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SPLOST 5 Continued from Page 1 Not originally on the agenda for the county commission's Thursday, Sept. 17 meeting, the SPLOST item was added at the end of the meeting by Commis sioner Don Hogan (At Large #1). Reading from a written statement, Hogan said, "Even though the plans for one or more of the Level One County- Wide projects may need to be reviewed and revised in light of circumstances beyond the control of Glynn County, it is believed that sufficient proceeds have been collected to date from SPLOST 5 to fund the three SPLOST 5 Level One County-Wide projects according to law, and I, therefore, move that any SPLOST 5 proceeds received from the State by Glynn County from this date forward be distributed and allocated to all qualified government recipients according to the distribution method set forth by law." The three Level One Comity-Wide projects according to the county's SPLOST 5 list include the jail expan sion, the Pate Building renovation and the Office Park renovation. According to the county commission, Georgia SPLOST law requires these three projects, since they are consid ered "County-Wide," to be fully funded before SPLOST funds are released to the city. The county had previously voted to withhold the city's share of the SPLOST 5 money until a final design of the county jail project was finished, so they would know the final project cost. It should be noted that while the jail expansion is named as a Level or Tier One County-Wide project on the comity's SPLOST list as "Deten tion Facilities," it was not specifically named as such on the official SPLOST ballot published by the Comity's Board of Elections for the November 8, 2005 election. Commissioner Tony Thaw (Dist. 3) was the lone dissenting vote on Hogan's motion to release the SPLOST money to the city. Thaw said, "I'd like to know where we are building the jail and what the cost is going to be so I can vote on this. I just want to know what's going on." Thaw then asked Comity Finance Director Phyllis McNicoll how much SPLOST 5 money was in the bank for the jail. Reviewing the SPLOST numbers, McNicoll said the comity currently has about $37.7 million on hand. Just over $4 million has already been spent on the jail. The SPLOST list shows a detention facilities preliminary budget of $9 million, but projected costs are much higher. According to the SPLOST list, the Pate building project had a preliminary budget of $2 million of which about $250,000 has been spent. Apparently the projected cost of the Pate project has gone up because during the meet ing it was stated that there is $5 million in the bank for the project. The balance of Pate project is includ ed in the $37 million. Finally, the Office Park building renovation has been finished for the preliminary budget cost of $1 million. Thaw said, "I probably want to release this money as much or more than anyone. But we are reacting here to the threat of a lawsuit by the city. I've heard ten different plans, but I have no final numbers on the jail and I was just told this afternoon that I would have to vote on this tonight." Thaw said the comity would not have purchased the land for the jail expansion in the city block adjacent to the existing jail if the city had not told the comity they would abandon I St. to the county for the project. "That offer to abandon I St. was done with a public vote in a public meeting," said Thaw, "Now they're saying it was a non-binding vote and that the vote they just took against the abandonment was a binding vote. We can figure this out in a couple of weeks. It's not our fault we're in this position." "I don't know what the plan is," said Thaw, "and if someone will tell me what it is, I'll be able to vote on it. But no one has a plan and even though I'd love to support this, I won't be able to." Comity Administrator Charles Stew art told the commission that, according to new financial projections, SPLOST 5 is going to bring in about $100 million over five years, which is $25 million less than the originally expected $125 million. Stewart said the three county-wide projects had to be accomplished and that while there was no current plan for the jail, the estimated cost is $18 million. Stewart said the city was to receive 23% of the SPLOST funds after the County-wide projects are funded accord ing to the agreement signed by the two governments. "There are questions that need to be answered," said Stewart, "but it might be in our best interest to start paying the city their share now. At this point 42 Galloway Grove - Brunswick Wonderful Somersby Point Deal! Enjoy the lake view without the lake front price and a perfect floor plan with everything you need and nothing you don't! Located just close enough to the pool and playground, with walking access to Satilla Marsh el ementary. There is a large utility room and pantry with a glam our master bath, with tile and hardwood floors in the baths and traffic areas. $194fl00. (1LS# 851143) Call Christie DeLage (cell) 912-674-2097 or James Vivenzio (cell) 912-222-1063, (home) 912-265-8672; (office) 912-267-0054. James Vivenzio GRI. ABR. CSR Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners THE ISLANDER, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009, PAGE 5 many projects won't be done at the level they were budgeted due to the expected short fall in the SPLOST collections." Commissioner Howard Lynn (Dist. 4) was under the impression that the jail money had to be spent at the down town location, but was corrected by County Attorney Aaron Mumford. "We cannot take funds out to Pub lic Works (a suggested alternate jail expansion site) and spend the money for the jail," said Lynn, "That would have to be another SPLOST." Commissoner Bob Coleman (At Large 2) disagreed saying, "SPLOST allocates $9 million for detention center expansion, it does not specify where the expansion must be." Coleman asked Mumford if that was correct. Mumford said, "Yes, the (SPLOST) referendum was for expansion of the jail. It can be for another building at another location as long as it is jail expansion." Lynn, like Thaw, wanted more details. "I need an architect to tell us what we need to renovate and expand the existing jail and what it will cost," said Lynn, "Is it going to cost the $37 million? I have no problem releasing to the city but this is not the city's money, it's the taxpayers' money." Hogan said the SPLOST money would continue to come in and he was satisfied that the county has enough of the tax on hand in the $37 million to do the County-wide projects. Saying he wasn't aware of a city lawsuit, Hogan said, "I'm not doing this because of any lawsuit. Let's get this thing settled." Lynn asked, "Are we going to hold the $37 million we have and the city will get 23% of what comes in the future?" Hogan said, yes that was the way his motion was worded. "What happens if we come up short at the end of the road," asked Lynn. No one had an answer, but Hogan said, "I don't think we will." □ Monkey Wrench Continued from Page 1 local bank applied to have the property rezoned commercial for a branch office but was denied based on the amount of traffic a bank with drive-through win dows would generate. One of the concerns has always been traffic and the fact that the entrance to the lot is very close to the traffic light at Barnes Plantation. In addition, the homeowner in the house to the north of the lot was opposed to the bank. The driveway into the house is right on the property line and both pieces of property would have to share the drive way for access. Apparently Beaufait worked with the neighbor to the north and they have come to terms on sharing the driveway. In addition, Glynn County Commu nity Development Department staff stated that the bicycle shop would gen erate less traffic than a bank. Beaufait's proposal is for a mixed use project that would include the bicycle shop, other small shops or offices and residential as Beaufait intend's to live in the building. The first floor of the two story building will be limited to access, storage and parking. On August 18 the Island Planning Commission (IPC) voted to recommend approval with some additional stipula tions to Beaufait's Planned Develop ment (PD) text. The IPC limited the operating hours to 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. They deleted a number of uses from the PD text and specifically eliminated restaurant from the permitted uses. Also, no "changeable message signs will be allowed inside the building. The site does not include a loading zone, which was a bone of contention with the IPC. 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