UGA Extension Office coordinator Shanna Reynolds requested funding from the Oglethorpe County Commission after the AmeriCorps position was eliminated during DOGE cuts in April. (Submitted Photo))
The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners approved funding for projects across the county and potentially saved a 4-H position during Tuesday’s meeting.
Shanna Reynolds, coordinator of the UGA Extension Office, requested funding for a program coordinator, an AmeriCorps position that was eliminated by DOGE cuts in April.
The extension office had benefited from the position for nine years, she said, with Kayla Latimer filling the role before the cuts.
“If you’re familiar with our office, you may be able to imagine the place of desperation this puts us in,” Reynolds told the commissioners. “We serve 400-500 students every year, in addition to the adults we service in the county. (Latimer) was primarily responsible for a lot of that youth programming, so it’ll be impossible to maintain the same level of 4-H programming.”
Reynolds asked the commission for $8,750 to fund half the position for the rest of this year and $22,765 for 2026. She said she plans to ask the Board of Education to fund the other half for 2025 and ’26 at its meeting on July 22.
The commission voted 4-0 (Will Brown was not in attendance) to approve its half of the funding.
“I will, every year, as long as I am county coordinator, if we have this position, I will try to use it as leverage to get more UGA funding,” Reynolds said. “(Latimer) is a gem and has volunteered her time for some of our summer programs even though she is no longer getting paid. She would definitely be an asset to be able to keep.”
The BOC also unanimously approved $90,000 in SPLOST funding for a new radio tower in the Glade community at the request of the Emergency Services Commission and EMS Director Josh Robinson.
The tower, at the Glade Volunteer Fire Department at 1811 Lexington-Carlton Road, will address several EMS radio dead zones.
“There are a lot of dead zones out there, especially around the river,” Robinson said. “It falls in line with our strategic plan that the Emergency Services Commission developed, this is something we’ve talked about for almost a year now.”
The BOC awarded Garrett Paving a $1.75 million bid to resurface part of Crawford Smithonia Road, with the funds coming from various sources, including state grants.
Commissioner Andy Saxon introduced a 60-day moratorium on new poultry houses as the board reviews codes and policies related to poultry houses, which was unanimously approved.
BOC Chairman Jay Paul announced the reopening of Double Bridges Road after the completion of a new box culvert, which Paul said is thanks to Gov. Brian Kemp’s help with $500,000 and the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Michael White, director of the recreation department, reminded residents that the gym is open on a first-come basis from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Gym closures and updates are posted to the recreation department’s social media accounts.
During public comment, Scott Pettis of Crawford encouraged the BOC to take the Board of Education to federal court to challenge its right of taxation.
In other news, the BOC:
- Approved a rezone request from Randal Hubbard to rezone to agriculture residential to subdivide lots on Center Church Road.
- Approved Clifford Proffer’s request to rezone 1525 Athens Road to heavy industrial for a concrete batch plant.
- Approved Paula Wagnon’s request to rezone to agriculture residential to subdivide 1333 Crawford Smithonia Road.
- Approved USA Land Group’s request to subdivide more than 135 acres at 490 Watson Mill Road into six parcels, each more than 20 acres, with the condition that they will not be subdivided further and will maintain their own private access drives.
- Approved rezones of two Suddeth Road properties from intensive agriculture to general agriculture.
- Approved attorney Kevin McFarlin’s annual charge for handling all delinquency and Children In Need of Services cases at $12,500.