The Putnam County Board of Commissioners debated sales tax priorities and county spending in a three-hour meeting Oct. 2, as well as approved equipment purchases, road improvements, and employee benefit changes.
Among the largest expenditures was a $333,514.82 purchase of irrigation materials for the county-owned and -operated Uncle Remus Golf Course (URGC) near downtown Eatonton. It ultimately received approval after commissioners decided which special-purpose, local-option sales tax (SPLOST) funds should cover the cost.
URGC superintendent Michael Benton told commissioners the existing irrigation system, installed in 1991, had deteriorated to the point of crews repeatedly fixing leaks and struggling to maintain the course, especially during dry weather.
“We are patching patches,” Benton told the commission. He added that two major water lines had ruptured over the previous three weeks.
The new irrigation system should improve watering consistency, reduce electricity costs, and improve overall course conditions. Benton said the project could be completed by April 2027, weather permitting, with installation bids expected next month.
District 3 Commissioner Steve Hersey proposed shifting the purchase from SPLOST 9 to SPLOST 10; however, the amendment failed, and the original motion to use SPLOST 9 passed. Chairman Bill Sharp voted in favor, as did District 1 Commissioner Tom McElhenney and Commissioner Richard Garrett of District 2, where URGC is located. Hersey opposed, with District 4 representative Jeff Wooten absent.
Later in the meeting, six pieces of outdated URGC equipment, including golf carts, a utility vehicle, mowers, and a greens roller, were declared “surplus” and will be put up for sale.
The commission also approved a new three-year lease to replace four underperforming consumer-level tractors used to mow county right-of-ways. Interim County Manager Byron Lombard said only one of the existing tractor/mowers is currently in service.
Each commercial-grade replacement tractor will have 110-horsepower, four-cylinder engines, and can accommodate wider mowing attachments, compared with 75 horsepower from three cylinders for the current equipment. The annual lease payment will increase to $87,559, almost double the previous arrangement, Lombard said. However, he added that a manufacturer buyback agreement helps to make the replacement possible, and said any extra cost for the new lease will come from the county’s public works budget.
Road improvements also figured prominently. Commissioners approved an E.R. Snell resurfacing contract covering Hillsborough Road, Reid Drive, and Spring Road, along with Clyde Circle and Clyde Court, Riverside Drive, Thunder Road, Lake Forest Drive, and Pine Circle. The additional roads helped meet state-matching requirements for approximately $2.26 million in Georgia Department of Transportation funding.
The board also approved replacing a failed drainage crossing on West River Bend near Lake Oconee with a concrete box culvert. Lombard said when upstream conditions changed, they washed out the road and temporarily cut off neighborhood access, but the concrete replacement is designed to handle a 100-year flood event.
The board also renewed leases for four convenience centers at Browns Chapel, Glades, Rabbit Skip, and Wards Chapel Roads. Rates remained unchanged, though one agreement was shortened from three years to one year because of shared property ownership.
Commissioners also approved $2,721 in Fire Department expenses covered by grants and donations, and $29,721 in fiscal 2026 budget adjustments, including $27,000 for accrued leave paid to a retiring finance director.
In another personnel matter, commissioners established a post-retirement health insurance benefit program for eligible county employees. The resolution included age requirements of 55 to 62 years old, and officials were directed to pursue local legislation to formalize the program. Lombard said putting the benefit into local law would give employees greater assurance that a future board could not easily eliminate it.
The board also approved amendments to the county’s personnel manual to address paid time off accrual for employees working 24-hour shifts, and how previously accrued catastrophic leave would be credited at retirement.
The commission adopted zoning ordinance changes and clarified the appointed Planning & Zoning board is authorized only to review applications and make recommendations under rules established by the commission, rather than making final political decisions.
Commissioners also formally acknowledged inconsistent references to the Jimmy Davis Park Partnership Advisory Committee, which had been referred to as a committee, council, and board at various times. They also reaffirmed the JDP committee’s dissolution more than a year ago, addressing some confusion about its status and the applicability of Georgia’s Open Meetings Act.
During commissioner reports, Hersey raised concerns about a proposed $200 million bond issuance tied to the Lake Oconee Area Development Authority’s C-PACE program. He said attorneys for Putnam and Greene counties had interpreted state law as requiring both counties to adopt a resolution before the joint authority proceeds. Hersey said he plans to propose revisions to Putnam County’s resolution to provide additional protections.
Garrett also thanked those involved in bringing the Hiram Little monument to fruition, calling its Sept. 30 unveiling “a milestone” for Eatonton and Putnam County.