FYI

The Glynn County Tree Advisory Board will meet on Monday, June 29th, at 3:00 PM at the Ballard Center on the New Jesup Road to considered the proposed tree ordinance.
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The Glynn County Mainland and Island Planning Commissions will hold a joint workshop to consider ordinance revisions on Tuesday, June 30th from 9:00 AM to noon in the second floor conference room of the Pate Building.
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Glynn Environmental Coalition will host its first Friday lunch at the I Hop on 341 at 11:00 AM on July 3rd. Reports on current projects from members are on the agenda.
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RUPA–Residents United for Planning and Action is distributing its newsletter in pdf format (see attached) and soliciting membership renewals electronically
http://rupa-ssi.org
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David and Mindi Egan continue to monitor vehicular traffic on Jekyll Island beaches and are soliciting feedback in a poll:
http://www.savejekyllisland.org/WestinBeachServicesIntro.html
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Mimi Waite weighs in on the consolidation proposal from the Glynn County Commission:

Big thank you to Donna Stillinger and The Brunswick News for shedding light on the Consolidation meeting where Commissioners Brunson and Provenzano met with our legislative delegation.
Commissioner Browning, not included in the meeting, said it best: everything should be out in the sunshine, not behind closed doors. As the legislators pointed out, consolidation must be supported by the residents, and that is not going to happen. Why would we put all the power of Brunswick city gpoovernment and the islands in the handsof the Glynn County Board of Commissioners? This is the Board which is encouraging rampant development on St Simons Island. This is the Board where we used to havefour Commissioners who lived on the islands. Now we have one, and that one is actively seeking to consolidate all the political power in the Glynn County Commission.
It seems to me that the City of Brunswick Mayor and City Council tend to lose power under Consolidation. Most islanders are leaning strong toward Incorporation—not Consolidation.
The arguments made for Consolidation are specious. We would not need fewer Policemen and Firemen.
They have to cover the same amount off territory, whether we have one or two forces. Why the rush to consolidate power in the hands of one Police Chief and one Fire Chief, withone more Glynn County Staff position to oversee them? It seems to me that our current battle over zoning is caused by a too powerful Director of Planning & Development. Whatever Director Hainley says goes. Why would we want to give more power to another County official? Answer: We, the People, would not want to do this. We, the People are against Consolidation.
Mimi Waite
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The Glynn County Department of Community Development has put together a community participation plan for the transportation study process. See attached or contact Cayce Dagenhart at 912-554-7434.
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The editor of The Brunswick News alerts us to the fact that the Georgia Ports Authority, instead of being focused on its assets in Glynn County (24 parcels of land on both sides of the East and Turtle Rivers) is busy plotting investments in South Carolina:
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/opinion/daily_editorial/port-authority-should-invest-at-home/article_99aa3ee3-b7b9-5498-a149-b8005d3d5976.html
Perhaps the fact that only one of the thirteen member Board of Directors resides in coastal Georgia (i.e. Savannah) has something to do with that. While press releases tout increased traffic in and out of Savannah in the month of April 2015, fact is that 2014 was no better than 2010. http://www.gaports.com/Media/PressReleases.aspx

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Mr. David Hainley, Director of Glynn County Community Development, has been asked to respond to the following interrogatories:

1. The number of soil disturbance permits issued by Glynn County during the last fiscal year.

2. The total amount of the fees paid in conjunction with those permits. Does the County keep the entire fee or does it have to be shared with the state?

3) Does the revenue cover the cost of the inspections associated with the soil disturbances?

4) What are the penalties for soil disturbance undertaken before a permit is sought?

5) Which soil disturbances, besides gardening, are exempt from the permit requirements?

6) Are the exemptions based on quantifiable measures (area, depth) relative to the soil or are some disruptive agencies exempt?

7) Is there a privileged class that’s not required to comply with the law? If so, why?

8) Are exemptions granted by state statute? If so, could you specify the relevant statute?

9) Are best management practices a condition of soil disturbance permit compliance?

10) Does the County conduct random inspections as part of the enforcement process?

11) Have any violators of the soil disturbance ordinance provisions been referred to the County Attorney for prosecution during the last fiscal year?

12) Were there court-imposed sanctions?

These questions were prompted, in part, by this paragraph in the Glynn County Code of Ordinances:

“Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan and Land-disturbing Activity Permit. If required by the Glynn County Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance (Code of Ordinances, Article VII), a Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control (E. & S.) Plan shall be submitted to the Community Development Director. The E. & S. Plan may be submitted prior to the time of filing the development’s construction or site plans. A copy of the E. & S. Plan shall be submitted as a part of the filing of the construction plans or the site plans when they are required. A Land-disturbing Activity Permit shall be obtained from the Community Development Director, prior to or concurrent with, receiving construction plan approval. Land disturbing activities shall not begin prior to the issuance of a Land-disturbing Activity Permit, when a Land-disturbing Activity Permit is required. (O-2004-06, 4/1/2004)”

Hannah