Columbia County commissioners to discuss items related to Helene

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Staff photo by Stephanie Hill

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners. Staff photo by Stephanie Hill

Date: October 14, 2024

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners will meet for its first regular meeting since Hurricane Helene came through the area.

Because the Oct. 1 meeting was canceled due to the hurricane, the commissioners have a lot on the agenda for Tuesday. Several items involve dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

One item related to Helene is a commercial emergency work authorization with Servpro of Augusta for Savannah Rapids Pavilion. The facility is closed indefinitely due to damage sustained during the storm. Following Hurricane Helene, Savannah Rapids Pavilion (SRP) has been closed indefinitely due to damage sustained during the storm. Cassidy Harris, public relations manager with Columbia County, said a tree fell on the building, which then set off the fire suppression system. 

During the state of emergency, County Manager Scott Johnson entered into an agreement with ServePro, which the commissioners will need to ratify.

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Another item is resolution 24-44 which is a local State of Emergency for Tropical Storm Helene. According to the agenda document, Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for all counties relating to Helene. Following this, Chairman Doug Duncan executed a local state of emergency, which the commissioners will need to ratify.

A third item related to Helene is a contract amendment 1 with Ceres Environmental Services for Disaster Debris Management Services. The agenda document states that due to dealing with Helene and for the safety and health of the citizens, County Manager Scott Johnson had to negotiate contract amendment 1 with Ceres Environmental Services for disaster debris management, and commissioners need to ratify the amendment.  

Also on the agenda is the second reading of Ordinance 24-02, which is amending Chapter 46 Health and Sanitation, Article V Body Art Section 46-117. According to the agenda document, the Department of Public Health amended rules of DPH in 2023, so the county now must amend their ordinance to mirror DPH. 

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“The purpose is to establish standards for individuals performing body art procedures and for the facilities in which those procedures are provided in order to ensure the health and safety of individuals performing and receiving these services,” according to the agenda document.

The commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at the Evans Government Center complex. To view the full agenda, visit columbiacountyga.gov.

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The Author

Stephanie Hill has been a journalist for over 10 years. She is a graduate of Greenbrier High School, graduated from Augusta University with a degree in journalism, and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Masters in Mass Communication. She has previously worked at The Panola Watchman in Carthage, Texas, The White County News in Cleveland, Georgia, and The Aiken Standard in Aiken, S.C. She has experience covering cities, education, crime, and lifestyle reporting. She covers Columbia County government and the cities of Harlem and Grovetown. She has won multiple awards for her writing and photos.

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