[{"_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":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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6044014,"mediaKeyId","3624148-e8c11c6b20f28374386ebf0e2761383e","parentId",3624148,"title","District attorney presents Spencer Lawton awards; board approves budget amendments, hires court interpreter and accepts action calendar","audioSeconds",2487,"startMs",2098000,"endMs",4585000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624148-e8c11c6b20f28374386ebf0e2761383e&start=2098&end=4585","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624148-e8c11c6b20f28374386ebf0e2761383e/thumbnail_2098000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6044014/Chatham-County/Georgia/District-attorney-presents-Spencer-Lawton-awards-board-approves-budget-amendments-hires-court-interpreter-and-accepts-action-calendar","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6044014-a549d4d07498466a962b0820c9347d6b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196343&Signature=I7eberisixofwqxd3Zuduo-M7ma1NpKZ44WN2L9H9s~S~JuWk1n4IGuOsceXPw5ELOwOPQ-OFx1PPvSwT0aoegmDZoLZEEw76dpwrmT10PLNDo5DIN2oVci3rJcKAh5-FllGW78EXw7cORcTwrJNZdcIp6hwgq6ZfRxKf6IordpsRRDp5wBWd8HTQh05k3zBm9pd5UXfIXPwtA0MgOwPgl6sDRTeJ5~OWStCjFZCtXP5n6l7SkDQ97nTYSQtDMnC6HLNjSJxEYP9LkWOsBNLz6~lTxH~5Dkend8ybh6Xf8V-T5kew5ZxwoGyoZGcK6hzIBX6-9tS03RaFCGSAxztZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chantham County GA ","date","2025-04-11T00:00:00Z","article","District Attorney Jones used the commission meeting to present the first annual Spencer Lawton Jr. Victim Services Award posthumously to the family of former District Attorney Spencer Lawton Jr. and presented the inaugural agency award to Tharrows Place, a local nonprofit serving survivors of human trafficking. The district attorney’s office also announced a $10,000 contribution from its victim services funds to Tharrows Place to support operations.

“On behalf of the Chatham County District Attorney's Office, this first annual Spencer Lawton Junior Victim Services Award is presented to the family of the late Spencer Lawton Junior in honor of his pioneering work in the area of victim services,” DA Jones said, reading the plaque text into the record. Julie Wade, executive director of Tharrows Place, told commissioners the shelter currently houses eight residents aged 12–17 and described therapeutic and educational services for survivors.

The board then moved to several items that required formal action. The transcript records these motions and that votes were cast; it does not include a named roll‑call tally for each vote in the excerpt provided.

Key votes recorded in the meeting record provided:

- Excused absences: A motion to excuse Commissioners Melinda Scott Hodge and Marcia Buford (both in training) was made and seconded and carried. The mover is not named in the excerpt.

- Budget amendments and transfers: The board voted to approve a package of budget amendments and transfers that included increasing Henderson Golf Course operating revenues and expenditures by $150,000; adding supplemental funding of $4,000 each for drug court, mental health grant, and DUI court grant in the multiple grant fund; transferring $555,044 from contingency in the capital improvement program fund to establish the sheriff’s office data center project; and repurposing $1,600,000 originally for Live Oak Library HVAC to Live Oak Public roof and wall retention renovations at Southwest Chatham Library. The motion to approve the listed budget amendments and transfers was moved and seconded and carried.

- Hiring authorization: The board approved hiring a court services specialist to provide interpreting services for state court effective July 1, 2025, because superior court will no longer provide those services. The motion was moved and seconded and carried.

- Action calendar: The board voted to accept the action calendar in its entirety; the motion to approve the calendar was seconded and carried.

Other proclamations and recognitions: The board proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Awareness Month in Chatham County and designated the week of April 13–19 as Public Safety Telecommunicator Week in Chatham County, recognizing 9‑1‑1 staff and their administrators, including 9‑1‑1 administrator Martha Scott Thurman and communications officer Giselle Moore. The 9‑1‑1 presentation included a report that the call center received 559,863 telephone calls in 2024 and that staffing levels had improved (open vacancies moved from about 26 to 8). The board also presented employee service awards recognizing milestone anniversaries for multiple county employees.

The transcript does not show recorded vote tallies by named vote for each motion in the excerpt provided; where totals and roll‑call names were not read into the record, the meeting record shows that votes were cast and the motions carried.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Commission Meeting: April 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District Attorney Jones presented the first annual Spencer Lawton Jr. Victim Services Awards and the board approved budget amendments, authorized a court services specialist hire effective July 1, 2025, excused two commissioners and accepted the action calendar.","taxTitle","Chatham County, Georgia","taxId",2956,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6044019,"Chatham County Animal Services reports higher live‑release rates, outlines TNVR expansion and plans to extend public hours",1853,4628000,6481000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624148-e8c11c6b20f28374386ebf0e2761383e&start=4628&end=6481","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624148-e8c11c6b20f28374386ebf0e2761383e/thumbnail_4628000.jpg","/articles/6044019/Chatham-County/Georgia/Chatham-County-Animal-Services-reports-higher-liverelease-rates-outlines-TNVR-expansion-and-plans-to-extend-public-hours","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6044019-7dc1fc3d8848b88070a4628029aa0b3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196343&Signature=A9uPVc8m1H8SuLmbBQKIPoXqUPNdpjbPUQFWl~s-twEOjGljUl4OpECBsbyMAJdBMJwKrpl6-tfIsz-BoK6GHHaHe6HnQrybwkva89A5y385Ego8ceP4sGBO1zL41fym2aGa0RBEdWxh2Sp~dnYEUGhlnz6fayA29XwA69IR~-okJhSse9ZcwPK9vZmqj8MflfoFWjm2kVN4kg-lALoDUAg3kw-VKQ5cBJP8tmXHvWjoCb50lqOmIknvG-mSphTxbzEE0qiOcHSGd2TXbEeNyOvciikW2Tq-zAO26m6Z0AMZsBZyzB3pq0YOLS64XghXgM0f~H60eVXNmr24rSHNDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Hopper, director of Chatham County Animal Services, told the Board of Commissioners the county’s shelter has increased its live‑release rate through expanded transfer partnerships, a targeted trap‑neuter‑vaccinate‑release (TNVR) program and community outreach, and outlined goals to expand hours and disaster training.

“Most of the animals that we take in as far as cats go, stray cats, are typically injured or sick,” Dr. Hopper said, describing how the county shifted from being primarily a holding facility to managing animals with enrichment, behavioral modification and transfers to partner rescues. He credited the formation of the community portal Chatham90 and partnerships with Renegade Paws, the Humane Society and others for helping move animals into homes or foster care.

Dr. Hopper presented operational details: the shelter is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily and open to the public 1 p.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed to walk‑in public service on Wednesdays for training); field officers respond 24/7 to emergency calls with scheduled non‑emergency coverage from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. He described capacity at the facility — inside/outside runs for dogs, banks of stainless steel cages for cats — and staff composition, including seven field officers, animal care assistants, a part‑time veterinarian and a rescue/adoption coordinator.

On cats, Dr. Hopper said the TNVR voucher program (administered with PetFix, the county’s contracted low‑cost clinic) has reduced impounds and improved cat live‑release statistics. He told commissioners the program typically sterilizes about 80–100 cats per month; because PetFix’s veterinary capacity has narrowed (it currently runs fewer clinic days), scheduling and supply‑chain constraints limit throughput. “We’re kind of stuck with what we do now and stuck with the supply that we have of veterinarians,” he said.

The director said the shelter’s live‑release rate for dogs has risen and highlighted community outreach programs — adoption specials, a volunteer program (26 active volunteers), dog playgroups and a social media initiative — that support placements and transfers. He also described the shelter’s role in disaster evacuation and mutual aid arrangements with shelters in other jurisdictions for mass‑evacuation scenarios.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on follow‑up to citizen complaints, TNVR capacity and peak call times. Commissioner Aaron Whiteley asked whether callers receive updates after reporting welfare checks; Dr. Hopper said staff generally provide status information when asked but that investigatory and privacy limits (and open‑records considerations) sometimes restrict routine disclosures. Whiteley also asked about costs; Dr. Hopper said the PetFix contract costs about $50 per cat and that at roughly 80–100 cats per month that equates to about $4,000–$5,000 per month in voucher fees.

Commissioner Anthony Wayne Noah and others raised wildlife and after‑hours questions. Dr. Hopper clarified that calls about raccoons, alligators and other wild animals should be routed to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) unless the animal is injured or poses a public‑safety threat; animal services focuses on domestic animals, bites, injured or aggressive animals and welfare checks.

Dr. Hopper said a key near‑term goal is to extend public hours at the shelter beyond 4:30 p.m. and expand training for officers, and he asked for support in identifying more local veterinarians to increase TNVR throughput. He reported recent statistics showing the shelter’s year‑to‑date live‑release rate at levels the staff described as their best performance to date.

The board did not take formal action on operations at the meeting; commissioners asked for continued quarterly reporting and additional outreach on TNVR capacity and wildlife resource links for the public.","Animal Services Director Dr. Hopper gave a quarterly presentation reporting improved live‑release rates, reduced feline intake after a TNVR program, staffing and facility details, and plans to extend public hours and increase disaster response training; commissioners asked about follow-up, TNVR voucher capacity and after‑hours service.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6044024,"Chatham County commissioners approve rezoning for AlphaComp tank truck terminal with conditions",442,4144000,4586000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3624148-e8c11c6b20f28374386ebf0e2761383e&start=4144&end=4586","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3624148-e8c11c6b20f28374386ebf0e2761383e/thumbnail_4144000.jpg","/articles/6044024/Chatham-County/Georgia/Chatham-County-commissioners-approve-rezoning-for-AlphaComp-tank-truck-terminal-with-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6044024-27f2536e5b988b961b3338693e6d8b6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196343&Signature=JUT5ZpDQA4IGyD7V8K~zaHKvzHNeLZxVPTcrUV-I5wPMCVZ4MkXt-tfioucBMwoHOVXM7gGY4iKE7Rnix8C-6MYUkZv3jMSOL6zQAVUKe5QsfvvgfnG743zOK4xvkkBvqa7oHZSOvBgKK15Hx0kr-6DaBkJurIOXKyJEbcGBLO-u6PuPl19kGF~Gn4s~RshvxUnENmYfm1ZXV7PBUK8~nEkPyGPgzmWHdVVKgdJSqRJTGjBMhFMFItoPCPJjnoDBIENR6Z~5n~N07prhBpwun4gA8dV45AGlsrV5QO~T2e-MY0JZUQOBTTkbay4zw7Zbe71s1fDFgMNqlMmww5x5rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chatham County commissioners voted to approve a rezoning map amendment to allow AlphaComp Incorporated to develop a proposed tank truck terminal on Silco Road, subject to several conditions aimed at limiting visual and traffic impacts.

The motion to approve the request to rezone 12.56 acres (MPC file Z0924-000508, PIN 1099103001) from PBC to PB was made by Commissioner Dean Kicklighter and seconded; the board then voted to adopt additional conditions as part of the approval.

Commissioner Dean Kicklighter, District 7, read the added conditions into the record and moved approval. He said the property must be buffered from Silk Hope Road by “an 8-foot high solid fence or wall” with masonry columns spaced 30 feet on center and vegetative screening approved by the county arborist to obscure the fence or wall. Kicklighter also limited access to the site to State Route 25 (Ogeechee Road), saying developers “shall obtain an encroachment permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation for a new driveway access point on State Route 25 (Ogeechee Road).”

Other conditions the board recorded require: no site access from Silk Oak Road, with a recorded 5-foot non‑access easement along the rear of the property; installation of an R‑cut at the first traffic signal on the route to prevent U‑turns; gates only at the front entrance of the enclosed facility; and a requirement that the property owner or developer amend the development plan at the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) to show these provisions as conditions of zoning.

The county attorney advised the board that the MPC development plan should be amended to incorporate the conditions; Commissioner Kicklighter amended his motion to include that step, and the amended motion was seconded and approved.

The rezoning item had been tabled multiple times earlier this year while staff gathered information and while the petitioner, nearby property owners and staff negotiated conditions. The MPC had recommended approval from District 7 before the board vote.

No vote-by-name tally appears in the meeting record provided; the clerk called for members to “please cast your votes” after the motion and second. The board chair then moved on to the next agenda items.

The approval does not itself authorize construction; the motion makes the zoning change subject to the recorded conditions, GDOT permitting for driveway access, and submittal of amended MPC development plans that reflect the conditions. Any required permits, building plans and inspection approvals remain separate processes overseen by county staff and state agencies.

Votes at a glance: the transcript shows the motion to approve the rezoning was moved by Commissioner Dean Kicklighter, seconded, and carried by the board (individual roll-call tallies were not read into the public record excerpt provided).","The Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved a map amendment to permit a proposed tank truck terminal on Silco Road, adding site-specific conditions including an 8-foot buffer wall, restricted access to Ogeechee Road, a non‑access easement along Silk Oak Road, and a required amendment to the MPC development plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District attorney presents Spencer Lawton awards; board approves budget amendments, hires court interpreter and accepts action calendar

Chatham County Animal Services reports higher live‑release rates, outlines TNVR expansion and plans to extend public hours

Chatham County commissioners approve rezoning for AlphaComp tank truck terminal with conditions