The Putnam County Board of Commissioners approved its fiscal 2027 budget and authorized rebidding the county’s solid waste contract. At its Aug. 18 meeting, it approved new oversight of SPLOST and T-SPLOST spending during its Aug. 18 meeting.
The board also approved a 199-foot Verizon telecommunications tower and scheduled a public town hall — held last Thursday — to discuss potential data centers, battery storage facilities and solar farms in the county.
The meeting began with a zoning hearing on a proposed Verizon tower at 906 Crooked Creek Road. A company representative said the tower would address a significant Verizon coverage gap in the Rockville and Crooked Creek areas.
The closest residence is approximately 500 feet from the proposed tower, while most nearby homes are about 700 feet away. The tower will not be lighted because it is below the 200-foot threshold that typically triggers Federal Aviation Administration lighting requirements.
The tower will be designed for four carriers, with the option to reserve space for county communications equipment. District 2 Commissioner Richard Garrett raised concerns that the tower would become more visible if surrounding property is cleared, so the board added a landscaping condition to address that possibility.
The conditional-use request was approved unanimously.
During public comments, county resident Billy Webster urged commissioners to consider improvements to the intersection of Twin Bridges and Dennis Station roads, citing limited sight distance, a 55 mph speed limit, and heavy truck traffic associated with the nearby Interfor lumber processing plant.
Commission candidate Jennifer Ray raised concerns about record-keeping and financial practices involving the Putnam Development Authority. In contrast, fellow candidate Erin Olson later questioned long-term payments the PDA allegedly made to local film company Tytan Pictures, totaling $236,700 over four years.
Eatonton resident Quirino “Rino” Boles also addressed the commission, saying he recently visited Putnam Stone’s parent company, Lannon Stone, in Wisconsin.
Boles gave a glowing report on quarry operations there, telling the commission, “I think we should give them a chance to just work with them and get a better understanding to see that that quarry is run totally differently than any other quarry that I’ve ever been to in Georgia.”
The board then approved rebidding the county’s solid waste contract, which expires at the end of the year. Interim County Manager Byron Lombard said the existing Waste Management agreement dates to 2006 and could be extended, but several potential competitors appear interested in bidding.
Commissioners said cost should not be the only consideration, with Garrett emphasizing service quality and customer service. The decision followed recent complaints about conditions at county convenience centers. Lombard said the sites had been cleaned after the county raised concerns with Waste Management.
Commissioners also adopted a policy requiring board approval of SPLOST and T-SPLOST expenditures. Lombard said the change would provide greater transparency because those capital expenditures previously did not come before the board through the annual budget process.
“It assures the taxpayer that what they’ve agreed to do or agreed to vote for is actually being done,” District 1 Commissioner Tom McElhenney said.
The board also unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement regarding SPLOST 10 funds going to the Putnam County Hospital Authority. Lombard said the agreement will require invoices and additional documentation showing how the money is spent.
Commissioners then approved the fiscal 2027 budget, with all four commissioners voting in favor and authorizing Chairman Bill Sharp to sign the budget resolution.
Lombard said the city had completed all statutory steps required for the annual budget process. The budget was largely unchanged from the version previously reviewed, though it included increased funding for fire department education and adjustments to solid waste and public defender funding.
The budget itself was approved, but the county had not yet formally set its millage rates. Lombard said procedural steps involving the Board of Education would delay that action until a later meeting.
He also said the expected maintenance and operations rate would decrease from 6.001 mills to 5.803 mills, while the special service district rate would fall from 0.6 mills to zero. The county’s five-year tax levy history was scheduled for publication as part of the process leading to the millage-rate decision.
Commissioners also discussed the county’s fund balance and long-term spending needs. District 3 Commissioner Steve Hersey noted the general fund exceeds $31 million, with total expenditures approaching $35 million when the special service district is included.
Lombard said the anticipated fund balance to be used had been reduced from $1.8 million in the current budget to about $1 million in the new budget, while acknowledging the county should work toward maintaining a larger reserve.
Growth was another recurring theme, with commissioners discussing the need to balance Putnam County’s rural character with an equal or greater need to expand its tax base. Garrett suggested the county needs a more deliberate industrial strategy rather than waiting for individual development proposals to arrive.
Commissioners also discussed inviting representatives from organizations including the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Regional Commission to participate in future growth-related discussions, as well as county residents with expertise in technologies being considered. County Attorney Adam Nelson said he is incorporating additional ideas into the draft ordinance and researching regulations adopted by other jurisdictions.
The board meets next at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, in Room 203 of the Putnam County Administration Building at 117 Putnam Drive in Eatonton.