NEWTON COUNTY – Commissioners met for nearly four hours on Tuesday to discuss a number of business items. 

While the meeting was rooted in contention throughout, the board discussed several main talking points, including standardized lease agreements, construction matters and various presentations and updates on county-related projects.

Community center lease agreements discussed during county manager’s report

An update was given on the standardized lease agreement for community centers during Harold Cooper’s county manager report.

Cooper provided a spreadsheet of the various community centers across the county and what designation they fell under. Notably absent from the previous presentation in December was the Almon Community Center, which the county does not own.

In the proposed lease agreements, the county will not seek to collect rental payments in exchange for providing public programs for all of Newton County. Lessees will be required to disclose program offerings and services provided and no third-party subleasing can occur.

Listed as lessee responsibilities were the outlining of programming, the maintenance of the center, the payment of utility costs and other groundskeeping services and the maintenance of liability coverage and insurance.

Cooper stated that his goal is to have all tenants under the standardized lease agreement no later than the start of FY2025.

District 3 representative Alana Sanders requested that an updated version be presented to incorporate a standard operating procedure for how funds are allocated. This caused a back-and-forth between Cooper and Sanders that eventually had to be gaveled down by chairman Marcello Banes.

Cooper did provide a level of clarity on where funds would go for those who would rent the community centers.

“When they are providing comprehensive programming like a 501(c)(3) does, all monies will be reincoporated back into the facility,” Cooper said.

District 2 representative Demond Mason was not in favor of the idea that funds raised for community centers be outside of the hands of the county. He feels that the county should take a level of responsibility due to their status as county-owned.

“I personally don’t believe that any funds should be released to anybody, specifically. We have had in the past where funds have been released to that non-profit and those funds have been misappropriated,” Mason said. “Could this board take those funds and help pay for those operating costs directly? Absolutely that is what should happen.”

Sanders then retook the floor and stated that what Mason had said met the bill of an SOP and that it should be in writing.

District 4 representative J.C. Henderson said that background checks are necessary to anyone who may be leasing or maintaining the building for the safety of the children.

It was at that point when Cooper stood up out of his chair and walked over to the podium. Before the meeting could get out of hand, Banes then called for a five minute recess.

Following the recess, District 5 representative Ronnie Cowan said the board needed to return to simplicity.

“We seem to make things very difficult that are very simple,” Cowan said.

Cowan seconded points made by Sanders, Mason and Henderson that funds should be allocated to the county and put back into the buildings directly from the county as well as background checks for everyone involved.

But despite the extended conversation, no action was taken on any lease matters.

Board denies preliminary plat for new townhomes

While growth continues to be a big talking point in Newton County, commissioners opted to vote down a new townhome complex.

The potential complex called “the Towns at Yellow River” was seeking an appeal from the planning commission’s decision to deny a preliminary plat. According to a county presentation, the plat was denied by the planning commission due to the concern that the town homes could be rental properties and that heavy traffic could be added to the area.

Representing the complex was attorney Kirk R. Fjelstul, who said that this step in the process is just procedural.

“This is a technical process – the planning process – where what we are required to do to comply with your ordinance,” Fjelstul said.

When looking at the specifics, the complex was slated to be in District 3 at 730 and 740 North Crowell Road. The property size was 28.16 acres and projected to have 96 lots.

In regards to the traffic study, the 96-lot size does not meet the minimum requirement for a traffic study, therefore one does not have to be conducted.

While Fjelstul was the only to speak in favor of the plat, several citizens spoke in opposition. The primary concerns from the citizens were the lack of traffic study as well as density issues in District 3.

Sanders agreed with the citizens and opted to make a motion to deny the preliminary plat, which was unanimously denied.

No action taken during sheriff’s presentation

Newton County sheriff Ezell Brown was in attendance for the March 19 meeting to deliver an update on recidivism rates in the county as well as providing a plan to increase mental health resource and treatment needs.

The sheriff said recidivism rates for Newton County were at the 78-80 percent mark in 2008 upon Brown’s arrival to office. That number, according to Brown, has been “reduced by 49 percent.”

Brown requested that a position be added to the department that can be a co-responder for mental health related calls. 

“We are here today to tap into the resources that you have so that we can continue building our program,” Brown said. “We need a seed now so that we can hire a co-responder, bring them so then we can do the will of the people and that we can continue to be what I think is the beacon across Georgia as it relates to recidivism.” 

But the holdup for the commissioners was if the funding was there for the position.

While Brown was told ARPA funds of roughly $100,000 were available for the sheriff’s office, that part was not exactly clear.

Sanders was under the belief that the money was for law enforcement, but that she has not seen a vote where the $100,000 has been allocated from the ARPA funding.

Cowan was in favor of adding the position, but was unsure about the funding source, too.

“I think what you’re proposing is exactly what needs to be done in the whole community of law enforcement and I think Newton County can be a pilot program for this,” Cowan said. “I don’t know if we have any ARPA funds left, I don’t know, but I would suggest that we got the upcoming budget, let’s put a position in there for this.”

Brown said that they put in a position for this, but that they did not receive it.

Banes asked if a reallocation of a position can be created to add the position right away.

“It’s disappointing that every time we come here if I have five positions, 10 positions, you need to do away with two of those positions to get something else. That’s always the fact,” Brown said. “Others walk up here and get what they want and I’m just being honest.”

Banes reiterated that the position was needed but said navigating how to get there is the issue.

Henderson asked White if the funds were there to allocate to the NCSO.

“The best that I can recall… is that we did still have the $100,000 allocated to mental health,” White said.

Mason seemed confused by that statement and reminded White of the presentation that Kennedy Shannon of iParametrics had brought before the board a few meetings prior.

“When we looked at the ARPA spreadsheet at the last meeting, that line item was blank,” Mason said. “There was nothing in that line item that we discussed… when we had attorney Shannon come and attorney Shannon basically stated to us that the only monies we had for mental health was to View Point Health was for $400,000.”

Cooper requested that he and White meet together to determine a proper funding source – albeit ARPA funds or a general fund budget surplus – and come back before the board at the April 2 meeting to discuss further.

Cooper delivers update on new E911 center

As promised, Cooper and finance director Brittany White provided an update about the potential new E911 center.

City of Covington mayor Fleeta Baggett and 911 director Trudy Henry went before the commissioners at the March 5 work session to discuss the new joint 911 facility.

In the financial analysis, the main funding source would be the E911 revenue that is collected through 911 services. The number collected for 2023 was $2,434,490, with 10 percent set aside for capital expenses.

It is projected that the new center will cost $4.5 million with a 30-year bond at 3.5 percent. It would be split budgeted 75-25 percent through the county and city, with the county receiving the larger figure due to call volume.

The public facilities authority (PFA) is set to meet to begin a process for issuing the bond, which will be on April 16.