Newton County commissioners approve 4‑H MOU, pest‑control change order, Piedmont testing contract, conflict waiver, rezoning and UDO amendment
May 15, 2026 | Newton County, Georgia
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At its May 5 meeting the Newton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a slate of items brought forward by staff.
Key actions included:
- Renewal of the annual financial agreement (MOU) with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to continue funding a Newton County 4‑H agent; presenter Ashley Best provided 2025 program impact numbers and the board approved the renewal.
- Approval of Change Order No. 1 to the prime pest‑control contract, increasing the annual contract from $8,480 to $8,640 (a $156 annual increase), funded from the general fund and budgeted.
- Approval of a contract with Piedmont Urgent Care (Well Street LLC) for up to $20,000 to provide the county’s random drug and alcohol screening for employees, and approval of a separate after‑hours incident‑driven testing arrangement (listed maximum $7,200, with staff discussion noting typical after‑hours expense nearer $2,200). Commissioner Long asked for a $2,500 cap on certain spending and requested board notification if costs approached the maximum; staff indicated the caps and billing structure would be managed within the program budget.
- Approval of a conflict‑waiver for Gerard & Davis LLP to permit joint representation of Newton County and the Newton County Solid Waste Management Authority with the caveat that the firm will withdraw from representing the Authority if a true adverse conflict arises.
- Approval of rezoning case REZ26‑000002 to rezone 1 acre of the parcel at 498 Rocky Plains Road from Agricultural to Agricultural Residential (Tract 2) with enumerated staff conditions; petitioner Clint Harris said the rezoning would allow him to convey a home site to family.
- Adoption of UDOAMD26‑001, a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance that updates rules for convenience stores and adds a new site‑maintenance requirement for nonresidential properties (see separate coverage for details).
All recorded votes on these items were unanimous at the meeting. The board then heard an extended public‑comment period and adjourned.
Key actions included:
- Renewal of the annual financial agreement (MOU) with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to continue funding a Newton County 4‑H agent; presenter Ashley Best provided 2025 program impact numbers and the board approved the renewal.
- Approval of Change Order No. 1 to the prime pest‑control contract, increasing the annual contract from $8,480 to $8,640 (a $156 annual increase), funded from the general fund and budgeted.
- Approval of a contract with Piedmont Urgent Care (Well Street LLC) for up to $20,000 to provide the county’s random drug and alcohol screening for employees, and approval of a separate after‑hours incident‑driven testing arrangement (listed maximum $7,200, with staff discussion noting typical after‑hours expense nearer $2,200). Commissioner Long asked for a $2,500 cap on certain spending and requested board notification if costs approached the maximum; staff indicated the caps and billing structure would be managed within the program budget.
- Approval of a conflict‑waiver for Gerard & Davis LLP to permit joint representation of Newton County and the Newton County Solid Waste Management Authority with the caveat that the firm will withdraw from representing the Authority if a true adverse conflict arises.
- Approval of rezoning case REZ26‑000002 to rezone 1 acre of the parcel at 498 Rocky Plains Road from Agricultural to Agricultural Residential (Tract 2) with enumerated staff conditions; petitioner Clint Harris said the rezoning would allow him to convey a home site to family.
- Adoption of UDOAMD26‑001, a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance that updates rules for convenience stores and adds a new site‑maintenance requirement for nonresidential properties (see separate coverage for details).
All recorded votes on these items were unanimous at the meeting. The board then heard an extended public‑comment period and adjourned.
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