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Residents say planning commission meeting was mis‑posted; ask Whitfield board to rescind plat approval
Summary
At the May 11 meeting residents said a planning commission meeting was incorrectly posted on the county website, which they argue violated the Georgia Open Meetings Act; they asked the board to rescind a plat approval and review administrative practices.
A resident urged the Board of Commissioners on May 11 to rescind a recently approved plat and to correct notice procedures after alleging that a planning commission meeting was mis‑posted on the county website, depriving neighbors of the chance to participate.
Why it matters: The speaker said the planning commission meeting was posted on the county website as occurring April 20 when it actually occurred April 27, and argued the error could violate the Georgia Open Meetings Act and undermine public confidence in land‑use decisions. That alleged mis‑posting, the speaker said, led to a plat approval and subsequent site clearing before affected residents could intervene; the speaker said a restraining order was later obtained to halt clearing.
At the dais the resident asked county staff to review posting practices and consider rolling back the action if the notice did not meet statutory requirements. “That meeting should have been rescinded,” the speaker said, describing a community that was not given fair notice and urging the board to restore transparency. The speaker said open records requests showed no documentation that the fire department approved the plat as required in the ordinance and asked staff to locate and publish the missing approvals.
County officials did not announce an immediate rescission at the May 11 meeting; the public commenter asked the board to examine administrative practices and, if necessary, unwind actions taken at the mis‑noticed meeting.
Clarifying details: The speaker asked staff to verify whether the planning commission posting error violated the Georgia Open Meetings Act and requested the board consider rescinding the plat approval if the error is confirmed. The speaker said the developer had already begun clearing lots and that a subsequent restraining order stopped that work, but urged the county to correct procedures to prevent recurrence.
Ending: The board took public comment; no immediate board vote to rescind was recorded. The matter was left to staff review and potential legal or administrative follow‑up.
