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Published by
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www.theislanderonline.com •
March 8, 2010 Established 1972
ssislander@bellsouth.net
Vol 38 Issue 10
Neptune Park - Phase 2
It was a chilly morning last week as Phase 2 of the Neptune Park renovation contin
ued. Here, construction workers prepare the ground for the picnic area under the oak
trees. The project got underway last Monday when the tables were moved from the
picnic area and the playground near the pier was demolished. The finished area will
feature new sidewalks and a toddler playground. The picnic tables will be returned
to the area under the oaks on a renovated slate surface. According to Paul Christian,
Assistant County Administrator, the Easter Sunrise Service will not be interrupted by the
construction. "Arrangements will be made for the crowd," Christian said.
In addition, County Administrator Charles Stewart and county engineer Jim Bruner are
working on a plan for repairing the pier.
Pier repair costs were included in the Phase 2 budget but removed when it was deter
mined that the pier needed more than cosmetic repair.
Bruner was authorized by Stewart to get a proposal from EMC Engineering Services of
Savannah who did the last two pier studies. The $25,000 proposal is for evaluation and
study of what it will take to repair and rehabilitate the pier. Bruner, at Stewart's request,
is moving forward with the proposal. "While the pier is perfectly safe," Bruner said, "the
deterioration will accelerate over time. It's better to catch it before the deterioration
gets too bad and becomes more costly to fix." Islander Staff Photo - Permar
County hires search firm; grants Murphy's license
Citizen files
suit against
four County
Commissioners
• Federal Judge asks for
deferral on jail vote
By Pamela Permar
Shierling and
Matthew J. Permar
A lawsuit naming Glynn
County Commission chairman
Howard Lynn (Dist. 4) and
Commissioners Tony Thaw
(Dist. 3), Don Hogan (At Large
#1) and Jerome Clark (Dist. 5)
as defendants was filed in U.S.
District Court for the Southern
District of Georgia, Brunswick,
on Tuesday, March 2.
The suit was brought by
Brunswick resident Catherine
Browning and filed by her
attorneys Doug Alexander and
Mary Helen Moses.
The suit was filed in fed
eral court and heard by U.S.
District Judge Lisa Godbey
Wood on Wednesday March 3,
because, according to the law
suit, "state remedies ...would
be futile. Because of political
ramifications associated with
this action, no sitting superior
Court Judge in the Brunswick
Judicial Circuit can hear this
case."
The suit also stated that
further SPLOST (Special Pur
pose Local Option Sales Tax)
funds would be wasted before
the plaintiff could heard by an
Superior Court judge outside
of Glynn County.
The suit accuses defendants
of denying the plaintiff the right
to be heard at a public meeting
and cites a March 2008 County
Commission meeting in which
Ms. Browning was asked to
leave and a June 2008 meeting
in which Browning was "vio
lently arrested and charged
with disrupting a lawful meet
ing."
The suit asks that a.) the
defendants be restrained from
entering into any contract with
the Carter Gobel Lee (CGL)
Turn to Page 9
Lawsuit
On Thursday, Feb. 25, after
a lengthy work session, the
Glynn County Commission
adjourned into closed session
to discuss personnel issues.
Reconvening the open ses
sion, the commission voted
unanimously to hire Slavin
Management Consultants, a
Norcross, Ga. based company,
to conduct a nationwide execu
tive search to hire a new Coun
ty Administrator to replace
By Matthew J. Permar
Charles Stewart who is retir
ing this June 30.
Slavin's fee is $14,000 and
after candidate's travel expens
es are added, commissioner's
expect to pay about $20,000 for
the search.
The county administrator is
one of three county employees
hired by the county commis
sion. The other two are the
county attorney and the police
chief.
The administrator is respon
sible for hiring and oversee
ing all other departments and
employees.
Stewart currently makes
$115,000 per year, plus a $400
per month car allowance and
a $45 per month cell phone
allowance, along with other
benefits.
Turn to Page 5
Search firm
Glynn hit hard
under proposed
USG budget cuts
By Matthew J. Permar
A batch of state wide bud
get cuts, totalling $300 million,
that was recently proposed by
the University System of Geor
gia (USG) and submitted to
the system's Board of Regents
would have a wide ranging
impact on Glynn County as
well as the state.
Along with the College of
Coastal Georgia, other Glynn
County agencies and programs
that are coming under bud
get fire from the USG are the
University of Georgia (UGA)
County Extension Office and
its associated programs includ
ing 4-H, Family and Consumer
Sciences and Agriculture and
Natural Resources.
In addition, the local UGA
Marine Extension office, Arch
way Partnership and the Small
Business Development Center
Turn to Page 7
State budget
USG budget cuts
impact CCG
By Matthew J. Permar
A series of proposed Georgia
state budget cuts are covered
in this week’s edition of The
Islander in a page 1 article
titled ‘Glynn hit hard under
proposed USG budget cuts’.
The College of Coastal Geor
gia (CCG) would be seriously
impacted by these budget cuts
if they are approved.
It is unlikely that they will
be approved in the current
form, as there has been a state
wide outcry against them.
In addition, this is the start
of the process to reduce the
budget by $300 million, so
nothing is set in stone as yet.
According to CCG Presi
dent Dr. Valerie Hepburn, the
cuts, if approved as suggested
last week, would reduce the
college’s level of funding to the
equivalent of its fiscal year
Turn to Page 5
CCG
Science Fair Winners
Community News
- Pg 2
County-Wide News - Read County-Wide
From the Sidelines
Crazy Heart
Feature Sports Column
Movie Review
- Pg 8
-Pg 12
Back Talk
Editorial Column
-Pg 20
