Dougherty County Commission considers applying for Victim of Crimes grant

ALBANY — Dougherty County commissioners were asked to give District Attorney Greg Edwards permission to apply for a $118,251 Victim of Crimes Act Grant. The request came during the commission’s work meeting Monday morning.

Edwards told the board the grant is a key element of his office’s efforts to reach out to victims of crimes in the aftermath of their ordeals.

“The continuation of this grant is a vital part of the district attorney’s office’s support for crime victims,” Edwards said. “There is a local match required, but we’ve always more than made up for the county’s $23,000 of required funding through volunteer and in-kind services. I’d ask that the commission continue to support this program.”

In what Assistant County Administrator Mike McCoy said was the commission’s ongoing efforts to stay involved in regional interests, McCoy asked the board to approve transferring a wrecked 2008 Chevrolet Impala to the city of Sylvester’s Police Department. McCoy said the county had removed “all of the usable parts, including the engine and front tires” from the vehicle.

The commission also was asked to approve a rezoning request by the Agape Christian Worship Center that would allow the religious group to build a 7,000-square-foot sanctuary on land at 3210 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. City/county Planning Manager Mary Teter said Agape planned to develop only one of 32 acres at the site.

American Legion Post 30 representative Marvin Mixon, as he had done the week before at the Albany City Commission’s work meeting, asked the commission to approve the efforts of his group and the Daughters of the American Revolution to have the county designated a Purple Heart County.

Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful Executive Director Judy Bowles offered her annual report to the board, noting that 91,216 participants and 26,430 “dedicated volunteers” had contributed 77,416 hours of service during Fiscal Year 2015, a total that she said has a value of $2,535,921.10.

Bowles highlighted some of her group’s accomplishments for the year, including removing tons of debris from county roadways and along the Flint River.

“Your constituents are to be congratulated for the wonderful work they do for our community,” Bowles said.

County Attorney Spence Lee told the board a letter he had written on the commission’s behalf had been instrumental in the Army Corps of Engineers extending a comment period concerning the proposed Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline by 60 days. Lee said the new deadline for commenting is Dec. 11.