Hall County Commission Chairman David Gibbs and Commissioner Greg Poole appeared Wednesday on 97.5 Glory FM’s “Community Focus” and “topic #1” was the Tuesday night suspension of the county planning commission. Here is a transcript of that part of the program. Speaker #1 is host Mike Wofford, #2 is Gibbs, and #3 is Poole. You can also listen to the entire one-hour program here: Community Focus
Speaker 1
97.5 Glory FM. Your family radio station in North Georgia time once again for
Community Focus, our public affairs program. I’m Mike Wofford and joining us this
morning from the Hall County Commission is Chairman David Gibbs and also
Commissioner Greg Poole. Good to see you guys. Good to be here.
Speaker 2
Thank you, Mike.
Speaker 1
Good to be here. I appreciate it very much. So we invite them to come in this morning.
First time we’ve had the Commission Chairman and also Commissioner Greg Poole
joining us here on our station. Last night was a very important meeting with the Hall
County Commission. And during the meeting, the last item of interest last night was the
temporary suspension of the Hall County Planning and Zoning Commission. And
Chairman, tell us about what happened.
Speaker 2
Well, Mike, what’s happened is we had a citizen bring to our attention that we had, you
know, we had a planning commission that they thought was having some quorums,
which means three or more commissioners in a meeting, which has to be publicized.
And it violates the Sunshine Law, which is the Open Meetings Act. So at that point, we
have to address it. So that’s why we did what we did. We have substantial belief that it
needs to be temporarily suspended at this time until we do a third-party investigation
and basically see what the outcome is and see what we need to do.
Speaker 1
Now I was listening to the meeting last night on the Hall County website. Can you tell
me how was the vote last night? Was it unanimous in favor of all the commissioners?
Speaker 2
The vote last night was unanimous to suspend the Planning Commission.
Speaker 1
All right, so then what’s now is the next step? Will you end up hiring a third party or
what’s the process?
Speaker 2
We are going to hire a third party, yes, for an independent third party investigation.
Speaker 1
Got an idea about a time span of what it’s going to take to go through this process?
Speaker 2
I don’t. They’re thinking maybe 30 days, but I don’t think it’ll take too long.
Speaker 1
All right, so then what happens in the meantime when it comes to planning and zoning?
Is basically the department closed down or just for the commissioners that were part of
this board?
Speaker 2
The staff will continue as normal. The only thing that will happen temporarily is it will
come straight to us instead of going to planning and zoning.
Speaker 1
All right, both of you would explain to your listeners really the authority of the Planning
and Zoning Commission that was temporarily suspended last night, because each of
you members of the Hall County Commission, y’all select someone to be on this board.
Explain that they’re voting.
Speaker 3
It’s a sounding board. for the community. And I want to say this to the planning
commissioners that have served on there. They have served valiantly. They have they
exhaust a lot of time. They have served. There’s a couple of them on there that if people
knew how many hours they’ve dedicated of their life on this board, they would say, holy
cow. So I don’t want it to go without saying like it looks like we’re attacking nobody
because I can guarantee right now, this investigation is for their benefit. It really is. So
because they’re not guilty until proven innocent. They’re innocent until proven guilty if
there’s any guilt there. So this would be to benefit them. And they work tirelessly. But
what it is basically, honestly, is a sounding board. It is a board that is, and I’ve asked
Hall County this, is it legal? Is it mandated? And the answer is no. it’s a
recommendation board just to get the pulse and help with and what our planning
commission would do but work with staff get recommendations and all things to help put
on here they are not a board that has any authority to approve anything they’re just a
sounding board that’s my take now I might be way wrong but I’m being honest.
Speaker 1
David what do you think?
Speaker 2
I’m I’m the same as Greg feels. The only thing that kind of confuses me sometimes is
just like on the project they voted last night. Well, the planning board voted 5 to 0 to
deny it. That’s kind of confusing to me. as to why it would even come to us if it’s been
denied. Now I may be right, wrong, whatever, I don’t know, but it’s kind of odd that it
would even come forward to us if it’s denied 5 to 0. But they are just a, you know,
they’re a advisory board. They’re just a, it’s a recommendation.
Speaker 1
So how much communication do these board members have with you as
commissioners?
Speaker 3
I have, this is mine. I tell him to vote however he wants to, on anything, because I’m
going to vote how I’m going to, no matter what nobody says. So I want him to follow the
Hall County guidelines. per the zoning request. And if by the law, if it does not fit the
standard, don’t vote for it. If it does fit the standard, vote for it. And then when it gets up
to me, if I don’t like it, I’ll vote against it. Because I am, as being a Hall County
Commissioner, you’re more of a voice for your constituents.