County Clerk Stephens stated that the motion was never rescinded during the February 20, 2025, Special Called Meeting and was only tabled until February 25, 2025, Regular Meeting. County Clerk Stephens added that Vice Chairman Collins was not present during the February 20, 2025, Special Called Meeting and would need to abstain from the vote to rescind the approval of the February 18, 2025, Special Called Meeting Minutes. County Clerk Stephens stated that those that were in attendance on February 18, 2025, were Chairman Adam Worsley, Vice Chairman Emmett Collins, and Commissioner. Jennifer Snelson. County Clerk Stephens concluded that Commissioner Gene King and Commissioner Bryan Threadgill would need to abstain. A motion was made to rescind the approval by Commissioner Snelson and seconded by Commissioner King. Voting in favor were Chairman Adam Worsley, Commissioner King, and Commissioner Snelson. Vice Chairman Collins abstained the vote. 6. Minutes February 18, 2025, Special Called Meeting 6:00 p.m. = Tabled from February 20, 2025, SCM at 6:00 p.m. A motion was made to approve the minutes by Commissioner Snelson and seconded by Vice Chairman Collins. Voting in favor were Chairman Adam Worsley, Vice Chairman Collins, and Commissioner Snelson. Commissioner King abstained the vote. Commissioner King mentioned that he wanted to address the public to ensure that they were not under the impression the Commissioners were missing a lot of meetings. Commissioner King wanted them to understand that the meeting minutes they were adjusting were just for House Bill 581 Public Hearings and they only needed a three person quorum for those. 7. Minutes February 20, 2025, Special Called Meeting 6:00 p.m. A motion was made to approve the Minutes from February 20, 2025, meeting by Commissioner Snelson and seconded by Commissioner King. Voting in favor were Chairman Worsley, Commissioner King, and Commissioner Snelson. Vice Chairman Collins abstained from the vote. Chairman Worsley stated that they go by as a Board was Robert' S Rules ofOrder - which meant they could approve the minutes without having to be present for the meeting. Chairman Worsley asked ift they could clarify that with the Staff, SO they did not have to do this again. County Attorney Michael Hill stated that it had been precedent that ifthey weren'ta at the meeting then they wouldn't vote on that particular reason because they were not there for that meeting. Chairman Worsley stated that he was fine with that and respected it, but if they made those type of mistakes again where three Board members approve minutes that are printed and documented that they read - they shouldn't have to go back and do that again. Commissioner King stated that it made sense. X. PUBLIC HEARING There were no Public Hearings. XI. APPOINTMENTS There were no Appointments. XII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS I. StaffUpdate - Cane Creek Bridge Project County Administrator Gorton stated Staff had identified the road discussed at the last meeting and was currently researching whether it was ever officially abandoned. County Administrator Gorton continued that after reviewing available records, they were unable to determine if the County formally closed or abandoned Cane Creek Road at its intersection with Old Woodbury Highway/Bartee Road. County Administrator Gorton stated that the following discussions with individuals familiar with the properties, it was recommended that the County engage in negotiations with the landowners along the old road to regain access and right-of-way rights needed for reopening. County Administrator Gorton added that the primary challenge in restoring the section of the road would be reinstalling a culvert across Cane Creek to provide access to all property owners affected by the bridge closure. County Administrator Gorton concluded that Staff was requesting the Board's approval to initiate discussions with the relevant landowners - Kim Brothers Farm, LLC, Cane Creek Ranch, LLC, and JRL PB Investments, LLC -t to negotiate right-of-way access for reopening Cane Creek Road from Old Highway 85/ Bartee Road to the closed railroad bridge. Chairman Worsley asked if he just needed permission from them to engage in that conversation. County Administrator Gorton replied that he was correct. Vice Chairman Collins stated that he did not believe they would need to talk with anybody but the Kim Brothers, because they owned land on both sides ofthe road to the bridge. Vice Chairman Collins added that once you get across the bridge it was Cane Creek Ranch, JRL, and PB Investments, and they wanted them to get across the bridge. Vice Chairman Collins stated that the only problem he would have was with Kim Brothers. County Administrator Gorton stated that they wanted to negotiate with all of them to make sure everyone was on the same page. Discussion occurred about the direction about how to get to the bridge. Chairman Worsley asked ift there was documentation of the State forcing them to close the road to be able to get State funds in the future. County Clerk Stephens stated that the Minutes went back all the way to 1988 - She found where they said they were responsible for the bridge, and she also found Minutes where it stated CSX was responsible for the bridge. County Clerk Stephens added that she found Minutes where they closed the road in 2001 and then reopened in 2007. County Clerk Stephens continued that there were Minutes that stated that the State ordered 30 roads to be closed because they weren't used. County Clerk Stephens stated that they had Public Hearings on Pilgrim Rest Church Road, and it was not closed because they decided to leave it open, and that the County was responsible for maintaining Pilgrim Rest Church Road. County Clerk Stephens stated that she could not find anything specific that said the State was not going to give funding, but she did see in some ofthe Minutes that the State had given $40,000 to repair the bridge, but she didn't see where it was done. Vice Chairman Collins stated that it was a Commissioner that was telling him that. Chairman Worsley stated that he knew, but as they went through, they needed to make sure they had documentation. County Clerk Stephens stated that in 2013 Attorney Tyron Elliott discovered the road was not properly closed and the cost oft the CSX bridge repairs was $140,000 - nothing happened for one year. County Clerk Stephens continued to read the minutes from 2013. Chairman Worsley stated that was a different bridge and the one she was referring to be the one that went over the railroad, and that based off what County Clerk Stephens said, the County owned the bridge that went over the CSX tracks. More discussion occurred about the road and bridge closure. Chairman Worsley asked if County Administrator Gorton just needed authorization from the Board to engage the property owners to come up with a solution. County Administrator Gorton replied yes sir, Mr. Chairman. Chairman Worsley asked ifthere was a motion from the Board. A motion was made to approve by Vice Chairman Collins and seconded by Commissioner Snelson. All were in favor. XIII. NEW BUSINESS 1. Approval from Board to Open 2025 TSPLOST Bank Account at F&M Bank County Administrator Gorton stated that the 2025 TSPLOST (TSPLOST3) was set to take effect in April 2025. County Administrator Gorton continued that in preparation for the funding, Staff was seeking authorization to open a new account at F&M Bank under the title "2025 TSPLOST," with the approved 2025 Bank Signers. County Administrator Gorton concluded that the current 2020 TSPLOST was at F&M Bank. Chairman Worsley asked if they had to keep each TSPLOST. County Administrator Gorton replied that they didn't have to, but they liked to give everybody in the County a little bit of funding from the County. Vice Chairman Collins stated that as long as it worked out equally that he was fine with it. County Administrator Gorton stated that since they had the 2020 TSPLOST - it would easier with the State to just change account numbers instead of routing an account number. Commissioner King stated that he thought it helped with transparency too. Vice Chairman Collins who had the 2020 TSPLOST. County Administrator Gorton replied F&M Bank. County Administrator Gorton stated that it was TPLOST3 because the second page behind it classifies the current TSPLOST as TSPLOST2, but it was actually the first TSPLOST for Meriwether County, and this would be the second round. County Administrator Gorton concluded that he was assuming the State was calling it TSPLOST3. County Clerk Stephens stated that she believed it was because they had a TSPLOST on the ballot before they could do single county, but it did not pass. A motion was made to approve the opening of 2025 TSPLOST Bank Account at F&M Bank by Vice Chairman Collins. The motion was seconded by Commissioner King. All were in favor. 2. Approval from Board to Open Recreation Department Bank Account at United Bank County Administrator Gorton stated that Staff was requesting the opening of a new bank account for the Recreation Department at United Bank, titled "Recreation, 99 to track revenue received by the department. County Administrator Gorton continued that the account would assist staff in preparing the annual budget by accurately recording revenues and expenses. County Administrator Gorton added that it would be primarily funded through concession sales and sponsorships, with expenditure covering concession supplies and uniforms. County Administrator Gorton concluded that the majority of the funding would continue to come from the General Fund. A motion was made to open a bank account at United Bank in Woodbury titled Recreation to tract revenue received by the Department by Vice Chairman Collins and seconded by Commissioner King. All were in favor. 3. Approval to give 60-day Notice to Terminate Lease - Elections Building Rental at 133 S. Court Square. County Administrator Gorton stated that Staff was requesting approval to issue a 60-day notice to Allen Hand regarding the space rented by Elections for election equipment, effective March 1, 2025, with a vacate date of April 30, 2025. County Administrator Gorton added that legal had reviewed and signed off on it, and they just needed a motion to allow the Chair to sign the letter to give the 60-day notice. Commissioner King asked if the other office would be completed in sixty days. County Administrator Gorton replied yes, and that he was moving quickly and ift they saw it - it looked like a month s worth of work that had been done in a 12 day period. Commissioner King asked if the security part ofit would be done within sixty days and if they vote now to terminate the lease within sixty days - it had to be ready. County Administrator Gorton replied yes sir, and in the contract, it stated that it would have to be ready by April 18, 2025. A motion was made to approve the sixty day notice to terminate lease - Election Building Rental at 133 S. Court Square and allow the Chair to sign by Commissioner King. Commissioner Snelson seconded the motion. All were in favor. 4. Consideration and Approval of EMS Power Stretcher and Cot for New Ambulance/Box Remount County Administrator Gorton stated that Staff was requesting approval for the purchase of a power stretcher and cot for the new ambulance box remount being completed by Custom Truck and Body Works, Inc., at a cost of $63,317.00. County Administrator Gorton stated that it was noted in the attached documentation from ChiefStephens, the price included the installation of the power load and cot in the new truck. County Administrator Gorton added that the purchase would be funded from the EMS Equipment Lease & Maintenance budget line item for FY25, which had an allocated budget of$165,000. County Administrator Gorton stated that Chief Stephens had also recommended outfitting all ambulances with this equipment as soon as possible due to recent workers' compensation claims related to lifting patients into ambulances. County Administrator Gorton continued that existing cots were aging and should be replaced to prevent potential failures. County Administrator Gorton stated that the attached quote from Custom Truck and Body Works, Inc. for $63,317.00 and a quote from Stryker for $72,851.37 not including installation. County Administrator Gorton concluded that Staff recommended the quote from Custom Truck and Body Works, Inc. for $63,317.00 and to allow the County Administrator to sign the Change Order with an updated date. Commissioner King asked if the cost was in the budget. County Administrator Gorton replied yes, and it was a line item budget item under EMS Equipment Lease & Maintenance, and it had $165,000 in there. County Fire Chief Stephens asked if anyone had any questions. County Fire Chief Stephens added that this was a system and that they only purchased one new stretcher out ofthe three new ambulances that they had remounted, and they were starting to get some age on some of their other stretchers. County Fire Chief Stephens added that some of those things were 10, 12 years old. County Fire Chief Stephens continued that this was a system that actually loaded the stretcher into the ambulance. County Fire Chief Stephens stated that he had two worker's comp claims within the last month with lifting patients - one was an elbow, and one was al back. County Fire Chief Stephens went into further detail explaining how this system would alleviate strain and the difference it would make compared to their current system. Commissioner King asked if this was on all of them. County Fire Chief Stephens replied not yet, and that' 's why they put it in the budget. County Fire Chief Stephens stated they were going to try to do a lease program with Stryker to get some cardiac monitors, stretchers, and some AEDs. County Fire Chief Stephens added that they didn't want to do the lease program because of the interest. Commissioner King stated that he wished they could afford to do all of them. Vice Chairman Collins stated that it was aj perfect time with a brand new ambulance remounted and started to make a motion to approve. Commissioner King stated that he wasn' 't finished with what he was saying. Commissioner King asked how they determined which ambulances received the systems. Discussion occurred regarding the price from Custom Truck and Body Works, Inc. and how many systems would be purchased in the future. County Administrator Gorton stated that Staff asks with the motion that it be based off an updated quote from Custom Truck & Body Works, Inc. because the quote they had was dated February 13, 2025. County Administrator Gorton added that they would need an updated quote and allow the Chair to sign. Chairman Worsley asked ifthey need to approve to not exceed an amount. County Clerk Stephens stated that's what she would do, and that the quote was not that old. County Administrator Gorton stated that it [the quote] was good for ten days, SO it expired on the 23rd. County Fire Chief Stephens stated that he did not see that changing. County Attorney Hill stated that they could do an up to amount. A motion was made to approve the MTS power load, the 6507 power pro 2 purchase from Custom Truck Bodies not to exceed $63,317.00 by Vice Chairman Collins. The motion was seconded by Commissioner King. All were in favor. 5. Staff Update - November Lane County Administrator Gorton stated that he visited November Lane and confirmed that the signage had been updated to white lettering and marked as a private road, now reading November Ln PVT." County Administrator Gorton added that the attached were photos ofthe area, which showed that November Lane sloped into Crawford Creek Road. County Administrator Gorton stated that based on staff research, records from April 22, 1981, indicated that the property owners at that time granted an easement to another property owner. County Administrator Gorton added that after further investigation and discussions with Mr. Dunlap, he located a survey from March 22, 1991, which still reflected the easement. County Administrator Gorton continued that Mr. Dunlap had since informed staff that none of the original property owners or their heirs currently on the property or residing in the area. County Administrator Gorton added that his family is now the sole owner of the property on November Lane, leading to the conclusion that the easement should no longer be in place and that the road had historically been private. County Administrator Gorton stated that minutes from November 23, 2010, Board meeting showed that the Board previously requested a Right to Entry agreement from property owners to allow the County to conduct necessary repairs. County Administrator Gorton concluded that Mr. Dunlap was now requesting assistance from the County to repair the road. Chairman Worsley stated that they did find where it was a private road. County Administrator Gorton replied he was correct. Chairman Worsley stated that they found the meeting notes from fifteen years ago - the Board authorized County Employees to go out and do some work. County Administrator Gorton replied that he was correct. Chairman Worsley stated that may have been where some of their confusion was, since the County did go with consent from them trying to go in good faith to help. Vice Chairman Collins stated that it seemed like they did that work because they determined that the water was coming off a County road and was washing November Lane. County Administrator Gorton stated he was correct, and believed he was right. County Administrator Gorton added that looking at Crawford Creek it was flat, and November Lane sloped down - he had never seen water run up hill and he didn't see how Crawford Creek was running onto November Lane with almost a 15 to 20 degree slope coming offl November Lane. County Administrator Gorton continued that he could surely reach out to Mr. Dunlap to see what he was actually requesting further down on the private road, but he didn't feel comfortable going further past a couple feet on a private road. Vice Chairman Collins stated that he didn't think they should make it a habit to of giving to private property. Commissioner Snelson stated that she agreed. Chairman Worsley asked if any action needed to be taken. County Administrator Gorton replied no, and that this was just an update. XIV. REPORT FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR County Administrator John Gorton stated that leadership attended leadership training for five days and the majority of department heads and upper management attended this training, and it was very helpful with managers engaging with their employees. County Administrator Gorton stated that they attended the House Bill 581 Public Hearings, and they would hand deliver those documents to the Secretary of State on February 26, 2025. County Administrator Gorton stated that he had a Finance Director interview on February 24, 2025, and made them an offer and was waiting on a response from the applicant. He will also be interviewing a Public Works Director candidate on Thursday. County Administrator Gorton stated he researched November Lane and Crawford Creek. County Administrator Gorton stated he attended a Tax Assessor' 's Meeting. County Administrator Gorton stated he had a Recreation Director interview on March 5, 2025. He will be attending the Town ofLone Oak Meeting on March 3, 2025. County Administrator Gorton stated he received word from the auditors, and they were about 90% completed with the audit in only 3 weeks. XV. REPORT FROM COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Vice Chairman Emmett Collins: Vice Chairman Collins stated that he wanted to thank the Staffand employees for all the work they had done and continue to do. Vice Chairman Collins stated that he went to a class yesterday about federal and state regulations, and he learned a lot and got some good contacts for Allyson on some grants. Commissioner Jennifer Snelson: Commissioner Snelson requested for next month that they add an Agenda item to discuss Commissioner packets being made available to the Public on the day oft the Meeting, online and on their website. Commissioner Snelson added that it would help with transparency and the citizens could look it up ahead of time and have an idea of what they would be talking about. Commissioner Snelson stated that she had been riding some of the dirt roads and she was proud to see some of the work that had been done. Commissioner Snelson continued that she had a lot of citizens emailed and texted her to say thank you. Commissioner Snelson thanked the citizens for keeping eye out and asked that everyone continue to work together. Commissioner Gene King: Commissioner King stated that they appreciated all the work the employees ofMeriwether County perform each day. Commissioner King stated that the patching stuff must have been going pretty good - he had several people call him to say that they were pleased with the work being done. Chairman Adam Worsley: Chairman Worsley thanked everyone for the job that they were doing and to. just keep up the good work. Chairman Worsley concluded that everyone was working hard and wanted to thank them for that. XVI. REPORT FROM COUNTY ATTORNEY County Attorney Michael Hill had no report but asked if there was a need for Executive Session. County Administrator John Gorton replied yes, and for the purpose ofLitigation, Personnel, and Real Estate. County Administrator Gorton stated that he forgot to mention one thing an update from Piedmont about the culverts - they were waiting on sheeting piling to be delivered, and it was in, but the rain had caused the water levels to be too high and they were waiting for it to recede a little bit. County Administrator Gorton added that it was for Tigner Road and Trammell Road. County Administrator Gorton stated that the patching was behind, and they anticipated starting on that within the next week or two and that was for Mt. Carmel Road, Rocky Mount Road, King Road, and Flat Shoals Road. County Administrator Gorton continued that with the patcher up and running, they would be using in-house instead of out-house patch work. Commissioner King asked about Sullivan Mill Road and stated that there were three potholes that could knock out a front alignment. Commissioner Snelson stated they were out on King Road doing a good job that day. County Administrator Gorton stated that he would get the patching crew out there. Chairman Worsley stated to not forget about Harry Hardy Road and Wadley Street. Vice Chairman Collins asked if they were running just one crew. County Administrator Gorton replied that it was a four-man crew and that they were alternating in between two different crews SO they could have experience. Discussion occurred about different products being used for patchwork. XVII. EXECUTIVE SESSION A motion was made to go into Executive Session to discuss Litigation, Personnel, and Real Estate by Vice Chairman Collins and seconded by Commissioner Snelson at 7:23 p.m. All were in favor. A motion was made to come out ofl Executive Session at 8:39 p.m. by Commissioner King and seconded by Vice Chairman Collins. All were in favor. A motion was made to go back into Regular Session at 8:41 p.m. by Commissioner King and seconded by Commissioner Snelson. All were in favor. There was no action taken in the Executive Session. XVIII. FUTURE MEETINGS & NOTICES Chairman Worsley announced Future Meetings prior to Executive Session. XIX. ADJOURNMENT With no further discussion, a motion was made by Vice Chairman Collins and seconded by Commissioner Snelson to Adjourn the Meeting at 8:42 p.m. All were in favor. Approved by: Aaionily ol nfthe Boarid Cormissines Attest: dtyokeno Counly Clerk Date: A 76