Cherokee County Board Highlights: March 7 Meeting

Press release from Cherokee County:

March 13, 2023

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has memorialized the county’s objections to two pieces of legislation dealing with development regulations and stripping local control from governing boards.

Neither bill crossed over to the other house by March 6. (Crossover Day) and likely will not be passed this session of the General Assembly, but out of an abundance of caution, the Board wanted to take action on the resolution in case the legislation is resurrected.

“These are two pieces of legislation that would impact us. I think we should go ahead and consider the resolution,” District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter said at the work session.

The Board unanimously approved the resolution at the regular meeting March 7 officially opposing House Bills 517 and Senate Bill 188 introduced at the Georgia General Assembly. District 2 Commissioner Richard Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.

House Bill 517 would prohibit local governments from imposing design standards to some residential structures, and Senate Bill 188 would prohibit local governments from enacting or enforcing restrictions on land or residential dwellings subject to residential rental agreement more than 30 days.

In other business, the Board:

• Announced that Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services received Accredited Agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
• Approved, 5-0, to institute a 90-day moratorium on new applications for tobacco, electronic cigarette and other smoking supplies retailers, giving staff an opportunity to review the county ordinance and codes to see if any updates are needed. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 4-0-1, the minutes from the Feb. 21 work session, executive session and regular meeting. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter. District 4 Commissioner Corey Ragsdale abstained as he was not in attendance at the Feb. 21 meeting.
• Held a public hearing regarding the abandonment of a portion of Linden Lane. No one spoke, except one of the property owners who only stated he was there to answer any questions. The three property owners requested the county abandon the roadway due to vehicles coming to the peninsula in VCCI and blocking access to their homes. The road will now become private property and the road ownership will be divided among the owners as illustrated in plat and agreement between the private parties. Commissioner Carter made the motion to approve the abandonment, which was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale.
• Approved, 5-0, a request from D&R Quality Foundations to rezone 2.31 acres at 126 Green Circle from R-80 to Light Industrial for construction of a business storage warehouse. District 1 Commissioner Steve West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. The approval included a condition that forms for construction cannot be washed on-site.
• Approved, 5-0, informing the city of Woodstock that the county has no objection regarding a 1.71-acre annexation to the city of Woodstock. The Board asked staff to pass on comments from Fire & Emergency Services stating any future development should be designed and built to meet minimum state fire codes and local ordinances. The applicant is seeking to rezone the property from R-40 to OSI, Parkway Overlay for a medical office building. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, informing the city of Nelson the county does not object to a 54-acre annexation at Old Nelson Road and Jordan Road for a precast concrete manufacturing facility. The applicant is seeking to rezone the property from Agriculture and R-40 to Light Industrial. The property is adjacent to a concrete plant and a rock quarry. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the consent agenda, which includes: a budget amendment in the amount of $19,149 to accept annual state grants on behalf of Fire & Emergency Services for the EMS Trauma Grant; calling for a public hearing to be held March 21 at 6 p.m. for an Exceptional Variance request by Ark Family Church to the design standards from the Bells Ferry Community Design District; calling for a public hearing to be held March 21 at 6 p.m. regarding a proposed change to the zoning ordinance regarding the use of ATVs; and adoption of the updated Cherokee County Title VI Plan establishing compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the Marshal’s Office and Public Safety EOL Network Switch replacement totaling $86,287. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the Justice Center and Public Safety UPS replacements in the amount of $34,700. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 5-0, transmittal of the DHS FY22 contract application in the amount of $410,000 with a maximum county match totaling $2,605 to renew DHS funded service and authorize the Chairman to execute the agreement if accepted by DHS. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, accepting the FTA’s 5311 Rural Assistance Program from the Georgia Department of Transportation contract for CATS consisting of federal operating funds of 50 percent totaling $227,500 and a local match of 50 percent totaling $227,500. The budget amendment includes capital funding totaling $257,136 and a 10 percent local match. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the purchase and installation of emergency light packages and consoles for five Chevrolet Tahoes from low-bidder Dana Safety Supply for Fire & Emergency Services. The total is $74,847. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 5-0, the purchase of extrication tools, also known as the Jaws of Life, from Georgia Fire for Fire & Emergency Services. The total is $123,033. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the purchase of three Ford F-250 utility body trucks for Property Management. Each truck costs $51,288.96 for a total cost of $153,866.88. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, a proposal from Calco Engineering LLC to perform design engineering for the Stell Road Improvement Project under the annual engineering consulting services contract. The cost is $110,000. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale.
• Approved, 5-0, a rate increase for Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services ambulance transports. The rates have not been raised since 2013. The new rates are $800 for a BLS1 emergency patient, $900 for an ALS1 emergency patient; and $1,500 for an ALS2 emergency patient. The mileage reimbursement is $15 per mile. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 5-0, the adoption of revised fees currently charged by the Cherokee County Department of Environmental Health, operated by the Georgia Department of Health. The fees are set and approved by the Cherokee County Board of Health. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.

This press release was produced by Cherokee County. The views expressed here are the author's own.