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Appling County discusses timber ordinance updates; leases tabled pending attorney review
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a proposed update to Appling County's timber-harvesting ordinance to address road and ditch damage and discussed requiring online permits and a $5,000 surety bond. Separately the board unanimously tabled lease renewals for Pineland Behavioral Health and DFCS to allow attorney review; two hospital authority appointments were also tabled.
Appling County commissioners reviewed an updated draft of the county's Timber Harvesting Ordinance June 4 intended to address modern problems such as road and ditch damage from timber operations.
Commissioner Doug Harris said he drafted the updated ordinance to ensure compliance with harvesting laws and to preserve forest resources and rural roads. Discussion focused on how reports of damage would be handled; Commissioner Daryl Edwards suggested making permits available online and requiring a $5,000 surety bond from harvesters. The board did not adopt the ordinance at the meeting and directed further review and outreach to known timber harvesters before any final action.
Administrative items: The board unanimously tabled the annual lease renewal for Pineland Behavioral Health (requested renewal at $2,300/month, $20,700 annual) and the Department of Family and Children Services lease (requested at $5,458.33/month, $49,000 annual) so the county attorney could review lease language before signatures. The board also tabled consideration of two county-appointed seats on the Appling Hospital Authority that expire July 31, 2024 to allow further candidate consideration in keeping with bylaw notice expectations.
Next steps: Staff will circulate the timber ordinance draft for review and prepare lease documents for attorney review before bringing those items back to the board.
