At last week’s county commission meeting, the commission addressed the 60-house commercial poultry farm slated for south Coffee County, awarded the bid for the Bud Hutcheson/Chaney Road project, and approved an upcoming referendum for voters to decide whether or not Sunday alcohol sales will be allowed in the county, among other items of business.
For the second meeting in a row, citizens who oppose the large commercial poultry farm attended the county commission meeting to voice their concerns. At last month’s meeting, just a few people attended. This month, there was a room of people who are not happy with the farm.
Several citizens during the meeting, each voicing concerns that they’ve mentioned in other meetings but not as a group in front of the county commission. They are worried about the environmental impact the houses will have on the Satilla River, the sandhill habitat of the site, which includes endangered indigo snakes and gopher tortoises, and possible contamination of groundwater; odors; dirt, dust, and other pollutants; declining values of adjoining properties; whether or not proper laws and procedures have been followed as the work at the location continues; and the number of people who reportedly will live on the site to take care of the houses.
“It would seem to me that it’d be a good time to take a pause here and let’s stop construction out there until we can get some answers to some of these questions,” said Charles Stapleton, who lives and owns property near the site of the farm. He continued: “I hope you understand – we’re not going to quit. The people in this room are committed to this labor. We’re not going to quit. We’re making arrangements to get our self-protection and do it right now as we speak. So it’s going to be a fight.”
After everyone had spoken, commission chair Johnny Wayne Jowers addressed the group. “You have been heard. We are listening. You can be assured of that. We do work to serve you. That’s our sole purpose here. We want what you want and we want what’s best for Coffee County,” he said.
In other commission news, commissioners awarded the paving contract for Bud Hutcheson Road/Chaney Road/Grandview Circle to East Coast Asphalt for $4,242,398.63. Most of the work is new construction. However, there is a portion of Bud Hutcheson Road that is paved and it will re-surfaced as a part of the project. The Bud Hutcheson project is a TIA project while the other two are locally funded. The projects will be on a 480-day timeline once construction begins. If the work goes beyond 480 days, the county will charge East Coast $3,500 per day until the project is completed.
Commissioners also approved resolution to put a local referendum on the ballot for the November election regarding Sunday alcohol sales. Currently, some Sunday alcohol sales are allowed in the city but not in the city. In November, local voters will cast vote to allow or prohibit Sunday sales on the premises of restaurants and package sales at retail establishments.
Here are other items the commission approved:
- Temporary property tax relief for standing timber located in disaster areas in the county. This gives the county and the school board the authority to waive timber taxes collected for the last quarter of 2024 and the full calendar year for 2025 due to Hurricane Helene. To get tax relief, timber owners would have to provide documentation showing that the damage that occurred happened because of Hurricane Helene. If taxes have been paid, this resolution directs the tax commissioner to refund the money back to the individual. Property owners who have paid taxes would need to contact the tax commissioner’s office in order to get the refund process started. The state will reimburse the county for the lost revenue.
- The second amendment to the independent contractor agreement with Debris Tech, the company that oversaw the debris monitoring in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The county had approved a previous contract amendment increasing the contract from $8 million to $8.5 million. This adds another $1 million to the contract, taking it to $9.5 million. “We need to do this in order to make sure that we get funding from FEMA. So this basically sets it not to exceed $9.5 million. They are completed with work in Coffee County now so it’s just mainly cleanup of the debris sites. Debris Tech is finished with their jobs,” said County Administrator Wesley Vickers.
- Other items were primarily standard business the county conducts in July of each year, including contracts/agreements with Unison Behavioral Health, the Department of Health, Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Juvenile Court, and indigent defense representation.