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Stephens postpones ASI permit-fee waiver while approving a driveway exception

Commissioners wanted firmer cost estimates before waiving permit fees for the industrial project, but separately approved its private-driveway request.

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The meeting, reported

Stephens County commissioners postponed a requested permit-fee waiver for ASI Southeast until July 28, saying they needed better estimates of the county's third-party review costs and the project's likely permit fee.

The board treated a related request differently. Commissioners approved an exception to the county's private-driveway requirements so ASI could create a named private drive serving its new facility.

Commissioners also approved routine tax-digest corrections and a consent-order agreement with the Georgia Department of Revenue, then approved invoices and quotes that included emergency recreation-department HVAC work, tempered glass at the government building, and a vehicle for the district attorney's office.

What happened

Decisions, consequences, and the next evidence.

tabled

ASI permit-fee waiver postponed

The board postponed the fee-waiver vote to July 28 so staff could develop firmer project-cost and third-party review estimates.

Why it matters
The county's permitting work is outsourced, so a full waiver could leave taxpayers covering costs the applicant otherwise would pay.
What happens next
Check the July 28 meeting record for the amount considered and the final vote.
approved

Private-driveway exception approved

Commissioners approved an exception allowing ASI Southeast to establish a named private driveway for its facility.

Why it matters
The exception removes a code obstacle affecting access and addressing for the new facility.
What happens next
Track permitting and construction milestones for the project.
approved

Capital and operating purchases approved

The board approved the presented bills, including $21,561.74 for emergency HVAC repair, $30,738.93 for tempered glass, and $41,491 for a district attorney vehicle.

Why it matters
The recording says the glass work came in below its $33,812.82 capital-project budget and the vehicle had budgeted capital funds available.
What happens next
Match the approved amounts to the next published payment or expenditure records.

Watch the record

Go straight to the moments that matter.

Hosted on the county commission's official YouTube channel.

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Timestamped transcript moments

These timestamped excerpts come from machine-generated YouTube captions. They may contain errors; use the linked video and official minutes as the controlling record.

  1. Why the permit-fee waiver was postponed
    I'll come back to motion. I have thoughts on. I'm not like I would make a motion that we postpone voting on this item to just give us a little bit more time to firm up some numbers. That's just my feeling so that um like Commissioner said, I don't want to have a 50,000 um you know, shortfall because we're having to pay out a third party and we don't have that reimbursement coming in. So. You Second that motion. Just for further discussion on that because to speak to that point, we don't want to we don't control all the costs associated with those permitting fees. So I think the the feeling here is we don't want to number before we are confident on that. And there may be a way percentage-wise we can uh figure that out like Yeah, we could we could get with ASI and get a rough estimate of the the cost of the project which could help us calculate what the actual permit fee would be for the project. Um and from there we could determine what our our costs would be associated with it and give you that information for you guys. I think that would be helpful. Um you know, it's not that we don't want to help. It's just that it's maybe fairly substantial. So um because the project is substantial. So I think, you know, getting a little bit more information. If it was in-house, I would feel very differently. Um and because it's not in-house and we're not in that position yet. Hopefully at some point we might be, but we're not. Um that would be with my motion. I got a motion and a second to postpone to our next meeting for additional data to be collected on the All in favor? I. All right, we'll postpone that to our next regularly scheduled meeting. I
  2. Driveway exception approved
    item number four also involves ASI. That is a motion to waive certain driveway requirements in article six, section 18-205 of the Stevens County Code of Ordinances. ASI Southeast is wanting to create a private driveway and with their own name for access to the facility that would give them the option to utilize that address point directly for their new facility. Our ordinance does require that for private driveways, they must contain three or more habitable structures not visible from the public road roadway, excuse me. Obviously, ASI does not meet this requirement, so they're asking for a waiver for that to get that private driveway created. And I talked with Danielle and she's got no concern with that. Got a motion and a second to approve the exception for the driveway requirements. All in favor? I. All right, those are approved.
  3. Purchases and budget context
    All right, first we have a quote from Jan Comfort Solutions in the amount of $21,561.74. This is for emergency repair at the wreck department for HVAC units. The work has already been completed due to our emergency repair policy. We are now asking you to solidify the invoice. Next, we have an invoice from Acree Oil in the amount of $12,653.66. This is for a regular gasoline drop and funds are budgeted. We have a quote from Elite Glass in the amount of $30,738.93. This is for the final phase of tempered glass at the government building. Funds were budgeted at $33,812.82 in this year's capital projects budget, so the project will be coming in under budget. And last, we have a quote from Billy Cain Ford in the amount of $41,491. This is for a new vehicle for the DA's office. Funds are budgeted and available in capital. Motion to pay the bills. Second.

The story is not over

What NEGA Brief is watching next.

  • checking next recordJuly 28 ASI permit-fee decision
  • watchingASI construction and permitting milestones
  • watchingPayment records for approved purchases

Source stack

Read or watch the evidence yourself.

Outcome language is grounded in official minutes or transcript evidence. Agenda material is used only for context.

agendaOfficial July 14 agenda packetNew business and invoices/quotesOpen official sourceminutesOfficial July 14 minutesNew business items 1-4 and invoices/quotesOpen official sourcetranscriptOfficial video with YouTube automatic captionsTimestamped excerpts shown belowOpen official source

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