Coffee County commissioners approve appointments, contracts, equipment purchases and opioid‑settlement allocation

The Coffee County Board of Commissioners approved a slate of administrative and capital items at its June 2, 2025 meeting, voting unanimously on appointments, contracts, bids and a rezoning request.

County Administrator Wesley Vickers reviewed board appointments effective July 1, 2025, and the Board approved appointments to the library board, planning and zoning, tax assessors posts and other local advisory bodies. The Commissioners also approved two resolutions related to Tax Assessors Board posts.

Vickers presented a deductive change order of $23,714.94 for SWE #22‑3400B (Jacobs Circle); the Board approved the change order. He also presented Change Order #1 for the County Administration Building with Charles E. Lewis Construction: Vickers stated the original contract was $4,958,569.00 and the change order amount was $182,072.00, producing a new contract total of $5,140,641.00; the Board approved the change order unanimously.

For public safety preparedness, the Board approved a $22,000 contract with the National Fire Services Offices (Harold Starling Jr.) to prepare documentation for an upcoming ISO inspection; Vickers said the contract term and the chairman's name on the document would be adjusted prior to execution.

On opioid settlement funds, Vickers said Coffee County has collected "over $300,000.00" under the national opioid settlements and proposed allocating $150,000 to Unison Behavioral Health under an intergovernmental contract with the City of Douglas; commissioners approved the intergovernmental agreement and allocation, and Vickers said Unison would return annually for reauthorization of funds.

The Board accepted low bids for Road Department equipment, approving Yancey CAT's bids for a motorgrader with sloper and a mini excavator with mulching head (staff recommended the low bids). The Board also approved an engineering services agreement with Statewide Engineering for Hickory Lane street and drainage improvements (contract $53,637.00), noting the County will seek DOT aid and use SPLOST VII funds to help pay the project.

Planning and zoning business included a rezoning request by Cindy Pastrana to rezone 2 acres at 616 Namon Road from AG to RM to allow two duplexes; Planning Commission recommended approval and no members of the public spoke in the hearing; the Board approved the rezoning. Commissioners also approved a text amendment to the zoning ordinance creating a $25 permit for removal of a mobile home that leaves the County so it can be removed from the tax digest.

All votes on the items recorded at the meeting were unanimous. The Board adjourned at 10:09 a.m.

What happens next: Several items (contracts, change orders, engineering services) proceed to execution; Unison Behavioral Health will appear annually for allocation reauthorization. The proposed poultry project on Highway 441 South was not before the Board for action at this meeting and will require formal filings and permitting to proceed.