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Whitfield County commissioners approve multiple rezoning requests, grants and contracts; appoint interim fire chief
Summary
At its May 13 meeting the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners approved several rezoning requests, accepted federal and state-related grants, authorized contracts and purchased vehicles; the board also appointed an interim fire chief and set a public hearing on a road closure.
The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners on May 13 approved a slate of routine and policy items including multiple rezoning requests, grant actions and contracts while appointing an interim fire chief and authorizing equipment purchases.
The board approved rezoning requests for parcels including 104/110 Bloomingdale Way (Peggy Sue Cook) from Rural Residential (R-5) to General Agricultural (GA), 2511 Old Chatsworth Highway (Beverly Hawkins) from General Commercial (C-2) to Rural Residential (R-5), 0.90 acres on Old Grade Road (Jorge Rene Ruedas) from C-2 to R-5, and a 10.49-acre parcel for Adrianna Cuevas from R-2 to GA. The board denied one rezoning request for Jonathan Hedden on Chattanooga Road. Motions authorizing the rezoning changes were made by commissioners and passed 4-0 (the minutes list Commissioners Staten, Jones, Thomas and Robbins in agreement for each vote).
The board accepted a Violence Against Women Act grant award of $79,328 for Domestic Violence Court services with a required local match of $26,443 for calendar year 2024; combined with previously approved ARPA funds the county says the grant will fully fund DV Court operations for 2024. Commissioners also authorized the county administration to apply for a two-year Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust grant to fund an additional counselor, administrative services and evening sessions for the Conasauga Community Addiction Recovery Center (CCARC). Both grant actions were approved 4-0.
Other approvals included:
- Purchase of two 2024 Ford Broncos for the Tax Assessor's Office ($61,130) to replace high-mileage vehicles and improve access to difficult driveways, purchased via state contract.
- A subcontractor agreement with Transit Alliance Group, Inc. to provide coordinated transportation services for DHS-authorized clients and the public in Region One.
- A memorandum of understanding with Hamilton Medical Center to support the hospital’s participation in the 340B drug pricing program by acknowledging the hospital provides emergency department care regardless of patient income.
- Lease approval of the Health Department facility at 800 Professional Boulevard to the Georgia Department of Public Health through Dec. 31, 2029, with automatic renewal terms and use limited to county health services.
- Authorization to purchase three used tanker trucks from Tunnel Express for $25,000 total to support a new brine program in Public Works.
In personnel actions, the board appointed Nathan Callaway as Interim Whitfield County Fire Chief following the announced retirement of Chief Edward O’Brien. The board also approved a bid from Echota Interiors to remodel floors at four fire stations under the 2020 SPLOST program and declared several sheriff's office vehicles surplus for online auction.
A petition to close and abandon a portion of Bulah (Beulah) Drive in McCulley Subdivision was accepted to begin the statutory notification process; a public hearing on that petition was set for the next regular meeting on June 10, 2024.
Votes at a glance: motion approvals are recorded in the minutes as 4-0 on the above items, with the minutes repeatedly listing Commissioners Staten, Jones, Thomas and Robbins in agreement on passed motions.
The meeting adjourned after later public comments and the minutes were certified by Chairman Jevin Jensen and County Clerk Blanca Cardona.
