Pooler City Council Regular Meeting – December 15, 2025

The Pooler City Council met in regular session on December 15, 2025, at 6:01 p.m. at 100 US Highway 80 SW, Pooler, GA. Mayor Karen Williams presided; councilmembers Wesley Bashlor, Michael Carpenter, Aaron Henry (Mayor Pro Tem), Tom Hutcherson, John Wilcher, and Shannon Valim were present. City Manager Heath Lloyd, City Attorney Craig Call, CFO Chris Lightle, and City Clerk Kiley Fusco were also present. The meeting included multiple public hearings, unanimous approvals, two postponements, one denied conditional-use request, and adjourned at 7:51 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the Consent Agenda (items A–G) by a 6-0 vote (motion by Wilcher, second by Hutcherson). This included the December 1, 2025 appeal hearing and council meeting minutes; an alcoholic beverage license for Omelette Café – Pooler at 325 US Highway 80; release of Coastal Commerce, Phase 2 maintenance bonds totaling $813,863.50 ($89,856.00 landscape, $191,758.00 lift station, $524,063.50 roadway, and $8,186.00 pipe/manhole); release of the $117,477.00 sidewalk performance bond for Westbrook Area I-3, Blue Moon Crossing; the final plat and acceptance of the $2,238,425.48 performance bond for Tract W Townhomes Phase 1 at Cross Creek Drive and Anthem Mill Drive, subject to City Attorney approval; and department reports from Public Works, Finance, Fire-Rescue, Police, Parks & Recreation, Planning & Development, Human Resources, and Communications.

Invocation, Pledge, and Announcements

• Executive Pastor Shirlinia Daniel of Bread of Life Ministries gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Mayor Williams and Councilmember Henry made personal statements about recent local events, including an acid-attack victim connected to Henry’s church.
• Bonnie O’Leary, Volunteer Coordinator, and Fred Bryant of Pooler Loaves and Fishes presented about their food pantry serving Pooler, Bloomingdale, and Port Wentworth. They noted the pantry has operated since 2008, is open the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., distributed 5,500 Bombas socks this year, and also supports a Backpack Buddies weekend food program. They invited donations and volunteers.

Special Events

• Approved, by a 6-0 vote, a no-alcohol special event permit for a Holiday Fireworks Sale at 2331 Pooler Parkway from December 23, 2025 through January 3, 2026, with the fee waived for the 501(c)(3) applicant. Motion by Henry, second by Wilcher. Note: the transcript at one point says “231 Pooler Parkway,” while the agenda and minutes state 2331.

Ordinances, Proclamations, and Resolutions

• Ordinance O2025-11.A – Engineering Provisions Revisions (second reading): Approved 6-0 (motion by Wilcher, second by Bashlor). City Manager Lloyd said the revisions modernize the city code to align with the city’s updated 2025 standards and raise the required minimum design storm capacity from a 10-year storm to a 25-year storm. Public commenter Latricia Brown asked whether homeowners would be affected like Savannah’s stormwater utility; Lloyd responded that this involves engineering standards only.
• Resolution R2025-12.A – Support for Request of State of Georgia FY2025 Budgetary Surplus Funding for Construction of the Pooler Library: Approved 6-0 (motion by Henry, second by Wilcher). The city formally endorsed Mayor Williams’ request to the state for FY2025 budget surplus funds for a new Pooler library. Public commenter Don Blake asked about the location; the mayor said the site is off Rogers Street near State Farm.

Public Hearings / New Business

• A. Jabot PUD Amendment 19 (rezoning three parcels from Jabot PUD C-2 to City of Pooler C-2 for multi-use development): The 117-acre site currently has only 88 remaining multifamily units available under the Jabot PUD cap of 720 units. Petitioner Rob Forrest requested postponement, citing an incomplete traffic study and the newly raised 25-year stormwater standard. Council voted 5-1 to postpone with conditions: further coordination with city staff, resubmission through the Planning and Zoning Commission, no earlier than the first City Council meeting in February 2026, and the applicant bears readvertisement costs. Councilmember Wilcher was the sole “nay.” During informal comments, residents including Valerie Brandt, Robert Telmos, Uma Nagaraj, Latricia Brown, Shirlinia Daniel, Amy Gilliam, and Don Blake raised concerns about traffic, commute times, quality of life, noise and light pollution, crime, fire/emergency services, building height near the airport, and the development review process. Don Blake called for a six-month moratorium, cited three fatalities at the Pine Barron/Pooler Parkway intersection in seven years, and said 40 acres of wetlands are on the site. Councilmember Henry asked the petitioner to hold a voluntary public information meeting; Forrest agreed.
• B. Conditional use request for personal care homes at 509 and 511 Potter Stone Square: Withdrawn by the City Manager; no action taken.
• C. Conditional use request for a personal care home at 309 West Whatley Street: Denied 6-0 (motion by Carpenter, second by Bashlor). The petitioner was not present. Staff and Planning & Zoning recommended denial because the proposal exceeded the home-occupation allowance, did not meet family personal care home standards, and the applicant did not reside at the property. The public hearing was opened and closed without comment.
• D. Conditional use request for golf cart rental and leasing at 1018 West US Highway 80, Suite 501: Postponed 6-0 to the January 5, 2026 City Council meeting (motion by Henry, second by Hutcherson). The petitioner was not present; staff and P&Z had recommended approval with a condition of no outdoor storage or parking of golf carts.
• E. Conditional use request for a hardware store at 1276 West US Highway 80 in the C-1 Main Street Overlay District: Approved 6-0 with the condition that the final site plan meets all Main Street Overlay standards (motion by Henry, second by Bashlor). Applicant representative Scott Munson agreed. Councilmember Henry noted the overlay encourages rear parking and front-oriented buildings.
• F. Conditional use request for a contractor’s office at 125 Southern Junction Boulevard, Suite 201, in the Godley Station PUD: Approved 6-0 (motion by Bashlor, second by Carpenter). A Garbutt Construction representative confirmed the office is administrative-only, with no material storage or truck parking.
• G. Site plan for the Forest Lakes Secondary Access Road at Jimmy DeLoach Parkway and Champlain Drive: Approved 6-0 (motion by Hutcherson, second by Carpenter). Conditions require the road to be initially constructed as a gravel emergency vehicle access road; if GDOT issues an encroachment permit for full unrestricted access, or the City Manager determines an upgrade is necessary, the developer must pave the roadway to current city standards at its own cost. A Coleman Company representative confirmed the road will be gated and used for emergency and construction access.
• H. Pooler Recreation Park (South Rogers Street) basketball court construction: Awarded to Kirby Enterprises in the amount of $340,000, subject to City Attorney approval, by a 6-0 vote (motion by Carpenter, second by Wilcher). Concrete-surface bids considered were Altamaha Building Systems at $400,718, Kirby Enterprises at $340,000, and Parker’s Properties LLC at $693,433. The project is funded by SPLOST with a $400,000 budget and includes two concrete basketball courts, grading, and a perimeter fence.
• I. Mass Notification Platform: Awarded to CivicPlus by a 6-0 vote (motion by Henry, second by Bashlor), subject to City Attorney approval, for a first-year discounted price of $12,000, with renewal at $13,000 annually subject to a 5% uplift. Other bids were Perimeter at $14,000 and RAVE at $27,130. The platform integrates with the city’s existing CivicPlus environment; emergency notifications can be geofenced, while non-emergency notifications require residents to sign up.
• J. Municipal Court Public Defender: Awarded the contract to Laurence Tell, Esquire, subject to City Attorney approval, by a 6-0 vote (motion by Wilcher, second by Hutcherson). Terms discussed included $450 per court session and $250 per in-person jail visit, with a monthly cap of $500 for jail visits. The agenda and minutes spell the name “Laurence Tell”; the transcript at one point says “Lawrence Tell.”

Public Comments & Testimony

• At the end of new business, the mayor opened the public comment period. Each speaker was allotted three minutes, with a timer displayed.
• Grady Davis raised concerns about golf carts driving on sidewalks and walking trails, particularly on East Haven Boulevard in the Davenport community, calling it a safety hazard.
• Don Blake asked which city office could provide data comparing apartment units and real-estate taxes. He also expressed the opinion that the city’s lack of impact fees is “stupid” and said he wants to make sure homeowners are paying their fair share.
• Uma Nagaraj called for the removal of Chief Ashley Brown, City Attorney Craig Call, and Mayor Karen Williams under section 217 for incompetence, malfeasance, or misfeasance. She cited the “bourbon drop” at Liquorland lacking a special events permit, an ignored 911 call, a delayed police report, an alleged campaign donation by a Liquorland co-owner, and other governance concerns, and requested an unbiased investigation.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda approved 6-0.
• Holiday fireworks sale special event permit approved 6-0 with fee waiver.
• Ordinance O2025-11.A Engineering Provisions Revisions approved 6-0.
• Resolution R2025-12.A supporting state FY2025 surplus funding for the new Pooler Library approved 6-0.
• Jabot PUD Amendment 19 postponed 5-1 with conditions.
• 509/511 Potter Stone Square personal care homes item withdrawn.
• 309 West Whatley Street personal care home request denied 6-0.
• Golf cart rental/leasing conditional use request postponed 6-0 to January 5, 2026.
• Hardware store conditional use request approved 6-0 with Main Street Overlay condition.
• Contractor’s office conditional use request approved 6-0.
• Forest Lakes Secondary Access Road site plan approved 6-0 with conditions.
• Basketball court construction contract awarded to Kirby Enterprises for $340,000, subject to City Attorney approval.
• Mass notification platform contract awarded to CivicPlus for $12,000 first year, subject to City Attorney approval.
• Municipal Court Public Defender contract awarded to Laurence Tell, Esquire, subject to City Attorney approval.
• Meeting adjourned at 7:51 p.m.