Commissioners recognize fire chief for efforts during Hurricane Helene, talk budget adjustments

WARNER ROBINS—The Houston County Board of Commissioners recognized Houston County Fire Chief and Emergency Management Agency Director Chris Stoner for efforts to help Wheeler County and other surrounding areas during Hurricane Helene.

Stoner had the chance to share his experience regarding his efforts. 

“I feel like my participation was a very small part of a very large response effort across the State,” he said. 

Stoner said he was sent a request from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to assist Wheeler County due to severe impacts from Hurricane Helene. He mentioned Helene impacted the entire community, as they only have about 5,000 residents.

“Wheeler [County] being a very small and rural community, resources are fairly limited on a good day, so when something like this impacts the entire community down there, it’s very hard to overcome,” he said. “When I got down there, there was a tremendous amount of people doing work, but it was all kind of scattered, as nobody really knew what needed to be done and in what order.”

Stoner shared his main objective was to establish a framework and have something Wheeler County could build off of in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

“We were able to establish feeding points, water distribution tarps, basic life necessities through three different points in Wheeler County and got a lot of State resources brought into them,” he said. “I was able to order some National guard troops for them and within three days, we had all the roads cleared in the county, had access to all the properties, were able to verify all the residents and their safety, provide food and set up temporary shelters.” 

Stoner said it was an honor for him to go down to Wheeler County to help those affected by Hurricane Helene. 

“The support I have from you all on the Board as well as the support from my staff knowing that I can go and do something like that and leave the county where everything is still managed, answered and taken care of here to that high quality we are used to,” he said. 

Commissioners then gave words of gratitude towards Stoner for his efforts. 

“This really doesn’t come as a surprise to me as leaders like you make it easy for us to support you. I appreciate what you do, and I know [the Board] do as well,” Commissioner Tal Talton said. 

“It’s the attitude that you have that just speaks volumes about this county. What we’re doing, extending a hand, but you being willing is just a representative of who we are as a community, and that’s just great to have people like you in an elevated position like what you’ve got,” Commissioner Shane Gottwals said. 

In new business, the Board approved delegating authority to Chairman Dan Perdue, County Administrator Robbie Dunbar, and Director of Finance Danyelle George to approve the final budget adjustments for the FY24 audit. 

Perdue said the Board usually has a called meeting for year-end budget adjustments and budget adjustments are normally ratified at a January meeting.

“This isn’t an effort in any way to obfuscate or to not allow the Board of Commissioners or the public to see these budget adjustments, as most of them will be interdepartmental budget adjustments and none of them will result in any significant expenditures that are out of line with the budget,” he said. 

The Board also approved the final ARPA budget adjustments. Perdue said the total ARPA expenditures are $34, 216,807.00 which is the full amount of ARPA funds given by the Federal Government.

“I’m very pleased to say that Houston County has managed these projects very well and has met the obligation deadline from the Federal Government on these projects,” he said. 

The Board also approved the selection of Commissioner Gail Robinson as the Vice-Chair of the Houston County Board of Commissioners for 2025.  

“Commissioner Gottwals thank you for your year of grueling work as the Vice-Chair of this Commission,” Perdue said. “Commissioner Robinson, I look forward to you admirably filling that role as you have many times in the past.” 

The next Houston County Commissioner meeting will be held on Jan. 7, 2025 at 9 a.m. at the Houston County Courthouse. To view the full agenda of this meeting, go to https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/minutes/2024-12-17%20Department%20Heads%20Copy1.pdf