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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Pooler City Council Regular Meeting – December 1, 2025

City Council — Monday, December 1, 2025

BodyPooler, Georgia

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, December 1, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

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Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

2:10

Okay.

2:11

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the December 1st Pool City Council meeting.

2:16

I'm calling this meeting to order.

2:18

We do have quorum, um, but councilwoman Shannon Vallam is not present.

2:23

At this time, I would like to ask Sherlena Daniel to please come forward to offer our invocation and our pledge of allegiance, if you could please stand.

Speaker 2

2:40

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council.

2:43

Let us pray.

2:44

Father, in the name of Jesus, we just thank you, Lord God, for this meeting that we are about to uphold on tonight.

2:50

We thank you, Lord God, that your presence is here.

2:53

And Lord God, you remind us to seek peace and pursue it.

2:56

And Lord, you said that all things work together for good for those that love you and are called according to your purpose.

3:02

And Lord, we thank you that we have purpose with the city of Pew Pooler and the community that is here.

3:08

And Lord God, we just ask for your hands of protection over us as we consider the words that may go forth.

3:14

And Lord, I thank you that all things are working together for good on your behalf.

3:19

Lord, we ask that you bless the council, bless those in authority, bless the departments and the city of Pooler and those that are here tonight for this meeting in Jesus' name.

Speaker 1

3:29

Amen.gov,

Speaker 3

4:31

uh you can follow along.

4:34

He will be uh writing.

4:36

Uh in fact, I I believe he has already written out uh one night already, uh, but December uh fifth, sixth, and seventh, and then the following weekend, twelve, thirteenth and fourteenth.

4:47

And then wrapping up on the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first with a couple of rain dates out there for the twenty-second and twenty-third.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Um you can go to our website, find out exactly what streets he will be on, and use the Glimps app, uh, which is also a website, and you can track along to see where he is.

Speaker 3

5:06

So uh we want to thank the uh Pooler Fire Department uh for helping escort Santa around the city.

5:13

It's always a great time.

5:14

So check to see when he will be in your neighborhood.

5:17

That's all I have, madam mayor.

Speaker 1

5:18

Okay, thank you.

5:19

And I just like to make a plug for um

Unassigned speaker

5:22

the

Speaker 1

5:22

two that I went to, there may be more, but Rehobe Booth ministries had a fantastic food giveaway with turk with chicken and bags of groceries, and the pooler PD and fire department had to come out to assist because the lines were so long.

5:37

That shows that there is a need in our community, is and also with our pooler loaves and fishes.

5:43

I know Sherlena Daniel was there.

5:45

Um I came to check out their new location again.

5:49

Many, many people are needed.

5:50

I saw people in tears because they weren't gonna have a Thanksgiving without those donations.

5:55

So thank you to both of those organizations who give to those who are less fortunate.

6:02

All right, under um consent agenda.

6:05

We have three items.

6:06

We have city council meeting minutes of November 17th.

6:09

We have city council executive session minutes of November 17th, and an alcohol beverage license application for D Amore nail salon at 1541 Pooler Parkway Suite 300, which is a personal care establishment with alcohol service.

6:26

Is there anyone here from the nail salon that has anything they want to offer?

6:31

Hi, how are you?

6:32

Is there anything you want to

Unassigned speaker

6:33

say?

Speaker 1

6:35

Okay, thank you.

6:36

All right, there's no questions from council or the public.

6:40

I'll entertain a motion for the consent agenda items A through C.

Speaker 3

6:44

Move to approve the consent agenda is printed.

6:46

Second.

Speaker 1

6:47

I have a motion from Mayor Pro Tim Henry and a second by council member John Wilcher to approve consent agenda items A through C.

6:56

Any questions on the motion as restated?

7:00

Hearing none, all those in favor say aye.

Speaker 4

7:03

Aye.

Speaker 1

7:03

Any opposed?

7:05

Motion passes unanimously.

7:07

Thank you.

7:08

Under special events, we have two items, A and B.

7:12

Special event permit application, no alcohol for bourbon drop, which is a food unit only from December 11th through the 13th of this year at 100 Zoyal Lane Suite 10.

7:24

Is the person is anyone here for that item?

7:27

Is there anything you want to offer or say about

Unassigned speaker

7:29

it?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning And Development███████████████████████████████31%

Transportation Safety███████████11%

Environmental Protection██████████10%

Procedural████████8%

Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%

Economic Development████████8%

Special Events██████6%

Water And Wastewater Management██████6%

Zoning And Land Use██████6%

Summary of Proceedings

Pooler City Council Regular Meeting – December 1, 2025

The City Council of Pooler, Georgia, held its regular meeting on December 1, 2025, at 6:03 p.m. at 100 US Highway 80 SW, with Mayor Karen Williams presiding and five of six councilmembers present (Shannon Valim absent). The meeting covered routine approvals, two special event permits, a first reading of engineering ordinance revisions, a major conditional use request for warehousing, and two infrastructure construction contracts. All votes were unanimous (5-0).

Consent Calendar

Approved the November 17, 2025 City Council meeting minutes and executive session minutes.
Approved an alcoholic beverage license for D’Amour Nail Salon, LLC at 1541 Pooler Parkway, Suite 300 (personal care establishment with alcohol service).

Public Comments & Testimony

Multiple residents spoke against the proposed warehouse development on Pine Barren Road. Concerns included wetland destruction, increased flooding, traffic congestion (especially truck turning difficulties), loss of tree canopy, surplus of existing warehouse space, lack of tenant commitment, erosion of quality of life, and inconsistency with the city's 2040 comprehensive plan which identifies the site as forested wetland. Speakers included Latricia Brown, Amy Gilliam, Abhishek Seshappa, Kevin Moon, Renee Higgins, Jacob Brown, Uma Nagaraj, Kim Iler Morgan (representing the sellers, who spoke in favor), Rachale LaVoie, and Jim McGaffin.
During the general public comment period, one resident criticized the council's ethics regarding gift acceptance and familiarity with developers. Another resident expressed frustration with 30-foot stadium lighting installed near her home in the Hunt Club neighborhood, alleging it degraded property value and violated existing lighting standards. A third resident praised the planned multi-use paths and encouraged maintaining tree canopies along them.

Discussion Items

Ordinance O2025-11.A – Engineering Provisions Revisions (First Reading) : City Manager Heath Lloyd presented updates modernizing the city’s engineering code, most notably increasing the minimum design storm event from a 10-year to a 25-year storm to improve stormwater resilience. The revisions also improve technical terminology, remove outdated provisions, and align criteria with the 2025 standard specifications manual. The Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval. Council approved the first reading unanimously.
Conditional Use Request for Warehousing and Storage (957,600 SF) off Pine Barren Road : Petitioner Greg Coleman (Coleman Company) and Derek Mathis (Suncat Property Group) presented plans for two warehouse buildings (957,600 total square feet) on 64.55 acres zoned I-1 (Light Industrial). They noted the site had been cleared of trees previously, with only 10 significant hardwood trees remaining. A traffic study by Kimley-Horn showed the project does not trigger a traffic signal warrant by 2028, but a westbound left-turn lane would be added now, and the developer committed to paying $513,000 (about 63% of the intersection improvement cost) to set the intersection up for a future signal when warranted. The developer also agreed to place a 1.6-acre parcel across Pine Meadow Drive into a conservation easement. Public speakers raised issues of wetlands (non-jurisdictional per Army Corps determination), flooding, traffic, lack of demand, and tree loss. Councilmember Aaron Henry moved to approve with conditions: (1) intersection improvements per traffic study shown on site plan; (2) $513,000 payment by applicant; (3) conservation easement on the opposite parcel subject to City Attorney approval. Motion passed 5-0.
Award Contract – Highway 80 Water Main Replacement : City Manager presented three bids; the lowest responsible bidder was Eastern Excavating at $4,143,692.31 for replacing approximately 10,395 linear feet of water main (various sizes) and installing 13 new fire hydrants. Awarded unanimously, subject to City Attorney approval.
Award Contract – Pooler Parkway/Pine Barren Intersection Improvement : Seven bids received; lowest responsible bidder was J.A. Long Construction at $4,379,597.16 for construction of about 3,200 linear feet of roadway, modifying a signalized intersection, installing sidewalks and a multi-use path, and drainage improvements. The project will also create a median preventing left turns out of Wawa. Awarded unanimously, subject to City Attorney approval.

Key Outcomes

All consent agenda items and special event permits approved unanimously.
Ordinance O2025-11.A (engineering provisions) approved on first reading (5-0).
Conditional use for warehousing (957,600 SF) approved with three conditions: intersection improvements shown on site plan, $513,000 payment toward improvements, and conservation easement (subject to City Attorney approval) – all passed 5-0.
Contract for Highway 80 water main replacement awarded to Eastern Excavating for $4,143,692.31 (5-0).
Contract for Pooler Parkway/Pine Barren intersection improvement awarded to J.A. Long Construction for $4,379,597.16 (5-0).
Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the December 1st Pool City Council meeting. I'm calling this meeting to order. We do have quorum, um, but councilwoman Shannon Vallam is not present. At this time, I would like to ask Sherlena Daniel to please come forward to offer our invocation and our pledge of allegiance, if you could please stand. Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council. Let us pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, we just thank you, Lord God, for this meeting that we are about to uphold on tonight. We thank you, Lord God, that your presence is here. And Lord God, you remind us to seek peace and pursue it. And Lord, you said that all things work together for good for those that love you and are called according to your purpose. And Lord, we thank you that we have purpose with the city of Pew Pooler and the community that is here. And Lord God, we just ask for your hands of protection over us as we consider the words that may go forth. And Lord, I thank you that all things are working together for good on your behalf. Lord, we ask that you bless the council, bless those in authority, bless the departments and the city of Pooler and those that are here tonight for this meeting in Jesus' name. Amen.gov, uh you can follow along. He will be uh writing. Uh in fact, I I believe he has already written out uh one night already, uh, but December uh fifth, sixth, and seventh, and then the following weekend, twelve, thirteenth and fourteenth. And then wrapping up on the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first with a couple of rain dates out there for the twenty-second and twenty-third. Um you can go to our website, find out exactly what streets he will be on, and use the Glimps app, uh, which is also a website, and you can track along to see where he is. So uh we want to thank the uh Pooler Fire Department uh for helping escort Santa around the city. It's always a great time. So check to see when he will be in your neighborhood. That's all I have, madam mayor. Okay, thank you. And I just like to make a plug for um the two that I went to, there may be more, but Rehobe Booth ministries had a fantastic food giveaway with turk with chicken and bags of groceries, and the pooler PD and fire department had to come out to assist because the lines were so long. That shows that there is a need in our community, is and also with our pooler loaves and fishes. I know Sherlena Daniel was there. Um I came to check out their new location again. Many, many people are needed. I saw people in tears because they weren't gonna have a Thanksgiving without those donations. So thank you to both of those organizations who give to those who are less fortunate. All right, under um consent agenda. We have three items. We have city council meeting minutes of November 17th. We have city council executive session minutes of November 17th, and an alcohol beverage license application for D Amore nail salon at 1541 Pooler Parkway Suite 300, which is a personal care establishment with alcohol service. Is there anyone here from the nail salon that has anything they want to offer? Hi, how are you? Is there anything you want to say? Okay, thank you. All right, there's no questions from council or the public. I'll entertain a motion for the consent agenda items A through C. Move to approve the consent agenda is printed. Second. I have a motion from Mayor Pro Tim Henry and a second by council member John Wilcher to approve consent agenda items A through C. Any questions on the motion as restated?

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Pooler City Council Regular Meeting – December 1, 2025

Consent Calendar

Approved the November 17, 2025 City Council meeting minutes and executive session minutes.

Approved an alcoholic beverage license for D’Amour Nail Salon, LLC at 1541 Pooler Parkway, Suite 300 (personal care establishment with alcohol service).

Public Comments & Testimony

Multiple residents spoke against the proposed warehouse development on Pine Barren Road. Concerns included wetland destruction, increased flooding, traffic congestion (especially truck turning difficulties), loss of tree canopy, surplus of existing warehouse space, lack of tenant commitment, erosion of quality of life, and inconsistency with the city's 2040 comprehensive plan which identifies the site as forested wetland. Speakers included Latricia Brown, Amy Gilliam, Abhishek Seshappa, Kevin Moon, Renee Higgins, Jacob Brown, Uma Nagaraj, Kim Iler Morgan (representing the sellers, who spoke in favor), Rachale LaVoie, and Jim McGaffin.

During the general public comment period, one resident criticized the council's ethics regarding gift acceptance and familiarity with developers. Another resident expressed frustration with 30-foot stadium lighting installed near her home in the Hunt Club neighborhood, alleging it degraded property value and violated existing lighting standards. A third resident praised the planned multi-use paths and encouraged maintaining tree canopies along them.

Discussion Items

Ordinance O2025-11.A – Engineering Provisions Revisions (First Reading) : City Manager Heath Lloyd presented updates modernizing the city’s engineering code, most notably increasing the minimum design storm event from a 10-year to a 25-year storm to improve stormwater resilience. The revisions also improve technical terminology, remove outdated provisions, and align criteria with the 2025 standard specifications manual. The Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval. Council approved the first reading unanimously.

Conditional Use Request for Warehousing and Storage (957,600 SF) off Pine Barren Road : Petitioner Greg Coleman (Coleman Company) and Derek Mathis (Suncat Property Group) presented plans for two warehouse buildings (957,600 total square feet) on 64.55 acres zoned I-1 (Light Industrial). They noted the site had been cleared of trees previously, with only 10 significant hardwood trees remaining. A traffic study by Kimley-Horn showed the project does not trigger a traffic signal warrant by 2028, but a westbound left-turn lane would be added now, and the developer committed to paying $513,000 (about 63% of the intersection improvement cost) to set the intersection up for a future signal when warranted. The developer also agreed to place a 1.6-acre parcel across Pine Meadow Drive into a conservation easement. Public speakers raised issues of wetlands (non-jurisdictional per Army Corps determination), flooding, traffic, lack of demand, and tree loss. Councilmember Aaron Henry moved to approve with conditions: (1) intersection improvements per traffic study shown on site plan; (2) $513,000 payment by applicant; (3) conservation easement on the opposite parcel subject to City Attorney approval. Motion passed 5-0.

Award Contract – Highway 80 Water Main Replacement : City Manager presented three bids; the lowest responsible bidder was Eastern Excavating at $4,143,692.31 for replacing approximately 10,395 linear feet of water main (various sizes) and installing 13 new fire hydrants. Awarded unanimously, subject to City Attorney approval.

Award Contract – Pooler Parkway/Pine Barren Intersection Improvement : Seven bids received; lowest responsible bidder was J.A. Long Construction at $4,379,597.16 for construction of about 3,200 linear feet of roadway, modifying a signalized intersection, installing sidewalks and a multi-use path, and drainage improvements. The project will also create a median preventing left turns out of Wawa. Awarded unanimously, subject to City Attorney approval.

Key Outcomes

All consent agenda items and special event permits approved unanimously.

Ordinance O2025-11.A (engineering provisions) approved on first reading (5-0).

Conditional use for warehousing (957,600 SF) approved with three conditions: intersection improvements shown on site plan, $513,000 payment toward improvements, and conservation easement (subject to City Attorney approval) – all passed 5-0.

Contract for Highway 80 water main replacement awarded to Eastern Excavating for $4,143,692.31 (5-0).

Contract for Pooler Parkway/Pine Barren intersection improvement awarded to J.A. Long Construction for $4,379,597.16 (5-0).

Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

Meeting Transcript