(MAY 5, 2023) -- The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners tackled a hefty agenda at its May 2 meeting, including purchases for law enforcement and public safety, several planning and zoning cases, and new positions requested by the Cherokee County Clerk of Courts.

At the May 2 meeting, the Board:

• Proclaimed May 7-13 as Public Service Recognition Week to honor men and women who serve at the federal, state, county and local levels, as well as members of the uniformed services.
• Announced the public input period for the proposed rate increase for Cherokee Area Transportation System fares. The public comment period will be held through June 4. Comment can be made by visiting the CATS office at 884 Univeter Road, Canton, by calling 770-345-6238, or by emailing [email protected]
• Announced the Cherokee Recreation & Parks meeting to gather input for the future 40-acre park at 3552 East Cherokee Drive. The public input meeting will be held May 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hickory Flat Gym.
• Approved, 5-0, reappointing Randy Gravley to the Cherokee County Libraries Board of Trustees for a new three-year term beginning July 1, 2023, as recommended by the executive director of the Sequoyah Regional Library System. Chairman Harry Johnston made the motion, which was seconded by District 2 Commissioner Richard Weatherby.
• Approved, 5-0, reappointing Cherokee Fire & Emergency Services EMS Battalion Chief Nate Sullivan to the Region 1 EMS Board for a new three-year beginning July 1, 2023. Chairman Johnston made the motion, which was seconded by District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the minutes from the April 18 work session, regular meeting and executive session. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, allowing Robert and Mary Stone to withdraw their application for rezoning without prejudice. They were requesting to rezone 11.1 acres on North Rope Mill Road from R-40 to LI, as well as several variances. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale
• Approved, 5-0, postponing for two weeks Iglesia De Dios Evangelio Completo, Inc.’s request for a Special Use Permit to develop a place of worship on Pea Ridge Road, as well as concurrent variances. The applicant’s attorney notified the county the day of the Board of Commissioners meeting that it would like to postpone for 60 days, however, that would be in conflict with policy that decisions on cases would be made within 90 days. District 1 Commissioner Steve West, in whose district the property lies, indicated the applicant may have an alternate site for their project and agreed to give them an additional two weeks to submit a formal letter to the county. Commissioner West made the motion to postpone, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, David Pearson Communities LLC’s request to rezone 37.39 acres from Agriculture to R-20 Conservation Design for a conservation subdivision. The approval came with several conditions: road improvements will include a right-turn deceleration lane onto Hillhouse Lane from Sixes Road; improvements will include a direct connection to Vince Merolla Drive to allow residents to access the traffic signal at the Sixes Road intersection; all improvements will meet the Cherokee County Development Regulation and AASHTO design standards; all improvements must be completed before a final plat; the county transportation director will make final determination if the required transportation improvements are satisfactorily met; if those conditions cannot be achieved and approved by the county, the development will be required to have direct access onto Sixes Road and no access onto Hillhouse Lane. Other conditions include construction hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The vote also included approval of four of the five requested variances: allowing a gated subdivision with private streets that are built to county standards, reduction of the building separation requirements from 15 feet to 10 feet, reduction of the requirement for providing access to open space every 10 lots, but the motion included a note to ensure the five greenspaces included in the design be included in the final product, and reduction of the exterior buffer along a portion of the northwest property line for three Hillhouse lane properties as depicted on the site plan. The vote included denial of a requested variance to reduce the average lot size from 10,000 square feet to 9,500 square feet. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner West.
• Approved, 5-0, Complete Site, LLC’s request to appeal a Zoning Board of Appeals decision. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. The Board of Commissioners will hear the appeal June 20 at 6 p.m.
• Approved, 5-0, Barry and Dawn Scott’s request to appeal a zoning manager decision related to a business license application for Dallas North Lawn Sprinklers, Inc. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. The appeal will be heard June 20 at 6 p.m.
• Approved, 5-0, a deannexation request of a small portion of a 1.19-acre parcel at 334 Peninsula Point in the city of Holly Springs. The deannexation request is for a 20-foot by 300-foot piece of property. The approval included that it is contingent of rezoning to agricultural and added to the parcel to which it abuts in unincorporated Cherokee County. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the consent agenda, which included: renewal of the 2023 UME/Gerber Employee Medical Stop Loss insurance coverage; first amendment to the Cherokee County 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan allowing Superior Court Judges and District Attorneys to participate; the subrecipient agreement in the amount of $100,000 with Circle of Friends for renovations to Flourish Café; a subrecipient agreement in the amount of $100,000 for the North Georgia Angel House for their administrative office and reception center renovations; acceptance of a federal grant totaling $31,045 on behalf of the Family Treatment Court; reallocation of aging CDBG funds and submission of the corresponding update of the 2022 annual action plan to HUD; first amendment to the agreement with Bennett Fire Products Company establishing pricing of $528 per pair of structural firefighting boots on a four-year agreement; amendment No. 2 to the CATS FY2023 Department of Human Services contract; the surplus of church pews and other miscellaneous items that were acquired with the purchase of property at 2017 East Cherokee Drive for Fire & Emergency Services; a resolution to waive alcohol license residency requirements for alcohol sales manager for 786atlbusiness, LLC at 6742 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock; reimbursement of $385.14 to Chairman Harry Johnston for expenses related to the ACCG Annual Conference in Savannah; reimbursement of $385.14 to Commissioner Richard Weatherby for expenses related to the ACCG Annual Conference in Savannah; reimbursement of $385.14 to Commissioner Benny Carter for expenses related to the ACCG Annual Conference in Savannah; setting a public hearing for June 20 at 6 p.m. at the regular Board of Commissioners meeting to consider amendments to Articles 7, 8, 15, 18 and 23 of the Zoning Ordinance concerning application notification requirements and application procedures; and setting a public hearing for June 20 at 6 p.m. at the regular Board of Commissioners meeting to consider text amendments to Article 5 General Provisions and Article 4 Rules and Definitions related to exterior architectural standards for accessory structures. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by District 4 Commissioner Corey Ragsdale.
• Approved, 5-0, the purchase of four mobile message signs for the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office from American Signal. The cost is $58,080. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 5-0, a $75,420 expenditure for the Sheriff’s Office to repair and replace three gates at the Adult Detention Center. The vendor is Overhead Door Company of Atlanta. The approval also included a corresponding budget amendment. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, the purchase of digital surveillance camera equipment for the Justice Center, on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office Court Services Division, from low-bidder Vicon. The cost is $70,366.50. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale.
• Approved, 5-0, a Master Services Agreement with Comcast Enterprise Services to increase network bandwidth and extend the term for another five years. The total five-year renewal contract is $1.3 million ($23,196.41 per month). Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 5-0, the Clerk of Court’s request for two Senior Deputy Clerk positions. The total annual cost is $170,498. The vote also included a corresponding budget amendment. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, a Memorandum of Understanding with the city of Canton for inspection and permitting of county facilities located in the city of Canton. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner West.
• Approved, 5-0, the purchase of two LUCAS Chest Compression Systems from Stryker Medical for Fire & Emergency Services. The cost is $36,851.80. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 5-0, the purchase of two refurbished Zoll Cardiac Monitors and corresponding equipment from Zoll Medical Corporation for Fire & Emergency Services. The cost is $47,026.38. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Canton related to the former L.R. Tippens Elementary School property on Glenwood Street. The IGA outlines that the city will take ownership of the former school facility and will release deed restrictions on a 4.4-acre parcel on Bluffs Parkways the county inherited as part of the fire consolidation agreement in 2016. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter. The Canton City Council approved the IGA at its April 20 meeting.