City, county officials offer state of the community address

Feb. 27—The traditional State of the County address sponsored by the Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce made a new addition this year: the city of Brunswick.

Mayor Cornell Harvey said it would be his first and last time to participate in what is now called the "State of the Community" meeting because he is in his final year as mayor. But he expressed optimism that the relationship between the city and county will continue to grow.

"I know we will move forward and do great things," he said. "You can feel the energy happening in this community."

Harvey talked about the international attention the city got last year after the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery and how the tragic event prompted everyone to do better.

"The whole world had their eyes on Brunswick and Glynn County," he said.

Harvey praised the way the community galvanized peacefully with the realization that "justice will come."

As for the pandemic, Harvey expressed regret about those the community has lost and optimism about the future.

"The virus has taken a lot of people out," he said. "Eventually, we'll come back to a new normal. We will win."

Thomas "Wayne" Neal, the chamber's vice chairman of governmental affairs, mentioned the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, the pandemic and the shipwrecked Golden Ray and events that have impacted the community. A moment of silence was observed in Arbery's memory.

Neal introduced Glynn County Manager Alan Ours, who has announced his resignation from the job he has held for a decade. He will remain at the helm until August.

"Mr. Ours gave us 10 years of good service," Neal said. "He (is leaving) the county in good shape. He will be missed."

Ours said 2020 was a challenging year with COVID-19 creating "plenty of uncertainty in everything we did last year."

A survey to gauge the level of satisfaction of service provided by the county showed an improvement among residents.

Interim Glynn County Police Chief Rickey Evans, in a recorded presentation, explained some of the new changes to ensure public safety is conducted in a transparent way with tamper-proof body cameras that automatically activate when a Taser or other weapon is removed from its holster.

The department also has partnered with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center for officer training.

Financially, the county is in good shape with $24 million in the undesignated fund balance and $30 million in the emergency fund balance, Ours said. A majority of the SPLOST projects are complete with the remainder ongoing or in the planning stages.

A new animal control facility will add 10 more kennels and contain separate medical facilities, quarantine areas, two additional cat rooms and two additional rooms for the medical clinic, greatly improving service, he said.

Brunswick City Manager Regina McDuffie was hired last spring, before the protests began in the wake of the Arbery shooting and when the pandemic shut down many businesses and impacted the way governments operated.

But McDuffie said she is encouraged by the positive momentum and high level of cooperation among the city, county and all the different agencies and organizations supporting the community.

She explained the ongoing efforts for the city to grow its fund balance, which was $329,000 in 2010. The balance grew to $2 million in 2015 and is now $6.3 million, which gives the city 146 days of reserve funding, she said.

Pie charts showed 65 percent of the city's budget is spent on public safety and public works. City employees got pay raises last year, with the lowest paid worker now making $11 an hour.

The city's crime rate has decreased 35 percent compared to five years ago even with a population increase of 6.3 percent, she said.

The city is overhauling its zoning, alcohol and short-term rental ordinances to meet current standards. But the changes aren't about generating revenue.

The city lowered its building permit fees last fall after listening to complaints about their costs. McDuffie said city officials compared rates with comparable cities in the region and concluded the complaints were valid.

"There were some reductions that had to be made," she said.

The city has a shared vision to improve the quality of life for all residents.

"There's a lot of work to be done in our community," she said. "We can do it together and make it a better place to be."