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During the August 20 meeting of the Sumter County Board of Commissioners, Amy Adams addressed the Board during Citizen’s Comments. “I spoke at the 16 July Board of Commissioner’s meeting about our yard sale getting shut down and being declared a business by the code enforcement officer Javaris Terry. David Baldwin told me that the County Attorney would be in contact with us shortly. That was a month ago. We have not heard back from any Sumter County officials, including the County attorney. This tells me that either the County Attorney was never contacted by the Board of Commissioners or they blew us off just like Javaris, Doug Eaves, and the Board of Commissioners themselves.”

She also responded to claims about their yard sale. “Since our yard sale has been shut down, I have had the time to read over the newspaper article from 15 July in the Americus Times-Recorder. I learned and noticed three things. First, the Board of Commissioners was informed that there was not a yard sale ordinance. Yet the yard sales have been actively happening since the 9 July meeting.”

She also stated that; “Doug and Javaris also told my husband and me that a business is defined as when anyone sells anything out of their home for money. In short, residents of Sumter County are not legally allowed to sell anything privately.” She stated that she did not understand why this had not been enforced.

Adams also addressed claims made by Fire Chief Jerry Harmon. “It is untrue that we had four-day yard sales every single week with new merchandise. We used to buy out estate sales, not storage buildings, which happened very sporadically.”

When asked about the incident, Fire Chief Jerry Harmon noted a complaint had been filed by a neighbor. When asked about the letter Adams was expecting from the County Attorney, Chair David Baldwin stated it would be sent out the day following the Commissioner’s meeting.

County Marshal Javaris Terry addressed the Board about a proposed yard sale ordinance for the County. He mentioned that Harmon did research for a yard sale ordinance, making recommendations based on other examples. “We’re limiting the yard sales to six yard sales a calendar year, not requiring a business license or permits, and then also with the estate sales, being six days out of the calendar year, and also not requiring a permit or a business license, and also they can, they may run three consecutive days for two weeks with the estate sales.”

County Attorney Hayden Hooks mentioned that the recommendation needed to be in ordinance form. Plans were made to draft the ordinance for a vote. For other topics discussed during the August 20 meeting, see the companion piece titled Commissioners raise millage rate.