Morgan E Aune

The meeting featured a tour of the Little River Wastewater Treatment Plant conducted by the WWTP Manager and Assistant Manager. Key agenda items included the presentation and approval of the agenda. The Human Resources Director provided the Quarterly Activities Report, covering updates on Health/Benefits, Wellness/Fitness/Nutrition, Classification/Compensation, and Budget/Legal/Other items, noting that Open Enrollment was extended due to Hurricane Helene. A general discussion followed, and members were asked to review the Annual Report Draft.

The meeting began with an invocation and the pledge of allegiance. A key discussion involved a request (A1RZ25-12-04) to rezone two properties on South Bair Road from Community Commercial (CC) to R2 Single Family Residential. The applicant requested this change to provide a larger buffer against adjacent commercial development, following a failed prior agreement with a developer who backed out after the time-limited conditional use expired. Staff recommended disapproval, as the property lies within the long-term Professional Corridor designated for commercial use. The applicant argued that the rezoning to R2 would enforce necessary buffers for their existing homes against potential future commercial build-out. A representative for the developer countered, stating that under the current CC zoning, they would still implement buffer landscaping exceeding existing conditions to protect the residential properties.

The committee meeting addressed numerous agenda items categorized as New Business and reports. Key discussions and approvals included adding a cell phone allowance for the Animal Services Manager retroactive to December 14, 2025, and approving a tennis contractor agreement with Peter Petersburg Tennis Academy, effective February 3, 2026. The committee accepted several donations for animal services and the senior center. They approved an amendment to Chapter 14 ordinance concerning appeals for the dangerous dog ordinance, transferring authority to the Columbia County Probate Court. The Fire and Emergency Services section involved accepting a bid of $25,310 for 30 Scott self-contained breathing apparatus units. Under new business, the committee approved an additional cost of $9,122.50 to upgrade two sheriff's office trucks from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive. An ancillary dwelling variance request for a large structure was approved. Water utility matters included approving Change Order Number Two for the Harlem Uchi Creek interceptor project, resulting in an additional cost of $100,850.50, and awarding a bid of $1,157,146.45 for a new access driveway at the Jim Blanchard water treatment plant. The committee also approved a $162,345.00 stock replacement for census smart points and a maintenance agreement with Yansy Power Systems for large generators. Other actions involved accepting an easement agreement with Georgia Power for a lift station and approving the purchase and installation of traffic cameras at the Apple Harlem Road and I20 intersection. Easements and dedication of sewer systems for Elite Learning Academy and acceptance of improvements for Tiller Park Area 7 were also approved. The Community Services division presented a year-end review noting increased library attendance and high park visitation rankings.

The meeting involved the approval of the minutes from the November 4th, 2025 meeting. Key discussions centered on the consent agenda (which was empty), followed by debate and a successful first reading of an ordinance to create a Data Center District (DC) zoning classification. Public comments were heard regarding this ordinance, specifically criticizing the proposed 70 dB noise limit as insufficient and proposing stricter standards found in other jurisdictions, such as Prince William County, Virginia, and discussing limitations on lighting and setbacks. The board also approved an independent contract for milling and resurfacing the Memorial Park Trail, budgeted up to $150,000, with costs expected to be FEMA reimburseable. Finally, updates were provided on the data center project, confirming Georgia Power's approval of the power consumption model and noting that land acquisition was expected to finalize by December 19th.

The meeting of the Community & Emergency Services Committee included several key actions. For the Community Services division, a year-end review was presented, noting over 4,000 games played for youth sports, a 5.2% increase in library attendance in 2025, and four of the county's parks ranking in the top 100 in the state. The committee approved adding a cell phone allowance of $539 per pay period to the Animal Services Manager position, effective retroactively to December 14, 2025. A tennis contractor agreement with Peter Petersburg Tennis Academy was approved, extending instruction to Patriots Park. Approvals were granted for several donations, including $100 donations from Jill Holly, Sheila Dander, and Me Peeler, $150 from Mick Morehead, $1,500 from Michael Haynes, $100 from an anonymous donor, $500 from Jeffrey Morris, $200 from Rodney Burrus, $375 for the Senior Center from Robert Shinkle, and $2,000 from the Merchants Association of Columbia County towards youth sports registration fee scholarships. A tournament hosting agreement with Perfect Game Baseball for 10 youth tournaments was approved, requiring a $5,000 host fee funded by FY26 Hotel Motel funds. An amendment to the Animal Services ordinance was approved to transfer appeal authority for dangerous dog rulings from the Advisory Board to the Columbia County Probate Court. For Fire and Emergency Services, the acceptance of a bid for $25,310 for 30 new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units from American Safety and Fire Hose was approved; old units will be used for training until destruction. The committee also reviewed the 2025 total run report and budget report for the division.