Commission makes school board tax rate official

In a short meeting on Friday, Chatham County commissioners made the school board's millage rate official. The millage rate is used to determine property tax amounts.

County commissioners are required by the state to adopt the millage rate levy resolution for public boards of education. The millage rate for the Savannah-Chatham school board is 18.881.

The millage rate is the same as last year, but represents a 3.27% property tax increase over the rollback rate of 18.284 mills. The rollback rate is the rate that could be used to generate the same revenue as last year. Since the rollback rate is not being used it is considered a property tax increase.

Someone with a property tax bill of $2,000 will pay the same amount as last year, but could have saved 3.27% if the rollback rate was used.

The county has no official input into the school board's budget.

Commissioner Dean Kicklighter voted against the resolution.

"This is a stupid Georgia law that we have to pass (this) without any information," Kicklighter said. "They need to change the law."

In other action, commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding between Step Up Savannah and Chatham County at a cost of $19,000. Step Up Savannah will provide public benefits screening to county employees.

Step Up Savannah is a nonprofit organization that as part of their services screens and assesses individuals to determine their eligibility for public benefits.

County staff reported that in Savannah 25% of the residents live in poverty. Staff also said in a memo to commissioners that they believe that many county employees with dependents will qualify for some help.

Commissioners also approved the acceptance of several grants, including a Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities grant for the Savannah-Chatham Drug Court in the amount of $194,750. The county serves as the local fiscal agent for the grant.

A grant of $684,472 from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the Juvenile Justice Incentive program was approved.

The grant will continue programming for the youth and families of Chatham County.

In a memo to commissioners, county staff wrote that the goals of the program include reducing felony commitments to the Department of Juvenile Justice and Short-Term Program (STP) sentences, reducing annual secure detention admissions, and reducing recidivism.

The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council also awarded the county a grant of $61,182 for a full-time administrative assistant in the Chatham County Juvenile Court.

Purchases

Pending approval by the county attorney, commissioners approved a joint build agreement with Uniti Corporation. The agreement is for burial and placement of fiber conduit.

County staff report that cost increases from Comcast to lease fiber for all government and education customers, along with a lack of redundancy for emergency public safety services with Comcast, led to pursuing the new agreement.

Uniti is burying fiber optic infrastructure in the area and along routes similar to the county's needs.

The agreement, if given attorney approval, would save the county $6 per foot to bury fiber optic infrastructure. Over the entire joint build the savings could exceed $1.7 million, staff reported.

If the county did the same work on its own, the cost would be over $4.7 million.

County staff said they estimate the entire cost for the complete fiber ring would be $3.024 million.

First reading

The first reading of a rezoning request was held for a three-acre portion of a 4.22 acre parcel on the west side of Beverly Street. The petitioner, Randy Parrish, is requesting a change from R-2 (two family residential) to RMH (residential manufactured home) zoning classification.

The Metropolitan Planning Commission recommends approval.

A second reading with be held at the next county commission meeting on July 26. Commission meetings start at 9:30 a.m.

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