The Liberty County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved two application requests — one that will seek state aid for road improvements and another that targets military-zone tax abatements.
County Engineer Trent Long gave the board an update to planned improvements to Barrington Ferry Road, a project that is estimated to cost almost $2 million. Also presented was a complex plan to seek $820,000 in combined state aid money from the Georgia Department of Transportation and a grant though the GDoT Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant, or LMIG, Program and support through the High Risk Rural Road fund which would lighten the local load.
Because LMIG applications are due by the close of the year, Long asked for permission to apply. The vote passed unanimously.
The board also unanimously authorized a deed transfer to GDoT at the site of the Liberty County Community Complex in Midway so its entrance can be realigned.
On the other side of the county, the board authorized County Administrator Joey Brown to negotiate a land transfer to GDoT for the widening of Airport Road. Brown said the county likely would be compensated for the land, but declined to give numbers until the deal is complete.
Liberty County Development Authority marketing director Anna Chafin presented about proposed military zones that would create tax credits for job creation. If granted, the credits could be applied retro-actively for jobs created in 2012, Chafin said.
The board unanimously approved the request.
Hinesville Homeless Prevention Program Coordinator Daisy Jones spoke about a January homeless count that the city is required to coordinate for federal funding programs.
The city was asked to count the county’s homeless population as well, Jones said.
The count is a statewide look that will be submitted to Kennesaw State University and then reported to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Hinesville will conduct the count, a snapshot of homelessness, from Jan. 29-Feb. 4 and is enlisting the help of volunteers.
Those interested in aiding with the homeless count should contact Jones through Hinesville City Hall by 876-6573.
The board also passed a resolution asking the General Assembly to recognize the accomplishments of the South Georgia Kings AAU basketball team, which in July defeated a team from Puerto Rico to earn the national-championship trophy at the 2012 Youth Basketball of America National Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla.

In other news, District 5 Commissioner Gary Gilliard made mention of the Courier during a discussion on advertising for local appointed boards.
“I’ll get the paper and check the Sound off to see if I made it, and then I check the sports pages,” Gilliard said, explaining that he rarely sees advertisings for board openings in the paper. “And then I look at the rest of the paper. … My New Year’s resolution in 2013 is to read the entire paper.”