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
Special Recognition
(G1a) Coroner Terry Normal to Recognize the Coroner’s Office Staff: Saved the lives of 755 people
Declaration
(G2a) Proclamation Designation April as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in Columbia County (Glen Osteen)
Consent Agenda: Yay 3, No 0
Management and Internal Services Committee Commissioner Couch
(H1a) Independent Contractor Agreement with Christopher Caudell to serve as a Staff Attorney for the Columbia Judicial Circuit
(H1b) Juvenile Court Independent Contractor Agreement with Brendan Fleming to Serve as an Independent Prosecutor for Children in Need of Services
(H1c) Agreement Renewal Number 2 with EyeMed Vision Care for Employee Vision Insurance
(H1d) Renewal with New York Life for Basic Life Insurance
(H1e) Proclamation Designating April as Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in Columbia County
(H1f) WebEx Telephony Payment Authorization
(H1g) Renew Maintenance and Support with Ciena for Network Equipment and Services
(H1h) Intergovernmental Agreement with the Georgia Department of Public Safety, Georgia State Patrol for Landscape and Janitorial Services
Development and Planning Services Committee Commissioner Melear
(H2a) Contract 2026-3467 with Reeves Construction Company for Sheriff’s Driving Track -Milling and Inlay
(H2b) Contract 2026-3466 with Remac, Inc. for the Sheriff’s Driving Track - Crack Seal & Striping
(H2c) Purchase of a Bucket Truck from Hardy Automotive for Traffic Engineering
(H2d) Alcoholic Beverage License Mai Thai Restaurant LLC
(H2e) Alcoholic Beverage License Pancho Villa Mexican Kitchen LLC
(H2f) Automatic Forfeit Extension for Vault 221 LLC
(H2g) Encroachment Agreement, 711 Whitney Shoals Road, Tax map 060 Parcel 2098, Highland Lakes, Section 3
(H2h) Encroachment Agreement, 7208 Hoffman Drive, Tax Map 067 Parcel 1718
(H2i) Conditional License, Encroachment and Maintenance Agreement, 725 North Belair Road, Tax map 072 Parcel 231M
(H2j) Easement Encroachment Agreement, 725 North Belair Road, Tax map 072 Parcel 231M
Debate Agenda
Unfinished Business
Development and Planning Services Committee
(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.
New Business
Management and Internal Services Committee
(I2a1) Independent Contractor Agreement with Kawahna McFadden to serve as Clinical Case Manager for the Columbia Judicial Circuit Yay 3, No 0
(I2a2) Appointment of Donald Skinner Jr. to Serve on the Hospital Authority. Yay 3, No 0
(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.
(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.
(I2a5) Revised rental contract for Hardin Auditorium Yay 3, No 0
On the same note, an updated rental contracts with optional staffing.
(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.
Development and Planning Services Committee
(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.
(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
(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
(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.
(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
(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.
(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
(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.
(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.
(I2b10) Georgia Power Underground Easement for Distribution Line Relocation at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Parcel 072 045B Approve Yay 3, No 0
Executive Session
Property
(M1a) Property A: Properties for Hereford Farm Widening Project. 97% Complete. Approve Yay 3, No 0
(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
(M1c) Property C: Settelement - Hereford Farm Rd Widening Project. Approve Yay 3, No 0
Adjourn: 6:42 pm