Animal Control’s Facebook page, a new ambulance and the closed Newport Road bridge were all topics at the regular Fannin County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, November 30.
Elizabeth “Libby” Young raised concern over Animal Control’s Facebook page during the public comment portion of the meeting.
She said the current page being used is owned by two volunteers, and those volunteers could shut down the page at any time.
The page was operated by the county.
Jan Eaton also spoke to the importance of an official county page, saying while it was up it recorded thousands of followers.
She said an official page should contain only basic information, sticking to the facts regarding the dogs in the facility.
Eaton said the goal is to “get the pictures (of dogs) out there for our people” and rescue groups. “Let’s get these animals moving,” she said.
Young urged the commissioners to get the official page back. The problem is that former Animal Control Manager John Drullinger has the password.
The commissioners were told there is no way to go back to the official page without the password.
Chairman Jamie Hensley said he would contact Drullinger the following day and ask for the password as the first step.
Earlier in the meeting the commissioners voted to purchase a new ambulance for $158,500 from First Class Emergency Vehicles.
Emergency Medical Service Director Becky Huffman presented two bids to the commissioners, the one from First Class and one from Custom Trucks and Body Works for $157,329.
While the Custom Trucks bid was lower, Huffman said electrical problems had been experienced with their trucks. The company has assured her the problems are corrected, she said.
However, commissioners agreed to go with the First Class units, noting their dependability.
This newest ambulance is not expected to arrive until early 2023 and will be put into that fiscal year’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) budget.
Hensley and Post commissioners Johnny Scearce and Glenn Patterson unanimously agreed to the purchase, and also agreed to spending up to $10,000 for a contract with KCI Technologies, Inc., to determine solutions for the closed bridge on Newport Road over Noontootla Creek.
Whatever course of action the firm recommends will then be presented to the Georgia Department of Transportation to get the bridge re-opened as soon as possible.
Funding from this contract will also come from SPLOST monies.
Commissioners approved an emergency resolution to accept the terms of the national opioid settlement agreement.
This item was added to the agenda after County Attorney Lynn Doss explained the resolution had to be approved and returned to the State of Georgia by December 2.
She explained the resolution allows Georgia to enter into the settlement. Any amount of money the county might see from the settlement is unknown, but entering into the settlement will not cost the county anything.
During public comments, Joe Webb again asked for $130,000 from the tourism product development money to pave the Blue Ridge Community Theater parking lot. He also asked for specific procedures to be established so the theater could apply for the money.
Mineral Bluff resident Kirk Williams, addressing the previously discussed feasibility study for an aquatic/wellness center, urged commissioners not to enter into an agreement with Blue Ridge. “It’s not good sense to depend on the city for money,” he said.
The commissioners then spent over an hour in executive session in which no action was taken.