The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) deferred an ordinance vote back to its planning commission in order to clarify an unlawful vote that took place a month ago.
The ordinance would grant a special use permit to the property owners of a single-family house at 2724 Sunday Road so that the house could be used as a lodging or rooming house, with certain restrictions.
During an April 9 planning commission meeting, the board had a 3-2-2 vote on the issue, with two members voting “NO” and two other members abstaining. Under Rockdale law, the planning commission cannot have members abstain from a vote unless a conflict of interest exist, which isn’t the case in this situation.
“In order to be legal and within the law, we are referring it back to clarify the vote and have all the members vote rather than abstain,” said Planning and Development Director Marshall Walker during the Tuesday morning voting session.
Post 1 County Commissioner Oz Nesbitt wanted to know what the department was going to do to ensure that the planning commission voted within the confines of the law next time around.
“The difference going into this time than last time is the planning commission felt they were under Robert rules of order. They are not totally under Robert rules of order. They are under our ordinance also,” Walker answered.
In a 2-1 vote, with Nesbitt as the lone dissenter, the BOC sent the ordinance back to the planning board to be voted on lawfully at the planning commission’s June 11 meeting at 7 p.m. There needs to be a majority vote either for or against the ordinance.
A public hearing on the ordinance will be held at 9 a.m. on June 23 at the Assembly Hall, 901 Main Street, Conyers. The BOC will not have a final vote on this issue until its July 14 voting session.
In other county business:
-The BOC approved a contract with Pittman Construction Company, based in Conyers, to do some resurfacing work on 13.9 miles of Rockdale’s roads.
The contract is worth $2.9 million dollars, with a $488,206, 20 percent, contingency fee included. The project will be paid for using 2011 SPLOST funds.
-The appointment of Franklin Beauford to the Rockdale County Board of Ethics commission was approved. This officially completes the board selection process.
The ethics board will hold its first meeting Wednesday, May 13, at 6 p.m. at the Assembly Hall.
