Gordon County boards weigh jail contracts, poultry permits, and land-use rules in recent meetings
Gordon County's Board of Commissioners, Planning Commission, and Historic Preservation Commission all convened in the past two weeks, with agendas covering jail services contracts totaling more than $1 million, poultry operation expansions, and proposed environmental safety rules for data centers and cryptocurrency mining. Minutes have not yet been published for any of the recent meetings, so the items below reflect what was scheduled for consideration, not confirmed outcomes.
Board of Commissioners — July 7
The Board of Commissioners held a work session and regular session on July 7. The agenda included a public hearing on conditional use permit CUP-26-002, which would expand a poultry operation at 426 Old Boone Ford Road, Calhoun.
New business items listed for consideration included:
- A resolution appointing Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC as county auditor.
- Amendment #1 to the Summit Food Services Agreement for jail meals, valued at $492,000.
- A renewal agreement with Southern Health Partners for jail medical services, valued at $539,402.
- Resolutions extending temporary moratoriums on anaerobic digestion facilities and data centers.
The two jail contracts together total $1,031,402. Because minutes are not yet available, it is not confirmed whether the board voted to approve these items.
Planning Commission — July 13
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed ordinance establishing environmental safety standards for data centers, cryptocurrency mining, industrial warehouses, biogas digesters, and other commercial and industrial operations.
The commission also considered:
- Conditional Use Permit CUP 26-3 for a 55-by-600-foot poultry house on 156.47 acres at 0 Oakman Road / 0 Taylortown Road in Ranger, covering parcels 104-063 and 104-062.
- Rezoning of 5895 Red Bud Road NE, Ranger, from A-1 to RA-1 for a manufactured home.
- Rezoning of 491 Thompson Road, Ranger, from A-1 to R-1 for compliance with the county's unified land development code.
- Rezoning of 0.96 acres at 264 Rooker Road, Resaca, from A-1 to R-6 for a manufactured home.
Minutes have not yet been published, so no outcomes are confirmed.
Historic Preservation Commission — July 6
The Historic Preservation Commission's agenda included updates on Gordon County-operated Civil War Parks, the Arch Memorial Restoration Project, and the training budget for the fiscal year running July to July. New business included elections for Chair and Co-Chair and a discussion of the American Battlefield Trust's acquisition of the Springbank and Fain properties. Public comments were scheduled. Minutes are not yet available.
Coming up
Board of Commissioners — July 21: Public hearings are scheduled on a conditional use permit for eight poultry houses at 0 Oakman Road / 0 Taylortown Road, plus eight rezoning applications for properties on Red Bud Road, Thompson Road, Rooker Road, Miller Ferry Road, Newtown Road, Hines Road, Dews Pond Road, and Tate Bend Road. The board will also consider a renewal agreement with Schneider Geospatial, LLC for qPublic portal services at $18,295 annually; an RFP from Evergreen Solutions for a wage and compensation study at $58,500; and Task Order #5 from EXP Services, Inc. for Soda Creek, not to exceed $37,500.
Board of Elections and Registration — July 21: The board will discuss SB3EX and the November 3, 2026 election calendar. Proposed dates include an absentee-by-mail ballot application opening date of August 17, a final absentee request deadline of October 23, early voting October 13–30 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.), and Saturday voting on October 17 and October 24 (9 a.m.–5 p.m.).