Effingham County reports one fentanyl death last year amid ongoing drug challenges.

The board approved a recommendation from the chief judge allowing certain county probation officers to carry firearms for home visits, with commissioners requiring annual training documentation and raising questions about liability and body‑worn cameras.

The Effingham County Wind and Solar Committee recessed a public hearing on Nexamp’s Mason Plains community solar permit after lengthy presentations from the developer and extended resident testimony about noise, drainage, wildlife, emergency response and screening; the committee said it will reconvene July 15 for follow‑up review.

Effingham County adopted a net county millage of 4.976 for 2026 and approved converting a square-footage fire fee into a 2.0-mill ad valorem charge, which staff said will enable homestead-targeted credits next year.

The Effingham County board approved an intergovernmental agreement to disburse $90 million in pilot-related funds between the Industrial Development Authority, the county and the school district. Commissioners and public speakers pushed for clearer language about payment formulas and the timing of payments.

Following public interest in data-center proposals, commissioners debated whether to place a moratorium or change zoning to make data centers a conditional use. One commissioner said they would recuse themselves from future AI/data-center discussions because of ties to a utility provider.

Several commissioners proposed a focused public forum and retreat on data centers, including possible moratoriums and ordinance revisions; the board discussed hosting a Saturday session (Aug 22 or 29) and coordinating panels (Georgia Tech) and a public portal for questions.

GW Investments withdrew a request to rezone roughly 136 acres on McCall Road to R‑5 (about 303 proposed homes) after residents raised concerns about traffic, flooding and school capacity; applicant cited ordinance standards and buffer commitments but chose to withdraw the application.

At its July meeting the board approved a consent agenda (including officers' salaries and grant submissions), authorized two transit-route contracts with Community Support Systems despite complaints about a 25% rate increase, approved several capital payouts including $49,869.26 for a parking-lot share, and reallocated surplus funds to cover a jail-roof shortfall.

At its July 21 meeting the board approved a multi-item consent agenda (utility and lighting agreements, school and public-works contracts), an intergovernmental preliminary-engineering agreement with Chatham County for Old River Road, equipment purchases for public works, and a small budget amendment (Resolution 026-016).

The committee approved applying for a CDBG disaster‑response grant (up to $250,000) through SCURP to reimburse county cleanup costs and discussed the limits of FEMA aid and available SBA low‑interest loans for affected residents.

Beth Wise of the health department reported two families have received opioid‑related family services, urged caution about kratom availability, and outlined lab services, immunization clinics and a tobacco‑control webinar for residents.

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After extended presentations and debate about a scoring omission in the procurement process, the Effingham County Board of Commissioners approved staff’s recommendation to award the pre-construction services portion of the Phase 2 Regional Water Supply Facilities CMAR contract to Ruby Collins.

The Feb. 17 meeting covered a series of planning decisions: commissioners approved conditional uses for a residential debris business and a rural firewood operation (with stipulations), approved a surface‑mine expansion conditional use, approved rezones and several variances, and advanced code cleanups to remove obsolete I‑1 language and to evaluate home occupations by operational impact rather than zoning conformity.

The county received an unmodified FY2025 audit with one finding on constitutional officers' funds, an ~$11M general fund balance increase (largely ARPA transfer), and record $58M capital spending. Commissioners voted to transmit the audit to the state and approved a three‑year TrueComp salary benchmarking subscription to address recruitment and retention.

The board approved a Clio cell tower site plan, a commercial Exley Track site plan (7‑11 and outparcels), Georgia Power utility relocations for two roundabouts, lighting agreements, and a purchase/donation of Hodgesville Road property intended for future recreation and library uses.

Kimley‑Horn presented the Phase 2 scoping study for State Route 26/US‑80 in Effingham County, highlighting heavy truck percentages (13–24%), 473 crashes in 2020–2024 with four fatalities, and preliminary alternatives including roundabouts, turn lanes and multimodal connections. The study will forecast traffic to 2035 and 2050 and hold public outreach later this year.

After debate about traffic and infrastructure in District 2, the board rejected a proposal to extend a moratorium on rezoning in that district and instead directed staff to evaluate individual District 2 rezoning requests based on infrastructure and safety concerns; planned PD (planned development) moratoria remain in place to Nov. 18 by operation.

The Board of Commissioners approved a bundle of planning and administrative items including acceptance of infrastructure in Shaw Industrial Court, approval of site plans for Meldrum Flex and Ebenezer Daycare, final plat for Brunson Station Phase 1, budget amendments, contracts for senior transportation and park design, a reimbursement agreement for

The planning board recommended denying a planned development (PD) text amendment that would have increased density for a Sand Hill Road development now that the county can provide water and sewer; the applicant proposed an optional higher‑density plan enabled by public utilities, but the board voted for denial of the amendment.