The Baldwin County Board of Commissioners met Sept. 3 to hear updates from Central Georgia Technical College and approve grants, reappointments, and matters related to shortterm rentals and the moratorium.
The meeting began with a presentation from Executive Vice President Jeff Scruggs of Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC). He gave the board an overview of how the college is doing and growing. According to him CGTC focuses on 11 counties but had 131 counties represented during last spring semester. The college supports about 1,000 full and parttime employees. It also supports seven college and career academies. Scruggs also noted that CGTC is the first career college to have a freestanding health clinic and discussed its partnership with Navicent in depth. He also noted that the Milledgeville campus allocated a $6.5 million investment for it to be one out of two sites state-wide to host a free-standing electric vehicle technician training program.
Moving into fiscal and administrative matters, there were bids for $273,244 from Pro Pump and Controls and for $287,326.88 from Central Turf and Irrigation for pumps and controls at the golf course. The board unanimously approved the lowest bid.
The board unanimously approved two Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants. The one for the adult program was $144,830 and the grant for the dislocated worker program was $153,241. The county acts solely as the fiscal agent so it is not required to match any funds.
The county also unanimously approved a resolution extending the moratorium on commercial development and residential subdivision development for an additional period not to exceed 60 days while the county considers changes to its land development code. According to County Manager Carlos Tobar, two weeks ago the draft for the amendment of the land use code was completed and submitted to the land use committee. On Thursday, the committee should determine if it needs any further edits, the commissioners will receive a copy, and it will be posted online.
The floor was then opened to the public to share their thoughts on the short-term vacation rental ordinance. At the end of comments, the board voted to unanimously approve the ordinance. To learn the details of this ordinance, please refer to “Commissioner approve short-term rental ordinance” on A1.
The Sinclair Water Authority requested $1000,00 in funding from the board of commissioners to match a $450,00 grant to purchase and install four generators. Five years ago, Putnam County applied for a grant for these generators, but the application did not receive traction until 2023, after Sen. Jon Osoff got involved and it was approved. This is a potential estimate for the county’s grant match for potential overruns as the original prices from 2019 have increased. Prices cannot be confirmed until bids are received. The board unanimously approved this funding request.
Tobar proposed to the board to approve permission to apply to a pro-housing grant from the Housing and Urban Development Department. The grant is for $1.5 million, and the local match would be $9,000 to prepare the grant application. The local match would be parcels that the county owns. The parcels would be returned to the tax rolls once the homes are built. The grant would be used to build 10 houses.
“I’m not in favor of that (approving applying for the grant) because we need more information where this will go and what will be involved. We need a lot of information and clarification before we decide to sign up for the grant so I cannot support it at this point,” said Commissioner Sammy Hall.
Hall stated he wished to know more about the parcels being used and to establish what specifically will be done. Tobar noted during the meeting that specific parcels could be discussed at a later time but that the deadline to apply was tight due to a public hearing being necessary. Tobar informed The Baldwin Bulletin Sept. 4, that board members will have another opportunity to turn down applying for the grant at the public hearing, if they wish.
Commissioner Henry Craig made a motion to accept the grant and the grant was approved 3-2, with Chairman Johnny Westmoreland and Commissioner Sammy Hall opposing.
The meeting concluded with the unanimous approval of the reappointments of Dr. George Martinez and Dr. Nolan Stephens to the Central State Hospital Local Redevelopment Authority.