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Resident questions county driveway-citation warnings; commissioners explain process
Summary
At its Oct. 1 meeting the Cusseta–Chattahoochee County Commission heard a public complaint that a resident received a code-enforcement warning for dirt on her driveway after heavy rain; county officials said warnings are a formal courtesy and that road work is prioritized based on resources and passability checks.
A Cusseta resident’s citation for dirt on a driveway drew several commissioners’ attention at the Oct. 1 regular meeting of the Cusseta–Chattahoochee County Commission.
JD Abercrombie told the commission he was speaking on behalf of Teresa Parrish, who received a warning tied to dirt washing onto Massey Road following heavy rain. Abercrombie said crews cleaned what he described as thick sand without heavy equipment and asked why citations were issued on Sept. 13 — a day when the county was receiving two to three inches of rain — and why other similar driveways did or did not receive warnings. He said residents have seven days to correct the problem and asked, “what is the accountability for the county to get things cleaned up?”
County Manager Thomas Weaver said warnings are the county’s formal notification system; they are issued when inspections during or after storms show material on the roadway so residents are informed and can remedy hazards. Weaver said county staff work with limited resources, prioritize safety and passability, and often return to finish repairs after storms. Chairman Charles Coffey added that a warning is a courtesy and “we do not have to give them,” noting the county aims to address what it can with available equipment.
Commissioner Jason Frost said the county’s motor grader had been down for repairs, which limited road crews’ capacity to finish all work immediately. Weaver confirmed a work order for Patterson Road was created Sept. 20, crews made the road passable, and additional follow-up work was scheduled when resources permitted.
The commission did not take formal action on the citation policy at the meeting; the discussion concluded with staff affirmation that the county uses warnings as its formal process and that public-works capacity and weather influence response times.
