BUTTS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
125th Session Covering Calendar Year 2023
2023-2024 Biennium
Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for March 27, 2023

Commissioners: Staff Present
☐ Ken Rivers, District 1
☐ Robert Henderson, District 2 ☐ J. Michael Brewer, Deputy County Manager
☐ Joe Brown, District 3 ☐ Brad Vaughan, Planning Director
☐ Keith Douglas, District 4
☐ Russ Crumbley, District 5

Called Meeting 6:00 PM
Mr. Douglas called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. All Members were accounted for.

Item 2023-03-055 Adoption of the Docket
Mr. Brown moved to approve the docket and to waive the two-reading requirement on CR202314 amending the text of the Unified Development Ordinance. Mr. Crumbley seconded, and it passed unanimously.

Item 2023-03-056 Public Hearing; Airstrip Road Rezoning; County Resolution CR202312
A public hearing was conducted on the rezoning of property on Airstrip Road for applicant David Whitaker, who was the only one that spoke at the hearing. The Planning Director presented the recommendations of the Planning Commission, which was to approve the rezoning with several conditions, including Applicant submittal of a preliminary plat; providing the necessary widening, paving and ditching of the road to our inspection approval; all homes must be at least 2000 square feet or larger; all building plans, soil plans and final plats for approval must be submitted. The applicant also agreed that all garages would be side entrance garages and no vinyl siding would be used. Mr. Henderson moved to approve, seconded by Mr. Crumbley for discussion. Discussion ensued about whether 18 feet is wide enough for the road and why the ordinance mentions 26 feet. This will be determined by either special exception or by the actual code, depending on that the engineer decides but would not be germane to this decision; rather that would be decided later in the approval process for the plat. The Chairman called for a vote and the rezoning was approved 4-1, with Mr. Crumbly in opposition.

Item 2023-03-057 Public Hearing; Hamlin Road Special use; County Resolution CR202313
A public hearing was conducted on a special use for Billy Ray Sanders’ property on Hamlin Road to allow for him to operate an animal processing operation (such as processing deer). Mr. Sanders was the only one who spoke at the hearing. The Planning Director presented the recommendations of the Planning Commission, which was to approve the Special Use with conditions governing operational hours and no on-site disposal of animal parts or byproducts. Mr. Sanders requested that the special use be granted with modified conditions including allowing him to operate 6 days per week and to be able to operate from 7AM-7PM with consideration for extended hours during hunting season or an emergency animal kill. Mr. Crumbley moved to approve the Special Use with the modified hours, seconded by Mr. Rivers with unanimous consent.

Item 2023-03-058 Public Hearing; Text Amendment; Replacement Homes; County Resolution CR202314
A public hearing was conducted on the text amendment, which would allow a homeowner to replace a home destroyed in a federally declared disaster with one of equal size so long as the replacement met all current building, safety code and other modern codes governing the construction of buildings . This would not be applicable to other considerations outside of the County’s control such as septic systems or other state requirements. Several persons spoke in favor of and none directly opposed it. Mr. Crumbley moved to approve the amendment, seconded by Mr. Henderson and approved with unanimous consent.

Item 2023-03-059 Public Hearing; Abandon Portions of Wallace Road; County Resolution CR202315
Mr. Vaughan presented the proposal to the board, after which a public hearing was held, at which no one spoke for or against. Upon closure, Chairman Douglas called for the vote. Mr. Brown moved to approve, seconded by Mr. Henderson with unanimous consent. Mr. Vaughan is directed to provide Public Works with all areas of the road that is abandoned, and Public Works is to remove all abandoned portions from the County road lists, milage and books.

Item 2023-03-060 Approval of Resolution CR202316 on Opioid Settlement
County Attorney Andrew Welch presented the item for Board approval. Mr. Rivers moved to approve the Resolution, seconded by Mr. Crumbley and approved with unanimous consent.

Mr. Brown moved to enter an undocketed Executive Session for litigation purposes. Mr. Rivers seconded this and the board approved 5-0. Later, Mr. Rivers moved to reconvene, seconded by Mr. Henderson with unanimous consent. Mr. Welch notified the public that he had briefed the Members on the current status of the rock quarry litigation that is ongoing.

Mr. Crumbley requested to amend his previous “nay” vote on item 56 and made a motion for reconsideration, seconded by Mr. Rivers and approved with unanimous consent.

Item 2022-03-61 Adjournment Motion
Mr. Crumbley moved to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Henderson with unanimous consent.

Ratified this 10th Day of April, 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. I further affirm that the Board did enter upon an Executive Session and that the matters discussed therein were as stated in the minutes above.

Given under my hand and seal,

J. Michael Brewer, Deputy County Manager
Attesting as Clerk of the 125th Session