Coffee County commission adopts Language Access Plan, approves landfill monitoring contract and board appointments
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
At its Jan. 5 meeting, the Coffee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved multiple administrative resolutions — including a $72,295 Jacobs Engineering contract for landfill post-closure monitoring, appointments to county boards, FY 2026 qualifying fees and an updated Language Access Plan required for federal CDBG funding.
Coffee County commissioners on Monday approved a package of administrative resolutions and contracts, including the adoption of a revised Language Access Plan required for a Community Development Block Grant and a two-year landfill post-closure monitoring contract.
County Administrator Wesley Vickers presented the items during the Jan. 5 regular meeting in the Commissioners Meeting Room. The board unanimously approved a Jacobs Engineering Group agreement for landfill post-closure groundwater and surface-water monitoring totaling $72,295; the contract will be paid from the Solid Waste fund. The commission also accepted a contract with Georgia Mass Appraisal Solutions & Services for appraisal maintenance at $12,500 per year, with an additional $75 per parcel for new construction assessments.
The commission approved a slate of county officers and a long list of board appointments effective Jan. 1, 2026, and made the required resolution appointing Gray McKinnon to the Tax Assessors Board (Post #3) to fill an unexpired term running Jan. 1, 2026–June 30, 2027. The board set FY 2026 qualifying fees for local offices as follows: County Commissioner $127.17, Solicitor $2,058.82 and Board of Education $303.19.
The board also adopted a revised Language Access Plan for Georgia Department of Community Affairs (GA DCA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other federally funded grant programs as required by the county's CDBG application (CDBG 25p-y-034-1-6780). Vickers told commissioners the resolution is needed for compliance with the grant program. Vice Chairman Ted O’Steen moved to adopt the Language Access Plan; Commissioner Jimmy Kitchens seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Commissioners recognized Ben Vickers for 34 years on the Tax Assessors Board with a plaque; Commissioner Johnny Wayne Jowers publicly thanked him at the meeting.
Votes at a glance - Approve FY 2026 county officers — motion passed unanimously (moved: Jimmy Kitchens; second: George McIver). - Approve minutes and agenda — unanimous. - Approve FY 2026 alcohol license renewals — unanimous. - Approve board appointments (multiple boards, terms listed at the meeting) — unanimous. - Appoint Gray McKinnon to Tax Assessors Board, Post #3 (Jan. 1, 2026–June 30, 2027) — unanimous. - Adopt resolution fixing qualifying fees for FY 2026 elections (see amounts above) — unanimous. - Approve Jacobs Engineering Group landfill post-closure monitoring contract, $72,295 (Solid Waste funds) — unanimous. - Approve Georgia Mass Appraisal Solutions & Services appraisal maintenance agreement ($12,500/year, $75 per parcel for new construction) — unanimous. - Adopt revised Language Access Plan (for GA DCA/HUD compliance) — unanimous. - Adopt open records custodian resolutions (county clerk as custodian for non-sheriff records; sheriff authorized to name his own custodians) — unanimous.
Why it matters: The Jacobs contract funds routine environmental monitoring required after landfill closure; the Language Access Plan enables the county to meet federal grant compliance obligations tied to CDBG funding. Appointments and qualifying-fee resolutions set local governance and election mechanics for 2026.
The commission took the actions during a roughly 50-minute meeting and adjourned at 10:20 a.m.