The first county commission meeting of the year always features an agenda full of the standard resolutions, agreements, and appointments the county has to take care of the beginning of each calendar year. The first meeting of 2026 featured those items as well as few others that proved a little more interesting.
Most notably, there were several rezoning requests the county considered, several of which resulted in significant discussion. Carlton Dorminey had three requests on the agenda, one of which was denied with the other being tabled.
The first requestions was for 23.01 acres located at 4252 Highway 32 West from R-1 Residential to W-LI Warehouse Light Industrial. The intended use for the property if re-zoned would be a manufacturing and storage facility for cargo trailer parts and components. The Planning Commission recommended the request be denied. County staff agreed, primarily because of the close proximity of houses to the property and the fact that the W-LI zoning would open up the property to a variety of uses, including adult entertainment establishments, alcohol and liquor sales, an outdoor gun range, fuel and fuel storage facilities, junkyard/salvage operations, and the like.
Several nearby residents voiced their opposition to the request. Commissioners unanimously voted to deny the request.
Dorminey’s other two requests were for 10 acres at 3572 Highway 32 West and 10 acres at 3916 Highway 32 West, both of which would be going from R-1 Residential to C Commercial. Many of the same residents who spoke out against the previous request again stated their opposition to these other two requests. Commissioners voted to table these requests until next month’s meeting to discuss a few points of concern with Dorminey.
The commission heard the first reading of two other re-zoning requests, one from Alma Garcia for 20.53 acres at 436 Old Country Road in Broxton from AG Agriculture to W-LI Light Industrial and another from Johnny Brantley Jr. for 9.52 acres at 6811 Highway 32 West from R2 Residential to C Commercial. The Planning Commission and county staff recommend denying Garcia’s request and approving Brantley’s request. The county commission will hold public hearings and vote on the items at February’s meeting.
In other commission news, commissioners approved the following:
- The alcohol license renewals for restaurants and stores in the county;
- Members of the various boards and authorities that expired on December 31, 2025;
- The proposal from Jacobs Engineering Group for monitoring the old landfill (two-year contract, $72,295);
- Naming an open records custodian for the county and the sheriff’s office (Tracie Vickers for the county, Sheriff Fred Cole will name his department’s custodian); and
- The proposal from Georgia Mass Appraisal Solutions & Services for appraisal maintenance services (one-year contract).