The Long County Development Authority went before the Long County Commission on Tuesday to ask for assistance in having a deceleration lane placed at the industrial site.  
Authority Chairwoman Lillian Simmons told the commission that the site currently has water and sewage service available, but without the deceleration lane, it is difficult to draw any new businesses. Currently, the only structure at the site is a partially built shell placed there by builder/roofer Paul McGowan.
Authority member Roger Houston told the Commission that according to the Georgia Department of Transportation, it would cost around $250,000 to have a lane installed, but acquiring the money is not the only problem. He said that plans for a lane were drawn up several years ago, but those plans made accessibility to a tract of land almost impossible for an adjoining landowner. He said that as a result of this, a new design needs to be drawn up.  
Houston said the cost to have new plans created would be approximately $10,000. He said that even though the authority was an autonomous board, they wanted to know if the commission wanted to pay for this work to be done, and if so, could it help in finding funding for the total cost of the project.
After a brief discussion, the commission said that 1st District Commissioner Gerald Blocker would get with the authority and look into some possible options.
Also at the meeting, volunteers from the Making of Miracle Stories animal shelter went before the commission to request more time in securing a new location for their center. Georgia Pontikakis said that the previously discussed potential location — near Airport Road in Liberty County — would take three to four years. She said that since this timeframe wasn’t feasible, the group was looking for another, more appropriate location away from neighborhoods.
Fifth District Commissioner Dwight Gordon, whose district is the current home of the shelter, said that as long as the group makes progress toward finding a better location, he and the other commissioners would do all that they could to help them.  
“I’m not putting a time-line on you,” he said. “I will continue to work with you as long as you are working on it.”
The commission also approved using the state-holiday guideline for the county employees.
The holidays that the county offices will be closed and employees paid for are New Year’s Day, Robert E. Lee’s birthday, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, George Washington’s birthday, Confederate Memorial Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  
The only changes that will apply from the state schedule are that Lee’s birthday will be recognized Nov. 29 and Washington’s birthday will be recognized Dec. 24. Chairman Robert Long said that this is being changed to provide a longer break for employees at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The commission also voted to table a request made by Long County Sheriff Craig Nobles in July for an ordinance to ban the firing of weapons in residential areas. The request was made by Nobles, pending ordinance review by the county attorney.
In other business Tuesday,  the commission:
• Re-appointed Joe Sullivan, Mike McCall and Brent Klindance to the library board.
• Approved final plat approval for the Horse Creek subdivision.
• Recognized Kayla Jenkins for attaining the rank of master 4-Her.
• Agreed to a proposal by the Long County Board of Education that places school resource officers under the scope of the sheriff’s office. Though the officers now will have the authority designated under the sheriff’s office, the positions still will be funded by the BoE.
• Accepted the lowest bid of $1,150 by Hugh Smiley Survey Estimates to locate property markers for the county property around the courthouse.
• At the request of the tax assessor’s office and the tax commissioner, approved a refund of $1,734 for an error applied to Joseph Malachi Canty’s tax bill for the years 2006-11.
• Approved a proclamation that classifies Oct. 11  as Pink Out Friday  in recognition to those who have suffered from breast cancer.
• Heard a request by Durrell Combs to clean off the roads where the ditches had been cleaned out on Thickett Road. Third District Commissioner Willie Thompson and Gordon said that they would look into the matter.