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County commissioners approve map to create ‘suburban neighborhoods’ in SE Bulloch
Corridors targeted for water, sewer and R-8 zoning
Florie Consolati, left, who has a master’s degree and experience in watershed science, expresses her concerns to the Bulloch County commissioners Tuesday, June 6, about the new “suburban neighborhood” development area’s inclusion of a large percentage of wetlands in the Black Creek watershed. Another citizen, at right, holds a copy of the Future Development Map with the area marked in yellow at the bottom of the county.
- photo by AL HACKLE/Staff
AL HACKLE/Staff
Updated: Jun 10, 2023, 1:30 AM
Published: Jun 10, 2023, 1:26 AM
The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners this week unanimously approved an amendment to Smart Bulloch 2040 Comprehensive Plan and its Future Development Map that stakes out a big new “suburban neighborhood” character area in the southeastern portion of the county.
Bulloch commission votes on Hyundai wells reveal 4-2 split
Meanwhile, staff and officials still moving toward creating well mitigation committee, hiring manager
Nick Newkirk
AL HACKLE/Staff
ahackle@statesboroherald.com
Updated: Feb 11, 2025, 12:53 AM
Published: Feb 11, 2025, 12:52 AM
Two 2024-elected Bulloch County commissioners have been voting against motions – even on details such as a power line easement – that advance the creation of four large wells and a water system by Bulloch and Bryan counties to supply Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America.
However, the opposition votes by Commissioner Ray Davis and Commissioner Nick Newkirk do not block these actions as long as the other four district-elected county commissioners are present and vote in favor. Chairman David Bennett, who was elected by a countywide majority last year and also played a role in citizen opposition to the wells, would have a deciding vote only in the event of a 3-3 or 2-2 tie.
The latest example of two-vote resistance occurred during the Feb. 4 meeting, where the original agenda showed seven items grouped under the “consent agenda” heading for possible approval as a single motion. Commissioners can always request that individual items be moved from the consent agenda to “new business” for separate discussion and votes.
Somewhat unusually, that evening three different commissioners had three different actions moved from the consent to the new business segment.
Commissioner Ray Mosley had the approval of a sole-source purchase of paint to repaint the pools at Splash in the Boro Waterpark separated out to hear an explanation of why bids were not taken. Commissioner Toby Conner separated out a hauling contract so he could abstain from the motion vote involving a relative’s company, with abstentions to avoid conflict of interest being a relatively frequent reason for removing items from the consent agenda.
But Newkirk asked to separate out an item listed as “Approve an Easement to Georgia Power Company.” Bennett asked County Attorney Jeff Akins to explain, and Akins said, “Is there a question about it? It’s for one of the well sites, for Georgia Power to supply power.”
Newkirk’s statement
Newkirk said he didn’t really have a question, only a statement he wanted to read.
“I know this vote is about an easement, but it’s really about the wells,” Newkirk began. “I still think this is a bad deal for Bulloch County. I believe the taxpayers will end up paying more in the end than we have right now. …”
In fact, the packet of meeting materials commissioners had received, and which was made publicly available, contained a copy of the easement allowing Georgia Power access to county-owned land to install and maintain power distribution lines and possibly communication lines to “Bulloch Well 1” and any potential future structures in the easement area.
The easement width is defined as 15 feet on either side of the center line of the overhead distribution lines. An attached map showed one line crossing from State Route 46 to T.R. Smith Road, and another line, to the southwest, extending to a couple of proposed power poles and a proposed transformer between those two roads.
“I think there should have been a referendum from the beginning and the citizens should have made this decision,” Newkirk continued, referring to the wells, not just the easement. “The decision was made by eight individuals, and four of them aren’t even involved with the county anymore. …”
That was a reference to former Commissioners Jappy Stringer and Curt Deal and former Chairman Roy Thompson, whom Newkirk, Davis and Bennett, respectively, defeated in elections last year, and to former County Manager Tom Couch, who resigned last fall. The four returning commissioners were involved in the decision.
Last October, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, or EPD, in issuing Bulloch County and Bryan County permits for the four high-capacity wells, included a long-term condition that the wells drawing groundwater from the deep Floridan aquifer must be replaced by a surface water source – such as the Savannah River – in 25 years.
Shortened timeframe
After the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, or ORK, challenged the permits, the Savannah Harbor Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority, or JDA, and the Riverkeeper organization on Dec. 27 announced a settlement in which they agreed to “facilitate a reduction” in the time to find an alternative water solution to 15 years. Newkirk interpreted this development as a negative one for Bulloch County taxpayers as he continued his brief statement.
“The agreement that was supposed to have water surface to 25 years to supply that was supposed to be done in 2049. Last month the JDA and Ogeechee Riverkeepers made a deal to shorten that to 15 years, moving the transition to 2039,” he said. “That’s a 10-year loss of profit that we would have potentially had and that we were sold on.”
Further, he noted that two weeks previous Gov. Brian Kemp had announced support for a $502 million state investment to supply additional Savannah River water to the region by 2030.
That, Newkirk said, “means we lose another nine years of profit that we were sold on,” reducing Bulloch County’s opportunity to receive money from water sold to the Hyundai plant by 19 years in total.
“I believe we were told last year (Bulloch County’s income from the wells) would gross around $3 million a year, and that would take a substantial hit, dropping us from a potential $75 million down to $18 million,” Newkirk said.
“I thought this was a bad deal from the start, but with the shortened timeframe, it looks even worse for the taxpayers,” he concluded. “I will be voting ‘no’ on this and anything else tied to these wells. Thank you.”
Commissioner Timmy Rushing made the motion to approve the easement to Georgia Power, and Commissioner Anthony Simmons seconded it.
“All in favor?” Bennett asked. Mosley, Simmons, Conner and Rushing raised their hands.
“I’ve got four in favor. All against?”
Davis and Newkirk raised their hands.
“Two against. Motion passes with four in favor,” Bennett said.
Davis’ stand
Davis, elected last May over Deal and originally not scheduled to take office until last Jan. 1, joined the board early, by special appointment in late October, after Deal resigned to move to a different area of Georgia.
Ray Davis, a Bulloch County farmer active in the Stilson and Leefield areas, is seeking Seat 2-A on the Board of Commissioners, as a challenger to incumbent Curt Deal. (AL HACKLE/staff)
So one of Davis’ first votes concerning the wells was on the Bulloch commissioners’ Dec. 17 approval of an agreement with Bryan County to establish the Groundwater Sustainability Program, also called a well mitigation program. That motion passed 5-1, with Davis voting “no.”
The county staff has recently received applications from more than 17 citizens volunteering to fill Bulloch’s three seats on a well mitigation advisory committee, with commissioners to choose the three and possibly a fourth person as an alternate. The committee would work with a well mitigation manager in the program to compensate owners of private deep wells if they go dry or lose pressure because of the four high-volume wells used to supply water to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America.