Two weeks ago Fayette County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charles Oddo closed the board’s last public meeting by saying it could be the final one with only four commissioners.
He was right.
Thursday night’s 7 p.m. regular meeting will be preceded by the day’s most important item of business, as Charles Rousseau is sworn in at 6 p.m. as District 5 commissioner. He will succeed the late Pota Coston after capturing 70 percent of the vote in last week’s special election, which saw only about 20 percent of the district’s registered voters casting ballots.
Three public hearings are on the agenda for Rousseau’s first meeting. Two of the hearings involve a request to rezone 29.491 acres fronting on Highway 54 and Dockstreet Alley from A-R to R-40 for the possible expansion of the Longboat subdivision, as well as a request to add 24 lots to the final plat of the Longboat subdivision. County staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval of both requests with no conditions.
The other public hearing regards amending the county’s code of ordinances to add a section on administrative variance regulations. This section was inadvertently deleted when zoning ordinance amendments were made in 2012, according to a staff report.
Under the new section, the zoning administrator will have the authority to approve administrative variances regarding setbacks for an existing structure not to exceed 10 percent of the minimum setback requirements up to a maximum of two feet, not including setbacks required for conditional uses.
In other business, the board is scheduled to consider a recommendation to appoint Sharon White and Margaret Sisson to the McIntosh Trail Community Service Board, and also consider the appointment of Pete Daniel to the Region Six Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases Regional Planning Board.
A recommendation by the Public Art Committee to approved the concept design to prominently display the national motto “In God We Trust” in the commissioners’ meeting room will be considered, as well as an ordinance amending the county code pertaining to ethical standards.
The consent agenda includes acceptance of a $15,811.86 grant from the Georgia Association of EMS for the purchase of emergency medical equipment, along with the disposition of $15,722.16 in tax refunds and approval of the Sept. 10 meeting minutes.
Other agenda items include the Georgia Forestry Commission’s annual report for Fayette County, a presentation by Georgia Military College executive director Scott Donahue, recognition of the Drive Phase Track Club for its recent showing at the 2015 AAU Junior Olympics, and presentation of the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Award for Fayette County’s annual budget document for the last fiscal year.
