(Note: Slides and video available on the district website. Budget will be considered for final approval at the June 16, 2026 Board meeting.)

Call to Order: 8am. All board members present.

FY2027 Budget Presentation

Budget Process Overview

• Board approves budget at the legal reporting level, expenditure function and revenue source by fund

• Budget managed by district within board-approved limits

• Expenditures exceeding budget by fund and function must return to board for approval via budget amendment

• Board receives monthly financial reports by fund and function

• Building program reports are detailed by project and by each active E-SPLOST cycle

General Fund

• Total estimated revenue: $390,044,500

• Total estimated expenditures (before needed improvements): $418,765,112

• Needed improvements: $10,657,625

• Revenue breakdown (general fund only): 58.80% state, 40.98% local, 0.22% federal

• 15th largest district out of 180 in Georgia by FTE

• 6th in state for percent of budget spent on instruction

• Last in state (180/180) for percent spent on general administration

• 174th out of 180 for per-pupil total expenditure ($12,155)

Employer Benefits / Major Increases

• FICA & Medicare: unchanged at 7.65%

• Teacher Retirement System: increased to 22.32% (up 1.87%)

• Certified and non-certified health insurance: increased to $23,220 annually (up 2.65%)

• Life insurance and supplemental retirement: unchanged

• Summary of mandatory cost increases built into budget:

  • Step increase: $4,200,000

  • State health insurance: $2,800,000

  • Teacher Retirement System: $1,500,000

History of Salary Increases

• Cumulative US inflation since 2020: 27.3%

• Cumulative COLA since 2020: 16.9%

• Gap: 10.4%

• 2026 adjustment was a $2,000 one-time stipend for all employees (not a permanent scale increase)

General Fund Improvements — Needed Improvements & Estimated Cost

1. 3% cost of living adjustment to all scales $8,276,348

2. Add 3 registered behavior technicians $165,000

3. Add 1 SPED coordinator $129,474

4. Add 0.5 SPED nurse $40,000

5. Increase curriculum specialists from 220 to 225 days $21,880

6. Reclassify coordinator to director in Curriculum & Instruction $12,565

7. Add 13 custodians to school buildings across the district $752,571

8. Increase HS Bookkeeper and Principal Secretary from 220 to 225 days $12,612

9. Add a step to administrative scale to bring in line with market $421,103

10. Add robotics lead stipends for schools ($1,500) $58,487

11. Reclassify 2 positions in business department to market $53,922

12. Add 1 purchasing agent $85,000

13. Add 1 open records request position $85,000

14. Add 2 HVAC techs $184,590

15. Reclassify lead custodians to market $189,955

16. Add administrative position for HR $125,240

17. Minor supplement & market adjustments $43,878

    Total$10,657,625

Board Discussion: COLA — 3% vs. 5%

Board member Katie Allen raised the possibility of increasing the proposed cost of living adjustment from 3% to 5%. The following is transcripted from the meeting:

Allen: I just want to first of all say thank you for all the work you do. And then also walk you through some of my numbers and calculations just to give you a chance to correct anything. So, based on what I am seeing from neighboring counties, I would like to do a cost of living increase for the staff from three percent to five percent. So it might have — calculations: this would cost five point five million dollars in addition to the ten point seven million for needed improvements. About correct?

Casado: Yes, that sounds right.

Allen: And so my second part is I think we can do this. And let me walk you through my numbers to explain why I believe we can do this. So we began fiscal year twenty twenty six, this current fiscal year, with a general fund balance of one hundred eight point seven million. We are projected to end this current fiscal year with the general fund balance of one hundred twenty six million. So that means we’re on track to finish this fiscal year twenty six with a seventeen point three million dollar surplus, which is what our Moody’s report said would happen — that we would be running a surplus. So it is also consistent with our history since fiscal year twenty one in which we have had an annual surplus ranging from eighteen to thirty million dollars each year. So given the projected surplus of this year, given our five and six year trends, I believe we can do this — even within our current operations budget — to do the recommended improvements and also to do that five percent cost of living increase without even raising property taxes.

I also would like to see, and I believe based on my analysis that we have room to do, some of the items that were on our improvements list from last year that we didn’t vote on. So that would be one of the ones I really wanted last year — hiring six SPED paraprofessionals. Now, last year we had that at about one hundred and eighty six thousand. I imagine it would be a little bit more, but that’s for the board to kind of think about. And then also to consider from our list last year an elementary K through seven math specialist brought in at two hundred and twenty days — four hundred twenty six thousand. So those items together would be less than four hundred thousand. So, still in the vicinity of what we could do in our operations budget that would be sustainable without a tax increase. So based on my numbers, is that approximately correct for what you say — that would be sustainable moving forward to do those things?

Casado: Yeah, I think your numbers are accurate there — relatively accurately stated. I can rerun that and look at it if you will, or tell you how much more it will cost.

(Karin’s Note: Allen also suggested reinstating two items from last year’s improvements list. Six SPED paraprofessionals (~$186,000) and an elementary K-7 math specialist (~$426,000). Kent and Dr.Flynt noted that a reorganization of the SPED department may have addressed some of the paraprofessional needs, and that any added positions would need to be mapped to the district’s weighted staffing formula. No determination was made on whether those positions are still needed.)

School Nutrition

• Program is intended to be self-sustaining

• Current estimated fund balance (6/30/26): $6,300,000

• Projected deficit for FY2027 without price increase: $1,109,444

• Projected fund balance (6/30/27) without price increase: $5,190,556

• Casado’s target fund balance: approximately $5,000,000

• No expenditure improvements recommended for school nutrition

• Revenue improvement recommended: meal price increases

• State and federal paid lunch equity calculation formula puts the target price for paid lunches at $4.25 for SY2025-26

• Estimated additional revenue from proposed increases: $660,478

• Board discussion included possibility of a smaller increase (to $3.75 for lunch) which would yield approximately $560,000 in additional revenue

• Casado noted participation has increased despite last year’s price increase

Special Revenue Funds

• Federal funds budget is a conservative estimate given federal fiscal year does not begin until October 1

• Total special revenue grants for FY2027: $11,146,538

• Includes Special Education (federal), Title I-IV, Homeless, Vocational, Lottery Pre-K, and ROTC

• Note: federal grant amounts shown do not represent total district expenditure on these programs — state and local dollars also fund these areas

Building Fund / $20M General Fund Transfer

• Proposed budget includes $20,000,000 transfer from general fund to building fund

• Building fund estimated revenue FY2027: $75,000,000

• Building fund total estimated expenditures: $154,662,888

• Building fund balance (6/30/26): $189,000,000 (reflects December 2025 bond proceeds)

• Projected building fund balance (6/30/27): $109,337,112

• The $20M transfer is designated for Phase 3 building program projects — facility maintenance and upgrades across the district

(The board didn’t have a copy of the 26-27 project list prior to the meeting. FY2026-2027 project list provided by CFO Alex Casado attached below. Total project cost: $19,077,700. Projects include HVAC replacements, fire alarm upgrades, LED lighting, restroom renovations, roof replacement, and painting across multiple schools.)

Budget Timeline

• April 21, 2026 Budget presentation to the board

• April 28, 2026 1st public input meeting

• May 12, 2026 2nd public input meeting, 5:30 p.m.

• June 16, 2026Final budget approval

Public Input

• Janet Duggan

The public will have a second opportunity for input at the May 12, 2026 board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Board members discussed several budget alternatives at this meeting, including a 5% COLA instead of 3% and additional staffing items, which may be presented with updated numbers at the May 12 meeting. The final budget will be considered for approval at the June 16, 2026 Board meeting. Both meetings are held at the Board of Education Building at 4781 Hereford Farm Road, Evans, GA.

All Commissioners Present

Call To Order: 6:00 pm

Approval OF 3/17/2026 meeting minutes and 3/17/2026 budget work session minutes: Approve Yay 5, No 0

Special Recognition, presentation and/or declaration: Approve: Yay 5, No 0

1. Declaration

   1. Proclaiming May 1, 2026 as Loyalty Day Vice Chair Couch

   2. Proclaiming April 2026 as Safe Digging Month

Consent Agenda. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

1. Community and Emergency Services Committee

   1. (H1a) Animal Services Donations

   2. (H1b) Lease with Columbia County Cares, Inc.

   3. (H1c) Proclamation Observing May 1, 2026 as Loyalty Day

   4. (H1d) Contract Renewal Number 8 with Columbia County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.

   5. (H1e) Independent Contractor Agreement with Patricia Essick for the Senior Center Ceramics Instructor

   6. (H1f) Contract Agreement with Ignite Soccer Academy, LLC.

   7. (H1g) Independent Contractor Agreement with Hain Tennis Academy, LLC

   8. (H1h) Contract Renewal Number 3 with Petersburg Tennis Academy

   9. (H1i) Contract Renewal Number 5 with Professional Disc Golf Association Inc.

   10. (H1j) Contract Renewal Number 1 with Georgia Glamping Company, LLC

   11. (H1k) Contract Renewal Number 3 with Keg Creek Watersports LLC.

   12. (H1l) Contract Renewal Number 4 with Savannah Rapids Kayak Rental for Bicycle Rental Service

   13. (H1m) Canoe, Kayak and Paddle Board Rentals at Savannah Rapids and Wildwood Parks Concessionaire Agreement with Savannah Rapids Kayak Rental, LLC.

   14. (H1n) Georgia Department of Transportation FY 2022 Surplus Vehicle #3568

   15. (H1o) Georgia Department of Transportation FY2026 Transportation Trust Fund Program Application

   16. H1p) Fire Services Automatic Aid Agreement with the City of Harlem, GA

2. Management and Internal Services Committee

   1. (H2a) Juvenile Court Independent Contractor Agreements with Margaret Adams, Angela Chambers, Kathleen Conner, Brendan Fleming, Jordan Hanson, Krista Marie Johnson, Kelly Kitchens, Joseph Pride and Sheila Wahman

   2. (H2b) Contract Renewal/Amendment Number 3 with Correct Health Columbia, LLC. for Inmate Medical Services

   3. (H2c) Contract Renewal Number 2 with Oasis Management Systems, Inc. for Inmate Commissary Services

   4. (H2d) Contract Renewal Number 1 with Guardian Mortuary Transport, Inc. for Coroner Transport Services

   5. (H2e) Contract Renewal Number 1 with The Nelson Law Group for Conflict Counsel for Tax Appeals

   6. (H2f) Memorandum of Agreement with Federal Emergency Management Agency Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS)

   7. (H2g) Resolution Number 26-09 Authorizing Adoption of the Columbia County, Georgia Multi-Jurisdictional Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan

   8. (H2h) Agreement Amendment Number 2 with Debristech, LLC for Disaster Debris Monitoring Services

   9. (H2i) Intent for Funding 45 Percent Cost Share of a New Mobile Operation Center to be used as a Primary Regional Asset

   10. (H2j) Employee On-Site Clinic and Medical Services Professional Agreement with MedNow Urgent Care

   11. (H2k) Agreement with Cushman Paint & Body, Headway Collision Center, Rick’s Paint & Body Towing, LLC, and Crash Champions, LLC, for Auto Collision Repair Services

   12. (H2l) Cisco Network Equipment Lifecycle Purchase from DSI

   13. (H2m) Broadband Utility Forklift Purchase from Hyster-Yale Materials Handling

   14. (H2n) Award RFP # 2026002-RFP3289 and Contract to Duckworth Development, LLC for the Construction of the Savannah Rapids Pavilion Renovation and Addition

   15. (H2o) Independent Contractor Agreement with WSP USA, Inc. for Special Inspection and Material Testing Services for Savannah Rapids Pavilion Renovation and Addition

   16. (H2p) Purchase of Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment from Weinberger’s for the Emergency Operations Center Renovation

3. Development and Planning Services Committee

   1. (H3a) Agreement with Sunset Auction Company for the Columbia County Surplus Items Auction

   2. (H3b) Automatic Forfeit Extension for Gregory M Parker Inc dba Parker’s #149 located at 3900 Washington Road

   3. (H3c) Alcoholic Beverage License Melina 25 LLC dba Habaneros Mexican Grill

   4. (H3d) Alcoholic Beverage License Kyoto Inc dba Kyoto Japanese Cuisine

   5. (H3e) Easement Encroachment Agreement for 1420 Dooley Lane, Tax Map 051 Parcel 319

   6. (H3f) Easement Encroachment Agreement for 4465 Baywood Trail, Tax Map 059 Parcel 967

4. Public Works and Engineering Services Committee

   1. (H4a) Renewal Number 3 with Goodwyn Mills Cawood for the Periodic Maintenance of Hydraulic Model for 2027

   2. (H4b) Emergency repair of the 22H Vertical Turbine Pump

   3. (H4c) Encroachment Agreement with Atlanta Gas Light for the Euchee Creek Harlem Interceptor Project

   4. (H4d) Meter Reading Agreement with Jefferson Electric

   5. (H4e) Proclaiming April 2026 as Safe Digging Month in Columbia County

   6. (H4f) 2026 Amendments of the Columbia County Radar Permit for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office

   7. (H4g) Contract #2026-3470 with Mid State Construction & Stripeing, Inc for the FY 2025/2026 Safety Striping Project B

   8. (H4h) Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement with GDOT for the Installation of Right Turn Lanes on Wrightsboro Rd (SR 223) and Louisville Rd

   9. (H4i) Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement with GDOT for Right Turn Lane Improvements on Washington Rd (SR104) from River Watch Pkwy to N. Belair Rd

   10. (H4j) Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement with GDOT for the Installation of “Welcome to Historic Appling” Gateway Signs on State Route 47 (US 221)

   11. (H4k) Project Framework Agreement with GDOT for PI 0021250 - Washington Rd Widening from William Few Pkwy to Tubman Rd

   12. (H4l) Bid #2026006-BID5200 and Contract #2026-3469 with Cajenn Construction & Rehabilitation Services for the 2026 Storm Water UV Lining Projects

   13. (H4m) Acceptance of Improvements for Flex Space of Evans, LLC

   14. (H4n) Purchase and Installation of Equipment from Willo Products Company to Replace Locks for Existing Dorm at the Columbia County Jail

DEBATE AGENDA

1. Unfinished Business Chairman Duncan

   1. Management and Internal Services Committee Commissioner Couch

      1. (I1a1) Resolution 26-04 to Amend the Jabez S. Hardin Auditorium Fee Schedule and Authorize the General Manager to Negotiate the Facility Use Agreement and Fees - Second Reading Approve: Yay 5, No 0

         When PAC took over Hardin Theater, realized that the fee schedule hadn’t been updated since 2016. Needed to make it break-even but realize that nonprofits and community groups use it. This allows PAC to negotiate lower fees for those organizations.

2. New Business

   1. Management and Internal Services Committee

      1. (I2a1) Independent Contractor Agreement with Kawahna McFadden to serve as MAT Program Clerk for the Columbia Judicial Circuit. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

         $5K until 9/30/2026 Contract Renewal

      2. (I2a2) Independent Contractor Agreement with Serenity Behavioral Health Systems to provide MAT Consultation and Clinical Services for the Columbia Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

         $10,500 until 9/30/2026 Contract Renewal

      3. (I2a3) Independent Contractor Agreement with Martinez Urgent Care, Inc. to provide MAT Consultation and Clinical Services for the Columbia Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

         $10,500 until 9/30/2026 Contract Renewal

   2. Development and Planning Services Committee

      1. (I2b1) RZ26-03-08, Major PUD (Planned Unit Development) Revision, 4102 Shady Oaks Drive, Tax Map 081B Parcel 1081, 0.28 +/- acres, and currently zoned PUD (Planned Unit Development). Approve: Yay 5, No 0

         Reduce to 5ft for a swimming pool

      2. (I2b2) RZ26-03-09, Rezoning from M-1 (Light Industrial) to C-2 (General Commercial), 475 Lewiston Road, for a 1.0 +/- acre portion of Tax Map 061 Parcel 030L, 32.25 +/- total acres, and currently zoned M-1 (Light Industrial). Approve: Yay 5, No 0

         Ken Worthington appeared on behalf of neighboring property owner, Brad Semback, who owns 2 parcels South of the property. He said that Parcel used to have direct access from Lewiston Rd, but that access was lost in a prior condemnation tied to road work, leaving the property effectively stranded and vacant. He asked the commission to add a condition to the Rezoning approval requiring a curb cut along the southern boundary of thee rezoned property, arguing that it would help restore access, improve emergency access, and make it easier to redevelop. Right now it’s an “eyesore.”

         Commissioner Melear asked if he had worked this out with the other property owner. Worthington said they had reached out and discussions were ongoing, but he was only asking the county for the curb cut as a first step, not for the county to force a full access agreement.

         Robert Titus spoke for the owner of applicant. He opposed Worthington’s request. He argued that the neighboring owner had already been compensated (about $2 million) when the old access was closed, so trying to get access through this Rezoning would amount double-dipping. He said the lack of access was a self-created hardship and argued the could not legally make a developer solve a 3rd party’s access problem as a condition of Rezoning. He also said there was no real public benefit, since this would mainly serve one private owner, and raised safety concerns about creating a through-access.

         Worthington responded that connectivity between commercial parcels is common, that condemnation is not really a normal voluntary sale, and that there is still a county interest in seeing that vacant Parcel put back into production. Melear said the motion to approve the Rezoning would stand as presented , without any added condition.

      3. (I2b3) RZ26-03-10, Major S-1 (Special) Revision, 830 Louisville Road, Tax Map 052 Parcel 001J, 5.0 +/- acres, and currently zoned S-1 (Special). Approve: Yay 5, No 0

         Schlachter: The business applied for a new sign, which triggered a review. Staff realized the existing sign had been built partly in the right of way. The proposed replacement sign also did not meet code because it would sit inside the required 20-ft sight triangle. Normally you can’t put something like a sign in the sight triangle because it blocks visibility. In this case, there was 35 ft from the property line to Louisville Rd, so although the sign would technically be inside the triangle, it won’t obstruct driver’s view down the road.

Public Comments

• Channing Taylor

• Karin Parham

• Howard Johnson

• Susan Warren

• Marlena Bergeron

Executive Session:

1. Property

   1. (M1a) Property A: $2000 to Brighton Landing HOA. Acceptance of land donation (9.96 acres) for right of way easements for Horizon South Parkway - Chandler Road Connector. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

   2. (M1b) Property B: Amendment to Temporary Easement (Chamberlain Rd - Horizon Connector) Easement size reduced from .05 acres to .02 acres. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

   3. (M1c) Property C: Sale .62 acre back to WellStar for drainage easement. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

   4. (M1d) 4 properties purchased for right of way and easements for the Hereford Farm Rd Windening Project. 99% Complete. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

   5. (M1e) New Park Purchase (South of I20, near Pumpking Center and Green Point) Purchased $40K per acre from Euchee Creek Development Company. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

Adjourn: Yay 5, No 0

Call To Order: 5:30 pm

Invocation: Historical Tabernacle Baptist Church Executive Minister of Operations Reverend Michael Woods

Pledge of Allegiance: North Harlem ES 4H Presidents

Approval of Agenda: Yay 4, No 1 (Katie Allen) Before the vote, Allen made a motion “to amend the agenda to include a discussion to address concerns regarding parental notification and consent in Signs of Suicide curriculum?

Special Recommendations

• Kelly Robertson, Principal for Stevens Creek Elementary School. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

• Jessica Williams, Principal for Blue Ridge Elementary School. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

Special Recognitions

1. CyberPatriot 18 Competition

   1. Evans Middle School, 3rd in the state

      1. Tinsley Myers

      2. Dean Rudy

      3. Kaleb Tanksley

   2. Greenbrier High School, State Champions All-Service Division Team

      1. Chloe Bell

      2. Garrett Carter

      3. Daniel Keyes

      4. Colton Mulrain

      5. Yamil Soto

   3. Greenbrier High School, State Champions Open Division Team

      1. Jackson Cluney

      2. Kyan Fleming

      3. Cade Mitchell

      4. Alexander Miko

      5. Alejandro Pascual

      6. Cayden Wamsley

2. Georgia Music Educators Association

   1. All-State Band

      1. Evans Middle School, Daniel Martin (1st Chair Tenor Saxophone)

      2. Greenbrier Middle School, Aric Hilyard (Trombone)

      3. Harlem Middle School, Shane Smolley (Trumpet)

      4. Evans High School

         1. Sophia Martin, Bass Clarinet

         2. Riley McDaniel, Tenor Saxophone

      5. Greenbrier High School

         1. Jackson Banks, Trombone

         2. Kevin Berry, Principal 1st Chair Trombone, All-State Orchestra

         3. Jackson Hutchinson, Trumpet

         4. Rigel Kotas, Principal 1st Chair Bass Clarinet

         5. Eli Ly, Principal 1st Chair Tenor Saxophone

         6. Pancho Mancera, Clarinet

         7. Brian Peek, Clarinet

         8. Mason Rubano, Baritone Saxophone

         9. Noah Torabi, Horn in F

      6. Harlem High School

         1. Palmer F. Bloodworth, French Horn

      7. Lakeside High School

         1. Luke Baker, French Horn

         2. Cole Eichenberger, Cello All-State Orchestra

         3. Peyton Geigle, Alto Saxophone

         4. Roran Griffin, Percussion

         5. Daniel Kim, Trombone

         6. Tavanna Mindingall, Tenor Saxophone

         7. Steven Pang, Clarinet

         8. Avery Park, Oboe

         9. Rand Sayno, Trumpet

         10. Hanyu Su, Alto Saxophone

         11. Isaac Thomas, Bass Clarinet

         12. Harry Zhou, Percussion

   2. All-State Chorus

      1. Columbia Middle School

         1. Connor Ryckeley

      2. Evans Middle School

         1. Gabriela Clawson

      3. Greenbrier Middle School

         1. Jacquelese Bailey

         2. Lucas Beasley

         3. Ace Punke-Bendt

         4. Aric Hilyard

         5. Caroline Jameson

         6. Riley Lane

         7. Amelia Russell

         8. Johnathan Tran

      4. Grovetown Middle School

         1. Kaleb Alicea

         2. Katelyn Higgs

         3. Sophia Lipham

         4. Benjamin LoBianco

         5. Jah Slaughter

         6. Ariyah Smith

      5. Harlem Middle School

         1. Braelyn Benfield, Mixed Chorus

         2. Jayce Chancey, Tenor/Bass

         3. Allie Greene, Mixed Chorus

         4. Lorelei Patrick, Mixed Chorus

      6. Stallings Island Middle School

         1. Elijah Campbell

         2. Zachary VanGroll

      7. Evans High School

         1. Addison Colson, Treble Choir

         2. Sadie Pressley, Mixed Chorus

      8. Greenbrier High School

         1. Kevin Jiang, Mixed Chorus

      9. Grovetown High School

         1. Matthew Rayburn III, Men’s Choir

      10. Lakeside High School

          1. Kashvi Boga

          2. Paige Geigle

          3. Jiaqi Sunny Huo

   3. Music Technology Showcase

      1. Columbia Virtual Academy

         1. Colton Chaffin

         2. Iris Hoberton

3. SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Competition

   1. Evans High School

      1. Michael Hutchinson, Heavy Equipment Operator, 3rd Place

      2. Axel Lombera, Mobile Electronics, 2nd Place

   2. Grovetown High School

      1. Colin Davis, Automotive Brakes, 2nd Place

   3. Harlem High School

      1. Crime Scene Investigation, 2nd Place

         1. Madison Pollard

         2. Anslee Rowell

         3. Christina VanVoorhis

      2. Legal Service Test, 2nd Place

         1. Olivia Thacker

      3. Tactical Response Team, 2nd Place

         1. Connor Grant

         2. Brenden Holley

         3. Amaria Rucker

         4. Jaxon Sanchez

      4. Criminal Justice, 3rd Place

         1. Giselle Angel Hernandez

      5. Internetworking, 3rd Place

         1. Jackson Spegal

      6. Job Demonstration, 3rd Place

         1. Annabelle Summers

4. Savannah College of Art and Design Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

   1. Columbia Virtual Academy

      1. Iris Holberton, 3rd place, photography “A Walk Through Nature”

      2. Jordynn Wilson, 3rd Place, drawing “Longest Line”

Board Comments

Approval of Consent Items: A, C, D, E, F. February Financials pulled out. Yay 5, No 0 Februry Financials: Yay 5, No 0

Allen had concerns about the SPLOST 2017-2022 Report. Discrepancy between $800,000 budget for the central warehouse project and the winning bid of $687,700 from Carol Daniel. Clarification provided that architecht and engineering fees (typically 6% but recently as low as 5.25%) are separate from and additional to a general contractor’s bid. The architect is Aces Environmental Services (approved list).

Discussion Topics

1. Inspire School Spotlight, North Columbia Elementary School

   1. “the Dragon Way”

   2. Uses ACE framework (Engage, Enrich, Inspire)

   3. Transformation Rooms for Engagement: Starbucks Cafe, etc

   4. Student Goal Setting

2. NexGen Cyber Robotics and AI Update, LeAnne Gregg and Stephanie Gamlin

   1. Aims to prepare students to be creators of tech, not just consumers, in partnership with cyber field leaders (Ft Gordon)

   2. 3 Areas of Focus

      1. Standardizing robotics equipment district-wid (VEX)

      2. providing professional learning for teachers

      3. creating district-wide competition opportunities

      4. 5-year plan for K12 Robotics and AI Integration

         1. Year 1: Laid groundwork by launching robotics in elementary media centers

         2. Year 2 (current): Expanded to Middle School with 45-day exploratory connections class

         3. Year 3 (2026-2027): Transition from centralized media center access to classroom and club integration in elementary schools

         4. Future Goals: Will include programmable drones and aims to make district a powerhouse in the VEX arena. By year 5, should be mature, with elementary competitions and middle schools hosting qualifiers, likely requiring dedicated support staff

Allen: Brought up concerns about balancing AI literacy with traditional literacy and math, given proficiency scores around 50%. District affirmed core subjects remain foundation. Allen also requested a formal policy on student data privacy. District detailed current rigorous safety measures, including a strict vetting process for 3rd-party software, district-specific data protection, and not releasing personally identifiable student information. The district feels it is “overly complying” with regulations.

Staff Reports:

1. Staff Update, Tony Wright, Chief HR Officer

   1. A proposal was presented to outource paraprofessional staffing to strengthen the district’s financial and instructional models.

   2. The current model is financially unsustainable due to risings costs of benefits. An average para costs the district nearly $54K annually, with the cost of 300 locally-funded positions being a significant burden.

   3. Proposal to transition to a vendor-owned model for new hires through attrition; no current employees would lose their jobs. Outsourced cost is projected at about $29K per position, saving almost $24K. Employees would get a higher wage but not the district’s State health benefits.

   4. Savings would be reallocated to hire more certified teachers, identified as most important factor in student achievement. State funds a majority of a certified eacher’s cost (about $110K total), making them a more efficient use of local funds compared to 100% locally-fundd Paras.

Board members raised concerns about potential for higher turnover (currently about 80 per year annually), loss of employee continuity and investment in students, and quality of staff.

District could revert back to traditional model if outsourcing fails.

Board Policy IHF(6) Graduation requirements - Entering Fall 2008-09 and thereafter. Approve Yay 5, No 0

• Just changing wording to make State standards more clear.

One-time supplement for eligible employees: Approve: Yay 5, No 0

• State funded a $2000 supplement ($5.8 million from state). Staff recommends extending to all employees of the school district to be paid on 4/1/2026. ($2.7 million from General Fund)

Building program

1. Resolution to Amend FY2025 Capital Outlay Application. Yay 5, No 0

2. OA Agreement and Mandatory Addendum for Greenbrier High School. Yay 4, No 1 (Katie Allen)

A mandatory Owner-Architect agreement addendum to receive State capital Outlay funding for the Greenbrier HS Project. The project’s early cost estimate is $82.7 million, but will change as progress. This is necessary step to proceed with the state. Discussed different bids and expenses.

Superintendent Reports

1. CC Career & College Expo and annual TAP Talks

2. Upcoming Events

   1. Media Specialist Appreciation Week: March 23-27

   2. Assistant Principal Appreciation Week:

   3. National Paraprofessional Appreciation Day (April 1)

   4. Spring Break: April 6-13th

   5. Summer School Registration April 27th - May 22nd

Executive Session: Yay 5, No 0

1. Affidavit: Yay 5, No 0

2. Personnel Sheet: Yay 4, No 0, Abstain: 1 (Dekle)

3. Settlement: Yay 5, No 0

Adjourn: 8:30 pm

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Opinion | Political Analysis

Columbia County, GA – Before last week, I had never been inside one of the courtrooms at 640 Ronald Reagan Drive. It looks like a…. courtroom. Wooden benches, dark wood furniture, boring government floors, incredibly bright white walls with nothing on them. The place was pretty sleepy last Thursday afternoon. A security guard joked that I might have to walk around in my socks after my boots set off the metal detector.

A handful of observers attended anyway: County Manager Scott Johnson, District 3 Commissioner Mike Carraway, and Planning Services Division Director Scott Sterling. Cambrey Wood, the Democrat running for Commission Chair, who publicly called for a moratorium on data centers, was also there, along with a few residents who were opponents of the data center approvals. For a set of data center lawsuits that would be dismissed in under thirty minutes, it was a decent showing.

Gregory P. Guido Jr., the Harlem resident who filed three petitions in Columbia County Superior Court challenging the data center rezonings and a rock quarry approval, read his argument aloud from his seat, while Judge Sheryl B. Jolly listened. The county’s attorney approached the bench and laid out the case for dismissal. Then it was over. All three petitions dismissed on the same grounds: lack of legal standing of the petitioner and wrong method of filing. It was a quick hearing.

I covered these filings a couple weeks ago too. At the time, I flagged that O.C.G.A. § 5-4-3, the statute Guido cited, is explicitly marked repealed in the current Georgia Code, that the quarry petition acknowledged the 30-day filing deadline already passed, and that land-use litigation is usually procedurally unforgiving, even for attorneys. So, the dismissal wasn’t a surprise. It was a predictable outcome of filings with identifiable problems from the start.

Some folks characterized the dismissal as the good ol’ boys club protecting their own. I’m going to push back on that narrative. The filings had identifiable problems from the start and the court treated them accordingly. Whether the Columbia County good ol’ boys network makes deals outside of public meetings, at the 1790 Club or the golf course, is a separate question, and not one that could be answered during this case.

Austin Rhodes said on his radio show that Guido was lucky Judge Jolly didn’t sanction him for filing a frivolous lawsuit. I’m skeptical of that framing. Frivolous has a specific legal meaning: baseless and brought in bad faith. A pro se litigant filing a procedurally defective case using a repealed statute is wrong, but I don’t think it rises to the level of bad faith.

The county’s attorney made an observation during his remarks that stuck with me though. He said that rezoning decisions are among the most politically contentious decisions a commission makes, implying this was a matter for politics, not the courts. The political landscape heading into May and November is no less contentious than it was when I first covered these cases a couple weeks ago.

The May 19th Republican primary for Commission Chair features a race between the current District 4 Commissioner Alison Couch and Grovetown Mayor Gary Jones, who resigned his mayorship to enter the race after having previously endorsed Couch. Some of her supporters have characterized his entry as backstabbing. Jones said publicly that he can’t undo the data center approvals already made, won’t vote for more, and has implied he’d look into anything that looks shady. So far, Gary Jones has not responded to my request for an interview. Some Jones supporters have been circulating what they describe as an informal anti-data center ticket, though how consistently that position is held across all the candidates they’re promoting is not clear from their public materials.

District 4, the commission seat covering Harlem and Appling, the areas closest to the proposed developments, in addition to Grovetown, will not have a primary. Republican Al Reeves, and Democrat Samantha Rockwood will face each other in November. According to their campaign websites, neither candidate has made an explicit public statement on data center development, which is notable given that District 4 is ground zero for resident frustration on the issue.

District 1 has a crowded Republican primary between Alex Griffin, Bobby Timmerman, and James Van Meter, with Democrat Michael Jordan running in November.

The courts have dismissed the cases against the county. The county’s own attorney basically said to take it to the ballot box. This cycle is shaping up to be more competitive than usual in Columbia County, which is a good thing regardless of where you stand. One politician told me recently that they disagreed with contesting every race because of how much it costs to run. Fair point. Campaigns are expensive. If nobody ever runs against the folks crowned at the 1790 Club though, we won’t benefit from considering different ideas and views. Competition brings more people to the voting booth, and elected officials who have to earn their seats are more attentive to the people who put them there.

Not Present: Chairman Duncan, Commissioner Melear

Call To Order: 6:00 pm

Approval of 3/3/2026 Board of Commissioners & 3/10/2026 Elected Officials Budget Work Session Minutes: Yay 3, No 0

Special Recognition, Presentation, Or Declaration

1. Special Recognition

   1. (G1a) Coroner Terry Normal to Recognize the Coroner’s Office Staff: Saved the lives of 755 people

2. Declaration

   1. (G2a) Proclamation Designation April as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in Columbia County (Glen Osteen)

Consent Agenda: Yay 3, No 0

1. Management and Internal Services Committee Commissioner Couch

   1. (H1a) Independent Contractor Agreement with Christopher Caudell to serve as a Staff Attorney for the Columbia Judicial Circuit

   2. (H1b) Juvenile Court Independent Contractor Agreement with Brendan Fleming to Serve as an Independent Prosecutor for Children in Need of Services

   3. (H1c) Agreement Renewal Number 2 with EyeMed Vision Care for Employee Vision Insurance

   4. (H1d) Renewal with New York Life for Basic Life Insurance

   5. (H1e) Proclamation Designating April as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in Columbia County

   6. (H1f) WebEx Telephony Payment Authorization

   7. (H1g) Renew Maintenance and Support with Ciena for Network Equipment and Services

   8. (H1h) Intergovernmental Agreement with the Georgia Department of Public Safety, Georgia State Patrol for Landscape and Janitorial Services

2. Development and Planning Services Committee Commissioner Melear

   1. (H2a) Contract 2026-3467 with Reeves Construction Company for Sheriff’s Driving Track -Milling and Inlay

   2. (H2b) Contract 2026-3466 with Remac, Inc. for the Sheriff’s Driving Track - Crack Seal & Striping

   3. (H2c) Purchase of a Bucket Truck from Hardy Automotive for Traffic Engineering

   4. (H2d) Alcoholic Beverage License Mai Thai Restaurant LLC

   5. (H2e) Alcoholic Beverage License Pancho Villa Mexican Kitchen LLC

   6. (H2f) Automatic Forfeit Extension for Vault 221 LLC

   7. (H2g) Encroachment Agreement, 711 Whitney Shoals Road, Tax map 060 Parcel 2098, Highland Lakes, Section 3

   8. (H2h) Encroachment Agreement, 7208 Hoffman Drive, Tax Map 067 Parcel 1718

   9. (H2i) Conditional License, Encroachment and Maintenance Agreement, 725 North Belair Road, Tax map 072 Parcel 231M

   10. (H2j) Easement Encroachment Agreement, 725 North Belair Road, Tax map 072 Parcel 231M

Debate Agenda

1. Unfinished Business

   1. Development and Planning Services Committee

      1. (I1a1) RZ25-12-04, Rezoning from C-C (Community Commercial) to R-2 (Single Family Residential), 309 & 311 South Belair Road, Tax Map 073A Parcels 154 & 155, 0.49+/- acres each, and currently zoned C-C (Community Commercial - Postponed from 3/3/2026 Yay 3, No 0

         Schlachter: Zoning to go from CC to R2. Was rezoned in 2024, a long with several other parcels to he north. There was a conditional use for residential use for 12 months. After 12 months, that residential use expired. A request to extend was presented and denied. Come back and asked to go back to their residential use. We’ve received a lot of information from both sides of this, but this time, the motion was to move back to residential to allow the family to continue living there.

         (Below is close to transcribed)

         James Blankenship: I am the homeowner of 309 South Belair Road, and speaking on behalf of me and my neighbor at 311 South Belair Rd. We went under contract with the developer 2 years ago to rezone a full block. This is what what presented at the time (held up a big presentation trifold). H wanted to do 3 businesses to take out the full area of the 3 lots on Valley Rd, and then south of this property, where the Domino’s and Dunkin Donuts is. He since backed out from me and my neighbor to the south… like to do now is to squeeze me and my neighbor between 2 other commercial developments. I kind of made this one showing where my property line is relative to this 2nd development. (hold up presentation board). I am still willing to sell. I still want to move away from this area. I don’t want to be squeezed between 2 developments. And if this Rezoning was approved, you’d have to move this property line by 45-fet over to the south, which would essentially removal all of this. Parking that he has here, and make it to where he’d be encouraged to actually come back in and develop. To be able to get a return on investment for the purchases that he’s already made. So after he backed out, I filed him into rezone back to R2 in late November. Shortly after, I found that the developer wanted to continue conversations with me. He wanted to go back to the negotiation table, so I delayed the planning committee meeting to February, well long negotiations ensued. Essentially, we couldn’t come to an agreement. The concern is that he wants us to keep delaying and kicking the can down the road for 2 more years or for another year and not close until 2027. And, if he does that, we’re afraid he’s going to get his building permit and then build. So, we’re still willing to go forward with negotiations. His most recent email, he said to close out this was an email he sent me on Saturday. He wrote quote, “If you choose to reject this offer, then know that we will not engage in this negotiation, and will move forward with what we have. While your Rezoning request would probably be disapproved if you pursue the Rezoning to R2. Just know that we will no longer retain interest in your property. We will simply work with the properties we have already acquired.” So, I’m put in a difficult situation because I do want to move forward with the sale, but I also need to protect my mental well-being and not have a road with a car being able to drive 20-25 ft from my bedroom window. I am requesting the board of commissioners to show me grace and help protect me from a developer coming in and treating me, a resident of this county, like this. By approving this Rezoning application, the board of commissioners will finally give back some peace of mind that I never have to worry about a diesel truck revving their engine 20 ft from my bedroom window at ten o’clock at night. You have my word that we’ll continue to try to sell so that the eventual properties be developed, which I know the county wants, and that’s what we want as well..

         Steed: Mr. Blankenship, I was really hoping y’all could come to an agreement on this because it’s been a long time coming.

         Blankenship: Yeah, I was too.

         Steed: And I noticed in the looking back, they had a condition when that 12-month period was given. That after that 12-month period was given. That after that 12 month period, then it will return back to our R2 so that’s our feeling. That’s my feeling as a board. That’s why I made a motion that it should revert back as we had stated in their previous meetings

         Blankenship: Thank you. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

         Sajilakani: I am the project manager of this proposed development. I am just speechless. I have communicated as much as I could have explained why we, wanted to keep the zoning at CC. Because, to me, clearly, there’s a path forward that doesn’t impact anyone. And in this situation, if you go ahead and revert it back to R2, it impacts us when we’re trying do a commercial development. And we’ve invested there that increases our buffers and our setbacks. However, if you let this stay CC, we are still going to have greater buffer than they already have. The latest iteration that I had presented to you, Commissioner Steed, showed that the building would be more than 40 feet away from where that house is, and they have really no buffer. We would put up fence and landscape buffer and a greater distance. And the commissioners have been cooperative and said they would not enforce the code violation in the interim while we are continuing to negotiatte, which we have been. It’s just very slow getting there. But if you all just keep it CC, you serve the interests of the county, you allow us as investors to do what we need to do, and you also allow these folks to live there. It doesn’t impact them negatively. They’ll have a greater buffer than they do right now, and they themselves have acknowledged that they anticipate that it’ll go commerical they’ll leave. So this flip flopping of the zoning, I think it sets a bad precedent. It’s not a good message to the investors in our county, and it impacts us negatively from day one for a short term stay where that property is probably going to be revertd to CC again.

         Steed: The problem is that we can’t keep kicking it down the road. We can’t keep letting them stay there and overlooking, you know the fact that they’re not supposed to be there in CC living in that residence. But it seems like it keeps going and keeps going. And as as I mean, it was hard on me trying to deal with all this. I know it’s got to be hard on them. And if it keeps going and keeps going, we’ve got to put an end to it sometime and, maybe later on down the road, if they can come and we can get the desire that we want on that stretch of road, but as for right now, it just seems likely that we just need to go back as it said in the condition that we had in the previous judgement.

         Sajilakani: But Planning Department has told me that there is ample precedent for property that has stayed. Certain zoning, but there was a zoning violation. But they knew that it was being worked on, so they overlooked it. And I have been told it was for years that way. And there’s ample precedent. Will Buckle himself told me. I don’t know why this particular property is being highlighted for this degree of attention. I mean, we’re all trying to work together and to make this work out. But this decision will negatively impact our development and the investment that we’ve made. And, why would we then want to turn around and buy property that’s now zoned residential? It’s another entire unknown for an unknown period of time.

         Carraway: It appears that you’ve lost the confidence of the sellers, and it’s not fair to hold them hostage. That's a position I am taking.

         Sajilakani: But Sir, I don’t feel that we’re holding them hostage. That’s up to you to decide. That what I respectfully request.

2. New Business

   1. Management and Internal Services Committee

      1. (I2a1) Independent Contractor Agreement with Kawahna McFadden to serve as Clinical Case Manager for the Columbia Judicial Circuit Yay 3, No 0

      2. (I2a2) Appointment of Donald Skinner Jr. to Serve on the Hospital Authority. Yay 3, No 0

      3. (I2a3) Commercial Lease Agreement Between Columbia County and Plaza at Evans LLC for .75 acres of property. Parcel 072 550C. Yay 3, No 0

         Johnson: Area between Meybohm and PAC. Use it for events at no charge to the county.

      4. (I2a4) Resolution 26-04 to Amend the Jabez S. Hardin Auditorium Fe chedule and Authorize the General Manager or Negotiate the Facility Ue Agrement and Fees - First Reading Yay 3, No 0

         Realigned under PAC. This changes the fee structure so it can break even. Hasn’t been updated since 2016. Agreement allows Josh Small to negotiate so that it’s still affordable for community groups to make the space accessible.

      5. (I2a5) Revised rental contract for Hardin Auditorium Yay 3, No 0

         On the same note, an updated rental contracts with optional staffing.

      6. (I2a6) C3BU Pruchase of server equipment from mainline Yay 3, No 0

         Kennedy: $249K This is to replace existing equipment. Didn’t have time to take to committee because the price is going up next month by 30% or more.

   2. Development and Planning Services Committee

      1. (I2b1) RZ26-03-01, Rezoning from R-A (Residential Agricultural) to R-1 (Single Family Residential), 1422 Old Appling Harlem Highway, Tax map 030 Parcel 007, 4.03+/- acres, and currently zoned R-A (Residential Agricultural). Yay: 2, Abstain: 1 (Carraway)

         Schlachter: Subdivide the property. Structures won’t meet setbacks. So to meet for the existing structures. New driveways will have access to Old Harlem only.

      2. (I2b2) VA26-03-01, Variance to Section 90-53 List of lot & structure requirements, 1422 Old Appling Harlem Highway, Tax map 030 Parcel 007, 4.03 +/- acres, and currently zoned R-A (Residential Agricultural). Yay 2, Abstain: 1 (Carraway)

         Reduce Setback

      3. (I2b3) RZ26-03-02, Rezoning from R-1 (Single Family Residential) to C-2 (General Commercial), 4933, 4935, & 4937 Washington Road and off Hardy McManus Road, Tax map 066 Parcels 028, 029, 030A, & 031, 3.41 +/- acres combined, and currently zoned R-1 (Single Family Residential). Withdraw Without Prejudice: Yay 3, No 0

      4. (I2b4) RZ26-03-03, Conditional Use for Massage, 218 Oak Street North, Tax map 078D Parcel 128, 1.07 +/- acres, and currently zoned C-2 (General Commercial). Yay 3, No 0

         Expand to add 1 more therapist.

      5. (I2b5) RZ26-03-04, Rezoning from R-A (Residential Agricultural) & M-1 (Light Industrial) to D-C (Data Center), off Morris Calloway Road, Tax map 019 Parcel 002C, 37.03 +/- acres, and currently zoned R-A (Residential Agricultural) & M-1 (Light Industrial). Yay 3, No 0

         Cheney Eldridge: There was a mistake on this Parcel. This is not an additional parcel. It was part of the original package

      6. (I2b6) RZ26-03-05, Rezoning from R-3 (Single Family Residential) to C-3 (Heavy Commercial), 249 Settlement Road, Tax map 078C Parcel 518, 0.96 +/- acres, and currently zoned R-3 (Single Family Residential). Yay 3, No 0

         Move electrician office. Variance to reduce buffer.

      7. (I2b7) VA26-03-02, Variance to Sections 90-98 List of lot & structure requirements & 90-139 Buffers & screening, 249 Settlement Road, Tax map 078C Parcel 518, 0.96 +/- acres, and currently zoned R-3 (Single Family Residential). Yay 3, No 0

      8. (I2b8) RZ26-03-06, Rezoning from R-2 (Single Family Residential) to C-2 (General Commercial), 8101, 8102 & 8104 Sir Galahad Drive, Tax map 072A Parcels 122, 164, & 163, 3.77 +/- acres combined, and currently zoned R-2 (Single Family Residential). Withdraw Without Prejudice: Yay 3, No 0

         Johnson: This has to deal with the entrance into Camelot subdivision. Staff doesn’t feel using the entrance for the subdivision for a business entry would be good for the subdivision. They are working with GDOT to add a light at Faircloth Drive & Washington which would benefit the traffic there because it’s difficult to turn left onto Washington.

      9. (I2b9) RZ26-03-07, Major PUD Revision, 833 Audubon Way, Tax map 081 Parcel 681, 0.36 +/- acres, and currently zoned PUD (Planned Unit Development) and easement encroachment agreement. Approve Yay 3, No 0

         Schlachter: Putting in a pool and will need a retaining wall over 6 feet.

      10. (I2b10) Georgia Power Underground Easement for Distribution Line Relocation at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Parcel 072 045B Approve Yay 3, No 0

Executive Session

1. Property

   1. (M1a) Property A: Properties for Hereford Farm Widening Project. 97% Complete. Approve Yay 3, No 0

   2. (M1b) Property B: Condemnations for Hereford Farm Rd Widening Project. Negotiations went well with homeowners but the bank wouldn’t agree without condemnation. Approve Yay 3, No 0

   3. (M1c) Property C: Settelement - Hereford Farm Rd Widening Project. Approve Yay 3, No 0

Adjourn: 6:42 pm

Call To Order: 5:30 pm

Invocation: St. Teresa o Avila Catholic Church, Deacon Kerry Diver

Pledge of Allegiance: Baker Place ES 4H Presidents

Approval of Agenda: Yay 5, No 0

Special Recognitions

• Boys and Girls Swimming Individual and Team State Championships

  • Boys Individual

    • Bryce Douglas, 2nd Place Overall, 100m Breaststroke (Evans HS)

  • Girls Individual

    • Heba Fouitah, 1st Place 200m Medley & 2nd Place 100m Butterfly (Lakeside HS)

    • Allison Jost, 1st Place 50m Freestyle & 2nd Place 200m Backstroke (Lakeside HS)

  • Girls Swimming Team State Championship (Lakesid HS, 1st Place 4x100 Freestyle Team Relay)

    • Heba Fouitah

    • Grace Gambrell

    • Allison Jost

    • Taylor Marchan

  • Girls Swimming Team State Championship (Lakesid HS, 2nd Place 200m Medley Team Relay)

    • Heba Fouitah

    • Grace Gambrell

    • Allison Jost

    • Georgia Morris

  • Girls Swimming Team State Championship (Lakeside HS, 3rd Place overall)

    • Vera Eichenberger

    • Heba Fouitah

    • Grace Gambrell

    • Katherine Johnson

    • Allison Jost

    • Emily Jost

    • Paige Kessler

    • Taylor Marchan

    • Clara Martin

    • Georgia Morris

    • Kimberly Mullins

  • Girls Swimming Team State Championships (Lakeside HS, 2nd Place 200m Medley Team Relay)

    • Heba Fouitah

    • Grace Gambrell

    • Allison Jost

    • Georgia Morris

• Boys and Girls Wrestling Individual and Duals Team State Championship

  • Michelle Kowalsky, 2nd Place, 120lb weight class (Evans HS)

  • Leonard Gallagher, 2nd Place, 144lb weight class (Greenbrier HS)

  • Shaniyah McDaniel, 1st Place, 125lb weight class (Grovetown HS)

  • Victor Smith, 2nd Place, 157lb weight class (Grovetown HS)

  • 2nd Place, Wrestling Dual Team: Greenbrier HS

    • Daniella Anguiano

    • Alexis Bryan

    • Ava Byrd

    • Reagan Carnes

    • Jansen Drumgoole

    • Journey Drumgoole

    • Malee Head

    • Taylor Hickok

    • Esperanza Huitron

    • Shane Isla-Rios

    • Gabrielle Jefferson

    • Renee Jetter

    • Hannah Kirkland

    • Josie McQuillan

    • Tierra Parker

    • Grace Patterson

    • Mackenzie Shannon

    • Laci Sherrill

    • Kirra Silva

    • Jaidyn Smith

    • Kenya Solomon

    • Elka Stancoven

    • Claire Washburn

Board Member Comments and Acknowledgements

• Board members thanked students, parents, coaches and 4H Leaders

• Board expressed appreciation and community pride. Acknowledged program growth.

Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0

• 2/24/2026 Work Session Meeting Minutes

• Budget Amendments

• Fundraisers

• Emloyee Travel

• Program/Camp/Employee Particpation Requests

• Lease/Use Facilities

Board Policy IHF(6), Graduation Requirements - Entering Fall 2008-09 and thereafter

• Put it in alignment with state guidance. This will be put out until next meeting, and will vote on it then.

Building Program

• Project Update

  • Lakeside HS: Progress on gym, pictures of roof and new entrance.

  • Evans HS: Close to moving in. Tennis courts in back - paved. Pics of PAC and chorus/band areas. Track around the top of gym, load bleachers from the top down. Pics of Cafeteria

  • Harlem HS: Back area graded. email just went to parents because moving traffic lanes.

• Amendment: Yay 4, Opposed 1 (Katie Allen)

Flynt: Required to receive State capital outlay funds; adjusts to actual state contribution

Allen: This is for the increase from $80 million to $94 million due to athletic Fields and inflation?

Flynt: Yes.

Superintendent Reports

• March - Appreciation for School Social Workers

• The Quest for School Breakfast Month

• 3/12/2026 4-7pm CC Exhibition Center: Career & College Expo

• 3/16/2026 Tee Up For Education

• PreK Registration: 2/23-3/20

• CC Student Art Show, 3/3-3/30

• End of Third Nine Weeks, March 10

• School Bard Appreciation Week, 3/9-3/13

• Early Dismissal 3/13

• Student Holiday/District Professional Learning Day, 3/16

• Report Cards, 3/18

• Special Olympics, 3/27

• PreK Drawing, 3/30

Public Participation

• Janet Duggan

Executive Session: Yay 5, No 0

• Legal Affidavit: Yay 5, No 0

• Personnel Sheet: Yay 5, No 0

• Contract for 190-day employee: Yay 4, Abstain: 1 (Chairman Dekle)

Adjourn: Yay 5, No 0

This meeting started after Committee Meetings (around 9:45 am), functioned as a working session reviewing department needs and operational updates ahead of the FY 26/27 budget process. No votes were taken. None of the discussion is transcribed.

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Sheriff’s Office

Crime Trends

Sheriff Whittle reported continued decreases in the county crime rate.

Crime rate changes reported:

• 2023: 2.5% decrease

• 2024: 8.1% decrease

• 2025: 13.1% decrease

Also, about 600 fewer warrants were issued in 2025.

Whittle: decreases largely due to technology investments made by the county, including the downtown crime center and expanded camera systems.

Judicial Philosophy

• difference in judicial philosophy between Columbia County and some other jurisdictions.

• local approach focuses on prosecuting offenders and imposing prison sentences

• District attorney and judges actively working together with law enforcement.

• Individuals committing crimes in the county without local ties (Sheriff mentioned gang members from South Carolina) banned from returning to Columbia County after conviction.

  • Discouraged some offenders from returning to the county - Deterrent effect

Technology and Capital Equipment

Technology infrastructure needs discussed, end-of-life equipment

Items referenced included:

• servers

• switches

• Cisco system upgrades

Approximately $800,000 in capital equipment as part of the lifecycle replacement process.

Scott Johnson - funding certain items through capital funds rather than through the Sheriff’s operating budget.

Jail Operations

The Sheriff reported that a new jail pod is expected to open around late April.

Staffing needs discussed included:

• 4 employees to staff the new pod.

• Additional courthouse deputies discussed due to increasing caseloads (civil).

  • Hiring two additional deputies could replace most of the overtime currently required for courthouse security.

Jail Renovation

Renovation of an older jail pod was discussed.

Items mentioned included:

• lock replacement

• plumbing fixtures

• security upgrades

Estimated renovation cost mentioned: approximately $885,000. Work likely to occur after the new pod becomes operational.

Court System

Caseload

• Judges reported increases in civil and domestic case filings.

• Civil and domestic filings doubled since 2020.

• state judicial workload assessment process, which determines when circuits qualify for additional judges.

• Based on current trends, an additional judgeship could be needed within 2-5 years.

Virtual Court Appearances

• Judges and Sheriff discussed continued use of video appearances for defendants located in the jail.

• Technology reduced need for prisoner transport and lowered operational costs.

Juvenile Court

Juvenile Court officials reported:

• 105 court days held last year

• 743 hearings conducted.

DFCS bringing fewer cases to court - not due to fewer family issues, but possibly lower funding for DFCS at State level.

Juvenile Transport Issue

• Department of Juvenile Justice previously allowed remote hearings during COVID but no longer does so.

• Juveniles must be transported for court appearances.

• State legislators may need to address the issue.

Coroner’s Office

Fee Schedule

The Coroner discussed fees paid to staff responding to calls. Fees have remained unchanged since 2009. Proposed changes discussed:

• Call Fee: Now $200, Proposed $250

• Out of Town Transport: Now $200, Proposed $250

• Local Transport: Now $65, Proposed $100

Estimated impact discussed: approximately $26,000.

Staffing

Converting a high-volume contract position to a full-time role to reduce workload and provide retirement benefits.

Organ Donation

The Coroner reported that Columbia County ranked:

• #2 in the state for organ donation referrals

• #7 in actual donations

755 lives were saved through donations associated with the county.

Emergency Communications

Enhanced 911

Capabilities of the county’s enhanced 911 system.

• text-to-911 (with locating ability)

• submission of photos and video by callers.

Officials stated that many residents are unaware the service exists.

County Radio System

Officials discussed the countywide 800 MHz radio system used by public safety agencies and other departments.

• Approximately 1,400 users are connected to the system daily.

• Current fee: $50 per radio per year

• Possible increase to $100 per radio per year was mentioned to help offset equipment replacement costs.

IT Infrastructure

Lifecycle replacement of network infrastructure used by multiple departments. Items mentioned included:

• switches

• camera network equipment

Emphasized the need to replace equipment before it reaches end-of-life to avoid larger system failures.

Audit Committee

Call To Order: 8:30 am

Approval of 12/9/2025 Meeting Minutes: Yay 5, No 0

Debate Agenda

1. New Business

2. Management Services

   1. Draft Reports

      1. (G1a1a) Technology Services Division

      Scope & Methods:

      • Tested incident reports for timeliness and documentation - no exceptions.

      • Inspected broadband tower security - no findings

      • Reviewed data backup policy, process - good results

      • Reviewed GIS Parcel change process - good results

      • Tested broadband 3rd-party revenue - no exceptions

      • Reviewed purchase requisitions, purchase cards, and timesheets- no findings

      • Performed Inventory spot-chcks using sheet-floor and floor-sheet methods.

      Inventory Observations:

      • IT assets: one phone auditor area not on inventory list

      • Broadband: inaccuracies between bench stock inventory and records

      • Management response to strengthen broadband inventory controls provided

      Change Management procedures - adequate

      5-year strategic plan - no recommendations

      Clarifications:

      • Inventory focus for boradband bench stock (not installed)

      • Emphasis on tracking bench stock

      Conclusion: Strong controls overall. Targeted improvements needed for inventory accuracy.

      1. (G1a1b) Parks, Recreation & Events Department

         Systems Note:

         • MUNIS and Rec1 interface requires batch-level tracing; total revenues match at aggregate level.

         • No changes recommended - disclosure explains batch testing approach

         Process Testing Results

         • Gym memberships: fee collection and termination controls tested - no exceptions

         • Facility Rentals (pavilions, ball fields): payments traced; no exceptions

         • Wildwood Park (camping/day use): multiple transaction types, reviewed; no exceptions

         • Youth/adult sports registrations, including processing fees; no exceptions

         • National Alliance for Youth Sports (coach vetting): selections tested - no findings

         • Purchase cards, requisitions and time sheets - no findings

         Parks & Rec controls operating effectively - no issues

   2. Internal Audit Update

      1. (G1a2a) March Internal Audit Update (3-year rotation)

         Departments identified: Recyling, Procurement, Licensing and Permitting, Library

         Clerk of Courts Reconciliation Follow-Up:

         Background:

         • Initially identified large volume of uncleared deposits in transit, largely tied to a software update on a specific date.

         • Clerk’s office worked with IT to reconcile and clear transactions.

         Current Status:

         • Majority reconciled, over 90% of items correctly cleared.

         • About 10 older transactions (total about $66K from 2019-2020 lacked enough historic detail for precise matching).

         • Subsequent bank reconciliations prepared correctly with erroneous items removed; cash balance corrected

         Risk and Fraud Assessment:

         • Scott Johnson and auditor state no indication of fraud or theft; issues stem from compounded bookkeeping errors over time.

         • Emphasis on timely, accurate bank reconcilations and prompt resolution of errors.

         Discussion:

         • Connie Melear had concern about lingering misstatements; prefer to have a clean way to carry-forward

         • Practical limitations due to aged records (PDF vs Excel) prevent tracing each of the small items.

         Conclusion: Reconciliation corrected and current records clean. Recommendation reinforced for ongoing timely reconciliations to prevent recurrence.

   Adjourn 9:01 am

   Management and Internal Service Committee

Call To Order 9:06 am

Approval of 2/10/2026 Meeting Minutes: Yay 3

Debate Agenda

1. New Business

   1. County Manager

      1. (I1a1) Independent Contractor Agreement with Christopher Caudell to serve as a Staf Attorney for the Columbia County Judicial Circuit. Move to Consent

         1099 Role, $4000 per month (no benefits)

      2. (I1a2) Juvenile Court Independent Contractor Agreement with Brendan Fleming to Serve as an Independnt Prosecutor for Children in Need of Services Move to Consent

         $1333.33 per month. 3/26- end of fiscal year (6/30)

   2. Deputy County Manager

      1. (I1b1) Agreement Renewal Number 2 with EyeMed Vision Care for Employee Vision Insurance Move to Consent

         Current vision exp 12/31/2026. Renewal through 12/31/2029 with no rate increase. Employee paid - No county impact.

      2. (I1b2) Renewal with New York Life for Basic Life Insurance Move to Consent

         County provides employees with $25K life insurance. Annual county cost $46, 381. Renewal through 12/31/2029 with no rate increase.

   3. Financial Services

      1. (I1c1) Resolution 26-04 to Amend the Jabez S. Hardin Auditorium Fee Schedule and Authorize the General Manager to Negotiate the Facility Use Agreement and Fees. Move to Debate

         Karin Parham (public comment): Concern that the fee schedule could price out community groups

         Operations moved from library to PAC, prompting fee review. New structure aims to cover expenses without profit. Hardin not supported by general fund (property taxes). Staff can negotiate pricing to help community entities meet budgets. Classrooms previously included in theater Rental are not free for community use and managed by library.

      2. (I1c2) Revised Rental Contract for Hardin Auditorium Move to Debate

      3. (I1c3) Proclamation Designating April as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in Columbia County. Approved and will be read next Tuesday

   4. Technology Services

      1. (I1d1) WebEx Telephony Payment Authorization Move to Consent

         $140,410.20 payment. Switch to Webex continues to save county about $307K annually.

      2. (I1d2) Renew Maintenance and Support with Ciena for Network Equipment and Services Move to Consent

         Renewal of maintenance support agreement. $100, 888.81 from broadband operating funds.

2. Added at Meeting:

   1. Intergovernmental Agreement with the Georgia Department of Public Safety

      County will provide landscape and janitoriaal services for a Georgia State Patrol Post. County previously owned building and provided services. State Patrol remits over $800K in fines to county annually, covering service costs.

Staff Reports

1. Financial Services

   1. (K1a) Year to Date Budget Report: As of 2/28, all funds operating as expected, around 67% for fiscal year

   2. (K1b) SPLOST Update: Over $2.9 million received in January. 1.44% lower then past years, likely due to inflated numbers from last year’s Hurricane Helene cleanup.

   3. (K1c) Investment Report

Adjournment: 9:25 am

Development and Planning Services Committee

Call To Order: 9:26 am

Approval of 2/10/2026 Meeting Minutes: Yay 3, No 0

Debate Agenda:

1. Deputy County Manager (Schlachter)

   1. (I1a1) Contract 2026-3467 with Reeves Construction Company for Sheriff’s Driving Track - Milling and Inlay Move to Consent

      $48,135. Track age about 7 years

   2. (I1a2) Contract 2026-3466 with Remac, Inc for the Sheriff’s Driving Track - Crack Seal & Striping Move to Consent

      $76,605

   3. (I1a3) Purchase of a Bucket Truck from Hardy Automotive for Traffic Engineering Move to Consent

      $212K.

2. Development Services

   1. (I1b1) Alcoholic Beverage License Mai Thai Restaurant LLC Move to Consent

   2. (I1b2) Alcoholic Beveral License Pancho Villa Mexican Kitchen LLC Move to Consent

   3. (I1b3) Automatic Forfeit Extentsion for Vault 221 LLC Move to Consent

      Currently renovating, extension to 6/15. No prior extensions.

3. Planning Services (Sterling)

   1. (I1c1) Encroachment Agreement, 711 Whitney Shoals Road, Tax map 060 Parcel 2098, Highland Lakes, Section 3 Move to Consent

      10 ft rear drainage and utitilies easement. Pool does not encroach. Deck encroach 4 ft. Owner responsible for impacts.

   2. (I1c2) Encroachment Agreement, 7208 Hoffman Drive, Tax Map 067 Parcel 1718 Move to Consent

      5 ft side yard drainage & utilities easement. Pool deck encroaches 2.5 feet, walkway and driveway encroach 4 ft. Pool does no encroach. Agreement include owner responsibility.

   3. (I1c3) Conditional License, Encorachment and Maintenance Agreement, 725 North Belair Road, Tax Map 072 Parcel 231M Move to Consent

      Street trees in right of way to meet landscape requirements due to utilities. County allowed to dig if needed.

   4. (I1c4) Easement Encroachment Agreement, 725 North Belair Road, Tax Map 072 Parcel 231M Move to Consent

      Curb and gutter within county easement at rear of property near storm line.

Staff Reports

1. Planning Services (Sterling)

   1. (K1a) February 2026 Planning Department Work Load measurement monthly report

   2. (K1b) January 2026 Plan Review Work Load measurement monthly report

2. Development Services (Schlachter)

   1. (K2a) Development Services Division Monthly Report

   2. (K2b) Development Services Division Financial Report

   3. (K2c) Temporary Event Alcohol Permits

Adjourn 9:35 am

A resident’s lawsuit challenging approvals for the White Oak Technology Park and Pumpkin Center data center campus lands in court as frustration over growth spills into the upcoming Columbia County Commission elections

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Opinion | Political Analysis

Key Points

• A Harlem resident has filed lawsuits challenging Columbia County data center rezonings.

• The petition questions approvals tied to White Oak Technology Park and Pumpkin Center Data Center Park

• Legal challenges face procedural hurdles, including filed deadlines and repealed statutes.

• The controversy is spilling into the 2026 Columbia County Commission elections.

• Multiple seats will have contested primaries and Democratic challengers.

Columbia County’s rapid embrace of large-scale industrial development, particularly data centers, is no longer confined to loud public comment periods at late-night commission meetings. Now it’s in the courts.

Harlem resident Gregory P. Guido Jr. filed multiple petitions in Columbia County Superior Court seeking judicial review of recent Board of Commissioners decisions, including approvals related to the White Oak Technology Park, the Pumpkin Center data center campus, and a proposed rock quarry.

Guido is representing himself, which is a risky and bold choice. Courts operate on procedure, deadlines, and narrow standards of review. Even small mistakes in how a case is filed can determine whether a court ever reaches the underlying claims. Most people pursuing complex land-use litigation retain professional counsel. Attorneys are expensive, though, and when folks feel they have exhausted every other avenue, they sometimes turn to the courts as the last available forum, even if that means self-representation.

It would be silly to argue that data centers themselves are unlawful. Instead, Guido is challenging how they were approved in Columbia County.

In the Pumpkin Center petition, Guido alleges that the rezoning application was notarized before the County formally adopted the D-C zoning classification for data centers. He argues that the Development of Regional Impact review was incomplete, that environmental and stormwater impacts were not fully evaluated, that baseline noise testing was not conducted for nearby neighborhoods, and that the required notice to the Columbia County School District may not have been properly documented. He also contends that the Board approved the rezoning without adopting protective conditions proposed by residents and without requiring financial safeguards should a developer abandon the project.

In subsequent amendments, Guido clarified that his petitions are brought under O.C.G.A. § 5-4-3, a statute historically used for certiorari review of local zoning decisions. However, Georgia repealed the certiorari statutes in Title 5, Chapter 4 in 2023. O.C.G.A. § 5-4-3 is explicitly marked repealed in the current code. The quarry petition faces an additional hurdle: Guido acknowledges in his own amendment that the 30-day filing period for zoning appeals already passed. Courts tend to take deadlines seriously.

In the Pumpkin Center filing, Guido also submitted a motion requesting that Superior Court Judge Barry Fleming recuse himself from the case. The motion asserts that Judge Fleming’s personal and political relationship with the Prather family, established while Fleming served as a County Commissioner, creates the appearance of impropriety. A motion to recuse is an interesting chess move when the underlying petition may not survive its first procedural challenge. Judicial review of zoning decisions is narrow, and courts generally defer to local governing bodies unless a decision is clearly arbitrary, capricious, or procedurally defective. That’s a higher bar than many people realize. Still, lawsuits do not emerge in a vacuum.

For months, residents in Appling and Harlem have turned out to meetings over data center development. They raised concerns about water usage, generator noise, infrastructure strain, environmental review, and property values. Earlier phases of the White Oak project involved nondisclosure agreements and closed-door meetings that, while legal, left many residents feeling decisions were shaped long before the broader public understood the scope of the project. By the time the projects became widely known, the rezoning process was moving quickly, and many felt it was a “done deal.”

Subsequent rezonings and planning updates to the new Foundations for the Future planning document attempted to establish clearer guardrails for data center development. Whether those guardrails are sufficient depends on who you ask. Skepticism remains high among many Columbia County residents, especially those living in Harlem and Appling, who will live the closest to the developments.

The data centers were not the only controversial development approved. When the rock quarry was approved, the frustration was loud as it moved into the hallway. As commissioners voted and residents walked out, several shouted, “See you at the polls.” A few folks were less restrained and actually yelled profanity. It was raw and emotional. The message was unmistakable, though. If residents felt unheard at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, they would respond at the ballot box. Judging by the volume and vocabulary, they are not planning to do it quietly.

The frustration in that hallway has been building for a while, though. These commissioners have operated in an environment where the outcome of most races was settled before anyone voted. In many cycles, there was no primary challenger, no general election opponent, and no real accountability at the ballot box. That kind of stability has a way of making elected officials feel like they don’t have to answer to anyone.

Remarks on February 16 put that tension on full display.

During public remarks, Joanne Murdoch, a frequent and vocal critic of data center development, noted that three Democrats had filed declarations of intent to run for District 1, District 4, and Commission Chair. She scolded the commission, arguing that those filings stemmed from dissatisfaction with the Board’s decisions. Yet she finished her remarks by urging fellow conservatives not to sit out the upcoming elections. It was a strange moment. In effect, she was saying: be frustrated, be loud, but still vote for the same people. She was so close to getting it. So close.

I have to ask: what specific local policy positions do Democrats in Columbia County supposedly hold that are so objectionable? What exactly do people think is going to happen? A campaign focused on protecting green space, building bike paths, maybe a park and ride instead of just more lanes, and sustainable growth? Oh no, the absolute horror of such a thing.

The Board is not monolithic, though. District 4 Commissioner Alison Couch, who represents Harlem, Appling, and parts of Grovetown, voted against both the Pumpkin Center data center rezoning and the rock quarry. District 2 Commissioner Jim Steed, elected in a recent special election, also voted against the quarry. In other words, dissenting votes have been recorded, but minority votes do not control outcomes. Majorities do. Some residents believe dissenting commissioners were given political cover to oppose projects that leadership already knew would pass.

On the final day of qualifying, just before the deadline, Grovetown Mayor Gary Jones entered the race for Commission Chair, setting up a Republican primary against Couch, whom he had previously endorsed. Jones has served as Grovetown’s mayor for years and is well known in the county. His entry was welcomed by some District 4 residents who grew frustrated with Couch but couldn’t see themselves voting for a Democrat. The primary is already turning contentious.

Murdoch’s dilemma is not hypothetical. Some District 4 residents were already saying before Jones entered the race that they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Couch again, even if it meant crossing over. Jones’s entry gives them another option. Whether that option satisfies them, or whether the frustration runs deeper than any Republican primary can resolve, is an open question. The coalition that has kept Columbia County’s commission uniformly Republican is not as unified as it used to be.

Countywide primary turnout in non-presidential cycles has often hovered around 20 percent. In 2024, even though it was a presidential year, turnout in the May primary fell to just below 11 percent. This year is shaping up differently.

For the first time in many years, every Columbia County Commission seat on the ballot will have a Democratic challenger in November. Two of those seats will also feature competitive Republican primaries in May. Contested races are important because they expand the electorate beyond a narrow primary base.

Guido also qualified to run for the District 4 commission seat as an independent candidate. Independent candidates in Georgia must collect a required number of petition signatures to appear on the general election ballot. If his name actually appears on the ballot, the legal and political challenges will unfold at the same time.

The courts will decide whether the County followed the law in approving these rezonings. Voters will decide whether they approve of the commissioners who voted for them. The folks who shouted “see you at the polls” will soon get their chance.

Approval of the 2/17/2026 meeting minutes. Yay 5, No 0

Special Recognition, Presentation and/or Declaration

1. Declaration

   1. (G1a) March 2026 Theatre in Our Schools Month Proclamation

Consent Agenda: Yay 5, No 0

1. Community and Emergency Services

   1. (H1a) Canceling the April 07, 2026 Board of Commissioners Meeting

   2. (H1b) March 2026 Theatre in Our Schools Month Proclamation

2. Public Works and Engineering Services Committee

   1. (H2a) Jefferson Energy Cooperative Right of Way Easement for Parcel 021 051 County Line Road

   2. (H2b) Award Bid and Contract to Gerald Jones Ford, LLC for County Fleet Vehicle Provider

   3. (H2c) Independent Contractor Agreement with Ardurra Group, Inc. for the 2026 Biosolids Report

   4. (H2d) Proposal to switch Utility Locate software from Digsmart to Boss811

   5. (H2e) Change Order Number 2 with Gearig Civil Works, LLC. for the Euchee Creek Sewer Forcemain

   6. (H2f) 2026 Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) Reimbursement Application and Acceptance for Damaged Traffic Signal Equipment

   7. (H2g) Traffic Camera Power Service Extension by GA Power at the Riverwood Roundabout

   8. (H2h) Renewal for Glance AI Data Module 5-Year Software, Support, and Warranty

   9. (H2i) Acceptance of Improvements at Tillery Park South (2nd Iteration)

   10. (H2j) Reclass of Right-of-Way Specialist II Contract Position

Debate Agenda

1. New Business

   1. Development and Planning Services Committee

      1. (I1a1) RZ25-12-04, Rezoning from C-C (Community Commercial) to R-2 (Single Family Residential), 309 & 311 South Belair Road, Tax Map 073A Parcels 154 & 155, 0.49 +/- acres each, and currently zoned C-C (Community Commercial). Postpone to 3/17/2026. Yay 5, No 0

         James Blankenship (owner of 309): Just reached agreement on price with developer. Needs to work out more details and wish to postpone until that is worked out.

         Sadge McConney: In concurrence with postponement.

      2. (I1a2) RZ26-02-01, Rezoning from R-2 (Single Family Residential) to C-C (Community Commercial), 4026 Evans to Locks Road and off Mims Road, Tax Map 078 Parcels 078 & 079, 2.63 +/- acres combined, and currently zoned R-2 (Single Family Residential). Disapprove: Yay 5, No 0

         Schlachter: Quite a bit of feed back and all negative.

         Melear: She wanted to make sure the board knew that since it wasn’t a deferment, it would be 6 months before they could come back and request rezoning.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

• Cambrey Woods: Requested commission consider moratorium on construction of data centers.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

1. Property

   1. (M1a) Property A: Donation of 13 acres of easement. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

   2. (M1b) Property B: Approve settlement agreement. Friendly condemnation for HOA. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

   3. (M1c) Property C: 2 properties for the Hereford Farm Rd Widening Project. 96% complete. Only 5 more properties to go. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

ADJOURNMENT 6:15 pm

The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of Building A at the Evans Government Center

Invocation: Harlem Baptist Church Children & Youth Pastor Evan Powell

Pledge of Allegiance by Greenbrier and Parkway Elementary Schools 4H Presidents

Approval of Agenda: Yay 5, No 0

Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0

1. 2/10/2026 Regular Session Meeting Minutes

2. January Financials

3. Budget Amendment

4. Fundraisers

5. Employee Travel

6. Program/Camp/Employee Participation REquests

7. Lease/Use Facilities

Discussion Topics and Presentations

College and Career Ready Performance Index and Acadmic Update, Associate Superintdent Dr. Kristen Carroll and Steven Cummings

1. Columbia County’s overall CCRPI score dropped by 0.1 points from 2024 to 2025, holding steady while the CSRA RESA region declined by 2.7 points.

   1. Elementary schools scored above state and regional averages but 3.4-point decrease, due to a drop in the Closing Gaps component.

   2. Middle schools showed significant growth with an 8.8-point increase, outpacing a 3.5-point state average rise.

   3. High schools experienced a 1.9-point decline, also primarily driven by Closing Gaps challenges.

2. Content Mastery and Progress

   1. Content Mastery scores rose in elementary and middle schools, with middle schools increasing by 5.2 points - gains across core subjects, especially science.

   2. High schools’ Content Mastery declined by 2.3 points, prompting focused improvement efforts.

   3. Progress scores improved across all levels; high schools showed a notable rise of 6.6 points in 2025, continuing a two-year growth trend.

   4. English Language Arts and Math growth metrics use Student Growth Percentiles to fairly measure student progress compared to peers.

3. Closing Gaps

   1. Targeted 3% improvement but if large improvement one year, it’s still another 3% the next year. One subgroup can really sway the score.

   2. Elementary schools’ Closing Gaps score dropped from 100 to 70.4 points, driven by subgroup performance shifts despite increased efforts in ELA.

   3. Middle schools improved substantially to a perfect 100 points in Closing Gaps, indicating strong subgroup progress.

   4. High schools’ Closing Gaps score fell below the state average, affected by declines in American Literature, Algebra, and U.S. History subgroups. Some gains were noted in Biology subgroups in 2025.

4. Readiness and Graduation Rate Trends

   1. Elementary and middle schools performed above state averages in readiness indicators such as on-grade-level reading, attendance, and beyond-the-core course passing.

   2. High schools improved readiness by 1.6 points with better reading levels, pathway completion, and college/career readiness scores.

   3. Columbia County’s graduation rate steadily increased, reaching 93.5%, remaining above the state average.

   Attendance discussion with Penny Jackson: Data shows that students missing 5-15 days really has an impact on ability of student to achieve at high levels. While they have looked at students missing over 15 days, looking more at 5-15 range because that is a larger number and still has big impact. Looking at ways to lessen that.

Staff Reports

1. CTAE and Academic Pathway Update, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Brian Campbell and Director of CTAE Brooks Smith

   1. Broad CTAE Program Reach and Pathway Variety

      1. Columbia County offers at least one pathway in 13 of 14 career clusters recognized statewide - 155 unique pathways.

      2. Agriculture programs embed elements of energy and natural resources pathways, covering all clusters practically.

      3. Programs offer career preparation with multiple pathway options.

   2. Rising Student Engagement and Work-Based Learning

      1. Student enrollment in CTAE pathways grown since 2019.

      2. Work-based learning increased , supported by partnerships with local businesses and community orgs

   3. High School CTAE Pathway Access and Expansion

      1. Each high school offers CTAE pathways; ie, Greenbrier added Financial Services and Agriculture.

      2. Grovetown HS offers pathways including Cosmetology; Harlem HS includes welding and electrical embedded in agriculture.

      3. Lakeside HS added Audio, Visual, Film & add Culinary Arts next year.

   4. Middle School Interest Surveys Inform Planning

      1. Surveys of 6th-8th graders show Health Science as the top interest, followed by Engineering, aligning student interest with workforce demand.

      2. Survey data guides decisions on adding or expanding pathways at specific high schools, such as potential Engineering at Greenbrier.

2. ACE Curriculum Hub Enhancements

   1. Next Generation Standards Integration

      1. Curriculum specialists embedding Next Gen standards into ACE Case guides, aiming for first semester completion by fall. Examples include science standards on matter changes and digital footprint concepts integrated with teacher resources.

   2. Resource Review and Expansion

      1. ACE Case instructional guides are undergoing thorough review to meet teacher needs and incorporate teacher-submitted resources.

      2. CTAE and Fine Arts curriculum resources are newly added to ACE Case, giving instructional specialists and teachers centralized access.

      3. Fine Arts Curriculum Support

         1. Fine Arts teachers now access updated ACE Case resources, with scope and sequence guides and curricular focus documents available.

         2. Plans include ongoing development of instructional guides and materials for all Fine Arts departments.

3. Black History Month, Associate Superintendent Steve Cummings

   1. Black History is embedded in K12 curriculum throughout year but highlighted in Februrary

   2. Many schools had assemblies with displays, music & art presentations

   3. Euchee Creek - display with historical figures

   4. Decorated classrooms & buildings

   5. Musicians

Board Norms and Protocols. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

Building Program Bid Result. Approve: Yay 3, No 1 (Kent), Abstain 1 (Allen, due to lack of information)

Kent: I have a concern, just on principal, that as much as I love all of these beautiful buildings we’re building for the district, I’d like it to be spread out a little bit more, I just have a concern about spending more on these building projects.

Allen: This is almost $700,000 and this is the first I’ve seen of this. All I’ve seen is this spreadsheet. It wasn’t on the SPLOST list, which is why we have to approve it tonight. I would like some additional information, and I’m not trying to micromanage, but is the expectation really that we would approve it based on this spreadsheet?

Flynt: This is something that we have been discussing for a number of years. We have three buildings that have most of our warehouse operations. And even that isn’t all of the materials. It’s cumbersome and when we discussed this with the board a couple of years ago, we put that on the list and have been waiting for a time when we could do that. This is a good time. We’re hoping that once we get this built, when we get through the summertime, prior to moving the distribution operation to one location, that would allow us to do that probably right after the beginning of school or as we move into first semester… Better time because a lot of our operations work happens over summer. Some of the discussion that was going on… That is a large area of a warehouse. One of the concerns is that we do need personnel over there. So by consolidating all of our operations into one location, all of the manpower would be in that location. We do have a lot of storage over there right now, and so it’s not really manned by anybody that is over that, even though we keep it locked up. There’s a lot more than that, but it would be, in our estimation, an excellent use of dollars just because it’s going to help us with inventory of items that we’re buying as they come into the district. We’ll have a better handle on when that gets distributed to the Schools and then inventory control once all that information is in the schools and then surplused out over time. A lot of that is a lot of work for our folks for the next couple of years. It’s gonna take us a little bit of work to get that to happen at the highest level. But right now it’s at a difficult stage because we’re in multiple places and even though we’ve got good people trying to keep up with it, it’s very hard to do.

Baker: Is one of the places the Columbia Road area?

Flynt: Yep. And as you’ll know a couple of years ago we kind of cut a hole in the old gym out there because we needed a little more climate control space. The new warehouse already has the areas where trucks can back up to use the loading docks and things like that. So it’s going to help with processing material and purchases where right now we’re just getting them down and manhandling them into the areas. Right now we are taking some items into different departments because we don’t have enough room in there. Some things get ordered and delivered to people different spots. The idea is for it to be a general distribution warehouse where all items will go through a full inventory control at the warehouse and then be redistributed that way. Not only would we have a very good handle on the coming and goings of all of our equipment, but you know, one person will be handling it instead of multiple departments.

Dekle: Just a little background Board members. Even before you came here many years ago we made a decision to purchase student support center. And yeah, it was an old unused ball bearing factory. We had close to 300,000 square feet of unused space. Our idea of centralizing our old warehouse system and if we went out and purchased land and built a whole new standard warehouse it would cost millions and millions of dollars. Arguably, we’ve already made an important investment and this is just the next step, which frankly has been much better.

Allen: What is the funding source for this?

Casado: We would use unallocated eSplost dollars that have not been assigned to a project yet. And we have more than enough to make that happen within eSplost currently.

Allen: I’m not familiar with this type of spreadsheet. When it says withdrawn, but then it says yes by all the documents, does that mean that the company withdrew it?

Flynt: Yeah, and it depends how that happens. But in this situation, part of the area on the bid, it didn’t encompass all the needs. And so we give the company the opportunity to either update it or withdraw.

Allen: I’m certainly open to supporting some of these projects in the future. I just feel like I don’t have a whole lot of information. If there’s project documents that go with something like this that kind of explains it, that would be really helpful for me to have.

Superintendent Reports:

• PreK Registration 2/23-3/20

• Columbia County Student Art Show

  • March 3-30

  • Opening Reception, March 3

• End of Third Nine Weeks, March 10

• School Board Appreciation Week, March 9-13

• Columbia County College and Career Expo, March 12

• Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences, March 13

• Student Holiday/District Professional Learning Day, March 16

• Columbia County School District Foundation Top Golf Event, March 16

• Report Cards, March 18

• Special Olympics, March 27

• PreK Drawing, March 30

• Spring Break April 6-13

• Rising 6th Grade Student and Parent Night, April 16

• Progress Reports, April 21

• Arts of the Plaza, April 25

Personnel Recommendations: Approve Yay 5, No 0

Adjourn: 6:53 pm

Next Meeting Regular Session: March 10, 2026

Approval of 1/20/2026 Minutes: Yay 3, No 0

Old Business

• Motion that we dissolve voting precinct 024, Second Mount Moriah Baptist Church, change the boundaries of precincts 020 and 022 to accept those voters. Yay 3, No 0

• Motion that we accept the resolution to dissolve the voting precincts 100 & 108, Augusta Christian and ACS Fury’s Ferry Road, change the boundaries of precincts 107, 109, 110, 115 and 135 to accept those voters. Yay 3, No 0

  Director doesn’t like changing precincts but both facilities notified the Board of Elections that they did not want to host elections anymore. Since these are private facilities, they have to dissolve those precincts. They used GIS to rebalance the other districts. Dissolving these 2 locations had been discussed for the previous 3 months. They posted an interactive map online for public review and there were no public comments on the proposed changes.

New Business

• 062/Parkway Baptist Church - Temporarily move Precinct 062’s polling location to Parkway Elementary School for the May and June elections. Yay 3, No 0

  Parkway Baptist can’t host elections in June due to Vacation Bible School. This is the 2nd year in a row with this conflict. This is a temporary change for these 2 elections only.

  Schools discussion: Try not to have elections in schools because anything like a fire alarm could disrupt elections and it can get complicated during pickup/drop off. 1-2 parents complained during the presidential election. The district gave the option to keep kids home if parents were concerned. There is an issue in that area with a lack of community spaces to have elections.

• Advance Voting: (approved Yay 3, No 0)

  • 3 Locations:

    • Board of Elections Office (G3)

    • Columbia County Board of Education Support Complex

    • Euchee Creek

  • Maintain Standard Advanced voting hours:

    • Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

    • Two Saturdays: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  The director stressed consistency to avoid confusing voters. There was discussion about keeping all three sites open for both May and June to prevent mid-cycle changes. A mailer calendar is planned to go out (likely in water bills) to increase awareness.

• Proposed FY 26/27 Budget: Approve Yay 3, No 0

  • No new equipment, just supplies

  • If state legislature makes changes, then County will need to cover.

Next Meeting: 3/17/2026, Evans Main Office, 10:30AM

What stood out to me wasn’t any one comment. It was the quiet tug-of-war underneath the whole conversation: How much is a school board member supposed to question, push, demand, and debate? And at what point does that stop being oversight and start becoming obstruction, or micromanagement?

When I first started attending school board meetings in 2024, the board voted unanimously on everything. There was very little visible disagreement. Meetings were efficient and mostly celebratory. You didn’t see extended debate. You didn’t see much friction. It was like the opening credits of The Lego Movie….”Everything is Awesome” playing in an endless loop.

Since 2025 though, there’s been more questioning, more requests for information, more back-and-forth… And yeah, a heck of a lot more drama.

To be clear, I don’t think questioning the system is inherently bad. Public boards should not function as rubber stamps. Scrutiny and oversight are important. However, this training made something else clear: scrutiny and disagreement without structure can strain an institution very quickly.

Georgia law (OCGA 20-2-61) is fairly direct about how local boards are supposed to operate. A school board sets policy. The superintendent implements it. Both are supposed to focus on student achievement. Individual board members do not have authority as independent elected officials. They only have authority when acting as part of the board as a whole. At the same time though, the law explicitly protects a board member’s ability to request and review financial information. Board members are also tasked with holding the superintendent accountable, but with the very strong caveat…. without micromanaging.

That design naturally creates tension. On one hand, a school board member elected by voters may feel obligated to publicly question, request information, and debate issues thoroughly. On the other hand, Georgia law envisions a collective governing body acting in unison on behalf of a non-voting constituency — students. Both instincts can come from a genuine desire to serve, but they don’t always coexist easily.

Much of the training focused on draft board norms and protocols. There was a huge discussion around agenda-setting authority and the scope of “board items” that have been taken off as an agenda item. That may sound procedural, but it goes to the core of governance. Control of the agenda determines what becomes public debate and what does not.

Some members expressed concern that individual board items were drifting into operational matters or into specific parent complaints that fall outside the board’s policymaking role. Georgia law draws a distinction between setting policy and managing day-to-day administration. When that boundary blurs, accusations of micromanagement surface quickly. The discussion also touched on the risk of referencing individual family situations in public meetings, even without explicitly naming them. Protecting privacy while maintaining transparency is another line boards must navigate carefully.

At the same time though, there is a legitimate concern that agenda authority should not be used to avoid debate altogether. It’s my understanding that in most school boards, the chair works with the superintendent to develop the draft agenda, but the board ultimately votes to adopt it. One challenge is not whether debate should occur, but how to ensure that debate remains tethered to policy rather than individual cases or administrative details.

In a collective body, a decision not to move forward with an agenda item is still a decision. If a majority declines to add an item or does not support amending the agenda, that reflects the will of the board. Continuing to argue the threshold question of whether something should even be discussed can prolong conflict before debate on substance ever begins.

The facilitator also mentioned something that doesn’t always get said out loud: effective school board governance assumes a basic dedication to public education itself. Boards may disagree on policy, but they operate under the premise that members are working to strengthen, not dismantle, the institution they oversee. In today’s climate, that assumption is also under strain.

In recent years, local school boards have increasingly become arenas for broader political debates. Issues that once remained administrative now carry ideological weight. That shift has changed not only what boards debate, but how they debate it. When national political narratives enter local boards, trust becomes harder to maintain. Members may begin to question not just each other’s arguments, but each other’s motives. Without at least a baseline assumption of good faith, governance slows down or hardens into tribalistic factions.

One area where this tension has become especially visible in our board is financial oversight. Fiscal transparency is a core duty of any governing board. However, in complex matters such as bond issuance, certain projections and amortization schedules are not immediately available, and compiling additional layers of documentation can require significant staff time. When requests become increasingly burdensome or extend beyond what is necessary for the specific vote before the board, it can strain administrative capacity and delay implementation of decisions voters have already approved.

Oversight is essential. However, governance also requires proportionality. Not every vote requires every conceivable data point, and not every unanswered question justifies indefinite delay. Boards often must act on the best information reasonably available at the time. The line between rigorous accountability and operational paralysis is not always bright, and disagreement about where that line sits can also quickly fuel distrust.

There is also a philosophical divide over how controversial issues should be handled. Some believe addressing difficult topics quietly and discreetly prevents unnecessary political escalation, as well as protects the district from becoming a spectacle. I get that. Public education has been under sustained attack nationally, and no superintendent or board wants endless culture-war headlines.

However, avoiding open discussion does not eliminate conflict. It simply changes where the conflict lives and where it is discussed. Decisions made behind closed doors on matters families care deeply about may reduce immediate controversy, but they often create long-term suspicion. When trust erodes, it fuels the very backlash leaders were trying to avoid in the first place, and it becomes a festering wound in the community. I will always believe that sunshine is the best disinfectant.

If difficult decisions are going to be made, they should be made openly, debated publicly, and voted on clearly. We can agree or disagree. That is how public governance is supposed to work.

Which brings me to something surprisingly simple: Robert’s Rules of Order.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here, folks. The board already says it uses it. If a board member wants to pursue something, the language shouldn’t be “Would this board be willing to…?” It should be: “I make a motion to…” Another member seconds it, or they don’t. If no one seconds the motion, that’s the answer. The board, as a body, does not wish to take it up. There’s no need for prolonged argument about whether it should even be discussed. Further, it will be on the official minutes that a motion was made and there was no second.

If the motion is seconded, debate follows. Amendments can be offered. Motions can be tabled or referred back to staff for a more detailed report later. Discussion and debate can be limited in time. Remarks must remain pertinent to the motion on the floor. Then the board votes. Following that structure might feel like herding cats at times, but it protects both scrutiny and efficiency. It prevents rubber-stamping. It also prevents school board meetings from drifting into open-ended hours-long political theater. Nobody wants to sit through a 4-hour filibuster at 6 pm on a Tuesday night. (If anybody needs a refresher on Robert’s Rules, I like this guide at our public library.)

Now, let’s be honest. Learning Robert’s Rules isn’t going to magically fix the trust issues on this board. There is no fairy godmother to “bibbidi bobbidi boo” this situation. However having a shared process, and actually sticking to it, would at least keep disagreements from turning into free-for-alls.

School board elections in Georgia are nonpartisan by design. That doesn’t mean members lack political beliefs. We all have them. I do too. I’m a Democrat and serve as Treasurer of the local Democratic Committee, and I lead the Freedom to Read Coalition of Columbia County. Showing up, speaking, and advocating is part of democracy. However, once someone is elected to a school board, their role shifts. The statutory framework envisions a unified policymaking body focused on students. A school board cannot function as a rubber stamp, but it also cannot function as five separate political stages.

The answer to internal conflict isn’t less debate though. It’s having a better-structured debate. Debate without guardrails magnifies distrust, whereas disciplined debate clarifies policy. The difference between those two outcomes is not ideology, it’s structure.

Georgia law is clear on the roles of the board, superintendent, and individual members. The tools and processes already exist to manage conflict. The real question is whether the board will lean into that structure, and whether every member is willing to operate within it, even when it’s uncomfortable.

School boards are made up of adults, but the work is for students. How conflict is handled is crucial. Modeling how to disagree, how to follow rules, how to accept outcomes, and how to move forward without personalizing every disagreement isn’t just good governance, it’s part setting an example for those very students who are supposed to be the focus.

In a moment when our discourse is highly polarized and trust is thin, that example may matter just as much as any policy vote.

The next school board Working Meeting is February 24, 2026 at 4781 Hereford Farm Rd at 5:30 pm. I hope to see you there.

Facilitator: Phil Hartley, Georgia School Boards Association
GSBA Counsel: Lauren Atkinson (first in-house General Counsel)

District Leadership Present:
Superintendent Dr. Flynt, Administrative Assistant: Amanda Moody
Board members: Chairman Dekle, Vice Chairman Kent, Kristi Baker, Judy Teasley, Katie Allen
Board Attorneys Larry Fletcher and Will Fletcher

Training Focus

Governance roles, legal framework, and board operating norms.

Key topics included:

• Roles and responsibilities of the Board vs. Superintendent

• State governance standards

• Local norms and protocols

• Collaboration expectations

• Communication practices

• Student achievement

Facilitator Background

Phil Hartley: Approximately 52 years representing school boards

Lauren Atkinson: Newly appointed GSBA General Counsel

Governance Standards (State)

• Developed by the State Board of Education

• Not formal rules

• Used as guidance for board training

• Recently amended to include a safety standard

Norms & Protocols (Local)

• Working agreement between board and superintendent

• Not formal policy

• Describes how members function together

• May vary by district

• Not required to be adopted annually

• Often reviewed when membership changes

Board did not adopt a new document for the 2025–2026 school year. Document used as a starting point for communication and engagement.

Statutory Role of the Board

(O.C.G.A. § 20-2-61 referenced)

Core Responsibilities

Establish Policy

Includes:

• Strategic plan

• Budget priorities

• Hiring superintendent

• District goals

Policy described as broad.

Focus on Student Achievement

• Students identified as the board’s primary constituency

Hold Superintendent Accountable Without Micromanaging

• Board sets direction, Superintendent implements

• Board evaluates performance

Act as a Collective Body

• Individual members have no independent authority

• Actions occur only as the board as a whole

• “Individual power — none.”

Governance Expectations

Collaboration

• Board should not operate as separate individuals

• Collaboration required despite disagreements

• Majority decision represents official board action

After a Vote

• Members may state disagreement but are expected to move forward with the board decision, and not relitigate past decisions.

  • “Once decision made… move on.”

Information and Decision-Making

• Board should receive information in advance

• Members should have equal access to information

• Information requests may require board action

• Informal circulation of information discouraged

Information Requests

Discussion addressed how board members obtain information from staff and the impact of extensive requests.

• Concern raised that requests from a single board member for detailed information can be burdensome to staff.

• It was stated that some requests may require significant staff time to compile and produce.

Points mentioned:

• The requested information was not readily available in the format requested.

• Producing the information could require multiple staff members working for several days.

• Concern expressed about responding to a request made by one individual rather than the board as a whole.

It was stated that fulfilling certain requests could be disruptive to district operations.

Discussion included possible approaches:

• If a request is considered excessive, the superintendent could bring the issue to the full board for direction.

• Consideration of whether extensive requests should require approval or support from additional board members.

It was also noted that board members need access to information to make informed decisions. No formal action or decision was recorded.

Trust and Board Dynamics

Issues identified as damaging:

• Poor communication

• Lack of trust

• Re-litigation of prior decisions in public

• Surprises at meetings

• Personal agendas

Use of formal procedures emphasized.

“No Surprises” Principle

• Surprises at meetings described as harmful to trust and governance relationships.

• Applies to both board members and superintendent.

Chain of Command

Board members advised to route concerns through the superintendent.

Examples discussed:

• Parent complaints

• Staff concerns

• Operational matters

• Crisis situations

Board members should not intervene directly at school level.

Student Matters

• Individual student issues handled by administration

• Board should not discuss student matters publicly

• Anonymous discussion may still raise privacy concerns

Example given: disciplinary matters. Prior involvement by a board member could require recusal if the issue later comes before the board.

Public Communication

Board members encouraged to:

• Direct stakeholders to appropriate administrative channels

• Avoid speaking on behalf of the board

• Avoid speculating about other members’ intentions

• Maintain confidentiality

Social Media

• District communications should be led by designated staff

• Comments by members reflect on the board

• Controversial topics can escalate quickly

• Members advised to avoid inflammatory or disrespectful dialogue

School Visits

Members asked to coordinate visits with the superintendent.

Reasons:

• Prevent disruption to school operations

• Ensure administrators are informed

• Clarify whether visit is official or personal

Relationship with School District’s Attorneys

• Attorney represents the school system, not individual members

• Most communication occurs through superintendent

• Direct contact by individual members can create complications

Executive session attorney conferences generally related to litigation or claims.

Training Session vs. Board Meeting

Training sessions described as meetings that are primarily informational.

• Discussion allowed

• Formal action typically not taken

Strategic Plan

Board encouraged to align agendas with strategic goals and student outcomes.

Agenda Structure — “Board Items”

Board discussed a previous agenda item titled “Board Items.” Katie Allen stated the section had been used to bring forward constituent concerns and community feedback. Chairman Dekle stated the section had functioned like an “open mic.”

Concerns noted:

• Topics introduced without prior notice

• Board and staff unprepared to address issues

• Members surprised by items raised during meetings

Vice Chairman Kent stated the public expects to see disagreement and discussion during board meetings and that some debate is expected.

Community Concerns

Facilitator discussed how to evaluate whether an issue represents broader community concern.

Issues described as community-wide typically:

• Reach multiple board members

• Reach school administrators

• Reach the superintendent

• Are raised by multiple individuals

• Come through multiple channels

Issues raised by only one or two individuals may not represent broader community sentiment. Discussion noted that concerns often move through administrative channels before reaching the board.

Management of Discussion

• Limiting discussion during meetings mentioned as a possible approach.

• No formal procedural changes were adopted

Norms & Protocols — Enforcement

Discussion addressed the current norms and procedures document, including whether revisions should be made during the training session and whether the document includes enforcement mechanisms.

Chairman Dekle questioned the usefulness of spending time revising the document given the lack of an enforcement mechanism.

Kent asked the facilitator whether the existing board protocols document was missing elements or contained too much compared to those used in other districts.

The facilitator stated there was nothing glaring about the document. The norms document was described as guidance for behavior rather than binding rules.

Approval of 2/3/2026 Meeting Minutes: Yay 5, No 0

Statement from Commission regarding Trader Joes

Consent Agenda: Yay 5, No

1. Management and Internal Services Committee Commissioner Couch

   1. (H1a) Amendment Number One to the Event Staffing Specialist, LLC. Contract

   2. (H1b) Information Technology Equipment Lifecycle Replacement with Dell Computer

   3. (H1c) Independent Contractor Agreement with Summit Solutionz NV, Inc. and Setting the Budget for the Video Wall and Technology Lifecycle Project for EMA

2. Development and Planning Services Committee Commissioner Melear

   1. (H2a) Granting City of Harlem a Permanent Access Easement to Campbell’s Way Parcel 031 094

   2. (H2b) Initiation of Text Amendments to Chapter 90 Zoning Article III Commercial, Industrial, Professional, Special, Planned Unit Development and Planned Development Districts, Section 90-97 Allowed Uses Article IV Supplemental Requirements, Section 90-135 Signs and 90-147 Use Provisions of Columbia County Code

Debate Agenda

1. Unfinished Business

   1. Community and Emergency Services

      1. (I1a1) Ordinance Number 26-01 Amendment to the Code of Ordinance of Columbia County Chapter 14 Animals Section 14-1, 14-4, 14-5 and 14-14 -

         Second Reading Yay 5, No 0

         Bringing the current code into alignment with GA law regarding dangerous animals. Appeals currently heard by Columbia County Animal Services Advisory Board. This transfers the appeal authority to the Columbia County Probate Court.

2. New Business

   1. Development and Planning Services Committee

      1. (I2a1) Resolution 26-06 Adoption of Foundations for the Future Comprehensive Plan Yay 5, No 0

         Public Comments in opposition (majority of comments were in opposition to the inclusion of the industrial sectors due to data center development):

         • Rachel Dixon

         • Ronald Gilchrist

         • Cambrey Wood

         • Lee Muns

         • Dan Laning

         • Joanne Modock

      2. (I2a2) Automatic Forfeit Extension for MCM 100 LLC DBA Harlem Wine & Spirits Yay 5, No 0

         Requested a 60-day extension of alcohol license. The GA license is still pending. This is the first extension. The building isn’t complete yet. Commissioner Melear stated that she would not be inclined to grant another extension after this one.

Public Comments:

• Katherine Miner

• Howard Johnson

• Karin Parham

• Susan Warren

Executive Session:

1. Property

   1. (M1a) Property A: Moving expenses for a family relocated for the Hereford Farm Rd Widening Project. Yay 5, No 0

Adjournment: Yay 5, No 0

The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday 3/3/2026 at 6:00pm in the Autditorium of Building A at the Evans Government Center

Invocation: First Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Pastor Rosco Perry

Pledge of Allegiance: Lewiston Elementary School 4H Presidents

Approval of Agenda: Yay 4, No 1 (Katie Allen)

Special Recognition

• Georgia CyberPatriot State Competition Winners

  • Greenbrier Middle School - 1st Place

    • Emma Jo Harper

    • Isaac Lee

    • Mason Rice

    • Isaac Welton

    • Elliot Yoo

    • James Youmans

  • Greenbrier Middle School - 2nd Place

    • Tarik Kalelioglu

    • Sunrudh Medam

    • Josiah Rudolph

    • Tobias Shoemaker

    • Gideon Son

    • Jairus Tutu

  • Grovetown High School - 1st Place

    • Deion Jackson-Henriquez

    • Caleb Johnson

    • Basu Khadka

    • Jonathan Romero, Jr.

• Georgia Junior Beta Club Stte Competition

  • Blue Ridge Elementarys

    • Raghav Thumsi - 1st Place, Spelling

    • Musicology - 3rd Place Team

      • Adelie Baker

      • Athena Cronin

      • Happiness Messan

      • Margaret Roberson

      • Ward Walker

      • Hannah Wimmer

  • Stevens Creek Elementary

    • Vivek Ravel - 2nd Place, Social Studies

  • Evans High School

    • Lillian Miller-Loftin - 2nd Place - Solo, Duo, Trio Vocalist

  • Greenbrier High School

    • Blake Sommers - 3rd Place, Visual Arts Drawing

  • Harlem High School

    • Devin Curtis - 1st Place, Painting Division I

    • Jessica Servin - 3rd Place, Pottery Division II

    • Book Battle Team, 3rd Place

      • Julia Hingle

      • Autumn LaFrance

      • Sophia Middleton

      • Christina VanVoorhis

Board Comments and Acknowledgements: Board members thanked the Reverand, told the 4H Presidents they were proud of their them and their leadership. All the students and parents were congratulated for their accomplishments. Allen thanked the advisors for their guidance. Kent acknowledge the sponsors/partnerships on the CyberPatriot T-shirts and expressed appretiation for all of the community partnerships.

Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0

1. 1/27/2026 Work Session Meeting Minutes

2. Fundraisers

3. Employee Travel

4. Program/Camp/Employee Participation Requests

5. Lease/Use of Facilities

Permissive Transfer Summary

Superintendent Reports

1. School Year Update for 2025-2026

2. Presidents’ Day Holiday, Feb 16

3. Pre-K Registration 2/23 - 3/10: At zoned school

4. End of Third Nine Week: 3/10/2026

5. Columbia County College and Career Expo, 3/13/2026

6. Student Holiday/ District Professional Learning Day, 3/16/2026

7. Columbia County School District Foundation Top Golf Event, 3/16/2026

8. TAP Talk, 3/18/2026

9. Report Cards, 3/18/2026

10. Pre-K Drawing, 3/30/2026

11. Spring Break 4/6-4/13

12. Progress Reports, 4/21

13. Arts at the Plaza, 4/25

Public Participation

• Diane Jarrett

• Karin Parham

• Great Neuman

• Cara Parker

Executive Session:

• Affidavit: Yay 5, No 0

• Personnel Sheet: Yay 5, No 0

Adjourn: Yay 5, No 0

Next Work Session Board Meeting: 2/24/2026

Invocation: Martinez Baptist Church Minister of Outreach Reverend Perry Ky

Pledge of Allegiance: Stevens Creek Elementary 4H Presidents

Special Recognitions

• Georgia-American Choral Directors Association

  • Grovetown Middle School Chorus Teacher: Victoria Alvarez

• Georgia Music Educators Association

  • Greenbrier HS Band Teachers: Dr. Brian Toney & Rutledge Boykin

  • Blue Ridge ES Music Teacher: Brittany Swann

  • Grovetown MS Chorus Teacher: Victoria Alvarez

• Georgia Department of Education Literacy & Math Leader Schools

  • Literacy

    • Cedar Ridge ES: 3rd & 4th Grade Growth

    • Greenbrier ES: 3rd & 5th Grade Achievement

    • North Harlem ES: 3rd Grade Growth

    • Lakeside MS: 6th Grade Growth

    • Stallings Island MS: 6th Grade Growth

  • Math

    • Baker Place ES: 5th Grade Growth

    • Evans ES: 5th Grade Growth

    • Greenbrier ES: 3rd & 5th Grade Growth

    • Lewiston ES: 3rd & 5th Grade Growth

    • Martinez ES: 5th Grade Growth

    • North Harlem ES: 5th Grade Growth

    • Columbia MS: 8th Grade & High School Growth

    • Evans MS: 8th Grade Growth & High School Growth & High School Achievement

    • Greenbrier MS: 7th & 8th Grade Growth, High School Achievement & High School Growth

    • Grovetown MS: High School Growth

    • Riverside MS: 7th & 8th Grade Growth

    • Stallings Island MS: High School Growth

    • Harlem MS: 7th & 8th Grade Growth, High School Growth

Board Comments: Board members expressed gratitude for all of the hard work of the district, thanked 4H for leading pledge and the Reverend for the invocation.

Approval of Consent Items: Item B was pulled from consent for discussion. Approved A, C-G: Yay 5, No 0

A. 1/13/2026 Regular session meeting minutes

C. Budget Amendment

D. Fundraisers

E. Employee Travel

F. Program/Camp/Employer Participation Request

G. Lease/Use of Facilities

December Financials: Approve: Yay 5, No 0

Katie Allen: I noticed that we had added the 2027-2032 splost chart on here. Because we approved those bonds, I just wanted to ask. I see that the bond proceeds is at around $193.3 billion under the revenue and then under the debt, the principal and interest associated with that bond is about $64.8 million. So if my calculations are correct, that puts around $217 million remaining to be repaid for that bond over into futures losses. Right? That’s not documented on this financial report anywhere. Which financial document shows kind of a running debt total for all of our bonds?

Alex Casado: The best place for that would be the financial statements through the liabilities.

Katie Allen: As a board, are we good with only accounting for $64.8 million of that bond debt, even as we’re claiming 193.3 million of the proceeds within this loss and putting the rest of that into future spots? Or is there a way we want to start keeping that in our financials, where we’re looking at how we’re going to be paying that off?

Chairman Dekle: If you want that information, you can ask for it at any time. You don’t even have to wait for a meeting or work session. You can ask for that anytime. I don’t see any reason for us to change the way that we present our monthly financials. Does anyone else?

Philip Kent: Alex, how often are you tracking that? I think that’d be helpful for everybody to know that.

Alex Casado: So you’re only making debt payments twice a year. It doesn’t change daily or monthly even. It only changes twice a year.

Judy Teasley: And it’s only reported at that time, right?

Alex Casado: It will be reported on the financial reports but not necessarily here. That would be a separate request.

Katie Allen: Katie Allen: That’s more of a board question than an Alex question, because I know, Alex is more than happy to draw whatever financial reports we ask as a board. Do we want to start monitoring that every month to have a visual of what our collective bond debt is and how we’re looking at that each year, every five years, how many slots we’re looking into as far as paying that amount off? Because it almost seems like the way I saw this report, why I wanted to ask, is it seems like even as we’re claiming the full proceeds and putting it into our budget to use, in addition to the sales tax of the splost, we’re only accounting under the liability, the expenditure aspect of it, an incremental amount of the payments and then that pushes the majority of the payments into the future and out of sight for us. And so is there a way that we can maybe account for, even though in this five year period we’re only budgeting 64.8 million in principal and interest payments because that’s what’s due in the five years, if we’re going to be using the bond proceeds, 103 million plus the sales tax proceeds, 235.4 million. And putting all of that together in a spending plan, it seems like we’re spending all the bonds proceeds in five years, but not really having a full plan and paying back the full amount of the principal and interest payments. So is there a way we want to keep our eyes on that or is that something that we’ll deal with in 2032 during the next splost?

Chairman Dekle: I don’t think we need to change anything. I think the CFO is keeping an eye on it and he’ll report to us.

Board Policy JAA, Equal Educational Opportunities. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

Discussion Topics and Presentations:

• Inspire School Spotlight, Steve Cummings

  • Greenbrier High School: Chip Fulmer (Principal) , Stephanie Fry, Andrea Smock

    • Greenbrier High School reported strong academic and extracurricular outcomes driven by a collaborative, accountability-focused culture. They pointed to expanded AP participation, pathway completion, and industry-aligned instruction, which is supported by schoolwide CER writing, data-informed teaching, and career-focused programs, as key factors behind rising achievement and success in athletics, STEM, and workforce certifications.

• Budget & Legislative Outlook, Alex Casado

  • District preparing FY26–27 budget. Stable state funding but rising employee benefit costs

  • Legislative session began January 12; governor proposed a $2,000 teacher stipend pending approval, which could affect the FY26 amended budget and FY27 planning

  • Budget will be adjusted as needed to align with any state funding amendments

  • TRS employer contribution increasing from 21.91% to 22.32%, adding roughly $1 million

  • Health insurance premiums rising 7.5%, increasing employer costs by about $4 million annually; health costs have doubled over four years

  • About 70–80% of employees are state-funded, offsetting roughly 70% of benefit increases through state revenue

  • Net local impact of benefit increases exceeds $1 million

  • Revenue mix is approximately 60% state QBE funding and 40% local taxes

  • Current millage rate is 16.234 mills, lower than prior years

  • Net tax digest grew 46.57% over five years, with strong collection rates (95–98%)

  • State per-pupil expenditure is $12,155 per FTE, ranking Columbia County 7th lowest in Georgia, up from $11,546 in FY24

  • Budget timeline: full presentation April 21; public input meetings April 28 and May 12; tentative approval in May; final approval June 16

  • District monitoring legislative developments but anticipating funding levels similar to last year

Annual Audit Review

• Independent audit. Strong financial controls and full compliance, with no significant findings

• Auditor John Snyder issued clean opinion, confirming accurate financial reporting and adherence to accounting standards

• Audit covered government-wide and fund-level statements, including detailed disclosures of long-term liabilities and bond schedules through 2037

• No material weaknesses or significant deficiencies identified in internal controls or federal program compliance

• New GASB requirement added liabilities for unused sick leave, incorporated after coordination with district finance staff and noted in audit.

• Audit process allows for minor corrections prior to final issuance and timely communication with board leadership if larger issues arise

• In response to Katie Allen’s question about a schedule, Mr. Snyder clarified that splost project cost reporting: $160 million reflects the voter-approved cap, while $313.5 million represents updated total project estimates including change orders

  • Difference in figures is a legal accounting distinction, not an error, and requires context to avoid misunderstanding

Staff Reports

• Behavior and Discipline Update, Penny Jackson

  • District reports a firm but supportive approach to student behavior, with heightened attention to threat assessment and drug-related offenses

  • Over 99% of students consistently make positive choices

  • Drug-related incidents have increased, driven largely by THC vape use

  • Alcohol-related incidents, fighting, and disorderly conduct have declined

  • Vape detectors have led to higher detection and enforcement of vaping violations

  

  

  

  

  

  • Progressive discipline is used, ranging from detention to suspension

  • Disciplinary hearings have increased, particularly for drug offenses and reentry cases

  • District uses a Behavior Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) process, required under House Bill 268

  • Threat levels are classified from unfounded to high, with structured documentation of concerns and histories

  • Multidisciplinary teams (administrators, SROs, counselors, special education staff) coordinate responses

  • High-risk cases move to formal hearings with documented evidence and due process

  • Academic dishonesty has increased, including plagiarism and AI-assisted cheating

  • District is monitoring AI use and developing classroom policies and guidance

  • Technology presents both new cheating risks and improved detection tools

  • Ongoing teacher training and student instruction emphasize appropriate technology use

  • Communication with parents is prioritized, especially for repeat or disruptive behavior

  • Administrators emphasize due process, evidence-based decisions, and early reporting to prevent escalation

• Special Education Update, LeAnne Gregg and Sharard Pritchett

  • District continuing to expand special education supports through training, leadership, and staffing strategies

  • Ongoing professional development for special education staff, including exemplary IEP training and leadership forums

  • Focus on improving instruction, compliance, and behavior supports

  • Monthly cluster meetings and newsletters used to share resources and maintain communication across schools

  • Upcoming events: Transition Resource Fair (Feb 28) and Special Education Olympics (Mar 27)

  • FY26–27 budget includes incentives and release time for special education teachers to collaborate on planning and data collection

  • Each school will have a dedicated Special Education Department Chair with no classroom teaching duties

    • Department Chair role centers on staff support, coaching, and compliance oversight

    • New leadership structure intended to strengthen instructional quality and service delivery

  • Consultant Paula Everett continues to support compliance and program improvements following a needs assessment

    • Katie Allen asked how long she had been working with district. Since the needs assessment was done in Fall 2023.

  • Program effectiveness monitored through state complaint trends and ongoing training

    • Katie Allen also inquired about tracking complaints over the past 10 years through both State and Federal. Pritchett responded that State complaints are inevitable, part of the parent’s advocacy rights, and that State will say if district is compliant or non-compliant.

  • Parent input gathered through surveys and resource fairs

    • District will distribute a survey soon to all special needs parents.

  • District plans to improve communication channels and respond more quickly to parent concerns

• Staffing Update, Tony Wright (HR)

  • Human Resources projects a student enrollment decline of approximately 300 students next year

    

  • Staffing will be aligned using weighted student allocations that prioritize student needs over raw enrollment

  • Weighted staffing has increased overall staff levels despite declining enrollment

  • Approach helps maintain or reduce class sizes and better support ESOL and special education populations

  • Hiring for the 2026–27 school year will prioritize special education and other high-need areas

  • Schools will receive enrollment and staffing projections soon to develop site-based staffing plans

  • Enrollment decline largely driven by lower kindergarten cohorts following COVID

  • No significant shifts expected in other student categories

  • Enrollment projections based on both internal district data and McKibben & Associates

Building Program Project Update:

• Lakeside HS: New Media Center, Cafeteria/Kitchen in use. Gym - steel is placed

• Evans HS: Roofs on. Move in start this summer. New gym/cafeteria ready at start of next school year.

• Harlem HS: Site Work Started

  • Katie Allen asked if there was a plan for the traffic. She had concerns about the number of traffic accidents.

  • Changes to the flow of traffic with construction helped to get vehicles off the road.

• Greenbrier HS: Architect should have designs soon. Katie Allen asked for copies of the contract payer request to be emailed to her.

Upcoming Dates:

• Progress Reports, 2/5/2026

• Career, Technical and Agriculture Education Workforce Showcase and Competition, 2/6/2026

• Presidents’ Day Holiday, 2/16/2026

• Pre-K Registration, 2/23/2026 - 3/20/2026

• End of 3rd Nine Weeks, 3/10/2026

• Columbia County College and Career Expo, 3/12/2026

• Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences, 3/13/2026

• Student Holiday/District Professional Learning Day, 3/16/2026

• Columbia County School District Foundation Top Golf Even, 3/16/2026

• Report Cards, 3/18/2026

• Pre-K Drawing, 3/30/2026

Approval of Personnel Sheet: Yay 5, No 0

Adjourn: Yay 5, No 0 Approximately 8:30 pm

Next Meeting: Regular Session 2/10/2026 at 5:30 PM 4781 Hereford Farm Road, Evans GA

Invocation: Powell Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Nick Bates

Pledge of Allegiance: North Columbia Elemntary School 4-H Presidents

Approval of Agenda:Yay 4, (There was no call for opposed but Ms. Allen did not raise her hands to approve the agenda)

Selection of Vice-Chairman:

• Phil Kent. Approval: Yay 5, No 0

Selection of Columbia County School District Foundation Trustee:

• Judy Teasley. Approval: Yay 5, No 0

Approval of Board Attorney:

• Mr. Fletcher: Yay 5, No 0

Approval of Board Meeting Dates and Times for 2026: Yay 5, No 0

Annual Board Requirements: Approve a, b, d: Yay 5, No 0

a. Board Policy BH, Code of Ethics

b. Board Policy BHA, Conflict of Interest

c. BoardNorms and Protocols (Tabled Until later discussion. Yay 5, No 0)

d. Whole Board Training

Special Recognition:

• Greenbrier HS Girls Flag Football Division II 3x Back-to-Back State Champions

  • Chloe Ackley

  • Peyton Anderson

  • Jayla Ayler

  • Arianna Boone

  • Darcy Bridwell

  • Libby Brooker

  • Emma Bryant

  • Sophie Campanaro

  • Reese Caraway

  • Sloan Carrillo

  • Jadyn Carter

  • Bailey Chauvin

  • Jordan Harvey

  • Finley Jones

  • Lexi Lacey

  • Murphy Larkin

  • Abby Lester

  • Katherine McDonald

  • Carrington Meyers

  • Kinsley Mitchell

  • Addisen Odom

  • Andersen Odom

  • Mamie Cate Pangle

  • Aaliyah Silver

  • Riley Stanford

  • Hailey Valentino

  • Head Coach - James Smith

  • Asst. Coaches: Emily Flynt, Jeremy Gantt, Wes Marshall, Shane Pangle

  • Principal - Chip Fulmer

  • Athletic Director - Jason Osborn

Board Comments and acknowledgements: All board members mentioned how proud they were of the Greenbrier HS Girls Flag Football Team, and that they look forward to seeing them again next year. They also said they were proud of the 4-H Presidents and thanked the pastor for the invocation.

Approval of Consent Items: Yay 5, No 0

• 12/9/2025 Regular Meeting Minutes

• November Financials

• Budget Amendment and Transfers

• Fundraisers

• Employee Travel

• Program/Camp/Employee Participation Request

• Lease/Use of Facilities

Board Policy JAA, Equal Educational Opportunities

• Flynt: Added a section to include the use of service animals. Attached exhibits so parents know how to apply. Included this for approval for next meeting so can look it over.

Building Program Bid Results:

Low Bidder: AdaptToSolve: $530,732.16. Approve: Yay 5, No 0

Allen: Had a question about if the cameras stored Data?

Flynt: These are replacement cameras. The existing cameras no longer meet federal/State requirements.

VanMeter: These are old, 1st Gen. Made in China so banned. These new ones will be ready for AI down the road.

Allen: So these will have facial recognition, required by the State?

Van meter: AI will definitely be used in the future. This bid amount doesn’t include the installation.

Kent: So these are made by Korea?

VanMeter: Yes, these new ones are made in Korea. The existing ones we’re replacing are 8-10 years old.

Teasley: Will these be for both interior and exterior?

VanMeteer: Yes, and these will give us changes to views to because some are 360. The existing ones might only go 90 degrees, but news are 360. These will all be on the network

Allen: Expressed concern about the software and AI data collection, and said that the board might want to discuss this in more depth later. Asked which company the district uses as a 3rd party.

Van meter: The district uses a 3rd party to make sure they are in compliance but didn’t want to state the name of the company during the public meeting but said he would let her know after the meeting.

Superintendent Reports:

• School Year Update for 2025—2026

• Permissive Transfer Application Period, 1/14-2/6

• Rising Freshmen Night for Students and Parents, 1/15

• MLK Jr Holiday, 1/19

• CCSD Spelling Bee, 1/22 4:30 pm Greenbrier Middle School

• Columbia County Health Careers Expo, 1/23

• Progress Reports, 2/5

• Career, Technical and Agriculture Education Workforce Showcase and Competition, 2/6

• President’s Day Holiday, 2/16

• PreK Registration, 2/23-3/20

• Columbia County College and Career Expo, 3/12

• Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences, 3/13

• Student Holiday/District Professional Learning Day, 3/16

• CCSD Foundation Top Golf Event, 3/16

• TAP Talks, 3/18

• Report Cards, 3/18

• Pre-K Drawing, 3/30

Public Participation:

• Karin Parham

• Cara Parker

• Brenda Heideman

Executive Session:

• Affidavit: Yay 5, No 0

• Property Easements: Yay 5, No 0

• Personnel Sheet: Yay 5, No 0

Adjournment: Yay 5, No 0

Next work session meeting is 1/27/2026.

Approval of 12/16/2025 Meeting Minutes: Yes 5, No 0

Election of Vice Chairman: Alison Couch. Yes 5, No 0

Consent Agenda: None

Debate Agenda

1. New Business

   1. Management and Internal Services Committee

      1. (J1a1) Resolution Number 26-01 Fixing the Qualifying Fees for Each County Office to be Filled in General Primary NonPartisan Election or General Election to be Held in 2026. Approval: Yes 5, No 0

   2. Development and Planning Services Committee

      1. (J1b1) VA25-12-01, Variance to Section 90-135 Signs , 4050 Jimmie Dyess Parkway, Tax Map 074A Parcel 019A, 0.51 +/- acres, and currently zoned C-2 (General Commercial) Approve: Yes 5, No 0

         Schlachter: Narrow Parcel. Change to 1 ft & 3 ft setbacks.

      2. (J1b2) VA25-12-02, Variance to Section 90-53 List of lot & structure requirements, 223 Stonington Drive, Tax map 078A Parcel 025, 0.47 +/- acres, and currently zoned R-2 (Single Family Residential). Approve: Yes 5, No 0

         Schlachter: Home destroyed in Helne. Complete rebuild and need to change setbacks.

      3. (J1b3) RZ25-12-05, Major PUD (Plannd Unit Development) Revision, 5100 Pierce Court, Tax Map 072 Parcel 043T, 5.09 +/- acres, and currently zoned PUD (Planned Unit Development) Approve: Yes 5, No 0

      4. (J1b4) RZ25-12-06, Rezoning from R-1 (Single Family Residential) to C-C (Community Commercial), portions of 113 & 127 South Old Belair Road, portions of Tax Map 068 Parcels 018 & 019D, 3.20 +/- acres, and currently zoned R-1 (Single Family Residential) Approve: Yes 5, No 0

         Schlachter: Retail building. 50ft buffer near residential property. vegetation and fence in buffer. Traffic concerns from neighbors but GDOT controls.

      5. (J1b5) RZ25-12-07, Rezoning from R-1 (Single Family Residential to S-1 (Special), portions of 113 & 127 South Old Belair Road, portions of Tax Map 068 Parcels 018 & 019D, 17.30 +/- acres in total and currently zoned R-1 (Single Family Residential) Withdrawal W/O Prejudice: Yes 5, No 0

      6. (J1b6) RZ25-12-08, Rezoning from split zoned R-A (Residential Agricultural) and M-1 (Light Industrial) for portions of the properties and split zoned R-A (Residential Agricultural) and S-1 (Special) to S-1 (Special), 690 Louisville Road, 728 Louisville Road, 750 Louisville Road, 760 Louisville Road, off Baker Place Road, and off Interstate 20, Tax Map 051 Parcels 029, 030, 031, 032, and 044 and Tax Map 040 Parcel 055B, a total of 434.85 +/- acres, and currently split zoned R-A (Residential Agricultural) and S-1 (Special). Approved with limited left turn times to cut down on truck traffic during school drop off/pick up. Yes 3 (Melear, Carraway, Duncan) No 2 (Couch & Steed)

         Public Speakers (Opposed):

         • Ronald Gilchrist

         • Daniel Landing

         • Gregory (missed last name)

         • Dr. Morgan Grehan

         • Brandon Turrett

         • Jeremy Pennington

         • Stephen Sims (Kimberly Sims)

         • Kay Jones

         • Dewey Carey

           Public Speakers (For)

         • David Grayson (Business Owner)

         • John Eubank

      7. (J1b7) RZ25-12-09, Rezoning from split zoned R-2 (Single Family Residential) and S-1 (Special) to S-1 (Special) and Major S-1 (Spcial) revision, 638 & 600 Stevens Creek Road, Tax Map 084 Parcels 012 and 006C, 4.78 +/- acres and 24.92 +/- acres respectively, and currently split zoned R-2 (Single Family Residential) and S-1 Special. Approve: Yes 5, No 0

Requests for Review by Committe

1. (L1) C3AI for Property Appraisal Assistance: Committee recommends the software not be adopted

Public Comments:

• Blaine Carter: Questions about running for a commission seat

• Susan Warren: Anti-AI data centers

• Lindsey Brantley: Opposed to Pumpkin Center Technology Campus (Data Center)

• Murdaugh: Opposed to Pumpkin Center Technology Campus (Data Center)

Adjournment: 7:49PM

Next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, January 20 2026 at 6:00 PM in the Auditorium of Building A at the Evans Government Center