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Residents tell Newton County commission to improve transparency, emergency response and parks planning
Summary
Public commenters raised concerns about Solid Waste transparency, a reported 1 hour 45 minute ambulance response, repeated consultant spending on the Westside Youth Facility, preservation of Donna Pace’s legacy land and safety near Newton County High School apartments.
During two public-comment periods on July 7, residents raised several recurring concerns and asked the commission for clearer information and action.
Solid waste transparency and oversight: Dennis Taylor (S3) criticized Solid Waste operations and urged financial transparency. He asked that departments operating as enterprises explain plans to return to a positive financial position and suggested the county charge rent to entities operating on county facilities to cover legal and mortgage fees. Commissioner Edwards (S12) responded that the Solid Waste board meets monthly and encouraged residents to attend.
Emergency medical response times: James Peterson (S21) returned to the commission to press for action after previously raising ambulance-service concerns. He said a recent call resulted in an ambulance arrival time of "an hour and 45 minutes" for a resident now in medical care and told commissioners that is "unacceptable," urging an updated contract or other fixes to improve response times.
Parks, development and historical preservation: Several residents raised issues tied to the Westside Youth Facility and other local land uses. Alena/Elena Sanders (S5) said design work and renderings already exist and asked staff to review previously paid consultant work before authorizing more spending. Halima Mohammed (S20) urged the county to consider preserving land tied to Donna Pace and suggested honoring her legacy rather than approving large housing developments.
School-adjacent housing and student safety: Tasha Walker (S22) said new apartments near Newton County High School have raised safety concerns for parents and requested clarity from the commission or school board about steps to protect students.
What the board said: Commissioners directed residents to regular Solid Waste meetings for more detail, acknowledged the ambulance-service concern and committed to continued review of contract options. Several commissioners also emphasized preserving local history and said they will continue to work with communities on park-site decisions.
