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Coffee County commissioners approve road contract, licenses, equipment purchase and rezoning
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Summary
At their Feb. 5, 2024 meeting, the Coffee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $414,000 road construction contract, an engineering contract amendment, two alcohol licenses, the purchase of a mini excavator with mulching head, and a rezoning for 5.01 acres at 1264 Iron Road; a first reading was held for a commercial rezoning at Highway 158 West.
Coffee County commissioners met Feb. 5, 2024, in the commissioners meeting room and unanimously approved a series of routine items, including awarding a road construction contract, approving two alcohol licenses, amending an engineering contract, buying a mini excavator with mulching head and approving a residential rezoning.
Chairman Jimmy Kitchens presided. The board approved minutes from the Jan. 2 work session and regular meeting and the Feb. 1 special-called joint meeting, and approved the meeting agenda with the addition of a first-reading rezoning item and an executive session.
The board appointed members to multiple local boards: Jeffrey Walter Pridgen II to Tax Assessors Board Post 5 (term through Dec. 31, 2026); Keith Phillips, Scott Day and Rex Harper to Hospital Authority District #5 (terms through Dec. 31, 2026); and Stan Moore to Seven Rivers RC&D (term through June 30, 2025). The appointments were approved unanimously.
County Attorney Tony Rowell told the commission that the application for a consumption-on-premises license for Fiesta Mexicana of Douglas (applicant: Adalid De Jesus Hernandez, 1701 U.S. Highway 221 N) had been reviewed and found consistent with county ordinance; the board unanimously approved the license. The board also unanimously approved a retail beer-and-wine license for JP Minit Mart (applicant: Gopalbhai Patel, 1413 U.S. Highway 221 N) after Rowell said that application had been reviewed and met ordinance requirements.
County Administrator Wesley Vickers described a recommended $23,500 amendment to an existing engineering services contract (SWE-21-3361) to cover additional street and drainage work on Callaway Drive, Lakespur Drive, Ashby Drive and Sanibel Court; the amendment, to be funded by TSPLOST, was approved unanimously.
Bids were opened for several road and drainage projects. For the Conway Vickers Road realignment, the low bid came from Thrift Brothers LLC at $414,000.65 (engineer’s estimate $421,333.50). The county’s engineers recommended awarding to Thrift Brothers, and the board unanimously accepted that recommendation. Bids for the Maplewood Road and Creekside Drive improvements under SWE Project #23-3428 were read but the board voted to table award of that TIA discretionary-funds project because of ongoing project issues.
Vickers also presented procurement options for a replacement limb cutter. One bid from Adams Equipment totaled $256,320 with a 300-day delivery. The road department tested an alternative, a mini excavator with a mulching head offered by Yancey for $182,646 with an estimated 30–60 day delivery; the board unanimously approved purchasing the mini excavator.
Vickers reported that the City of Douglas had filed an annexation notice for Bruce Cato for roughly 3.01 acres near Brantley Boulevard and Shantel Driver to permit a warehouse use; county staff said no county services would be affected and no legal objections were raised, so no county vote was required. Code Enforcement Director Jason Whiddon presented a first reading of a rezoning request by Buddy Carver for 3.89 acres at 1889 Highway 158 West from AG (Agriculture) to C (Commercial); the Planning Commission had already approved the request and staff supports the first reading. Whiddon also presented a rezoning request by Tyrone Jordan for 5.01 acres at 1264 Iron Road from R2 (Residential) to RM (Residential Mixed) to allow duplexes or quadplexes; the commission opened and closed a public hearing with no public comment and unanimously approved the rezoning.
The board entered executive session at 9:51 a.m. under O.C.G.A. §50-14-3(b)(2) to discuss personnel matters and ended the executive session at 10:41 a.m.; no subsequent public action on personnel was recorded in the meeting minutes. The meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m.
Votes at a glance: • Minutes and agenda approval — motion: Johnny Wayne Jowers; second: Ted O’Steen; outcome: unanimous (4–0; Commissioner A.J. Dovers absent). • Board appointments — motion: Ted O’Steen; second: Johnny Wayne Jowers; outcome: unanimous (4–0). • Fiesta Mexicana (consumption) — motion: Oscar Paulk; second: Ted O’Steen; outcome: unanimous (4–0). • JP Minit Mart (retail beer & wine) — motion: Johnny Wayne Jowers; second: Ted O’Steen; outcome: unanimous (4–0). • SWE-21-3361 contract amendment (+$23,500) — motion: Ted O’Steen; second: Oscar Paulk; outcome: unanimous (4–0). • Conway Vickers Road award to Thrift Brothers LLC ($414,000.65) — motion: Ted O’Steen; second: Johnny Wayne Jowers; outcome: unanimous (4–0). • Maplewood/Creekside SWE #23-3428 — tabled; motion: Ted O’Steen; second: Oscar Paulk; outcome: unanimous (4–0). • Mini excavator with mulching head (Yancey) $182,646 — motion: Ted O’Steen; second: Oscar Paulk; outcome: unanimous (4–0). • Rezoning — Tyrone Jordan (1264 Iron Road, R2→RM) — motion: Johnny Wayne Jowers; second: Oscar Paulk; outcome: unanimous (4–0).
Next steps: items tabled (Maplewood/Creekside bid award) will be returned to a future meeting for further consideration; the Buddy Carver rezoning remains at first reading.