[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6322515,"mediaKeyId","2347330-e4dc9b44a0a01d1b617659eec42605a5","parentId",2347330,"title","Panel hears concept to add growth-boundary agreements to service-delivery strategy to reduce annexation disputes","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2073000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347330-e4dc9b44a0a01d1b617659eec42605a5&start=2073&end=2073","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347330-e4dc9b44a0a01d1b617659eec42605a5/thumbnail_2073000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6322515/Georgia/Panel-hears-concept-to-add-growth-boundary-agreements-to-service-delivery-strategy-to-reduce-annexation-disputes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322515-9d1f3d329a27b3fb8566bb124c743f74/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138148&Signature=Q77PNXDol3iHPJdbfPLoiFWE9gdxCKP9SUU2N7PVGF7Q09JCBL3ui97gt0OYKwN78c3sQQOsFXrZd299QG1A3M5SZKGxLvxPH89VZdUy8AmAvPvG2Zd4X2FhCMpbfgcGvV~jw54WBYu0S7XS5u6IDTgg~AgqEKeaipTxVRP1whx5zpO7LCr~ga7rWDhndSK2UKSgjsmuxATm3pV3GmnjUMr3yTSLHLUJA70ag4PDOZqMOuq6kolyGuamgvHKySu4EJLauORGZA1Y0dUAusFnjfwtbe4ObdynU9aNHNqcCQzKE977H6DNCoWDAqxtIzI0FNcrXpuXvIUF2ux9t8zhXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","Representative (Chairman) Thomas brought LC473356A (introduced in committee as a concept bill, hearing only) to the House Governmental Affairs full committee to propose adding growth-boundary agreements to the service-delivery strategy (SDS) framework as a pilot option for some counties.

Thomas said the idea grew from a multi-year study and from Cherokee County’s experience, where the county and cities negotiated a growth-boundary agreement that the sponsor said has ended annexation disputes there for four years. \"We decided that instead of spending all this time fighting each other in court, they would create what they call a growth boundary agreement,\" Thomas said, describing the agreement as a negotiated boundary and density plan that allowed both governments to plan services and avoid litigation.

The concept would make that kind of growth-boundary agreement part of the SDS process in places where it fits and would include an opt-out provision Thomas described as a \"double opt out\" (both the city and county would have to agree to opt out). Thomas framed the change as a planning tool to coordinate infrastructure and affordable-housing planning and to give residents outside city limits more input when annexation is possible.

Jim Thornton of the Georgia Municipal Association told the committee the Cherokee County example has been successful and that GMA is willing to work with the author and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) to assess how the idea could or should apply elsewhere. \"This has obviously worked very well in Cherokee County,\" Thornton said, while advising the committee that SDS is complex and the approach would need careful vetting before becoming widely applicable.

Todd Edwards of ACCG also praised the idea as a potential way to reduce litigation and plan growth, while cautioning it would not be suitable in every county. Both associations said more education and a detailed decision tree would be needed so the concept does not become another source of conflict.

Committee members asked about applicability in fully municipal counties (Fulton County was cited as a different context) and whether growth-boundary agreements are binding. Thomas and others said many existing agreements are nonbinding but that the sponsor would like to explore making them binding where appropriate; participants noted most agreements typically last about 10 years and can be revisited.

Because this was a first hearing and a concept bill, the committee took no final action. GMA and ACCG pledged to work with the sponsor on drafting and on outreach to local governments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","02.19.2025 Governmental Affairs","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Thomas presented a hearing-only idea to allow local growth-boundary agreements to be incorporated into the service-delivery strategy process as a pilot, citing Cherokee County's experience. Local government groups said the concept merits further study but warned it would require careful drafting and education.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6322520,"House panel clears bill letting administrative officers approve minor zoning permits",211,1873000,2084000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347330-e4dc9b44a0a01d1b617659eec42605a5&start=1873&end=2084","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347330-e4dc9b44a0a01d1b617659eec42605a5/thumbnail_1873000.jpg","/articles/6322520/Georgia/House-panel-clears-bill-letting-administrative-officers-approve-minor-zoning-permits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322520-873cb52ca9ff6995ca8a6ecb324133b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138148&Signature=R8vWBOQ562UF4q3aGvkwMgOwb~7fRAz8UY6SmO0z39YMLyxRSvIO3tlgeLFcYgXbxhtcWzuj9rr0RUq9YXXe0fQl0jF5pnCapi~1GuhjjQJUeUj04mNZhnE2xUAQUubHvy53NdcTwfsnx1wWcUPBJoywIt0Tgs3SAX6ch1ganDaGVGrwHGjv1Wh8rpX~2RwJ3lEmDaO4~tFd06EDWD5E50Kzl-3lruoIgLqTgGzzxcJJZ6FCcEXQyFzMD20ouUC09TIIutb9YyG5MIrpkL7rge4vrarkx786e55yfCIyvm0DetKEZFFoPbx7IyABiA5AT~pbiGmPKSLd0NRRtu21Pw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Reeves presented House Bill 318 to the House Governmental Affairs full committee as a cleanup and clarification of recent changes to local zoning law.

Reeves said the bill responds to confusion about whether certain permits are zoning decisions that require notice and hearing or are administrative approvals. \"This clarifies that an administrative officer can handle those types of permits,\" Representative Reeves told the committee, citing examples including food-truck permits, short-term land-use permits, building facades and porches.

The sponsor said the draft reflects input from a blue-ribbon group of local government and zoning lawyers and about 500 written comments collected since the prior session. The bill also clarifies procedures for appealing zoning denials and aims to reduce litigation over procedural appeal paths.

Committee members had no substantive questions at the full-committee hearing. A motion to advance the bill passed by voice vote and the committee instructed staff to forward the measure to the rules committee.","The committee approved HB 318, a zoning bill that clarifies which permits are administrative rather than rezoning decisions, aiming to speed approvals for items such as food-truck permits, facades and porches and reduce unnecessary notice-and-hearing delays.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6322524,"House committee advances bill to let Ethics Commission seek out-of-state election evidence",909,1004000,1913000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347330-e4dc9b44a0a01d1b617659eec42605a5&start=1004&end=1913","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347330-e4dc9b44a0a01d1b617659eec42605a5/thumbnail_1004000.jpg","/articles/6322524/Georgia/House-committee-advances-bill-to-let-Ethics-Commission-seek-out-of-state-election-evidence","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322524-632186e73e7c7fd87c23411f3dd83013/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138148&Signature=Ge1CI0gta4HsPpc1ajiGUSQaTsZL3KtxBp-Bs2~SYMkLGdPzH8Ge5oqhbTV9cR8PfAIDu7DO4JfkVumeO0KcouM2ntlJGcJnOioQMw~3eVteLAL2oysF~QtS3Me5iKByV8Ov1L-9rXLmrw9Zv3ehdALxKMHMH5MfOiQg8a5nC2Mn0yLXcafuyKGAO3k5pNaze6M2XZMTXSV76SUya9aylvnM5S8qJpiWlqXd9tRz2eQmhJnZZdvps1xJw47SGPdwXWN7zUHx~yUPjYv-7xmqFMQEQNQxnkWbjbbIFFo-o6-ZmSaN94w9JHA~uHSLUgJ6zpd-~tred2TxfjE8Nf9RMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Todd Jones, chairman of the House Governmental Affairs full committee, introduced LC473421S (referred to in committee as House Bill 414) to give the Georgia Ethics Commission a mechanism to obtain evidence from nonresident vendors who work on Georgia elections.

The measure, presented as a substitute, would define “nonresident” in line with the state’s long-arm framework, enable the commission to seek Superior Court assistance when a nonresident will not comply with an investigatory request, and designate Fulton County as the venue for such actions. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote.

The bill responds to what Jones described as a gap in enforcement: \"Individuals outside of our state are not, I'll say, at reach by the Georgia Ethics Commission,\" he told the committee, saying the commission’s subpoenas effectively stop at the state line. Jones said the substitute lays out a process in which the commission first seeks cooperation and, if necessary, may ask a judge to find requested evidence \"necessary and pertinent\" to an investigation.

David Amati, executive director of the Georgia Ethics Commission, said the bill does not expand the substance of the commission’s authority but gives the agency a practical means to obtain evidence located outside Georgia. \"This just changes our ability to obtain the evidence ... It gives us a mechanism to obtain that evidence if it's out of state from that vendor,\" Amati said, describing instances in which consultants, mail houses or social media vendors outside Georgia hold records needed to investigate possible undisclosed spending.

Committee members asked about timing and the court process. Representative Bernal asked whether backlog in the courts would delay evidence gathering; Jones and Amati replied that the timing would depend on the case and that judges could order expedited hearings during an election if warranted. Representative Adesanya asked whether the bill would apply to consultants who may not know they violated Georgia law; Amati responded that the bill concerns the commission’s ability to obtain evidence rather than creating a new scienter standard.

The substitute defines the nonresident nexus in language tied to Georgia’s long-arm principles and directs that, when necessary, the Ethics Commission may petition the Superior Court to compel out-of-state compliance; Jones said the venue for those proceedings would be Fulton County. The committee moved the bill forward by voice vote and instructed staff to send a copy to the rules committee for processing.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved the substitute for LC473421S/HB 414 by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.","The Georgia House Governmental Affairs committee approved a substitute to allow the Georgia Ethics Commission to perfect subpoenas for out-of-state individuals or vendors with a nexus to Georgia elections, routing enforcement requests through Fulton County superior court when needed.","actionData","errors"]

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Panel hears concept to add growth-boundary agreements to service-delivery strategy to reduce annexation disputes

House panel clears bill letting administrative officers approve minor zoning permits

House committee advances bill to let Ethics Commission seek out-of-state election evidence