All Commissioners present
Call To Order: 6:00pm
Approval of 9/15/2026 Meeting Minutes: Yay 5, No 0
Social Recognition, Presentation, and/or Declaration
Declaration
Augusta Sailing Club Proclamation
Consent Agenda: Yay 5, No 0
Community and Emergency Services Committee
(H1a) Chairman’s Reappointment to the Columbia Judicial Circuit Public Defender Supervisory Panel
(H1b) New Accountability Court Clinical Case Manager Position
(H1c) Animal Services Donation
(H1d) Georgia Department of Transportation FY2028 5311 Rural Transportation Program Application
Public Works and Engineering Services Committee Commissioner Carraway
(H2a) Purchase from Blanchard Equipment for 5105M Tractor and Single Wing Mower Attachment
(H2b) Change Order #1 to Contract#2025-3123 with Goodwyn Mills Cawood for the Design of the Euchee Creek Greenway All Remaining Phases Project
(H2c) Bid# 2026027-BID2710 and Contract #2026-3708 with Peek Pavement Marking, LLC for the 2026 SAP Striping and Signs Project
(H2d) Change Order #1 to Contract #2025-3375 with UES Professional Solutions 18, LLC for Geotechnical Services on the Wrightsboro Rd Widening Project
(H2e) Resolution 26-20 Concerning a Determination to Abandon and Sell a Portion of Crawford Place Lane Labeled Tract 1
(H2f) Resolution 26-21 Concerning a Determination to Abandon and Sell a Portion of Crawford Place Lane Labeled Tract 2
(H2g) Resolution 26-22 Concerning a Determination to Abandon and Sell a Portion of Crawford Place Lane Labeled as Tract 3
(H2h) Purchase from Environmental Products Group an Envirosight RovverX Pipeline Inspection Camera for the Stormwater Operations Department
(H2i) Change Order #1 to Contract # 2026-3567 with East Coast Grading, Inc. for LMIG 2026
Debate Agenda
New Business
Management and Internal Services Committee
(I1a1) Augusta Sailing Club Proclamation: Yay 5, No 0
Development and Planning Services Committee
(I1b1) RZ26-09-03, Major PRD (Planned Residential Development) Revision, off Baker Place Road, Tax Map 051 Parcels 048 and 049A, a combined 45.85 +/- acres, and currently zoned PRD (Planned Residential Development). Approve: Yay 5, No 0
Schlachter: 3 proposed revisions. Change portion of road previously approved as curb and gutter to ditch section matching Canterbury Farms, then transition back to curb and gutter/divided roadway entering Tillery Park. Return Area 4A to original layout after it was revised in 2024. Revise another section back to traditional townhome layout similar to original approved plan.
(I1b2) RZ26-09-04, Rezoning from R-1 (Single Family Residential) to C-3 (Heavy Commercial), 5125 & 5147 Columbia Road, Tax Map 067 Parcel 104 & Tax Map 061 Parcel 018B, a combined 13.33 +/- acres, and currently zoned R-1 (Single Family Residential). Approve: Yay 5, No 0
Schlachter: Rezoning for expansion of existing self-storage facility on adjacent C-3 property. Proposed storage buildings will be located above the wetlands. Conditions from original C-3 zoning will carry over to new property. Additional conditions require connection to sewer and prohibit storage of tractor units, tractor trailers, dump trucks, or concrete trucks at the facility.
Steed: Asked about wetlands running through the property.
Schlachter: Wetlands discussed. Developer will need permits to cross the creek with the road; storage buildings are positioned above the wetlands.
Public Comments
Lee Muns: Spoke about truthfulness, transparency, and representative government in relation to the county’s handling of data center development. Questioned when officials knew about the projects, use of NDAs, tax incentives and financial projections, job estimates, redactions of financial information, the status of a proposed data center moratorium, and whether financial safeguards will be required to ensure taxpayers are not responsible for future demolition or remediation costs if facilities are abandoned. He argued citizens should be informed and involved before major decisions are made, rather than after the fact.
(This portion is transcribed)
Chairman Doug Duncan: You know, I can only speak for myself. I wrote that op-ed in The Augusta Press. I mentioned when a constituent reaches the revenge stage that, you know, revenge is about inflicting damage on another person. It’s personal, it’s emotional, the primary goal is to cause suffering for the person, and it’s usually motivated by anger or resentment. And frankly, speaking for myself, as far as I’m concerned, you’re the poster child for that. I mean, what I see is you attack, and you go up there—
Lee Muns: Mr. Chairman….
Duncan: after I finish…
Muns: And then if I can respond?
Duncan: Exactly, ok. Now, you helped her [Alison Couch] get elected, my friend. You helped her get elected, and she didn’t do what you wanted her to do. So you turned on her. And I don’t know what motivates you, why it is the way it is. But that’s just what I see in your inconsistency. So go ahead.
Muns: Doug, what motivates me is somebody’s character. I’ve had individuals sitting at this dais [looks to the right] talk about me personally, about my marriage, about my kids, about my business, about that I was out to personally attack them and run them out of their office. I’ve had people sitting at this dais up here [looks at commissioners] do the very same thing. I’ve had Mr. Carraway, meeting in his office, stand up over me and go, “Lee, I’m not gonna take all that from you,” rah, rah, rah, rah, rah. I’ve been there, Doug.
But I’m a man of character, and I’m a Christian, and I’m gonna stand on truth. And I’ve been had by each one of y’all. I’ve been said that I’m misinformed, I don’t know what I’m talking about, I have no idea. Well, Doug, anytime you want to sit down and talk about the real issues, I’m more than open, because I am informed. I do know what’s going on. I do know about this industry. I do know about the power industry. I know a lot about a lot of things, because what I do before I open my mouth is I educate myself. Thank you.
And yes, I worked very hard for Ms. Couch, and I hoped to see her do a job. And a lot of the people in the community have not seen her do that job, and therefore we have a right to speak out in opposition. Thank you.
Commissioner Mike Carraway: You know what? He’s walking back to his seat. He called out my name. I’ve worked very hard over the last months not to respond to the innuendos and things that have been brought back and forth. But that meeting that he’s talking about specifically, that Mr. Skinner and I were in together, and he stated that about me. But what he is, is a vindictive man. And a lot of the things that most of y’all don’t know, maybe this crowd knows a little bit more, is that he is married to Scott’s ex-wife. And a lot of this, y’all, it matters. You can shake your head, but a lot of this is attacks because of that. And it’s really very hard to sit here, you know, meeting after meeting and let him do that. I’m not saying he’s wrong. He’s entitled to his opinion about data centers, but he’s been wrong on the facts the whole way. We have argued it was water. It was this, it was that, it was this, it was that. And it’s not turning out exactly, and he just changes what his point is. It just changes with the time. And now he’s on record saying he doesn’t have a problem with data centers. It’s not that at all. But at first it was that, because it was about water, and it was about all that. He actually called me a liar in one of our first meetings, which, you know, was absolutely uncalled for because it wasn’t correct. I just, you know, I don’t want to go back and forth with you, Mr. Muns, but it does seem vindictive from sitting here, from on and on and on, for you coming here and talking to us like you do. You have every right. We’ll always give you that right. But we don’t have to be happy about it. So that’s all I have to say.
Susan Warren: Corrected comments made at the previous Commission meeting about the timeline between the White Oak S-1 rezoning and adoption of the county’s Data Center District, noting the two actions occurred about six months apart rather than at consecutive meetings. She also criticized the county’s rezoning notification process, arguing that residents would rather risk showing up for a postponed meeting than miss their opportunity to participate because they were unaware of the final Commission vote.
Executive Session
Property
(M1a) Property A: Settlement agreement with Matthew George for $10,600 for Tax Parcel 072B 001C. County Attorney (Chris Driver) explained the county and property owner agreed on a value for property associated with the Hereford Farm Road widening project, but difficulties with the property owner’s bank prevented closing; the condemnation proceeding used the appraised value, and the additional payment reflects the difference needed to honor the previously agreed value. Approval: Yay 5, No 0
(M1b) Property B: $700 payment to Deere & Company to convert an existing temporary easement to a permanent easement for the Horizon South Parkway road widening project. The permanent easement is needed because a water line was relocated into the easement area. Approval: Yay 5, No 0
(M1c) Property C: Purchase and sale agreement with Metro Land Associates, LLC for $120K. 0.93-acre property is in front of the Columbia County Racquet Center and would complete the county’s ownership of that area, allowing for future expansion of the park, playground, courts, or other recreational uses. Approval: Yay 5, No 0
Adjourn: 6:29 pm