Partnership to pay for paving job

The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed to give Lexington up to $25,000 to help repave the area around the Oglethorpe County Courthouse in its monthly meeting on Monday night.

Lexington Mayor Craig Snow asked the county for “any assistance” in repaving the roads and parking spaces — what he called the “outer horseshoe” — around the courthouse. The project likely will cost more than $50,000.

“Lexington, right there at the courthouse, and then in Crawford, is where everybody comes to Oglethorpe,” Snow said. “It’s real visible, and right now it kind of looks run down.”

The BOC agreed to help Lexington since the courthouse is a focal point for the county.

“The street is one thing, but most of the paving is going to be the parking spaces around it, and that’s primarily used by the courthouse,” public works director Adam Nation told the BOC. 

The board voted to allow BOC Chairman Jay Paul to give up to $25,000 from the 2017 SPLOST fund for the project. Snow said he would talk to Paul to work on the details of the transaction.

Snow said Lexington had two quotes on the project: $51,100 from All About Asphalt and $50,100 from Hammond. 

The BOC agreed to let Lexington decide which bid to accept.

MOAS asks for financial help

Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter treasurer Glenda Faulkner requested financial assistance from the board in the public comment portion of the agenda.

District 2 Commissioner Andy Saxon raised concerns about MOAS and Oglethorpe County not having an agreement that would allow the shelter to act as an impoundment facility, which Paul said he emailed the shelter about “two, three weeks ago,” but received no response.

“Y’all are struggling financially,” Paul said. “I hate that. We’re wanting to work with you, but we want some work from the other end.”

Faulkner said Paul’s email may have been “lost in the ether” after MOAS director Erica Hendrix resigned last month. Juli Huth is the interim director. 

Chapter 40 of Georgia Rules and Regulations prohibits MOAS from acting as an impoundment facility for the county unless the two have an “active contract.” 

Earlier this summer, resident Fern Williams filed a writ of mandamus against the county over the lack of an impoundment facility, among other animal control issues. The case was dismissed, but Paul said Monday night that it will cost the county at least $10,000.

MOAS will cut $42,443 in expenses next year, Faulkner told the BOC. 

In other business, the BOC:

• Approved Barry Mathews’ request to rezone land from general agriculture to intensive agriculture and a variance to setback requirements as recommended by the zoning board.
• Approved the Robbie Nell Appling estate’s request to rezone land from general agriculture to residential to subdivide four acres as recommended by the zoning board. The subdivision may not be further subdivided.
• Tabled Kurt Wolfe’s request to rezone land from general agriculture to single family residential. The zoning board recommended approval of the rezone. The rezone was also tabled at the July BOC meeting.
• Received a presentation from the UGA Cooperative Extension and 4-H.
• Approved recreation department director Michael White’s request to purchase a John Deere ProGator and related equipment for about $47,000. The money will come from the 2022 SPLOST fund.
• Approved the administrative consent agenda, which included minutes from July’s meeting, the monthly financial report and the $18,400 purchase of a single-wing mower for the public works department. The mower would replace one that’s about nine years old and has mowed about 2,000 miles a year.
• Heard from Randy Gordon and Brad Johns about improving Almond Drive in Comer so residents can receive better postal service.
• Heard from Sherry Calloway about improving Garden Drive in Crawford.
• Entered an executive session for the purpose of personnel.