The Liberty County Commission appointed residents to various boards Dec. 19, during the last regular meeting of 2013.
The commission named Rose Mullis to the cultural and historic committee as a new member. Commissioners re-appointed Melissa Carter Ray to the Liberty County Development Authority. Carter Ray is a State Farm agent.
Brooke Horne with The Heritage Bank in Hinesville was recommended to fill the remainder of Jon Long’s term on the hospital authority, pending approval by the authority. Long, who is chief deputy of the Liberty County Sheriff’s office, resigned, officials said. Will Darsey and Hinesville Mayor Jim Thomas were recommended for reappointment to the authority, again pending hospital-authority approval, commissioners said. District 1 Commissioner Marion Stevens said the commission is supposed to recommend three candidates for each seat on the hospital authority, but only three applicants came forward to serve.
Commissioners also appointed James Osteen as an at-large member to the recreation board, and Duane Johnson to serve as a District 5 member to the recreation board.
In early December, the commission had approved an amended board-attendance policy for local boards. The policy was amended to provide the commission more flexibility in excusing board members’ absences from meetings and better clarified the board-appointment process in the event of a vacancy.
In other commission business:
• Melissa Jones, a planner with the Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission, recommended a timetable to update the county’s comprehensive plan. Work on the plan would begin in March and be completed by June 2016, Jones said. An initial public hearing on the plan has tentatively been scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 4 at the start of a commission meeting, according to Jones.
• Commissioners approved a resolution to advertise for a hearing on the proposed abandonment of Davidson Plantation Road. The hearing would be before the start of a Jan. 7 commission meeting. The commission will vote whether to begin the process to abandon the road, county attorney Kelly Davis said. Davis said the county also could decide to continue maintaining the road. If the county abandons the road, it would revert to a privately owned road, Davis said. District 3 Commissioner Connie Thrift said she’d had several calls from residents complaining of traffic on the road. District 6 Commissioner Eddie Walden, who voted against the resolution, said he has seen school buses and sheriff’s deputies use the road.