Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press county on parking enforcement, road debris and animal-control failures during public comment
Summary
During the March 16 meeting residents urged Spalding County to enforce a neighborhood 'no permanent parking' ordinance, hold businesses accountable for gravel/concrete on county roads, and investigate alleged animal control enforcement failures after a fatal cat attack; speakers cited specific ordinances and requested follow-up.
A string of citizen comments at the March 16 Spalding County meeting highlighted recurring neighborhood problems and requests for enforcement and investigation.
Anne Clark of Sherbrook Wood asked the board to enforce an ordinance banning permanent parking in subdivisions, saying repeated code-enforcement visits had produced letters but little sustained compliance. "If one [house] catches fire, the other is going to catch fire," she said, pressing the need for unobstructed emergency access.
Another resident described repeated gravel and concrete tracked onto Williamson Road from nearby businesses, including a quarry and a concrete company; he asked the county to hold businesses accountable and increase enforcement at those sites.
Cindy Sanders presented a formal complaint regarding Spalding County Animal Care and Control after a neighbor's dogs attacked and a cat later died. Sanders cited the Georgia Responsible Dog Ownership Law (OCGA 4-8-23), a county ordinance she identified as 12-10007, and OCGA 31-9-5 in alleging investigative and procedural failures, and she asked the board to order a formal investigation and classify the dogs as vicious or impound them.
Other commenters raised concerns about downtown demolition decisions (the former Jans furniture building) and asked the county to consider retrofit or preservation options rather than demolition. Kenneth Moore and members of the local preservation community said structural reports did not, in their view, recommend tearing the building down and urged the board to revisit the decision.
Board members acknowledged the remarks and referenced staff follow-up; county staff and the county manager were noted as points of contact for code enforcement and animal-control follow-up. No formal board action on these citizen requests was recorded at the meeting; several speakers said they would provide documents or evidence to the clerk.
