BUTTS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
125th Session Covering Calendar Year 2023
2023-2024 Biennium
Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for January 10, 2023

Commissioners: Staff Present
☐ Ken Rivers, District 1 ☐ Brad Johnson County Manager
☐ Robert Henderson, District 2 ☐ J. Michael Brewer, Deputy County Manager
☐ Joe Brown, District 3 ☐ Rhonda Blissit, Chief Financial Officer
☐ Keith Douglas, District 4 ☐ Andy Welch, County Attorney
☐ Russ Crumbley, District 5

Regular Meeting 6:00 PM
Chairman Brown called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Also in attendance was Commissioners Russ Crumbley, Keith Douglas, Robert Henderson, and Ken Rivers.

Item 2023-01-001 Adoption of the Docket
Mr. Brewer presented the docket and requested approval. Mr. Rivers moved to approve the docket, seconded by Mr. Henderson with unanimous consent and one revision in the order of presentations.

Annual Business

Item 2023-01-002 Election of Chairman
Mr. Brewer declared the seat vacant and called for the election of a Chairman for 2023. Mr. Brown nominated Keith Douglas with no additional nominations offered. Mr. Henderson moved to close the nominations, seconded by Mr. Crumbley with approved with unanimous consent. Mr. Brewer then called the question on the election of Commissioner Douglas as Chair and this was approved 4-1, with Commissioner Rivers in dissent.

Item 2023-01-003 Election of Vice Chairman
Mr. Brewer declared the seat vacant and called for the election of a Vice Chairman for 2023. Mr. Henderson nominated Russ Crumbley with no additional nominations offered. Mr. Brown moved to close the nominations, seconded by Mr. Douglas with approved with unanimous consent. Mr. Brewer then called the question on the election of Commissioner Crumbley as Vice Chairman and this was approved 4-0, with Commissioner Crumbley abstaining.

Item 2023-01-004 Approval of Minutes
Mr. Brewer presented the minutes and requested approval. Mr. Brown moved to approve the docket, seconded by Mr. Rivers with unanimous consent.

Item 2023-01-005 Designation of County Attorney
Mr. Henderson moved to designate Andy Welch and his firm of Smith, Welch, Webb and White as County Attorney of record. Mr. Brown seconded, and this was approved with unanimous consent.

Item 2023-01-006 Designation of County Auditors
Mr. Crumbley moved to designate Mauldin and Jenkins as our Auditors of Record. Mr. Henderson seconded, and this was approved with unanimous consent.

New Business

Item 2023-01-007 A Resolution Fixing Appointments to Boards and Authorities.
Mr. Brewer presented Resolution 2023-01-001 fixing appointments to Boards and Authorities. Mr. Henderson moved to approve, seconded by Mr. Rivers and approved 4-0, with Mr. Crumbley abstaining due to being a relative of one appointee. The Resolution shall be made a part of the Book of Resolutions, Volume 2, as referenced in these minutes.

Item 2023-01-008 A Resolution Supporting the Hospital Authority’s Efforts to Obtain a New Hospital
Mr. Johnson presented Resolution 2023-01-002 described above. Mr. Rivers moved to approve, seconded by Mr. Crumbley and approved 5-0. The Resolution shall be made a part of the Book of Resolutions, Volume 2, as referenced in these minutes.

Item 2023-01-009 A Resolution Requesting Naming Interchange at Highway 16 and I-75 for Mac Collins
Mr. Johnson presented Resolution 2023-01-003 described above. Mr. Crumbley moved to approve, seconded by Mr. Brown, and approved 5-0. The Resolution shall be made a part of the Book of Resolutions, Volume 2, as referenced in these minutes.

Item 2023-01-010 Report on Water System Crisis of December 25th-28th
Mr. Johnson briefed the Board on the recent water system crisis that occurred in many Georgia counties, including ours, late Christmas night as the result of several days of subfreezing temperatures causing water pipe damage and the County’s response to the Water Authority’s need of help.

Item 2023-01-012 Public Comment
This item was moved in the order of items. One person had properly submitted the required form to come before the Board of Commissioners under Public Comment, that person being Kristin Benton. She in turn called upon Shane Thompson to make public comments, which he did. Two other persons who had not submitted required forms were also allowed to speak before the County Attorney closed the discussion with comments.

Item 2023-01-011 Executive Session for Litigation and Personnel and Report by Attorney
Mr. Rivers moved to enter Executive Session, seconded by Mr. Brown with unanimous consent. Later, Mr. Brown moved to reconvene, seconded by Mr. Crumbley with unanimous consent.

Mr. Welch reported that he had updated the board on litigation concerning the rock quarry as well as an injunction filed by the county on a personal care home operating without a license and without proper zoning and one additional pending lawsuit regarding the Sheriff’s Office.

Item 2022-01-013 Adjournment
Mr. Brown moved to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Henderson and approved with unanimous consent.

Ratified this 13th Day of February 2023

___________________________________________
On behalf of the Board of Commissioners
J. Keith Douglas, Presiding as Chairman

CERTIFICATION & ATTESTATION

I do hereby attest by my signature and seal below that the aforementioned minutes of the Butts County Board of Commissioners are an accurate representation of the official actions undertaken by the Board during the open meeting designated for the date and times stated herein, and that the Board did enter upon an Executive Session for the purposes described herein.

Given under my hand and seal,

J. Michael Brewer, Deputy County Manager
Attesting as Clerk of the 124th Session