The Brantley County Board of Commissioners discussed/ approved the following agenda items during their Tuesday, April 1, 2025 work session and Thursday, April 3, 2025 meeting.
• Library Board reappointment: Commissioners unanimously approved the re-appointment of Rhonda Dowling during the Thursday, April 3 meeting.
• Tax Assessor Board: The commission unanimously approved the appointment of Sherman Tomlinson to the Tax Assessor Board.
• Resolution amending the Stormwater Management Ordinance: Commissioners approved a resolution amending a Storm Water Management ordinance with the stipulation the wording “an acre or more” be included for clarification purposes.
• Power lift from Stryker EMS: The commission unanimously approved a quote of $30,552.39 from Stryker EMS for a power lift for the last remaining ambulance without one during the April 3 meeting.
It will be paid out of the Operating Budget Under Capital.
“It’s greatly reduced our workers comp costs over the last year, so it more than pays for itself in the long run,” said EMS Director Chuck Wilson during the Tuesday, April 1 work session.
County Manager Joey Cason informed commissioners during the work session the last comp claim on lifting was January 2024.
• Stryker EMS equipment maintenance plan: Commissioners unanimously approved of a maintenance plan for Stryker EMS equipment during the monthly meeting. This was for a motion to bring all Stryker equipment maintenance plans in line with consistent repairs.
The total cost for this action will be $16,458.90 to be paid out of Opioid Funds.
“ We have around six pieces of equipment that are biomedical and stretchers,” explained Wilson during the Tuesday work session. “It covers the stretchers, the power loads, the cardiac monitors, the LUCA CPR machines, the stair chairs and the AEDs. It brings all of the biomedical equipment up to the same expiration date.
“Currently, about each piece of equipment has a different date it expires out of the maintenance plan. This will put all of the equipment on the same maintenance plan with the same expiration date so we can negotiate a better renewal price.”
Wilson said the plan will allow for installment payments.
• 2025 budget amendment for 2 percent COLA and 2% defined contribution to County 401A: The commission approved a two percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) pay increase during the monthly meeting beginning with the April 7 pay period for all full-time employees including the county clerk and county manager of their current base pay.
A motion was also amended for the County Retirement Plan through ACCG to include two percent defined contribution to all full-time employees’ 401A Plan.
The funds will come out of the EMS Collection Fund and be moved to the General Fund. The projected total is $260,897. The total in the account is $1,093,553.
• Cell tower: The board approved a special exception for a cell tower. Installation was approved of the cell tower site at 397 McDonald Loop by the Planning Commission.
• Britt Still Road mitigation credits for placement of drainage culverts: Commissioners approved mitigation credits for placement of drainage culverts on Britt Still Road during Thursday’s meeting.
They approved purchases of the credits from Coastal River Basin Group for a total of $68,000 to be paid from the Road SPLOST (Special Local Option Sales Tax).
“This is basically the Corps of Engineers requiring this since we’re going to do some disturbance when we put those culverts in,” explained Cason during the work session. “We have to purchase 1.36 mitigation credits for $68,000.”
• Amendment of Human Resource policy on accrual of Paid Time Off: Commissioners approved an amendment for County Personnel Policy Section 1200-300 to allow vacation and sick leave to be converted to paid time off (PTO) in the Thursday meeting.
The changes of this policy will not go into effect until all calculations have been done and reviewed to ensure no employee loses or gains additional time.
“The motion will also include the anniversary date this year and going forward PTO will be accrued per pay period,” Cason said.
During Tuesday’s work session he told commissioners this would be done for regular county employees, the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office, Brantley County Jail employees and for EMS employees.
“This was recommended by a committee of staff from different departments,” said Cason. “Commissioner (Randy) Davidson works with that group. This was recommended by them to be considered.”
• Amendment of Human Resource policy for travel expenses and meals: The commission unanimously approved amending Section 200-900 for Travel Expense guidelines to allow $25 a day for breakfast and lunch and $50 a day for supper during Thursday’s meeting.
They also approved Travel Expense for mileage reimbursement. This will be based on the current IRS mileage rate.
• Consideration of a variance for mobile home in Hortense: The county manager informed commissioners the Planning Commission recommended the approval for (former DA) George Barnhill.
“This does not require a public hearing,” said Cason during the work session. “He (Barnhill) owns 200 acres and he would like to put a third mobile home on his land for his children. Our ordinances stipulate when you put the third one on a piece of property, it then becomes a trailer park. He would like for us to consider moving this variance so he can put the third without it being considered a trailer park.
“This is not for rental. This is strictly for family use. It’s a new mobile home.”
• County Manager report: Cason informed commissioners have completed budget reviews for all of the departments and constitutional officers with the exception of two.
“Right now for the 2025 budget we’re at a collection rate of 50.69% after three months or $8,519,210.61,” he said.
“Our expenses are 31.40% or $5,233,294.”
The county manager said he had been notified by the State of Georgia and the Department of Transportation that, based on the supplement that the state has, the governor has set aside money again this year for LMIG supplemental funds.
“The total we will receive is $995,042.18 basically covering the cost of the culverts on Britt Still Road.”
Commissioners will hold a work session Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Thursday, May 8 at 6 p.m.
