Newspaper Page Text
May 20, 2019, The Islander, Page 11
County Commission
Continued from Page 1
to do the sewer work before the re
paving so the new paving won’t have
to be dug up.
Approved on November 8, 2005,
SPLOST 5 included funds for capital
outlay projects, including improve
ments to the sewer and water sys
tems in the City of Brunswick and
Glynn County.
The JWSC operates under an “op
erating agreement” with the city and
the county governments.
The seventh amendment to that
operational agreement further al
lows the JWSC to also receive direct
disbursements of remaining, eligible
SPLOST 5 proceeds from the City
and/or County for approved water
and sewer SPLOST 5 projects.
County Attorney Aaron Mumford
said the JWSC had asked for the
funds for Sea Palms and they would
be used in a manner consistent with
the SPLOST 5 rules.
He added that SPLOST 5 funds for
water and sewer projects are trans
ferred to the JWSC on a project by
project basis.
“This (money) is just for the Sea
Palms project,” said Mumford.
Asking how much money was left
in the SPLOST 5 account for water
and sewer projects, Commissioner
Peter Murphy (Dist. 2) also wondered
why the project was taking so long.
“They need to get off their duff and
do this project,” said Murphy, “People
in this neighborhood ask me at ev
ery town hall meeting about the road
paving and I tell them we’re waiting
on the sewer project. Why aren’t peo
ple clamoring for this project?”
Commissioner Bob Coleman (At
Large #2) agreed with Murphy.
“We’ve got the money, let’s spend
it, Sea Palms needs it,” Coleman said.
Murphy made the motion to ap
prove the agreement with the JWSC
and Coleman seconded.
It passed 5-0.
BOC members Bill Brunson and
David O’Quinn were absent.
After the regular meeting, the
BOC spent just under 45 minutes
in closed session then reconvened in
open session and voted 5-0 to approve
a $62,500 lawsuit settlement.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys
representing the American Civil Lib
erties Union (ACLU), Margery Mock
and Eric Ogden.
The suit maintained that the coun
ty’s misdemeanor bail bond system
was unconstitutional by making it
difficult for people who could not af
ford to pay bail to get out of jail.
Former Glynn County Magistrate
Court Judge Alex Atwood, Sheriff
Neal Jump and county public defend
er Reid Zeh were named in the suit.
Last November U.S. District Court
Judge Stan Baker sent the case to a
settlement conference in Savannah.
In other business:
• During the public comment
portion of the meeting, resident Jeff
Kilgore recommended that the BOC
create a “citizens ethics board” for the
county to review complaints regard
ing the county.
He cited Zoning Board of Appeals
(ZBA) member Phillip Vivani’s com
ments at a recent meeting in which
Kilgore claimed that Viviani said he
would let the public speak on an is
sue, but their comments “would not
matter.”
Kilgore also noted that ZBA mem
ber Betty Keller’s daughter Denise
Keller works in the County’s Commu
nity Development Department.
Kilgore said, “She (Betty Keller)
is passing judgement on her daugh
ter’s and her daughter’s co-workers
decisions.”
Kilgore cited both state law and
county ordinances that define con
flicts of interest.
He said he had contacted the Geor
gia Attorney General about Viviani
and they are currently too busy deal
ing with corruption in other areas to
deal with Kilgore’s complaint.
“So it is up to us to do it,” said
Kilgore, “I hope you will create a
board of ethics. We have no one to en
force our ethics issues.”
Also during the public comment
time, Brunswick resident Annie Po
lite spoke to the BOC about the lack
of essential services, poverty and oth
er city issues.
• The BOC also recognized May
19-25 as National EMS week and
May 20-27 as Beach Safety week.
Proclamations were given to the
local EMS officials and to Recreation
and Parks Manager Lisa Gurganus.
• The BOC officially named the
fishing pier at Blythe Island Region
al Park (BIRP) in honor of Clarence
Hiburn for his service to the county
as a member of the BIRP Advisory
Board from 1984 to 2016. He served
as chairman from 1990 to his retire
ment in 2016.
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