Well good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to Macon Bib County Board of Commissioners Pre-Commission meeting.

Today is Tuesday, January the 20th, and the time is now five o'clock.

I'd like to welcome everyone here today for our meeting, which will be followed by a regularly scheduled meeting at 6 o'clock today.

Again, we'd like to officially call this meeting to order.

And our first order of the business tonight is going to be the approval of the minutes.

This is the approval of the minutes from the January 6, 2026 pre-commission meeting.

At this time I entertain a motion to approve.

I'm gonna make sure I got that right.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries and be sent the consent agenda.

Item three is appointments, authorities, boards, and committees.

This is a resolution of the Making Bibb County Commission appointing Lewis Frank Tompkins to the Making Bibb County Fire Civil Service Board.

Uh that is my motion.

Can I get a second?

Second by Commissioner Bronson.

I assume that was him.

I got chicken over there as long.

Uh what's eating candy?

And got a second uh by Commissioner Bronson uh here in the discussion.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries will be sent the consent agenda.

Gonna move on to new alcohol beverage licenses.

We have three of those set up for renewal.

The first one is Tessico Food Mart, which is located at 1212 Eisenhower Parkway.

Uh legal does recommend approval.

They meet all the legal and statutory requirements.

This is the former taco bill there.

As soon as you get off Eisenhower there.

Uh they meet all the legal and statutory requirements, including the certificate of good standing.

So this time I'll make a motion to approve.

Do we have a second?

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

Motion carries will be sent to consent agenda.

Item B is a making drinks located at 471st Street, which is right across the street from where we're at now.

Uh on the first street side.

Likewise, uh, they meet all the legal and statutory requirements to get a new alcohol beverage license and legal does recommend approval at this time.

I entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Commissioner Bronson, we have a second.

Second by Mayor Pro Chim Wynne.

Got it right.

We have a motion second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries a recent consent agenda.

Item C is a barefoot tavern located at 468 2nd Street.

Most of us are familiar with that, and they finally went through all their renovations and are ready to do business and therefore updating their alcohol license.

Legal does recommend approval and they meet all the legal and statutory requirements to do so, including the certificate of good standing.

At this time, we entertain a motion to approve.

Got a motion by Commissioner Bronson.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Stewart.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Moving on to uh section five A and B, which is qualifying dates and fees.

Uh item five A is a resolution of Making Bibb County Commission.

Uh establishing and fixing the qualifying fees for each elected county office, which we're required to do to be filled in the upcoming 2026 Make and Bib County elections.

Requesting the publication of said qualifying fees by the Macon Bibb County Board of Elections in the legal organ of record for Makin Bibb County.

Uh this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Water, we have a second.

Second by Mayor Pro Chem Wynne.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries and we sent the consent agenda.

Item B is a resolution of the Making Bibb County Commission to set the qualifying fees for the special election to fill the unexpired term of Seth Clark representing District 5 on the Macin Bibb County Commission to the order of order Board of Elections to issue a call for special election.

And it's scheduled for the same March the 17th, 2026.

If it's less than one year, we'll do the same proceeding like we did before with Commissioner Bailey.

But this case there was a special election.

It was and Commissioner Bryant has asked for that as well as myself, so I'll let her make that motion to approve.

Do we have a second?

Second by Commissioner Bronson.

Uh further discussion, Ms.

Commissioner Brunt.

Yes.

Even though I was a co-sponsor, I was reading the resolution, and I had a couple of questions about the resolution.

Can somebody help me with some of those questions?

Go ahead.

What's your question?

Okay.

When does the qualifying start?

I said it's I see it says two and a half days.

So what day are we starting?

February 11th through the 13th, that'll be two and a half days beginning on that.

So what time?

We're noon to what time?

I saw what said Wednesday at noon.

So what is the closing time?

Go ahead.

Commissioner Burton.

So it's gonna be from noon Wednesday to Friday closing time at five.

That's what it's whatever the regular closing hours are for the Board of Elections office.

I believe it's five o'clock.

It might be five thirty.

Okay.

So does this resolution support the POPERS affidavit?

Anything that's required by state law as far as qualifying for elections, that's that's a separate issue.

This is just the fee for the normal process.

You know, I'm I'm trying to figure out because I have to ask y'all specific questions to get the answer that I want.

So I see that this is we put the fees in there, which is three percent of whatever the base salary is, right?

So it's 450.

So that doesn't seem like it changed.

But I'm asking you, are they still able to do the POPRAS affidavit if they want to run for office, but they don't have the funds?

Are they still under this resolution?

Does that leave it in there for the state?

Because I'm seeing that even though these fees are it looks like we're sitting with the mayor setting them up, and that's not by the state.

So I'm asking about the pauper's affidavit.

Uh the fees that are in here are followed by the formula that's in the state statute.

Um, so there's not any variance, it had to be the three percent, which is the 450 dollars.

Um the pauper's affidavit process is set out in a different statute in the state election code, and that is not affected in any way by this uh resolution.

So if somebody uh fills out the appropriate paperwork and they can't afford to pay the qualifying fee, then they can qualify according to that process as in state law.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, so that's gonna be separate from the write in.

Is that correct?

Right, right in writing candidates are its own separate process.

Okay, and my last thing, I just find that's the information today, so it's kind of gonna make me change my mind.

We have some clarification on the disputed streets that I'm just telling y'all about.

When I was running for district eight, Ogusby and Christian Avenue, they were my district once the line was drawn, but they were still sure.

The voters were still voting district five, Seth Clark.

I was contacted by a couple of them today, and it's on my phone.

They checked the voter cards, they're still showing district five.

How is that gonna this election that's coming up for district five?

What are we doing about that?

Because I know it's on.

I mean, who I need to contact about that because Gillian said he can't do it.

So what are we doing?

I'm not the board of elections, or the state department.

So if someone has an issue with the with the board of elections, that's something they need to take up uh direct with them.

I'll have the attorney respond.

All that we are empowered to do is call the and we're required to do is call the special election.

If you have if there are voting issues about lines or whatever, that's either the board of elections of the county, which we don't control or the state.

So what was the purpose of putting in the resolution going over the fees?

Because we're required to set fees, the local governing authorities required to set fees, but it's governed by the state statute at three percent of the salary, and that's what Michael was saying.

We're not making up that fee, it's just we are required to do that as part of the call of the election.

Okay, so I guess my other question is if the fees were already there, what changed?

I don't understand the question.

The fees are not set by the mayor or suggested by the mayor, the fee is set up by the state of Georgia.

In order for us to fill this open position, we're required to uh adopt a resolution calling for the special election so the board of election can then uh in return uh make satisfactory arrangements for qualifying and set the times for uh the election itself.

If I may, Commissioner, I believe that the reason why this the commission has to vote on the fee is because that knowledge is within the county's records.

So the statute refers to what is the base salary that's specified by the local law.

That's something that the the board of elections might not necessarily be aware of or have to implement or things like that.

Whereas the county knows what the base salary is, we know you know when when the state gives y'all cost of living adjustments or things like that, but by statute, you ignore all those adjustments, you only look at the base salary, which is the 15,000 specified in our charter, and then you do three press of that.

If for some reason there had been some sort of salary increase approved by the General Assembly, for example, and they changed that, rather than requiring the Georgia Secretary of State's office, for example, to know what the salaries are for every elected official for every local government, they just put it on the local governments to say we've checked our records.

This is the salary.

We approve that we've done the math right.

But the math is prescribed by the statute.

It's three percent of that base number.

And so there's no discretion to say what is three percent of 15,000 dollars.

It's 450 dollars.

Okay.

Does that answer the question?

You did.

You you really answered it then.

And it doesn't affect a pauper's appetite.

I mean that that's we can't do anything about it.

If they have a valid pauper's affidavit right, then they have it.

We can't take it away from them.

So it wouldn't affect that.

Right.

That answer your question, Commissioner?

He did.

Commissioner Stewart, you had a question, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I appreciate it.

Mike, uh the the date is March the 17th, correct?

That's the date of the of the vote.

That is the election day.

Election day.

Yeah, the last time.

So for family and friends who live in Pleasant Hill who are uh waiting to get behind the their candidate, of chores, uh, who hasn't announced yet.

Um when is early voting?

Does that something that the board of elections sets or or can we say now when the early voting starts?

Um early voting is set by statute.

It begins the fourth Monday before election day, which I believe is February 25th.

February 25th.

Okay.

Thanks so much.

Appreciate it.

Yep.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Any other questions?

Uh, this time we have a motion and a second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

You're gonna be taken off.

Okay.

They have not been changed.

And I was supposed by second service.

Okay.

Okay.

Certainly your right to vote.

No, I don't think it has anything to do with calling for the election, but certainly that's that's fine.

Um don't know.

Excuse me, turn your mic on.

There, I mean, if you got people in district eight and they're showing up on five, then that's not good, that's not gonna be right for the voters.

So you wouldn't want them voting for district five when they're really in district eight.

Because I mean, I can show you one of the cards now, and I got three people that sent it to me and they're showing district five, so I don't want them to vote in that race in there in my right in my district.

I don't I don't speak what you're saying.

I'm saying that has nothing to do with us calling for the race as a separate and distinct issue that needs to be cleared up before the election.

And I'm I'm sure it will be cleared up for the election.

Yeah, but I would like for them to have time to get it straight because this is two years, and if he hadn't gotten it straight in two years, I know he's not gonna probably get it straight in four weeks.

What we got six weeks?

So I mean, that gives them time to get their voters' stuff straight, whether they got to re-register, and I'm sure it's a deadline to register to vote in this election.

You don't have to re-register for that.

It's you're automatically on there just based on the district, and the state can do that, and they should know by looking at your my voter page what what page you are to be on.

But sure, that that's your right to do so.

Um, and we'll go ahead and move accordingly.

Commissioner Bronson, do you have something to add, sir?

Hey, uh, thanks for the dialogue uh back and forth, guys.

Just uh just out of curiosity, and this kind of goes with her point, and Doc helped me out here, and and Doc helped me out here.

Um, where are we at when it boils down to that?

I know that's more of a board of elections type situation, but do we have any authority in that RAM to say, hey, Board of Election in the next three over the next three months, give us a clean slate of where we are with the lines, where we are with sending out additional information, or how does that work for that?

This this commission approved the voter district maps back after this the census was done, and so there shouldn't be any question as far as where the lines are.

There may be questions in terms of it sounds like what commissioner Bryan is raising is a question that maybe there's an error in you know, saying this this particular block or this house is on this side of this line or this side of this line, but there shouldn't be any question as to where the lines are themselves.

And so, you know, I'll I'll get in touch with William Nolan, who's the the attorney for the uh board of elections and alert him to the fact that Commissioner Bryant's raised this problem and get them to take a look at that.

Sweet, sweet deal.

Uh lastly, and and I'll I'll leave it B right.

I know I know everyone is doing what they can and try to fix some of the situation situations and concerns we've had over over the past couple of years.

I think we've done a fairly good job on that end.

And I know it falls on us as commissioners to try to educate our citizens on what's what, but there is there any way for us to do some type of a mass deal where we say, hey, citizens, or any type of marketing deal to ensure I use myself as a quick example, if I may, sir, prime example, right?

So our line shifted this this past year and went into effect by House and Avenue.

Right.

So I went from having the majority of House and Avenue down to Rocky Creek Road where I bump up against Commissioner Bill Howell to where now Bill Howell now is kind of come up on the right hand side of House and Avenue and I cover the left hand side of Housing Avenue.

You can imagine the comp the confusion that that may cause, even from us as commissioners trying to express and explain to people, hey, my line stop right one block over, but right across the street is somebody else.

So is there anything in play for us to kind of do a marketing, a marketing bag, uh a marketing blast where it's hey, hi I'm your commissioner type deal, or is that solely left up to us to come make that make that uh make those I think that's something we can discuss about.

I think remember that you are part of that committee, I believe, that went to Atlanta to uh do the lines.

This commission voted on exactly what the district there's no dispute about what the district is.

It sounds like perhaps there may be some error in the system, according to Commissioner Bryant, about someone's address that could be easily checked or uh remedied uh by board of elections.

We don't have any authority to do that.

That's not what we're entitled to do as the board of election to do that.

But uh we're gonna have attorney McNeil speak with uh attorney Nolan who represents the board of election to make sure that issue is straightened out.

Uh Commissioner Hall, do you have something to answer?

Yeah, just port on order.

Um so I'm clear.

Is Commissioner Bryant did she uh withdraw from she withdraw for her co-sponsor of the the bill that she has for?

But she still um made a motion.

So you you gave her the motion because she was co-sponsor, so she's still motion on this.

There's a motion still standing because she would would I think we have a motion second procedurally, but she was drew as a co-sponsor to the to the bill itself, and she has a right to vote for against it.

She can make a motion even if she had vote for it.

Yeah, I I'm just clarifying that that's where we're at.

Still on okay.

Yes.

Yep, we have a motion second, and we've had discussion, so we'll go ahead and call for the vote.

All those in favor of calling for the special election on March the 17th, which is the earliest time prescribed by law.

Uh please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries.

Thank you very much.

Gonna move on to agreements, contracts, and purchase orders.

We have about four of those tonight.

Uh, the first one is a resolution of the Macon Bibb County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an independent contract agreement with McElroy Inc.

for asphalt resurfacing and parking pavement services in the amount of two hundred and twenty-eight thousand five hundred and twenty-eight dollars and fifty-six cent to be paid from the two thousand eighteen splash funds for recreation central city park as we've referred to it as Carolina Creighton Park.

Uh that's my motion.

Can I get a second?

Second by Commissioner Bronson.

Any discussion regarding that item?

Uh Commissioner Mayor Pro T and Wynn, your name's out on my list anymore.

Thank you.

Gotta get used to it now, Mayor.

Okay.

This is the second time I've seen Central City Park in some of our documents.

Can we make sure that's the case?

I think because it's 2018 splots, and that's what it's referred to back then, so therefore it trails that.

All right.

So any future items that we do out of this spot should be referred to as Carolyn Creighton Park.

Thank you.

My good friend Theron Usher always also reminds me of that when we talk about North Macon Park.

We all know it's Theron Ustria Park.

So there you go.

Uh we have a motion and second, I understand.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimous to be sent the consent agenda.

Item B is a resolution of the Macon Bibb County Commission to authorize the mayor to enter into an agreement with Hull Property Group, LLC for facility repair project management services at 3661 Eisenhower Parkway, an amount of 160,556 dollars and 96 cents to be paid from facility maintenance account.

That's my motion.

Can I get a second?

Uh let me see if we get a second verse.

Got a second from Mayor Pro Tem Clark, and I'm sorry, it's I'll get used to it.

Commissioner Mayor Pro Tim, when and go ahead, uh Commissioner Stewart.

Oh, okay.

I'm sorry.

Okay.

No, I wanted to find out a lot of my constituents always ask about the ownership of the mall.

All this transpired before my time here, so uh, you know, I'm kind of coming at it from a novice standpoint, so to speak.

But when you ask about this particular situation with whole property, explain it to me a little bit, as if you were talking to the guy on the on the corner.

Sure.

Uh in very simple terms, um, we entered into agreement to get as a gift with whole properties back in 2021.

Uh, in exchange for that gift, we received one half of the property that we identified that we wanted to get right away, uh, which includes specific areas of the mall, including where the amphitheater goes.

Uh, we get the use of other properties for our dollar a year uh on that property, and then the uh at the completion of that seven-year period, the remaining all the properties will be uh transferred over.

When I say we, I'm referring to as UDA, Urban Development Authority.

So that is the uh the legal owners of that property, uh subject to a few properties we call less and accept a lawyer term, meaning that they retain certain properties on there like the Firestone and the outside parcels of Charley's, etc.

Uh so therefore we have a joint ownership situation with Hall and UDA.

Of course, UDA is uh is a quasi authority of making bib county.

Okay, so we're paying the 160,000 dollars is coming from our portion.

So our portion of the ownership of that property for sinkholes out there needs to be taken care of.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate you clearing that up.

Uh so at this time we do I've got a motion to second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries you and so we sent the consent agenda.

Item C is a resolution of Making Bibb County Commission to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement with Stafford Builders and Consultants for the renovation of code enforcement offices at City Hall in the amount of $557,260 to pay for from public safety and capital improvement funds.

And this is what we talked about, I think a couple months ago.

We had some architects doing some design for the previous uh building right beside here next to HR uh commonly referred to as the old detective bureau.

Uh in order to be able to accommodate the additional code enforcement officers that we have, uh, we'll need to expand into that space over there instead of what we have down in the basement there.

Uh so this is what the bid came back at, and this particular project uh will be awarded to Stafford builders uh for this amount if it's successful.

Um so at this time we'd entertain a motion for approval.

Motion by Mayor Pro Tim Wynn.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Bryant.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries will be sent to consent agenda.

Item D is a resolution of the Macin Bibb County Commission authorized the mayor to enter to a professional services agreement with LLF landscape architecture in amount of $82,050 for the provision of project management and landscape architectural design services payable from the 2025 splash funds.

Uh, this is the area from um Walnut Street to Plum Street for architectural design, uh primarily the sidewalks and the area that you'll be at tomorrow for the Josh Rogers way.

Uh, this is just the design part.

Uh, nothing else will be done outside of bringing it back for this commission once we've received pricing and things of that nature to determine how far uh we would be going in that direction.

So at this time we do entertain a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Bronson, we have a second.

Second by Commissioner Stewart.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries and be sent to consent agenda.

The next seven items uh are all those grants that we talked about before.

We bring in money for CDBG.

They get passed through through us.

We've already approved the awarding of these, but these are actually awarded to specific persons.

Uh I won't attempt to go through this uh in blank like we used to do because I don't want to complicate things.

We'll go one by one.

Uh but pretty much the answer is going to be the same for each and every one of these.

These are local pass-throughs, no matches on our behalf, and you can see we've done probably six of these already before and talked about them.

So the first one is going to be item A.

This is a Make and Bib County authorizing acceptance of criminal justice coordination counsels for victims criminal act, which is co-voca, uh, for continuation of allocation for fiscal year 2026 for $78,980 with local match funds waived, uh, which means this grant cycle we would have to pay anything uh to the Bibb County Solicitor General's office.

So at this time we'd entertain a motion to approve.

Got a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Wynne, second by Commissioner Bailey.

Uh, all those in favor of the motion, please.

Did I say Bailey again?

My goodness.

All right.

The B's are confusing me over there.

Uh tell me your newly married name.

Cato.

Maybe I start calling him Commissioner Cato.

Uh Commissioner Bryant Cato.

Uh, we have a second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed nay.

That motion carries will be sent to consent agenda.

Item B is a resolution of Making Bibb County Commission authorizing acceptance of the same vocal grant.

This time the purpose is $56,109 with no local match requirements being waived to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.

Uh, entertain a motion to approve.

Got one by Mayor Pro Tim Wynne.

Can I get a second?

Second by Commissioner Howell.

We have a motion by calling some mess.

Second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

Thank you very much.

That motion carries to be sent to consent agenda.

Item C is a resolution, Making Bibb County Commissioner authorizing the vocal grant.

Uh, this time in the amount of 41,400 514 with no local match required to the Bibb County solicitor's office again.

Uh can I get a motion to approve?

Got another one by Mayor Pro Tim Wynn.

Can I get a second?

Second by Commissioner Cato.

Is that okay?

And uh we have a motion second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries and we sent the consent agenda.

Item D is a resolution of Making Bibb County Commission authorizing acceptance of a VOCA grant for federal fiscal year 2025 in the amount of 93,350 with no local match required to the Making Judicial District Attorney's Office.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Mayor Pro Tim Wynn.

Do we have a second?

Second by Commissioner Wilder.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries to be sent to consent agenda.

Item E is a resolution of Making Bib County Commission authorizing the uh 2026 Georgia County Internship Program.

They call the GCIP grant from the ACCG, Civic Affairs Foundation, an amount of $3,259 with a local match of six thousand six hundred dollars to be paid from the county attorney's office budget.

Okay, I'll see you in front of me because I'm saying wait a minute here.

Commissioner Attorney McNeil, let me hear from you on this intern.

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

So this is our annual uh summer internship program grant that we've gotten for several years in a row now from ACCG.

Um we tried something a little bit different this year.

Um in this past summer, uh we had an intern that worked with us full-time, and that worked out very well with us.

Her name is Riley Roberts.

She's joining us again for the spring.

She decided to come back.

She had such a good time with us.

Um and so this is for one internship position um for a full-time position for the summer from uh May through August.

And that position is posted now on the county job board.

So if you know any current law students who want to uh come work for us in the summer, we'd love to hear from them.

Uh thank you, Attorney McNeil.

We have a motion, yeah.

Okay, you've heard uh from the attorney.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Wilder, second by Commissioner Bailey.

Uh all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries will be sent to consent agenda.

Item F is a resolution of making Bibb County Commission authorizing the acceptance of a 2026 fiscal year heat grant from the governor's office of highway safety and amount of 31,128.46 cents with no local match required to be used by the Bibb County Sheriff's Office for partial funding and salaries and operating expenditures for the heat unit.

I got a motion to approve.

Can I get a second?

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, nay.

I'll let I'll let my clerk figure that one out.

Commissioner Bronson, you got something to add, sir?

Somewhere over somewhere over there.

Mr.

Bronson, you got something to add, sir.

Or you just hit your button on it.

So this this grant we just tick in.

Oh this goes toward salary usage.

It goes to our salaries and operational expenditures.

Uh just goes in the sheriff's budget for the purpose of exclusive for heat.

Just out of curiosity, and and I and forgive me for being a dead horse here.

Have we have we had any more discussion in regards to um salary discussions or salary charts, paid pay scales for our police officers and firefighters?

No, sir.

Not since we gave the five thousand dollars increased to pay just three months ago, no, sir.

Okay.

Are we able to kind of revisit?

We gave a five thousand dollar raise three months ago, sir.

Uh I don't think we come up for evaluation yet, but certainly at the time of budget time, I think we'll consider that if somebody wants to either raise taxes or find some income.

Okay.

I mean, it's just a matter of educating the public on the possibilities of I just figured out ask and see what we were with that conversation.

I do it every day.

Um I know I appreciate it.

I'll pay our public safety just as much as taxes that people want to pay.

But we we just gave a five thousand dollar starting salary raise this this year.

Um so certainly I appreciate that.

We have a motion second.

We did already Paul just timed in at the last minute.

There you got me.

Anything you want to add on some other item now?

Item G.

Is a resolution making Bib County Commission authorizing acceptance of a fiscal year 2022?

Is that right?

That's gotta be a type of office of judicial justice delinquency prevention family treatment.

That's a lot of words.

Uh grant for the state of Georgia criminal justice coordinating council in amount of fifteen thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars with matching funds and amount of five thousand three hundred and seventeen payable as kind existing employee salary.

Somebody's got to come up here and clear this up for me.

Who's gonna do that?

There you go.

Lucky winner.

That's way too many words and not enough abbreviations for me.

So um I know you can clear it up, so I appreciate you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, this is for our family treatment court.

They applied for this grant.

It is a FY22 grant, but that's how long it takes to get them from the federal government to the state all the way down here.

So that's why it says 2022.

Um it is in the amount of $15,950.

The match is $5,317.

Payable in kind means that we are just offsetting or making our match through the use of salaries we are already paying.

Yeah, I just want you to clear that 2022 up.

We say that the governor, the wheels of government runs slow sometimes, but that's a long time.

So uh you heard uh the information there that we have a motion to approve.

Motion by Mayor Protein has a second by Commissioner Bronson.

Got a quick question.

Commissioner Bryant K Done.

What I know you just talked about, but what is this like paying for like for the juvenile justice like the prevention?

Like, is it paying for the youth or this is gonna go directly to according to their grant application?

It's gonna fund personnel cost and supplies.

Some personnel costs to so is this counseling or this is the family treatment court?

It is the um accountability court that's ran by the juvenile court system.

Okay.

So I just gotta add this because I was asking they still need cameras at juvenile justice.

Does that that won't help with that?

No, they'll they'll be they'll make a request of that through their CIP request, right?

So we're good to go.

All right.

Thank you.

Um yes, um, and I apologize for having to go back at F and I understand that everyone gave them a unanimous yes.

But um, I do just want to make it known about the Makin Bibb County heat in our police forces as our city grows.

Yes, we are understaffed as far as our sheriff department is concerned, but I don't want our citizens to feel like we're just throwing monies, you know, that way, when indeed what we're actually doing is attempting to make this career path more lucrative for those particular professionals and also to attract to attract the best talent here to make and bib county.

And many times that is a hard thing to do, but this is the only way that we can as a city bring those particular career paths to the level that they need to be, is that we do pay the amount of monies that are expected to have that police officer's family well taken care of so he won't be worried about his family while he's out doing this very, very difficult job he's doing.

So I just want to put that on the mind of our citizens as we go forward so many times the commission is called, you know, at this particular incident and why that particular incident and why didn't anyone call and why didn't anyone come you know to that particular incident on time?

And this is the reason.

But I just want it known that we are doing as a commission all that we can do to make sure that our sheriff department gets the things that they do need.

And thank you, Mayor.

Uh thank you, uh Commissioner Bailey for going off on that tangent.

We're gonna be on item G right now.

Item G has already had a motion and second, and uh we call for a vote on that.

Commissioner Stewart, you had to ask on item G, sir.

Okay.

We have a motion second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries unanimously be sent to consent agenda.

Item 8A is a request for legislative delegation.

Uh this is a resolution of Macon Bibb County Commission requesting that the local legislative delegation introduce support legislation to expand the state income tax credit program for rehabilitation and historic property from a maximum of 30 million dollars in aggregate for a year to 60 million dollars a year for certified structures uh other than historic homes.

Uh Mr.

Fritz, I know you're here and I don't want you to come here for no reason, so we'll let you get up here to the microphone if you don't mind.

Uh, those of you should know, uh Mr.

James Fritz, who is the uh director uh over at uh Newtown Macon, and certainly uh this item is something near and dear to the hearts of Macon Bibb County because it increases a lot of our gives a lot of capabilities to do a lot of great things in our community.

Uh and we run into some issues now where the funds are disappearing and we need somebody advocating in the state uh for us to get some additional assistance here.

And I've asked them to just come in just to a little bit to give you a little more education and information on that process.

This is just a resolution that we would send there asking for them to help us out at the state level on making sure that those uh tax credits continue or increase.

Go ahead, sir.

Make sure you identify yourself once again for the people at home.

Uh good afternoon.

I'm James Fritz, the president CEO of Newtown Macon.

Um here to advocate um y'all's support for expanding the historic tax credit.

Um you ask why is that important to Macon?

We have 17 historic districts in Macon, um, East Macon, Shirley Hills, North Highlands, Fort Hill, Cherokee Heights, Napier Heights, Pleasant Hill, Tyndall Heights, Ingleside, Vineville, Wesley and College.

So a big part of the city is part of a historic district.

And of those 17 districts, there's 6,000 historic structures.

Um over the past decade in downtown Macon, we've rehabilitated 69 of those structures for about a hundred million dollars.

Historic Macon Foundation has been tracking this for a couple decades.

We've only done 150.

Um the tax credit is incredibly important because it allows the developer to spread their equity across more projects by being able to get a tax credit for what they spend on a particular project.

And so if we've only done 150 of our 6,000 structures, we've got quite a bit to go.

So any event to keep this moving, where I said y'all support this resolution.

Um we're working with the historic trust uh to to engage the of the broader legislature.

Um we've already met with all the delegation and asked them to support it.

So um this is just showing y'all's uh support behind this initiative.

So uh thank you for considering this, and I'm certainly glad to take any questions.

Yes, sir.

Uh I think we got a couple of co-sponsors there.

So if you got your light on just to be a co-sponsor, you can take it off, and not all starting uh in order I received them.

All right, uh, we got Commissioner Stewart.

Yeah, Mr.

Frist, thank you so much for what you do at Newtown Macon, of course.

Thank Josh Rogers uh previously, you know, and we all be there tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

Um, I do want to ask you this.

Uh you say we have 6,000 structures.

Uh going forward, how are we going to make sure because and because mostly in the past has been centered in downtown, which is great.

I mean, we build up our downtown, that's great for the economy and great for business.

But now we've got to expand it to make sure other parts of the city are getting the same attention.

So, how will you make sure once this money comes in?

Because I really am in support of it.

How will you make sure that it's going to be uh dealt with equitably across the city?

Yeah, one of the exciting things that that was released today was the one making plan, this is strategic plan for the entire city for everything we do, and one of the key tenets to that those three pillars is um basically replicating what we've done in in downtown and in select neighborhoods across all neighborhoods.

So it's it's part of the strategic plan that we will be working on with all our sister agencies for the next five years.

Well, I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Stewart and Mr.

Frizz.

Uh, mayor Pro Tan Wynne.

Yes, for I do want to be added as co-sponsor, but that's not my reason for having my light on.

And thank you for being here and thank you for what you're doing.

Um, I just want clarification for me.

What does it mean when you say structures other than hysterical homes?

This this commercial portion of the legislation is for the commercial side.

Okay, that's what I wanted to know for sure.

Okay.

That's all I need to know.

All right.

See, I gave it to you easy this time.

Yes, ma'am.

I have a I'll make that motion to approve.

Do we have a second?

Yeah, second.

Can all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion carries will be sent to consented.

Thank you for being here, Mr.

Britz.

We will see you tomorrow.

All right, we got an ordinance of the Make and Bibb County Commission to amend section one through six and twelve-two forty-six of the Make and Bib County Code of Ordinance to clarify the jurisdiction of the Making Bibb County and other appropriate offices to enforce the provisions thereof.

So we've got our attorney here uh to talk about that uh and tell you the reason we're making this change or making this clarification tonight.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um so this arises out of a case um that was recently decided in the municipal court for Macon Boop County.

Um there is a mobile home park down on Houston Road near where it intersects with Hartley Bridge Road called Evergreen Estates, Moahome community.

Um that community has had some uh issues, ongoing issues with um sewage spilling onto the ground surface and into the roadways and not being uh properly channeled into septic tanks.

Our code enforcement uh department went out there at the request of the health department back in 2024 and wrote them some citations for um for uh violating the health code by by the health code that is in the county code of ordinances by allowing the sewage spills to happen, and they were fined through the municipal court.

Um they went back out again last year, 2025, at the request of the health department because the the spills were continuing, they weren't being fixed.

And so they wrote some additional tickets.

The the owners went to court um to defend those tickets, and in the course of the um court hearing, the court issued an order um saying that there's a provision in our code that authorizes the health department to bring um enforcement actions under our sanitary code, which includes not only sewage and septic tanks, it includes things like restaurants and swimming pools and hotels and carnivals.

Um there's a general uh code section that gives the health department um jurisdiction to enforce those provisions, um including by injunctive relief in superior court.

The municipal court issued an order interpreting that language as giving exclusive jurisdiction to the health department, meaning that the code enforcement officers did not have authority to issue those tickets, and therefore she dismissed the tickets that had been issued by the code enforcement officers.

Um this ordinance is uh proposed legislative solution to um clarify that it is the job of the code enforcement officers to enforce Macon Bib County Code of Ordinances where there are regulatory or prescriptive rules in the code.

Um and so it amends that particular section in the sanitary code, which is 12-246.

It also amends um section one-six of the code, which is a general penalty section right now that says that generally if you violate our code, the maximum penalty unless specified otherwise is a $1,000 fine and or up to six months incarceration.

Um, this adds language to that to say, unless a code section explicitly says the county is giving up its right to enforce its own code to someone else, um, that it needs to be assumed that we still have the power to enforce our own codes as well.

And so this is it's really just a jurisdictional question, but it's one that the the court raised an issue with, and so um this is trying to clean up that language just so that there's not any confusion going forward that our code officers have the authority to enforce our own code.

Just for clarification, just so the commission um understands this.

You had had some discussions, my understanding is with the health department, and the way that the code enforcement uh process had been operating is the way that everybody had assumed it should operate under the the old code.

It was just a confusion in the language, correct?

Right, that's correct.

I spoke to um Dr.

Smith at the health department and to some of his staff and to Julia Magda, who's the attorney for the health department, and all of them said that the health department has not issued any tickets at all directly, any citations at all, that whenever they've had an enforcement issue, they've they've historically called our code enforcement department in to be the ones to write the citations.

And so um this also amends the code to make sure that the code is in line with what that historic practice has been.

So it's not changing the historic practice, it's just making sure that everything is clear who has authority to do what.

Thank you, attorney.

Uh Commissioner Stewart, you have a question, sir.

Yeah, uh thank you, uh, attorney.

I appreciate that.

The sanitary code 12-246.

If we bring this into fruition, so to speak, will the code enforcement offices be able to work with the health department?

Because you know, I serve on the health department board, and Mr.

Mayor, I need to ask you also, will we be appointing somebody in the interim while district five is out, you know, in the in the process.

But um, will they be able to work with the uh the the health department?

Because we had a situation out in Kentucky Downs, you know, uh, which I won't talk about, but we had one and we got it uh, you know, we got it all smoothed out.

But if this happens, will they work in conjunction or can they work in conjunction with the health department?

That my understanding is that is how things have been operating.

That if the health department becomes aware of an enforcement need, they've been contacting our code enforcement department, and then they kind of go out together and they work the case together, and then code enforcement's the one that writes the the actual citations that can lead to a fine or a uh a cleanup order.

Um and so this does not change that process at all.

It just clarifies because uh what the judge's specific order was was that since a code officer signed the ticket, it was invalid.

Right, and so that she said that a health department agent should have signed the ticket instead.

But the health department says, well, we've never been signing tickets, so it keeps the same process that they've been doing in place, it just clarifies that in the same process, but yet the code enforcement officer can proceed with okay.

Right.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioner Howell.

Yeah, since this is in my district, and since I know this has been going on for a lot longer than 24 2024, I'm glad to see that that we're working our way through all this red tape.

To me, it's absurd that people tenants are living there with with this going on, and instead of fixing the problem, the landowners chose to fight it in court, and then court says, Well, the wrong person signed the ticket.

I mean, this is just ridiculous to me, but I'm glad to see we're getting it worked out, and I certainly would like to make the motion to pass this.

Got a motion by Commissioner How we have a second.

Yeah, second by Commissioner uh Wilder.

I do believe we've already replaced uh Mayor Promer Mayor Bridge Dale Court with Commissioner Bailey.

Commissioner Bailey's on that board.

Uh so that's already been taken care of.

Uh so we have a motion to second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Opposed, nay.

That motion can uh passes and be sent the consent agenda.

Our final uh item on this agenda here tonight for the pre-commission meeting is item 108.

10 is a resolution to make him Bip County Commissioner authorizing mayor to accept the donation of point zero eight eight acres, more or less on the real property line adjacent to Allen Road from Charles Bryant Skipper the third.

Ms.

Beavers, you're gonna I knew you I thought you'd be making your way down by the time I drug on Yeah.

Well, you know, I'll try to get you to earn you keep I got an intern sitting there waiting, she's very hungry to take your job.

She can do it if she liked to.

Um good evening, Commissioners.

Mayor Miller, I'm assistant county attorney Adriana Beavers.

So Mr.

Skipper, who is our donor for this uh.88 acres off of Allen Road, contacted our engineering department.

He realized that he had this tiny little triangle scrappy piece.

The vast majority of his property is on one side of Allen Road, and this is just a tiny corner on the other.

It's a historical remnant of how the road sprang up.

He decided that he wanted to donate this property, and that wouldn't clear up his clear up his title if he decided he wanted to sell or develop, and also give us a little bit more space for right-away if we needed to put something on there to let people know about that curve, and just give us a little bit of extra space for work.

So it works out well for both of us, and it uh won't be too much of a big difference.

Uh Mr.

Skipper's a close friend of mine.

Um I know what he's really doing.

He's trying to get up paying that huge tax that he had on that point away.

But but how but I'd like to make a motion to prove.

Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Macon Bibb County Board of Commissioners regular meeting tonight.

It's Tuesday, January the twentieth of two thousand twenty-six.

But we're gonna begin our meeting like we always do, which may welcome you here tonight, followed by our prayer.

Our prayer tonight is by Pastor Robin Grant.

Um Pastor Grant.

Just oh well.

I try to give you a title.

Okay.

Well, Mr.

Robin Grant, if you don't mind coming forward to lead us in the pla uh prayer tonight, that'll be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

So those of that can and will please stand and bow your heads uh and we'll begin the prayer.

Let me turn your microphone on.

There you go.

Father, I just thank you so much for this opportunity to come here tonight in this wonderful city of Macon that I think just think so much of and um have the opportunity to invite you into this meeting to bring your wisdom here.

I just thank you so much for all of these commissioners, for our mayor, for all the people here who work in different respects to try to make this community a better place, and I just invite you into this meeting tonight to help everyone to um to be guided to unity to knowing the the way to go on all of the questions that arise tonight, um, that we would just have your your um your path ahead of us and all be on the same page in that father.

Um, just bless this meeting tonight with your order and um just um thank you again, Lord, for this opportunity.

It's in Christ's name I pray.

Amen.

Amen.

One nation under God with liberty and justice.

Thank you, Mr.

Rant, for that prayer tonight.

Uh, we'll limit it to those items.

So I appreciate you being here tonight, Miss Scott.

You know that you've got five minutes to speak, and your time won't begin until you start speaking.

I just have a simple question.

Is this resolution for qualifying for the next election seat um session or for district five qualifying only?

Because it's not five.

That's the only that's the only election we have coming up with a seat that's been vacant.

We have an election coming up in Maine, or we have another resolution coming out.

No, ma'am.

We don't have an election come up for commissioners in May.

Thank you.

Got a motion by Commissioner Stewart.

We have a second.

Second by Commissioner Bryant.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, nay.

Did I do that again?

Y'all really gotta you gotta do something over there.

All right.

Okay, O'Brien, we got you.

I said Bailey, didn't I?

No.

I don't I don't even want to go there.

All right.

I'm gonna start looking over now.

I'm relying on my ears over here.

Y'all be louder over here, so I don't even have to call on that side over there.

It'll be good.

All right.

Commissioner Stewart and uh and I've got who over there.

Stewart.

Bailey.

West it's the yeah, that's good.

Okay.

I ain't gonna say anything.

I ain't gonna say a word to get myself in trouble.

All right, I apologize.

You know the order.

All right.

We have uh a resolution of the making bib county commission appointing.

Nope.

We have consent agenda items A through J.

So at this time entertaining a motion.

Is that yes?

You gotta go on how to write.

All right.

We're in a mood tonight.

I know.

I know.

I'm just um you know it's been a great week.

And there's an election night, by the way.

We've got some filler time.

There's an election night.

So if you live in Senate District 18, whether you're Republican, Democrat, it doesn't really matter.

We have a jungle primary going on.

You still got time to get over there before seven o'clock to cast your ballot.

Uh very poor turnout so far, so we'll see what happens in that race, and hopefully uh our board of elections will get that uh done before the next term.

So uh at this time we'll have a motion to approve the consent agenda as previously published and passed at pre-commission meeting, and then specifically items A through S.

So I understand a motion to approve.

Motion by Commissioner Wynne, second by Commissioner Bailey.

Mr.

Bailey.

We have a motion second.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, nay.

There we go.

We're doing this tonight.

All right, all those in favor, please say aye.

Nay, we that motion passes unanimously.

We're gonna move on to items on agenda items for public comments, and I've got three of those tonight.