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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Pooler City Council Regular Meeting – June 15, 2026

City Council — Monday, June 15, 2026

BodyPooler, Georgia

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, June 15, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:02:18

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

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

Speaker 1

0:16

All right.

0:17

Welcome to the June 15th City Council regular meeting.

0:22

I hereby call the meeting to order.

0:25

We are we have Councilman Tom Hutcherson on the phone and Councilman John Wilcher is absent, but we do have quorum.

0:34

So I hereby call the meeting to order.

0:38

At this time, I would like to invite Pastor Jeff Hubbard Jr.

0:43

from Pooler Bible Church to lead us in our invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:47

Please stand.

Speaker 2

0:49

All right.

0:49

Can I do pledges first and then invocation?

0:51

Is that okay?

0:52

So good.

0:53

Sorry, you know, pastors always do things their own way, right?

0:56

So all right, let's do the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:59

I Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1:12

One of the verses that I just wanted to share with you guys.

1:14

Y'all can take a seat if you want to.

1:17

Okay, gotcha.

1:18

Um the verses I just wanted to share with you guys is first Peter chapter 4, verse 8.

1:22

It says, above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1:28

Sometimes we think in a society that we live in, how difficult it is to lead a public and lead a group of individuals that may not necessarily love each other.

1:37

And so I think it's a great responsibility of leadership to example that love and to show that love.

1:43

And even in the midst of when we're not loved ourselves to continue to show that love.

1:47

And so I just want to say a big appreciation to the public service that you guys do and uh for your willingness to be able to do that.

1:54

So let's go to the Lord in prayer.

1:56

Dear Father, I come to you thankful for the way that you love us, thankful for each and every one of these civil servants, Lord, that do this job, uh, Lord, to serve the people that are within this community.

2:07

Father, I pray that you would help them to be examples of love.

2:10

Lord, that the people that uh come in the contact with them would love them, support them and encourage them.

2:16

And Father, I pray that you would just give us a wonderful city uh that represents you, that loves you in everything that we do.

2:22

Father, I pray that you would be with our churches.

2:24

I pray that you would grow them, Lord, be with our pastors, give them wisdom and direction also as they lead uh the ministries that are in this city.

2:31

And Father, I pray that you would just give us provision, provide for us in an incredible way.

2:36

Love on us and encourage us in Christ's precious anointing name we pray.

2:39

Amen.

2:40

Thank you guys very much for the opportunity.

Speaker 1

2:42

And you want to announce where your church is.

Unassigned speaker

2:44

Oh, those are listening, don't you?

Speaker 2

2:45

Yep.

2:46

Uh Jeff Hubbard, pastor of Pooler Bible Church.

2:48

I think I've been there for 16 years.

2:50

Uh, we planted uh 16 years ago and have seen the Lord continue to grow us and uh continue to do great things in the midst of it, in spite of me being their pastor.

2:59

So it's been really, really great.

3:02

Uh we just opened up a daycare.

3:04

Uh the daycare is three quarters full um and doing very, very, very, very, very well.

3:10

Um great family environment.

3:12

Uh we've welcomed in some families that have been in some tough situations, and so uh it's an opportunity for us to show the love of Christ to our community and encourage those families.

3:20

So just had our first pre-K graduation.

3:23

Uh I didn't anticipate crying, but my daughter just graduated from Savannah Christian, so I pay a pictured her at her pre-K graduation, and it got me there for a moment, but good good times, good things together.

3:34

So very good.

3:36

Thank you guys.

Speaker 1

3:37

Thank

Unassigned speaker

3:37

you.

Speaker 1

3:41

I'd like you to give a um update on the

Speaker 3

3:44

run, and I'll ask Tom.

Speaker 1

3:46

Um Councilman Hutcherson, is there anything you want to say about Juneteenth, and then I'll ask um Mayor Pro Tim to talk about the run real quick.

Speaker 4

3:57

Oh sure.

3:58

Uh our fifth annual uh festival is going to be held this Saturday uh starting at one o'clock to seven at the Tanger Outlet.

4:10

So we expect uh a nice crowd, and it looks like the uh the weather's going to cooperate.

4:17

So we're excited.

4:19

Um we got the kids' corner uh uh set and ready to go.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████45%

Personnel Matters██████████████████████22%

Engineering And Infrastructure███████████11%

Zoning And Land Use██████████10%

Environmental Protection██████6%

Community Engagement██2%

Parks and Recreation██2%

Fiscal Sustainability██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Pooler City Council Regular Meeting – June 15, 2026

The City Council of Pooler held its regular meeting on June 15, 2026, starting at 6:02 p.m. and adjourning at 7:04 p.m. after an executive session. All members were present except Councilmember John Wilcher. The council unanimously approved consent items, three special event permits, two ordinances/resolutions, and several new business items, including a roadway overlay contract and a development agreement with Quiktrip.

Consent Calendar

Meeting Minutes: Approved the June 1, 2026 regular and executive session minutes.
Maintenance Bond Release: Released a $309,907.73 maintenance bond for Drayton Park Phase 1.
Department Reports: Accepted the monthly reports from Public Works, Finance, Fire-Rescue, Police, Recreation, and Planning & Development.

Special Events

Donate to Dunk Family Fun Day: Approved a special event permit (no alcohol) for June 27, 2026, at 100 Kita Avenue, including a fee waiver for the 501(c)(3) organization.
Holiday Fireworks Sale: Approved a permit (no alcohol) for June 29–July 6, 2026, at 2331 Pooler Parkway, with a fee waiver.
EggRoll Food Truck: Approved a permit (no alcohol) for July 2–5, 2026, at 1565 Pooler Parkway.

Public Comments & Testimony

Debra Power (215 Silverbrook Circle) spoke during the discussion of the Comprehensive Plan update. She requested a moratorium on development until the master plan is adopted, urged the council to prioritize citizen health and well-being over commercial growth, and called for the implementation of ordinances on conservation, wetlands, and historical sites. She also submitted a petition with 198 resident signatures supporting these priorities.

Discussion Items

Hotel-Motel Excise Tax (Ordinance O2026-05.A) – Second Reading: City Manager Heath Lloyd explained that the ordinance codifies previously approved local legislation allowing a portion of the hotel-motel tax to be used for tourism product development (TPD). Examples include interchange beautification, wayfinding signage, and parks/trails. Councilmember Carpenter asked for examples to inform the public. The ordinance passed unanimously (5-0).
Comprehensive Plan Update (Resolution R2026-06.B): Lloyd presented the resolution to transmit the 2026 draft update to the Coastal Regional Commission and the Department of Community Affairs, as required by state law. Public comment by Debra Power raised concerns. The council voted unanimously (5-0) to authorize the transmittal, with final adoption expected before the October 31, 2026 deadline.
Annual Evaluation Report – Substantial Damage Management Plan (Presentation, No Action): Planning and Development Director Nicole Johnson presented the annual evaluation. No storm events occurred in the past year, so no damage assessments were needed. The plan was reviewed and updated to add a code enforcement officer. Participation in the Community Rating System (CRS) may lead to a five percent discount on flood insurance for residents, pending FEMA funding.
S.H. Morgan Parkway Overlay Project: Lloyd reported that the road was identified as a priority using the city's Road Management Tool (RMT). Three bids were received; the lowest responsible bidder was Crossroads Construction Inc. at $246,734. The project will resurface approximately 16,340 square yards (6,654 linear feet) of roadway. The council awarded the contract (5-0), subject to city attorney approval.
Development Agreement with Quiktrip Corporation: The agreement covers the extension of water and sewer infrastructure to serve a proposed Quiktrip at Highway 80 and Dean Forest Road. The city will extend utilities at an estimated cost of $1.3–$1.5 million, and Quiktrip will contribute $455,976.78 as its proportional share. The council approved the agreement (5-0), subject to city attorney approval.
Purchase and Sale Agreement (West Whatley Street Alley): City Attorney Craig Call requested postponement due to a minor administrative issue. The council voted unanimously (5-0) to postpone the item to the July 6, 2026 meeting.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (5-0).
Special Event Permits: Approved three permits unanimously (5-0 each).
Hotel-Motel Excise Tax Ordinance O2026-05.A: Passed unanimously on second reading (5-0).
Comprehensive Plan Resolution R2026-06.B: Approved unanimously (5-0).
S.H. Morgan Parkway Overlay Contract: Awarded to Crossroads Construction Inc. for $246,734, subject to city attorney approval (5-0).
Quiktrip Development Agreement: Approved, subject to city attorney approval (5-0).
West Whatley Street Alley Purchase: Postponed to July 6, 2026 meeting (5-0).
Executive Session: Entered at 6:38 p.m. and returned at 7:04 p.m., followed by adjournment.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Welcome to the June 15th City Council regular meeting. I hereby call the meeting to order. We are we have Councilman Tom Hutcherson on the phone and Councilman John Wilcher is absent, but we do have quorum. So I hereby call the meeting to order. At this time, I would like to invite Pastor Jeff Hubbard Jr. from Pooler Bible Church to lead us in our invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. All right. Can I do pledges first and then invocation? Is that okay? So good. Sorry, you know, pastors always do things their own way, right? So all right, let's do the Pledge of Allegiance. I Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. One of the verses that I just wanted to share with you guys. Y'all can take a seat if you want to. Okay, gotcha. Um the verses I just wanted to share with you guys is first Peter chapter 4, verse 8. It says, above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Sometimes we think in a society that we live in, how difficult it is to lead a public and lead a group of individuals that may not necessarily love each other. And so I think it's a great responsibility of leadership to example that love and to show that love. And even in the midst of when we're not loved ourselves to continue to show that love. And so I just want to say a big appreciation to the public service that you guys do and uh for your willingness to be able to do that. So let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Father, I come to you thankful for the way that you love us, thankful for each and every one of these civil servants, Lord, that do this job, uh, Lord, to serve the people that are within this community. Father, I pray that you would help them to be examples of love. Lord, that the people that uh come in the contact with them would love them, support them and encourage them. And Father, I pray that you would just give us a wonderful city uh that represents you, that loves you in everything that we do. Father, I pray that you would be with our churches. I pray that you would grow them, Lord, be with our pastors, give them wisdom and direction also as they lead uh the ministries that are in this city. And Father, I pray that you would just give us provision, provide for us in an incredible way. Love on us and encourage us in Christ's precious anointing name we pray. Amen. Thank you guys very much for the opportunity. And you want to announce where your church is. Oh, those are listening, don't you? Yep. Uh Jeff Hubbard, pastor of Pooler Bible Church. I think I've been there for 16 years. Uh, we planted uh 16 years ago and have seen the Lord continue to grow us and uh continue to do great things in the midst of it, in spite of me being their pastor. So it's been really, really great. Uh we just opened up a daycare. Uh the daycare is three quarters full um and doing very, very, very, very, very well. Um great family environment. Uh we've welcomed in some families that have been in some tough situations, and so uh it's an opportunity for us to show the love of Christ to our community and encourage those families. So just had our first pre-K graduation. Uh I didn't anticipate crying, but my daughter just graduated from Savannah Christian, so I pay a pictured her at her pre-K graduation, and it got me there for a moment, but good good times, good things together. So very good. Thank you guys.

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