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Whitfield commissioners approve new admin building study, equipment purchases and multiple grants
Summary
At its March 10 meeting, the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners approved retaining design experts for a new county administration building (4-1), multiple SPLOST-funded equipment purchases and facility repairs, and several grant awards and budget amendments including a VOCA award and an opioid-abatement grant.
The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners on March 10 approved a series of budget, capital and program actions, including a decision to retain experts to design and build a four‑floor County Administration building near the courthouse and multiple equipment and grant approvals funded in part by SPLOST revenues.
The board voted 4-1 to move forward with design and build planning for a new administration building on county-owned property after considering options including buying or renovating existing downtown lease space; Chairman Jevin Jensen was the lone dissenting vote. The motion to retain experts was made by Commissioner Greg Jones and seconded by Commissioner Robby Staten.
The meeting included approval of several public-works and fleet purchases: up to $90,000 to rebuild public works storage buildings (partial funding from 2020 SPLOST and capital funds); purchase of an RPM applicator trailer for $30,000 (2020 SPLOST); a HAMM HD120 breaker roller for $201,700 (2024 SPLOST); and a 30" planer for $29,847.32 (2024 SPLOST). The board also ratified a $55,950 state-contract F-150 purchase for the new Deputy County Administrator.
Public safety and community services actions included accepting a VOCA subgrant for $125,130 to support prosecution-based victim services, ratifying participation in a First Responder PTSD program, and approving $318,392.56 in miscellaneous fire apparatus equipment purchases funded by 2024 SPLOST. The board authorized up to $125,000 from 2020 SPLOST for the Miracle Field playground renovation and approved a Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust Grant contract worth $110,130 to fund a counselor position at the Conasauga Community Addiction Recovery Center. The board also authorized applying for up to $250,000 in planning funds under the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program.
Other administrative items included approving Unified Zoning Ordinance text amendments to Section 4-6-35 addressing commercial poultry farming; multiple planning-commission rezoning recommendations for smaller parcels; declaring an engineering HP Designjet plotter surplus for auction; and approving a three-year Barracuda Total Email Protection agreement for $182,718.84 (paid as $60,906.28 annually). The board also formally recorded support for Georgia Senate Bill 235, a proposed November 2025 countywide ballot measure related to a floating homestead exemption for schools.
Most motions in these items passed unanimously; recorded dissents were the 4-1 vote on pursuing a new administration building and the 3-2 vote on the Core Scientific rezoning recorded separately. The minutes record public comment concerns about a proposed Old Tilton Road data center and citizen requests for additional regulation on chicken farms during the public-comment period.
