Newspaper Page Text
The Diamond Pirates earned a spot
in the Final Four and the track Pirates
earned several Top 10 state finishes.
See page 1B and 6B
Grievance
ends with 5
suggestions
for county
A grievance was filed
against county manager
Brandon Rogers by
library manager Rose
mary Bunn who said
Rogers created a hostile
work environment. On
May 2, the county ap
peals committee held
a public hearing which
was widely attended
at the courthouse. The
committee concluded
the complaint was
“inconclusive” but they
made several recom
mendations to the
board ol
commis
sioners to
be imple
mented
immedi
ately. The
recommen
dations
include
seeking
a conflict
resolution
mediator
not associ
ated with
the county
to address
the situa
tion; adopting a policy
that outlines hostile
work environment
harassment; adopting
procedures and policies
regarding how luture
coaching session/writ
ten warning/verbal
warning documenta
tions are conducted by
any county employee
against another em
ployee and ensure that
it be witnessed by a
non-county employee;
providing employee
climate surveys after
the first 90 for all new
employees, every six
months for all employ
ees and upon separa
tion for all employees;
and establishing a
Grievance Committee,
guidelines and proce
dures outlining how to
handle grievances.
See GRIEVANCE page 3A
ROSEMARY
BUNN
$225,000 shelter donation returned;
shelter board dissolved after 3-2 vote
PHOTO BY RACHEL
McDaniel / pike county
JOURNAL REPORTER
Ruth Chandler and
her son Zebulon
‘Zeb’ Chandler at
the 2020 ground
breaking event for
the Pike County
Animal Shelter.
Donor thanks county
for returning funds
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Commissioners voted
3-2 to return the $225,000
accepted by the county
in 2020 and used to build
the animal shelter build
ing on County Farm Road
which is currently used
solely by the animal con
trol officer and assistant
to house dangerous and/
or vicious dogs.
In February 2023,
Ruth Chandler of the
CLC Foundation said the
county needed to ap
prove the animal shelter
board’s ordinances so
they could operate, ac
cept donations and open
the shelter by the end of
the year or the donation
would be the CLC Foun
dation’s first ever “failed
donation.”
Commissioner Jason
Proctor made the motion
at the May 10 meeting to
return the funds and dis
solve the animal shelter
board and it was sec
onded by commissioner
SPECIAL PHOTO
The word ‘shelter’ was
removed from the sign at
the facility used for animal
control in Pike County.
Tim Guy with chairman
Briar Johnson in favor
and commissioners Tim
Daniel and James Jenkins
in opposition.
“I’m not against dogs,
1 just don’t think that’s
what’s best for the
county and that we can
afford it at this time,”
said Proctor.
Commissioner Tim
Daniel was the only vo
cal supporter of moving
forward with an animal
shelter although commis
sioner James Jenkins also
voted in opposition to
returning the funds and
dissolving the board.
Daniel noted that
when the county moves
American Rescue Plan
Act funds to take ad
vantage of the federal
government’s Loss of
Revenues option which
would allow the county
to spend those funds
on anything - including
animal control.
“If we are going to use
ARPA funds through the
new account to pay that
money back, then that’s
money that we could use
to open the shelter,” he
said. “We are going to
be faced with this again,
whether it’s this year or
next year, the county is
going to face this issue
again. 1 polled a lot of
people over the past few
months and the news
paper polled people and
this is what the people
want.”
See SHELTER page 2A
Ruth Chandler, the
representative of the
CLC Foundation who
offered the animal
shelter funding said she
appreciates the county
returning the money.
“While 1 continue to
wish for animals in Pike
to be cared for, 1 really
appreciate them return
ing the money. This has
to do with the fact that
I’m 75 years old and 1
want to get my relation
to the family trust in the
right order. We don’t
want a situation just
hanging out there that’s
not working the way
it’s supposed to. So I do
appreciate them and
believe they are honor
able men trying to do
a good job with limited
resources. These times
we’re living in seem
to be extraordinarily
challenging and they
have their own ideas
of important services,”
said Chandler.
See DONOR page 2A
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Above left, a dog trots around the circular track with a monkey on his back as (above right)
the audience applauds. Chestnut Oak Arena was packed for both of the short racing shows
with proceeds from the event going toward establishing a scholarship for local seniors.
Chamber derby to help start
scholarship for local seniors
The Pike County Chamber of Com
merce hosted the Banana Derby Com
munity Night with proceeds going to
help establish a new scholarship for
Pike County High School seniors.
“Our Banana Derby Community
Night was a lot of fun despite a little
rain,” said Chamber director Meredith
Maddox. “Thank you to our amazing
presenting sponsors First Bank of Pike,
Pike Pools and Zero FG and another
big thank you to our sponsors McLe-
Roy Realty, Edge and Kimbell Law,
United Bank, Advanced Roofing, Fam
ily Health Clinic, Freedom Builders,
and BJ’s Bottle Shop. We couldn’t have
enjoyed this night without all of you.”
Visitors of all ages enjoyed the racing and excitement at Chestnut Oak Arena, despite the rain.
Sisters Sophie Thomas (left) and Khloe
Thomas (right) enjoy the show together.
County places
90-day pause
on zoning
During their May 10
meeting, commission
ers approved the use of
$3.3 million in American
Rescue Plan Act funds
as Loss of Revenues
which allows more uses
for the money and they
established a 90-day
moratorium on zoning,
subdivision and special
exception requests.
During a workshop
before the commission
meeting, county manager
Brandon Rogers said
the federal government
allows the county to
claim up to $10 million in
loss revenues and would
keep the county from
being required to have an
annual audit. He said it
would also prevent a lot
of required reporting, in
cluding progress reports
on projects even when
work has not yet started.
He said there would be
no conditions on how the
county uses the $3.3 mil
lion in American Rescue
Plan Acts if it was moved
to Loss of Revenues.
During the same work
shop, Rogers also noted
that the planning and
zoning director has been
working on updating zon
ing codes and ordinances
but needs more time to
dedicate to that.
“The problem we are
having is daily business
is not slowing down and
it’s taking longer than
anticipated to complete.
I’m not in favor of con
tracting out this job, we
have someone in-house
who is 100% capable of
doing it, we just need to
slow down rezoning and
subdivision requests so
he can focus on getting it
done,” said Rogers. “It’s
a lot of work and all of
the codes are interlocked
together. It’s not an easy
and quick fix for sure.”
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Commissioners voted May
10 to place a 90-day morato
rium on major subdivisions,
rezonings, zoning applica
tions, variances and special
exception requests.
Pike commissioner
voted after a closed,
executive session to
impose a 90-day morato
rium on major subdivi
sions, rezonings, zoning
applications, variances
and special exceptions.
THE COUNTY ALSO:
• Authorized chairman
Briar Johnson to sign and
accept documents for
the Community Devel
opment Block Grant for
Tanyard Road.
• Heard from Tim
Ingram about the need
to pave the short por
tion of McKinley Road
from Highway 19 to
Williamson-Zebulon Road
due to the amount of
money spent each year
on gravel and repairs
and upkeep by the public
works department.
• Approved an inter
governmental agreement
between Pike County and
the Development Author
ity-
• Approved a tax re
fund of $200.35 for Jerry
F. Motes.
• Approved use of
the courthouse ground
by Pike County Schools
L4GA on Friday, Oct. 20
from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for
National Day of Writing.
