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Record of Proceedings

Pooler City Council Regular Meeting - March 16, 2026

City Council — Monday, March 16, 2026
BodyPooler, Georgia
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, March 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
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Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:00

We need a time period for the ones we've got to get that passover of knowledge to understand how things work and why they work the way they do.

0:09

I'm also often referred to as the mama judge.

0:12

I have lectures.

0:14

Um and the DAs will say give the such and such lecture and give the such and such lecture.

0:19

And I wonder sometimes do they work?

0:21

I ran into a few weeks ago a young man at a car show, and I mentioned a car show, which means there were some bass cars there.

Unassigned speaker

0:29

And

Speaker 1

0:29

I said, I bet y'all have been in front of me.

0:31

And the guy got real shy, he went, Oh yeah.

0:33

And I said, Well, how did that go?

0:35

And he said, You ripped me apart.

0:39

And I said, Well, was there a reason?

0:41

And he goes, I was 17 and I was going 120 miles an hour.

Unassigned speaker

0:46

Whoa.

Speaker 1

0:47

You are my parents' hero because they believe that because of what we did in that court, I'm still here.

0:53

Because if I had kept on like that, I wouldn't have made

Unassigned speaker

0:56

it.

Speaker 1

0:57

So when you ask why someone is doing their job, when you hear that, you know you are where you belong and that you're making an impact.

1:06

We also, and I I don't want to take too much time, but I'm the only one who does what we call a suspended license docket.

1:14

And it's where we only have people on there who have a history of suspended licenses, and I literally go over with them their histories and help them figure out how to get their licenses.

1:25

And the reason you do that is because if you want a community where people are working and productive, they need to be able to get to work.

1:33

They can't get to work with suspended licenses.

1:36

And I continue them over and over and explain the process.

1:39

And I had a young man a couple of weeks ago, and you you get to know the people because you see them.

1:46

And I kept looking at him, he says, you know, I'm the one that was in the shooting.

Unassigned speaker

1:50

And

Speaker 1

1:50

I went, oh yeah.

1:52

He in 2024 on Christmas Eve, he and his girlfriend had a drive-by shooting.

1:59

He was shot 13 times, and he has 13 bullets still in him.

2:03

He spent four months in the hospital.

2:05

Some of his failures to appear were because he couldn't come to court, which of course we back those off.

2:11

And then finally, I realized he was not probably going to be able to work again because of all the limitations.

2:17

So we wiped his slate clean, not only with us but with the state to give him the best chance that he can as a victim find some way to make a living, and he's gonna need that license to be able to do that.

2:32

Taking the time to care and be that mama judge and listen makes a difference.

2:38

And I would appreciate y'all remembering that although you

Unassigned speaker

2:42

I

Speaker 1

2:42

don't hear your cases unless you're in Chatham County and pick it up.

2:45

And please, St.

2:46

Patrick's Day's coming up, be safe, don't come to visit me.

2:49

Okay, enjoy, but don't come to visit.

2:51

And uh remember to vote on May 19th.

2:54

Uh early voarding starts on April 27th.

2:57

And please remember that experience is important

Unassigned speaker

3:01

in

Speaker 1

3:01

the judiciary, especially.

3:03

Thank you very much for your time.

3:04

Can I pass some cards out as I walk out?

Speaker 2

3:07

Okay, you can, or and you can put some in the back because

Speaker 1

3:09

that'd be great.

3:10

Thank you for your time and thank you for y'all service to the community.

Speaker 2

3:13

Thank you very much.

3:14

Thank

Unassigned speaker

3:15

you.

Speaker 2

3:17

All right, at this time we have um a proclamation for government finance professionals week.

3:24

This is an inaugural first time for this, and when it came across my email, I saw it and I'm like, you know, we're very proud of our finance department.

3:34

So I asked the city clerk to find the proclamation for it.

3:38

So can you please join me at the bottom of we're gonna present this to um our director, um Chris uh Lytle, who will then pass pass it on to his whole department,

Speaker 3

4:07

yeah.

Unassigned speaker

4:14

Yeah,

Speaker 4

4:15

just stay in

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Environmental Protection███████████████████████23%
Procedural██████████████████████22%
Zoning And Development█████████████████17%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%
Urban Planning████████8%
Public Safety████4%
Transportation Safety███3%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Pooler City Council Regular Meeting - March 16, 2026

The Pooler City Council held its regular meeting on March 16, 2026, at 6:06 p.m. at 100 US Highway 80 SW. The meeting covered consent agenda items, seven special event permits, three second-reading ordinances, public hearings, contract awards, a property purchase, and public comments. All votes were unanimous 6-0.

Announcements & Proclamations

  • Mayor Karen Williams reported that nearly 300 trees and 50 seedlings were given away at the 2026 “Partner with Pooler to Plant a Tree for Free” event.
  • Judge Claire Williams, who is running for Recorders Court reelection, was introduced and spoke about her work in traffic court and helping individuals with suspended licenses.
  • City Manager Heath Lloyd introduced intern Jataya Carr from Savannah State University.
  • A Proclamation for Government Finance Professionals Week (March 16–20, 2026) was presented to Chief Finance Officer Chris Lightle, who was commended for guiding the city through COVID.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved 6-0: Meeting minutes of March 2, 2026 (regular and executive session), release of maintenance bonds for Westbrook Phase 5 ($88,884.40) and Harmony Phase 7 ($482,574.70), and department reports.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Lori Lewis (400 Simmons Street, Advanced Academics) offered a wooded property at 302 Old Pine Barren Road for sale to the city as a family park, noting the investor wants to sell quickly. She requested a response within two weeks.
  • Holly Lewis (Savannah Ogeechee Canal) asked that the Ogeechee Canal be protected during Quacco Road improvements and that a pedestrian-activated flashing crosswalk be installed at Canal Bank Road.
  • David Dillie (104 Wind Willow Drive, candidate for District 161) supported protecting the Ogeechee Canal area.
  • Jenny Watkins (126 Tupelo Street) seconded protecting the Ogeechee Canal and expressed support for council's efforts to deny a rezone request from residential agriculture to multi-purpose residential, citing impacts on the trail and serenity.
  • Uma Nagaraj (no address given) criticized the city’s website for difficult navigation and lack of public notice; alleged secret meetings between council and developers; and complained about ex parte communications and failure to videotape Planning & Zoning meetings. She also thanked the council for allowing Judge Williams to speak, stating it provided evidence for her First Amendment claim.
  • Earl Davis (no address given) expressed concern about a neighboring C2-zoned property seeking to rezone to high industrial class, fearing a cement plant. He was advised to fill out a form for staff follow-up.
  • David Kuhn (1356 Little Neck Road) opposed the proposed Monroe development on the canal, stating the density claim of 2.2 houses per acre is misleading; he estimated 12.78–13 houses per acre, totaling 303 houses on 39.5 acres, all rentals. He noted no wetland or environmental studies had been done.
  • Dana Kuhn (1356 Little Neck Road) echoed concerns about density, wetland impacts, stormwater runoff, and harm to wildlife (bald eagles, otters, alligators), urging council to protect the ecosystem for future generations.

Discussion Items

  • Special Event Permits (Items A–G): All seven permits were approved unanimously. Items included:
    • America’s Best Easter Egg Hunt (March 28, 900 S Rogers St) – presented by Lyric Stampley of Pooler Karate, free community event with thousands of eggs.
    • Cruisin’ for Kicks Car Show (April 25, 200 Tanger Outlets Blvd) – third annual, free, 200-300 entrants, fee waived.
    • Hot Tub and Swim Spa Blowout Sale (April 30–May 13, 200 Tanger Outlets Blvd) – no petitioner present.
    • Cinco de Mayo celebration (May 5, 930 Morgan’s Corner, Unit D) at Jalapeños restaurant, no alcohol.
    • Foodees Fest (May 29–31, 200 Tanger Outlets Blvd) – separate from previous Battle Bros event.
    • One Year Anniversary (March 21, 120 Towne Center Dr, Suite 300) – dispensing alcohol; address corrected from agenda.
    • Shopping and Botox (March 20, 405 Highway 80 West, #102) – dispensing wine; date corrected from March 30 to March 20.
  • Ordinance O2025-05.A – Special Events (Second Reading): City Manager presented as a modernized permitting framework with attendance thresholds and public safety alignment. Passed 6-0.
  • Ordinance O2025-12.C – Fire Hydrants (Second Reading): Requires inspection, testing, and maintenance of private fire hydrants per national/state standards. Passed 6-0.
  • Ordinance O2026-01.B – Speed Zone Revisions (Second Reading): Clarifies that school speed zones are in effect one hour before, during, and one hour after school hours, aligning with state law. Passed 6-0.
  • Comprehensive Plan Capital Improvement Element (CIE) Public Hearing #1: Nichole Johnson, Planning & Development Director, presented a timeline and draft impact fee schedule (residential and non-residential) for roads, parks, fire, and police. The public hearing was opened and closed; no action taken. Uma Nagaraj questioned advertising methods and the composition of the stakeholder committee, urging broader public involvement. Councilmember noted fees were determined by consultant Tischler Bise.
  • Contract Award: Pooler Parkway/Pine Barren Road Intersection Improvement CEI: Awarded to JQOL for $179,400, subject to city attorney approval. Construction began March 9, with traffic control starting March 18. Passed 6-0.
  • Contract Award: Quacco Road Improvements Phase II Design: Awarded to Kimley-Horn for $883,500, covering conceptual design, right-of-way plans, and construction plans from East Haven/Spanish and Crescent to I-95 overpass. Passed 6-0.
  • Lump Sum Purchase of 302 Old Pine Barren Road: Added to agenda after executive session; purchased for $480,000 for public purposes, subject to city attorney approval. Passed 6-0.

Executive Session

  • The council entered executive session at 7:25 p.m. to discuss legal, real estate, personnel, and IT security matters. The meeting reconvened at 8:00 p.m.

Key Outcomes

  • All seven special event permits approved unanimously (6-0).
  • Three second-reading ordinances (Special Events, Fire Hydrants, Speed Zone Revisions) approved unanimously (6-0).
  • Contract for Pooler Parkway/Pine Barren Road CEI awarded to JQOL not to exceed $179,400.
  • Contract for Quacco Road Phase II design awarded to Kimley-Horn not to exceed $883,500.
  • Lump sum purchase of 302 Old Pine Barren Road for $480,000 approved for public purposes.
  • First public hearing on the CIE held; second hearing scheduled for April 20, 2026.
  • Meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

We need a time period for the ones we've got to get that passover of knowledge to understand how things work and why they work the way they do. I'm also often referred to as the mama judge. I have lectures. Um and the DAs will say give the such and such lecture and give the such and such lecture. And I wonder sometimes do they work? I ran into a few weeks ago a young man at a car show, and I mentioned a car show, which means there were some bass cars there. And I said, I bet y'all have been in front of me. And the guy got real shy, he went, Oh yeah. And I said, Well, how did that go? And he said, You ripped me apart. And I said, Well, was there a reason? And he goes, I was 17 and I was going 120 miles an hour. Whoa. You are my parents' hero because they believe that because of what we did in that court, I'm still here. Because if I had kept on like that, I wouldn't have made it. So when you ask why someone is doing their job, when you hear that, you know you are where you belong and that you're making an impact. We also, and I I don't want to take too much time, but I'm the only one who does what we call a suspended license docket. And it's where we only have people on there who have a history of suspended licenses, and I literally go over with them their histories and help them figure out how to get their licenses. And the reason you do that is because if you want a community where people are working and productive, they need to be able to get to work. They can't get to work with suspended licenses. And I continue them over and over and explain the process. And I had a young man a couple of weeks ago, and you you get to know the people because you see them. And I kept looking at him, he says, you know, I'm the one that was in the shooting. And I went, oh yeah. He in 2024 on Christmas Eve, he and his girlfriend had a drive-by shooting. He was shot 13 times, and he has 13 bullets still in him. He spent four months in the hospital. Some of his failures to appear were because he couldn't come to court, which of course we back those off. And then finally, I realized he was not probably going to be able to work again because of all the limitations. So we wiped his slate clean, not only with us but with the state to give him the best chance that he can as a victim find some way to make a living, and he's gonna need that license to be able to do that. Taking the time to care and be that mama judge and listen makes a difference. And I would appreciate y'all remembering that although you I don't hear your cases unless you're in Chatham County and pick it up. And please, St. Patrick's Day's coming up, be safe, don't come to visit me. Okay, enjoy, but don't come to visit. And uh remember to vote on May 19th. Uh early voarding starts on April 27th. And please remember that experience is important in the judiciary, especially. Thank you very much for your time. Can I pass some cards out as I walk out? Okay, you can, or and you can put some in the back because that'd be great. Thank you for your time and thank you for y'all service to the community.

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