During the August 13 meeting of the Sumter County Board of Commissioners, Public works director Jim Littlefield brought information on a grant for improvements to a three-quarter mile section of Thomas Mill Road. “We thought it had fallen through. Turns out EPD was waiting to the fiscal year ’25 to bring in new monies on the grant.” The EPD is the Environment Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Littlefield mentioned that sediment was washing off into Ty Ty creek.

Littlefield the grant would go up to $312,000. He did mention there would be a match of $89,000 from Sumter County. “But that would be independent services.” Littlefield estimated that the work will require a section of the road to be closed around 3 months, but that the work will not begin until fall. Reid made a motion, seconded by Jones. The grant was unanimously approved.

Parks and Recreation director Tim Estes notified the Board that they had received a $5,000 grant called Coaching Boys to Men from the Department of Public Health. “Dwight Harris was already doing exactly what the grant wanted you to do, on his own, not as part of our department. So I enquired hey, if I write for this, if I fill out your paperwork, and we do this on our property, here’s what he’s already doing, would we qualify? And they said yes.”

He detailed the program. “Basically, what he’ll do is he’ll get a group of eight to twelve young men that are between the ages of fifteen and eighteen years old and they’ll meet for one hour per month, for twelve months, at our facility, there’s a curriculum that our State provides, and it’s basically teaching these young men about domestic violence and citizenship and things that we all want our young people to be involved in.”

Estes detailed the grant. “Unrestricted funds means they’re going to send us a check for $5,000 that doesn’t have to go toward this program. There is no cost involved in this program.”

Bryant also addressed a desire by Phoebe Sumter to have a surplus vehicle from the Sheriff’s department. “Basically this patrol vehicle is to just merely serve as an appearance on their campus.” He mentioned that they still wanted the vehicle to be marked as a sheriff’s vehicle.

Bryant gave further details, stating it would “be clearly marked Sheriff’s office with the understanding that we hold, you know, no obligations or liability for this assigned vehicle.”

Eaves questioned Bryant on how the transfer could be made. Bryant responded. “Because one, the license plate won’t be on it, and two, as it relates to the decoration of sheriff being on the side of the vehicle, that will be solely left up to the discretion of this board, but that wouldn’t pose any liability.” Waddell made a motion to donate the vehicle, seconded by Smith, passing unanimously.