Habersham County

The meeting began with the adoption of the agenda and several presentations, including an Employee Spotlight and announcements regarding holiday office closures. A primary focus was the public hearing for Conditional Use application CU-25-05, concerning a C&D Transfer Station and Recycling Center proposed by Greenworks Solutions, LLC. Despite Planning Commission denial due to traffic concerns, the Board ultimately approved the conditional use with four stipulations, including specific hours of operation, a 25-foot vegetative buffer, and a 50-foot undisturbed buffer from streams, with Chairman Tench dissenting. The Board also reviewed and adopted a new Fireworks Permit Ordinance regulating public displays, which passed unanimously. Under the consent agenda, several items were approved, including resolutions setting 2026 Qualifying Fees and fees related to the new Firework Ordinance, as well as various service contracts and alcohol license renewals. Additionally, several appointments and reappointments were made to various advisory boards and commissions, including the Library Board and Planning Commission. New business included the unanimous approval of a $20,000 annual pay supplement for Sheriff Robin Krockum. The meeting concluded with extensive additional comments from commissioners reflecting on public service, community character preservation, and the context surrounding the C&D facility decision.

The meeting agenda included the Call to Order, Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, and Adoption of the Agenda. Key items involved the Commission Officer Election for 2026 for Chairman and Vice Chairman. A Special Recognition was given to Ken Schubring, and the Employee Spotlight featured the Animal Control Department. A Public Hearing was scheduled for CU-26-01 regarding a Conditional Use application for an Event Center and Farm Tours. The Consent Agenda included the consideration and approval of minutes from a previous Joint Work Session and Board Meeting, approval of revised Ground Lease Agreements for hangars at the airport, authorization to file a Roadway Project Grant application, and consideration of Alcohol License Issuance/Renewals. Reports were scheduled covering the 2025 County Financial Audit, the County Manager's Report, and a Departmental Update from Risk Management. Appointments were addressed for the Development Authority and the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission. The session concluded with an Executive Session to discuss Litigation, Personnel, and Property Disposal matters.

The joint work session focused on establishing guiding principles for revising the Comprehensive Plan and the county zoning ordinance. Key discussion points included directing future growth toward existing transportation corridors to preserve rural character, recognizing the county's reliance on property taxes due to not receiving local option sales tax revenue, and the strain this places on infrastructure capacity. Consensus was reached to increase minimum lot sizes in rural zones to ten acres, with exceptions for immediate family subdivision. Proposed changes to road construction standards require enhanced specifications and mandated eighteen-month maintenance bonds, with a policy shift requiring new subdivisions to establish homeowners' associations for internal road maintenance. The county plans to conduct an impact fee study in 2026, and large developments will require impact and traffic studies. Other topics covered included maintaining low-density residential development in unincorporated areas, allowing conservation subdivisions but not promoting them as standard, implementing stricter landscaping/tree preservation standards enforced by HOAs, limiting commercial development to major state highway corridors with enhanced design requirements, establishing stricter permitting for special use venues, limiting manufactured home installations older than seven years, and considering water supply capacity in future growth planning. The session concluded with an agreement to guide policy drafting based on these principles before the development moratorium expires in February 2026.

Habersham County is seeking approval to auction off high-mileage, used vehicles and equipment that are no longer in service or are fiscally irresponsible due to high maintenance costs. The items will be auctioned on GovDeals.com for a period of fourteen days, and items beyond use will be sold for scrap. Revenue from the sales will be included in the current fiscal year.

The Habersham County Board of Commissioners discussed the lease-purchase agreement with South State Bank for patrol vehicles. The agreement aims to address the unsustainable replacement cycle and high maintenance costs of the existing fleet. The Sheriff's Office plans to acquire approximately 30 vehicles over five years, funded by the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The total cost, including interest, will remain within the projected 5-year CIP budget. The board is asked to formalize and acknowledge the approval of the lease-purchase agreement and authorize the Chairman to sign all necessary documents.