Whitfield County approves rezoning, budgets and multiple grant ratifications; votes at a glance
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Summary
At its Sept. 9 meeting the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners approved several rezoning requests, budget amendments and grant ratifications, including ARPA-funded infrastructure and transit grant applications. Most motions passed unanimously 4-0.
The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners approved a bundle of zoning, budget and grant items during its Sept. 9 regular meeting.
Commissioner Greg Jones moved and Commissioner Robby Staten seconded a motion to postpone a rezoning request by Michael Kucharski for 2.02 acres at 3950 South Dixie Road from Transitional Residential (R-6) to High Density Residential (R-7) to allow the applicant to submit additional plans and paperwork; the motion carried 4-0. The board approved planning commission recommendations for several other rezoning requests: Charles and Janice Aaron (General Agriculture to Low-Density Single Family Residential, 5.010 acres at 6704 Hwy 2); David Kenneth Helton Jr. (R-2 to GA, 38.804 acres at 3136 Helton Road); Karrie Edwards and Gregory Vees (Suburban Agriculture to Rural Residential, 3.32 acres at 4573 S. Dixie Hwy); and Asif Sheikh (R-2 to R-3, 7.00 acres at 0 / 310 Keith Street). The board also upheld an automatic denial of Diane Tam Bui’s rezoning petition (R-2 to R-5, 15 acres on Cleveland Highway) after the petitioner missed two consecutive public hearings.
On finance matters the board approved the July 2024 financial statements as presented by Chief Financial Officer Debbie Godfrey. The report showed Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) collections of $1,282,913 for July, TAVT collections of $506,065 for July, year-to-date actual revenues of $26,330,982 (about $419,900 above projections) and a July 31 ending fund balance of $25,490,166. Commissioners also approved a $30,000 overtime budget amendment for Buildings & Grounds to cover increased project work.
The board ratified a Northwest Georgia Regional Commission congregate meal grant award of up to $72,000 to support Senior Center meals through June 2025 and declared several Senior Center kitchen appliances surplus for auction. Commissioners approved submitting a FY2026 FTA 5307 urban grant application for operating and capital assistance (operating request $797,949.25 with FTA matching 50%; capital request $375,000 with a 10% local match) and applying for FY2025 Transit Trust Funds of $133,468, which require no county match.
All motions described above were recorded as approved 4-0, with Commissioners Barry W. Robbins, Robby Staten, John Thomas and Greg Jones in agreement unless otherwise noted.