Campaigning on county property — what’s allowed?

“I see this as more a personnel issue than a sign issue,” said Dove.

But Youngblood noted that the commissioners can’t adjust the personnel policy to address the matter, because the personnel policy only applies to employees under department heads. County employees who work for constitutionally elected officers such as the sheriff, clerk of court, probate judge, magistrate judge and tax commissioner aren’t under the BOC’s personnel policy.

Dove said he feels regulations should allow for people to have signs and express themselves as they do business at county properties. But he said parking a car and leaving it by a main highway with a big campaign sign crosses the line into politicking on county property.

Zoning board chairman Wayne Douglas suggested the BOC consider establishing parking areas for those with campaign signs away from main highways.

The group took no action on the issue, but Youngblood said he’d put the matter on the board’s next agenda.

In other matters Monday, the board held a moment of silence to remember Al Moore, a long-time regular meeting attendee, who passed away last week, and for the victims of Monday’s most-recent school shooting in California.

Chairman Anthony Dove noted that sales tax revenues are up this year, adding that high gas prices mean more sales tax money for the government, but also more fuel expenses.

The board approved requests for Bill and Linda Taylor to rezone 1.68 acres on Nowhere Road from R-R to A-1 to combine with their adjoining property and for Linda Kay Holloman to rezone a portion of her late father’s 144.93 acres on Crabapple Hollow Road from A-1 to A-2.

The board approved a contract with Dove, Stewart & Sons Roofing for $6,800 to put a metal roof on the county 9-1-1 office on Wagner Lane in Danielsville. The company provided the lowest of four bids for the project.

Dove reported that DOT leadership has changed but that the county still has an agreement in writing to have a turn lane installed in front of Comer Elementary School to alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety in front of the school on Hwy. 98. Dove and other local officials hope the DOT will act on that project this summer.