Pickens County commissioners approve Pettit Road abandonment, several rezonings and $878,700 fire-station contract; adopt 2023 electrical code

Pickens County commissioners approved a range of land-use and administrative actions at their April meeting, including a resolution to abandon a portion of Pettit Road, approval of three rezoning requests (one decided by a tie-breaking vote from the chair), award of a construction contract for a new Falcon Rock Fire Station and adoption of the 2023 National Electrical Code.

The board opened and closed public hearings on the Pettit Road abandonment and on several rezoning requests, then moved to formal votes later in the meeting. The Pettit Road resolution — prepared with a quitclaim-style conveyance and showing the county’s mapped portion of Pettit Road adjacent to parcels owned by the Bartellos and Legends of Land LLC — was approved and the chairman was authorized to sign documents to transfer the described portion of road to the adjoining landowners.

Why it matters: the road-abandonment action transfers a mapped stretch of county right-of-way to private owners, which can change access patterns and property maintenance responsibilities; the rezones affect future land use and housing density in named communities; and the fire-station contract moves a capital project into construction planning.

Key actions and context

- Pettit Road abandonment: After a public hearing with no speakers in opposition, commissioners approved a resolution to abandon a highlighted portion of Pettit Road that the county found “ceased to be used by the public.” The resolution includes parcel tax IDs discussed in the packet (041144004, 041144001, 041144002, 041144003) and authorizes the chairman to execute the recorded conveyance documents. Property owners named in the hearing record include Mr. and Mrs. Bartello and Legends of Land LLC. The board also noted that a remaining parcel between the abandonment area and the road’s dead end provides limited access to Salem Church.

- Rezoning decisions: The board handled four zoning items: - RZ190907 (Tim and Tracy Kuleski, 14692 Highway 53 East): Two parcels totaling 17.44 acres were downzoned from Highway Business to Agriculture to permit a single-family dwelling; staff recommended approval with condition that parcels be combined to meet agricultural dimensional requirements. The commission approved the rezone. - RZ190910 (Shan Fitz, Camp Dobbs Road): Three parcels totaling about 247.96 acres were rezoned from Suburban Residential to Agriculture at the applicant’s request; the board approved the request following staff recommendation. - RZ190893 (Rock Creek Manor, Kegel Mill Road South; parcel 064102): A request to rezone about 8.9 acres from Agriculture to Highway Business was approved by the board after a tie among votes required the chairman to cast the deciding vote in favor. The planning commission had earlier recommended approval 4–0. - RZ190878 (applicant not finalized in the record): The board voted to table this rezone at the applicant’s request to allow additional coordination with planning staff; it will return as old business at the next regular meeting.

- Falcon Rock Fire Station contract: The board accepted staff’s review of bids and awarded the construction contract to GCCI, the low bidder, at $878,700. The motion included authority for the chairman to execute necessary contract documents and provide notice to proceed; public works staff will handle initial site work such as the retention pond and drainage.

- Administrative and policy items: - The board approved the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service annual financial agreement. The county match/compensation amount cited in the packet is $39,800.33; the chairman was authorized to sign required documents. - Employee handbook updates were approved. Packet highlights discussed: verification-of-employment language; a written policy aligning occasional/sporadic work across county departments with Department of Labor Title 29 (Fair Labor Standards Act) guidance; Emergency Operations Center activation compensation language for salaried and hourly staff; updates to workplace-violence reporting pathways (adding county marshal to the notification list); and retirement plan adjustments previously voted by the board. - The board adopted a resolution to adopt the 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) as presented by county building officials.

- Minutes and routine business: The board approved three sets of minutes (regular meeting March 17, executive session March 17, and an April work session) and accepted several proclamations into the record (Crime Victims’ Rights Week; Child Abuse Awareness Month; Safe Digging Month; Great American Cleanup; CASA recognition; National Public-Safety Telecommunications Week).

- Finance briefing: CFO Miranda McDowell presented the first-quarter fiscal report (numbers reported as of March). Highlights included general fund revenue of $5,247,937 (approximately 13% of annual budgeted revenue) and various department expenditure percentages; the CFO noted that most property tax revenue posts in the fourth quarter and that proprietary fund revenue was low because of grant timing. The board noted Emergency Management had eight activations so far in the fiscal year, affecting EOC-related expenses and timing of reimbursements.

Votes at a glance (motions, identifiers, outcomes)

- Approve agenda as presented — Approved (voice vote). - Accept proclamations into record — Accepted (consent; voice vote). - Open public hearing #1 (Pettit Road abandonment) — Opened (voice vote). - Close public hearing #1 — Closed (voice vote). - Adopt resolution to abandon portion of Pettit Road and authorize chairman to sign conveyance documents (parcel IDs cited in packet) — Approved; chairman authorized to sign (voice vote). - Open/close public hearing #2 (RZ190907, Kuleski) — Heard and closed (voice votes). - Approve RZ190907 (Kuleski) downzone from Highway Business to Agriculture (parcel 048032, 048033); condition: combine partials to meet agricultural dimensional requirements — Approved (voice vote). - Open/close public hearing #3 (RZ190910, Fitz) — Heard and closed (voice votes). - Approve RZ190910 (Fitz) rezoning from Suburban Residential to Agriculture (parcels cited in packet) — Approved (voice vote). - Approve RZ190893 (Rock Creek Manor) rezone from Agriculture to Highway Business (parcel 064102) — Approved; tie among votes required the chairman to cast the deciding vote in favor (chair cast tie-breaking yes vote). - Table RZ190878 at applicant’s request — Tabled to next meeting (voice vote). - Approve University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service annual agreement; authorize chairman to sign; county match $39,800.33 — Approved (voice vote). - Approve employee handbook updates (verification of employment, FLSA alignment for occasional/sporadic work, EOC activation compensation, workplace-violence reporting additions, retirement updates) — Approved (voice vote). - Adopt resolution adopting the 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) — Approved (voice vote). - Award construction contract and issue notice to proceed to GCCI for Falcon Rock Fire Station; low bid $878,700; authorize chairman to execute documents — Approved (voice vote). - Approve three sets of minutes (March 17 regular, March 17 executive, April work session) — Approved (separate voice votes). - Adjourn meeting — Approved (voice vote).

What the record shows, and what it does not

The county packet cited parcel tax IDs and maps for the Pettit Road abandonment; the board relied on staff maps and legal descriptions in the packet. The record identifies the low bid amount and bidder name for the Falcon Rock Fire Station and the county match amount for the cooperative-extension agreement. Several votes were taken by voice without individual roll-call tallies recorded in the public transcript excerpt; the transcript records at least one explicit tie that the chair broke by voting in favor. Public comment on the abandonment and the rezones was limited at the meeting; no speakers opposed the Pettit Road abandonment at the public hearing and applicants or their representatives were present for the rezones discussed.

Looking ahead

Items tabled or continued: RZ190878 was tabled to allow additional coordination with planning staff and will appear as old business at the next regular meeting. The Falcon Rock contract award begins procurement and site-preparation steps led by public works and building staff.

Ending: The board closed after guest comments and procedural adjournment.