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The Decatur County Commissioners met for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday morning. The first item on the agenda was a request from Missy Rollins and her Beacon on Boulevard community kitchen. Rollins discussed her plans for the kitchen, which aims to provide meals to those in need, and clarified that it would not be a homeless shelter. The current plans require demolition and restoration on the property; Rollins was requesting a waving of the landfill fees, which county administrator Alan Thomas confirmed the organization, a 501(c)(3), was eligible for. The commissioners expressed support for the project, and voted to approve the fee waiver.

Following this, the commissioners considered approval of a bid for a van. The lowest bidder was Franklin Spring Creek Ford, with a price of $54,395. The commissioners voted to approve the bid.

Next, the commissioners considered an appointment, that being Stephanie Daniels for the SWGA Regional Commission. The commissioners voted to approve the appointment.

The next business item on the agenda was approving the cancellation of the next scheduled commissioner’s meeting, which was scheduled for December 24. This was also approved.

The last major business item on the agenda was considering approval of local legislation, following comments from county attorney Bruce Kirbo, who explained the proposed legislative changes.

“Until 2022, Decatur County had in place a policy for election of commissioners that required a commissioner to have to have been at least 21 years of age and an electorate of Decatur County,” Kirbo explained, “but he or she had to have been a resident of his respective district, the district that he was running for, for at least 18 months before the day that he or she would be sworn in and take office.”

Kirbo went on to explain that in 2022, a general law was passed that changed the requirements throughout the state, now stating that anyone 18 years old would be eligible to hold office in the county, so long as they are a resident of the county in the 12-month period before they would take office.

“That law went on to say that a government authority like the county commissioners, could have a local law passed that would also require up to 12 months residency in the district that you are running for, which we have not done,” Kirbo said. The law specified that 12 months was the maximum, which rendered the county’s previous 18-month residency requirement invalid. The matter presented to the commissioners was voting on a law that would place a 12-month district residency requirement on running for commissioner’s office. The results would be given to local representative Joe Campbell, who would take it to the state legislature. The commissioners voted to approve the legislation.

Following this, the commissioners gave their closing remarks, during which the commissioners presented multiple donated bikes to the Department of Family and Children’s Services.

After this, the meeting was adjourned.