The Walker County Board of Commissioners moved briskly through a packed October 2nd agenda in LaFayette, approving policy updates, green-lighting construction, and navigating thorny land-use questions while fielding calls for more public briefings on a proposed Pilgrim’s plant.
After a quick roll call, the board approved the agenda and minutes from the Sept. 4 session, then turned to a slate of modernization efforts that Chairwoman Angie Teems said are aimed at “expanding transparency and accountability.”
The county plans to stand up a public-facing financial software portal in January 2026 that will sit alongside the existing back-end system. The goal is to let residents pull spending and revenue data on demand without filing records requests. Recent tech upgrades already in place include Paycor for payroll—automating timesheets, eliminating paper checks, and giving employees live PTO balances—plus a new agenda-packet system that will accept online submissions and double as a streamlined records-request portal.
CFO Christian Roach reported that, for the month ending Aug. 31, revenues reached roughly $34.8 million (above 100% of budget projections) while expenditures came in near $33.8 million (about 97% of budget). The county also shifted $12 million into a higher-yield Regions interest account. Auditors are slated to work with elected offices in November and return in early December to wrap up the year-end review.
The board also introduced Zeke Goins as the newly promoted Road Superintendent.
Animal Services Director Bailey Clemens said the county’s revived spay/neuter voucher program is already biting into pet overpopulation. Four months in, teams have altered 250+ animals and issued 160+ vouchers, with “roughly a thousand” more animals on the waitlist. No More Puppies Georgia remains a crucial partner, and citizens have chipped in $16,000 in donations. Adoptions will be fee-waived for animals over four months (and two resident pigs) during the upcoming “Empty the Shelter” push.
On environmental redevelopment, Terracon engineer Dallas Whitmill briefed the board on the county’s $500,000 EPA Brownfield Assessment grant. Phase I and II work at the former Crystal Springs Print Works in Chickamauga found impacts in soils, surface water, and (after a second drilling round) groundwater, along with asbestos and other regulated materials in site buildings. At Peerless Mill, testing flagged some soil contaminants and limited soil vapor exceedances; groundwater looked largely clean aside from turbidity-related metals. With funds nearly spent, Terracon is preparing cleanup alternatives to position the county for an EPA remediation grant.
The board worked through a cluster of land-use requests:
Katie Broom home boutique (Hog Jowl Road): Approved a conditional-use variance for in-person sales at her ~300 sq. ft. shop. The condition: if the property is sold, the variance does not transfer.
Old school bus barn (Hwy 27 at Shields Crossroads): Despite a planning commission recommendation to deny, the board approved reducing the deep rear setback—paired with a 25-foot vegetated buffer along the west property line—to make the long, shallow parcel usable for future commercial redevelopment. Walker County Schools officials emphasized a desire to be “good neighbors.”
Leming family farm split (Old Mineral Springs Road): After months of discussion, commissioners granted a six-month conditional variance so the owner can carve out ~3 acres from a 12-acre A-1 tract for a niece to build near family and help on the farm. The condition: return within six months to rezone the new homesite to R-A, keeping the remaining 10 acres in A-1 and avoiding an open-ended precedent for sub-5-acre agricultural lots.
Glentana Street (Rossville): Approved a variance to split a lot; one commissioner abstained due to family ties.
Separately, the board tabled until November an animal-code amendment on spay/neuter ages and pet licensing to align with state law.
A resident pressed District Commissioner Brian Hart about a possible closure of Concord Road. Hart, who has relatives on both sides of the issue, said he will abstain if it comes to a vote and emphasized there’s no active petition before the board; any request would follow the road superintendent’s process.
Another neighbor group asked for detailed briefings, a single point of contact, and follow-up during construction at the Development Authority’s industrial site eyed by Pilgrim’s. Officials said the land has not yet closed and no site plan is filed; stormwater and erosion plans are approved for site prep only. They reiterated a community meeting will be scheduled after closing and confirmed the facility is planned as a cooking plant, not a slaughter (“kill”) plant. Community Development noted hydrant, access, and building code reviews will occur when building plans are submitted.
Historic Preservation Commissioner Randy Pitman announced a $20,000 federal grant to launch Phase II of the county’s historic resources survey this spring, and promoted this year’s Wreaths Across America effort.
On a consent slate, the board adopted its first-ever tuition reimbursement policy for employees, a new travel policy recommended by auditors, reaffirmed the 2025 holiday calendar, retained Arnold & Itkin as secondary counsel in a class action (reporting to Gerard & Davis), and approved the tourism/trade-show budget that governs restricted hotel/motel tax spending by the Chamber.
Public hearing time limits: Standardized to 12 minutes for proponents and 12 minutes for opponents (exceeding the 10-minute state minimum), with board discretion to extend.
Coroner Billy Sims had his salary ratified at $49,400 annually ($4,116 monthly).
Surplus property: Approved a sale list; big-ticket items go to GovDeals, with a local sale planned later for small items.
Ag Center storage building: Awarded a roughly $146,000 contract to Masonry Specialist for a 30×80 block storage building north of the arena. Funded from the 2020 SPLOST agriculture bucket, with county crews handling finishes to stretch dollars. Improvements already completed include painting, paving, HVAC, sound, roof repair, and handrails.
Courthouse interior testing: Authorized about $63k for environmental and structural assessments (asbestos, lead, air quality) following exterior work.
$25,776.75 was approved for the Sheriff’s Office for ARPA-funded lapel microphones from Motorola.
Naomi School culvert: The board ratified an emergency repair totaling $289,750, cost-shared 50/50 with the Board of Education; the county cut the full check and has been reimbursed for the schools’ half.
Commissioner notes & adjournment
District 2 Commissioner Ascue announced the Lofton Lane bridge has reopened, improving emergency response and daily access. Commissioner Hart said the county is evaluating new roadside-mowing strategies after a hard Johnson grass season and reminded residents of Tire Amnesty Day on Nov. 8 at the landfill. Commissioner Wilson shared that USDA will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits countywide Oct. 21–28 (don’t touch baits; call USDA at 1-866-487-3297 with questions) and thanked Fire Chief Hodge and partners for maintaining an ISO Class 3 rating, which helps keep homeowners’ insurance costs down.
After a closed executive session on real estate, personnel, litigation, and cybersecurity, the board reconvened briefly to authorize use of the Development Authority to potentially convey general county properties—and then adjourned.