The Greene County Board of Commissioners reviewed FY25 budget requests during a special called meeting on July 26.
Many requests up for consideration fall under public safety.
The largest line item, $1.2 million, would replace microwaves used on towers to connect all public safety radio communications. Six microwaves, including some that shoot out to Oconee County, need to be replaced. County manager Byron Lombard said Greene County would cover the cost of three microwaves, while Oconee County would pay for the other three.
“I believe we’ve got to do it,” he said. “They degrade over time, and eventually, they just fail. If they fail, we will go into site trunking, which is awful.”
The county could wait until 2026, but Lombard said he is worried about the risk.
“You know how many times your phone gets a software update? It’s all the time, and then you have to replace the phones after a while. It’s a very similar technology to the radio system, so I am concerned.”
“[Microwaves] have a spectrum that they shoot out,” he added. “Over time, the ability of that microwave to produce that bandwidth, and spectrum, degrades. So, what happens is that span goes away, and it just doesn’t go far enough. When it gets to the point where it can’t fit in that spectrum, and it’s shooting under or whatever, you’re done. You don’t just replace one. You don’t just call up and say ‘alright, go and get us a new one.’ Everything has a lead time.”
The commissioners plan to set another $100,000 aside for the preventative maintenance of mobile radios used by law enforcement.
Lombard said preventative maintenance will keep the radios running for another three to four years before the county has to purchase new ones. Another $125,000 will be used to replace uninterrupted power supplies at four EMS stations.
The county also looks to invest $115,000 into emergency medical dispatching software, allowing EMS to prioritize emergency calls.
Currently, EMS does not have a system to prioritize ambulance calls or determine what is an emergency, so they respond to calls in the order they are received.
According to Lombard, dispatchers would undergo “rigorous training” on the new software, allowing them to ask questions to determine emergencies and enable EMS to divert resources to higher-acuity calls.
The BOC also considered personnel-related public safety issues. First, it wants to remove the shift supervisors from EMS trucks and replace them with three paramedics, at a total cost of $308,725.
“EMS is extraordinarily busy,” Lombard explained. "The number of times that we need a fourth, fifth, and sometimes even a sixth ambulance is overwhelming, and you don’t get to decide when those times are.”
“I listen to the radio traffic — it’s worrisome,” he added. “In many ways, this helps delay the time when we have to put up a MED 4. I cannot project when that will be, [but] I will say this buys us many years.”
He said county staff had explored options like adding a fourth ambulance crew, which would cost double the budget request. He said that even with the fourth ambulance crew, the county would still need to remove the supervisors so they can manage personnel and do quality control.
Three full-time firefighter positions with benefits, totaling $212,850, and a part-time firefighter position at $19,608, are also being considered to help provide shift relief.
Other budget items on the table for FY25 include:
• $270,000 to start an agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management. The system will track and manage the county’s vehicle inventory, excluding dump trucks, fire trucks, and ambulances. The system allows the county to maintain ownership, while still giving them buying power and the ability to sell at a premium.
According to county finance manager Amanda Smith, the new system could replace up to 36 vehicles in FY25 based on the current proposal.
Capital expenditures for the Sheriff’s Office would also be reduced by $180,000 as law enforcement vehicles would be included in Enterprise. Smith said that fuel costs may also be reduced over time. “The benefits more than cover the costs,” she said about Enterprise.
• $84,000 for a low-boy trailer for the road department and $5,205 for road plates used primarily to replace cross drains.
• $81,663 for an additional deputy public works director position plus benefits to help with road work demands. A vehicle for that position is estimated to cost $55,000.
• $69,540 to replace 21 payroll clocks and move to Tyler Technologies' Time & Attendance Software. According to the county’s finance manager, the new software will make payroll more efficient by eliminating duplicate calculations and allowing employees to access more information.
• $66,820 for a code enforcement inspector position specifically to help with erosion control related to construction.
• $ 63,819 for an additional field appraiser position plus benefits.
• $40,000 to cover the grant writing assistance fee and preliminary architectural design necessary to apply for the Community Development Block Grant for the Senior Center’s expansion. The plan is to use the grant to expand the parking lot and the areas for meal loading and pick-up.
• $23,000 to replace the roof at the recreation department’s maintenance building, plus $15,000 for HVAC repairs at the gym.
• $ 15,000 for a utility vehicle to replace a golf cart at the recreation department.
• $ 12,850 to move CAD consoles to the 911 network room.
The move involves a one-time certified shredding service for some older paper records.
• $ 6,000 added to the regularly budgeted amount for medical supplies, which would cover increasing costs.
• $5,000 would be added to the regularly budgeted amount for the recreation department’s materials and supplies, covering increasing costs.
• $ 5,000 for audio-visual upgrades at the emergency operations center.
• $5,000tosupplement the Board of Equalization clerk’s pay.
• $ 1,500 for law enforcement to attend drone training.
Other business
Also, at the special called meeting, the BOC:
• Denied an appeal regarding an administrative decision related to zoning. Residents William Allen and Bobbie Pate said they had been sent a notice in 2023 saying they violated the county’s zoning ordinance for having Nigerian dwarf goats on their Lakeshore/LR1 property off Twin Rivers Road. An ordinance was passed in 2020, changing the number of animals allowed per acre in LR1 zoning.
Still, the residents said they bought the property in 2018 and intend to retire by the lake with their goats, who are registered as emotional support animals. They said they did their “due diligence” in contacting the county office, where they said an employee didn’t note a problem with the goats.
When given the violation notice, the residents were asked to relocate the goats to a property across the street. Still, they said that the property is a drainage field vulnerable to predators.
They also said they wouldn’t be near the goats, which defeats the purpose of having them as emotional support animals for their mental health. Lombard said the employee no longer works for the county, so the BOC couldn’t confirm what was conveyed.
The BOC also voiced concerns that approving the appeal would set a precedent, “leaving the door open for all other exceptions” at the shore.
While the BOC denied the appeal, the chairman and vice-chairman plan to talk to the residents to see if an agreement can be reached.
• Approved the core aeration of the courthouse lawn.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Greene County Development Authority to expand the wastewater collection system to the Richland Connector and Walker Church areas.
• Approved an updated employment agreement.
• The preliminary plat for Lake Oconee Estates and Beach Club was approved, contingent upon the submission of a verified connection to a qualifying wastewater connection system to serve the development.
• Approved the final plat for the Richland Terrace Golf Cottages.