The DeKalb County Commission had a couple of major issues before it last Monday evening, including funding for a proposed new elementary school and approval of the County Powers Act and a related resolution set to limit where certain land-use businesses can operate within the county.

During public comments at the meeting, several local residents stood up and spoke in support of the County Powers Act and the accompanying resolution. Many residents in the Snow Hill and Liberty area have been up at arms over two proposed rock quarries coming into the area. Residents say the quarries will pollute wells, cause breathing issues from dust, and pose risk from blasting to structures and foundations.

Other residents in the Smithville area have raised concerns over a proposed crypto-currency data mine, which is basically a large group of computers housed in a building, being built near local homes and neighborhoods. Critics say the data mines historically cause very loud noise pollution at high decibels.  

With DeKalb County having no zoning regulations or any other means to regulate such businesses, the County Commission’s Health, Education, and Public Welfare Committee came up with a solution, based on counties with similar problems, the County Powers Act.

The County Powers Act on its own does nothing but give the county the authority to enact resolutions that can regulate certain issues. In order to pass the County Powers Act, and any accompanying resolution, it would need to be approved by a two-thirds vote of the commission. With 14 commissioners, each resolution would need ten votes to enact.

In addition to the County Powers Act, the committee had recommended a resolution that would limit quarries, rock crushers, gravel pits, and cryptocurrency mining, as well as landfills, adult entertainment, and methadone clinics, outside of city or town limits, to within 5,000 feet of a residence, school, church, and other places identified under the County Powers Act. Landfills, adult entertainment, and methadone clinics were added as a preemptive measure against future issues, especially landfills which have become hot topics amongst neighboring counties such as Rutherford County. 

“Without the proposed resolution, you are basically telling current and future impacted property owners that you don’t care about their property rights. This is what’s at stake here. Protecting property owners’ investment in their property and their ability to use their property in the future,” local resident Steven Cantrell told the commission.

“Three months ago, rock quarries and crypto mining weren’t on any of our horizons,” concerned citizen Michael Antoniak told the commission. “Since then, we discovered efforts by such companies, based elsewhere, to set up in DeKalb County, unannounced, before we even realized they were there. Why? They plan to do here what they can’t get away with elsewhere. Without any oversight or regulatory powers, we’ve left our doors wide open to outside exploitation. No corner of DeKalb County, outside a city limits, is safe or secure.”

While most commissioners seemed in favor of the Powers Act, a couple had reservations.

“This went from rock quarries and landfills and now we’re adding methadone clinics and all these other things,” Commissioner Greg Matthews said at the meeting. “My reason is I am for the fourth district that I represent. Only three people out of the fourth district has told me they are in favor of this. That’s the reason when the time comes that I will vote no for this.”

Commissioner Tom Chandler was not in favor of the act. “Last month we discussed a resolution to prevent quarries, landfills, and cryptocurrency mining. When we got to the committee, we got this document which has in addition to those rock crushers, gravel pits, adult entertainment, and methadone clinics. In addition, someone at the meeting proposed adding racetracks. Greg Matthews would like to add halfway houses. Down in Liberty they don’t want radio towers. On Snow Hill they didn’t want that cell phone tower setting there.”

“The simple thing to do is just pass a zoning resolution that says any property in the unincorporated parts of DeKalb County that isn’t currently commercial or industrial is by definition residential or agricultural and any request to change that designation for a piece of property must be approved by the planning commission which is less likely to be politically motivated. I oppose the County Powers Act,” Chandler said.

In the end, the vote came down for the County Powers Act, 12-2 in favor. Daniel Cripps, Myron Rhody, Sabrina Farler, Tony Luna, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Larry Green, Glynn Merriman, Jeff Barnes, Andy Pack, and Beth Pafford all voted in favor, while Matthews voted no and Chandler abstained. Susannah Cripps Daughtry and Mathias Anderson were not present at the meeting.

The subsequent resolution regulating the businesses was approved on an 11-1 vote, with Chandler abstaining.

In addition, another resolution was also passed that would give the county added muscle against ant proposed landfill.

The County Commission adopted “Jackson Law,” which mandates local construction approval of privately owned landfills for solid waste disposal and solid waste processing facilities, as well as a change in classification of any existing landfill or solid waste processing facility to one with higher standards.

Later in the meeting the commission also approved a resolution recommending that $55 million in bonds be issued for the construction of a new elementary school to replace the aging Smithville Elementary. The proposed new school would be constructed on land adjacent to the current Northside Elementary.

The recommendation is contingent on the county’s municipalities extending their current sales tax agreement with the county, beyond its current 2030 expiration date. County officials say that with those agreements with the cities, it would be possible to secure funding for school construction without the need for raising property taxes.

The resolution was adopted unanimously, but the cities have until January 2025 to extend their sales tax agreements or the measure will dissolve.