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Ben Hill County commissioners submit Brandon Fletcher for EMA director approval and cap E911 lease at $600,000
Summary
Ben Hill County commissioners voted Feb. 5 to submit Deputy EMA Director Brandon Fletcher to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency for approval as EMA director and approved a lease-purchase authorization for new E911 equipment with a lease cap of $600,000; one commissioner opposed the financing condition.
The Ben Hill County Board of Commissioners voted Feb. 5 to request state approval for Deputy EMA Director Brandon Fletcher to serve as the county’s EMA director and authorized financing for upgraded E911 equipment with a formal limit on the lease amount.
Vice-Chair Hope Harmon moved that the board submit a letter to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) recommending Brandon Fletcher for the EMA director position; Commissioner Bennie Calloway seconded the motion and it passed with Vice-Chair Harmon, Commissioner Calloway and Commissioner Daniel Cowan voting in favor. The board’s action directs county management to forward Fletcher’s appointment request to GEMA for state approval.
The commission also approved a Lease Purchase Agreement Authorization Resolution to finance new E911 equipment with ACCG and BB&T, stipulating that the lease not exceed $600,000. The motion was made by Vice-Chair Harmon and seconded by Commissioner Calloway; it passed with Vice-Chair Harmon, Commissioner Calloway and Chairman Steve Taylor voting for the resolution and Commissioner Daniel Cowan opposed the motion.
County Manager Michael Dinnerman told the board work on the E911 upgrade is ongoing and that the county plans to go live on the new equipment on Feb. 20. The minutes record that the county’s cash position stood at $1,613,000 and leadership described the county’s fiscal position as improving, which county officials said factors into decisions about capital upgrades and financing.
The board took the actions as formal motions recorded in the minutes; no new ordinance or final contract signatures were recorded at the meeting pending any required approvals and final financing documentation.
What happens next: County staff will submit Fletcher’s nomination to GEMA for review and proceed with lease negotiations for E911 equipment within the $600,000 cap established by the commission. If GEMA approval is required for the EMA appointment, the agency’s response will determine whether Fletcher assumes the EMA director role.
