For your consideration, please read the minutes from the Unity Breakfast held on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. in the Glynn County Library.

Unity Breakfast Meeting Minutes 1-12-21 with Agenda

To read the minutes, please open or download the pdf from the link above, or you may see more below.

Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

City of Brunswick Commission 

Location:  Brunswick-Glynn Library

208 Gloucester Street, Brunswick, GA 31520

Thursday, January 12, 2021 at 9:00 AM 

UNITY BREAKFAST MEETING MINUTES 

BGJWSC PRESENT:                        

G. Ben Turnipseed, Chairman

Bob Duncan, Vice-Chairman

Charles Cook, Commissioner

Cornell L. Harvey, Commissioner

Wayne Neal, Commissioner

Tripp Stephens, Commissioner

Andrew Burroughs, Executive Director

Janice Meridith, Exec. Commission Administrator 

GLYNN COUNTY PRESENT:         

Wayne Neal, Chairman

Cap Fendig, Vice-Chairman

Sammy Tostensen, Commissioner

Bill Brunson, Commissioner

Allen Booker, Commissioner

David O’Quinn, Commissioner

Walter Rafolski, Commissioner

Alan Ours, County Manager

Kathryn Downs, Asst. County Manager

Aaron Mumford, County Attorney

Dhwani Patel, County Clerk 

CITY OF BRUNSWICK PRESENT:

Cornell Harvey, Mayor

Julie Martin, Commissioner

Regina McDuffie, City Manager 

MEDIA PRESENT:                           

Larry Hobbs, The Brunswick News

Pamela Permar-Shierling, The Islander                          

CALL TO ORDER: 

The Unity Breakfast/Meeting sponsored by the Brunswick Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce and the College of Coastal Georgia was called to order at 9:00 AM.  

INVOCATION/PLEDGE:

An invocation was given, and the group recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

There was no public comment presented.

WELCOME and INTRODUCTION:

Ralph Staffins from the Chamber of Commerce welcomed everyone to the Unity Breakfast.  Dr. Michelle Johnston, from the College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA), thanked everyone for coming, briefly outlined the theme of the day, and introduced the speaker, Dr. Skip Mounts to the group.  During the breakfast a brief overview for the day was provided.

COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION DISCUSSION:

Dr. Skip Mounts delivered a light-hearted and encouraging presentation regarding the locally adopted Shared Vision Statement, and our three local governmental agencies functioning as Shared Vision Partners.  The stated aim of the Shared Vision Statement is, “Working together to make Brunswick and the Golden Isles an exceptional place in Georgia to live, work, and visit by strengthening our communities and enhancing the quality of life.”  In short, we can all be successful if we talk with each other.  Dr. Mounts remarked that our communities could prosper more if we address our differences from a perspective of our commonness, and he also suggested to rename this meeting as a “Unified Breakfast.”  Dr. Mounts’ main goal of the discussion was to strongly encourage cooperation and collaboration between our local governmental agencies.

In closing, Dr. Mounts presented the following proposal:

1.)  Elected officials of both City and County Government meet for breakfast once every quarter.

2.)  Chairman and Mayor (each can bring one guest) have bi-weekly breakfast, develop their own agenda, and develop a formal agenda for quarterly meeting of which others can be invited to.

FILM TASK FORCE:

Glynn County Commission Vice-Chairman Cap Fendig reported that the State of Georgia has become a hub for the film making industry in Georgia with the cities of Savannah and Atlanta taking on most of that business.  Commissioner Fendig stated that Brunswick does not have a group or a committee to search out the film industry, and recommended starting a film task force of stakeholders who would work to attract this industry to Glynn County.  Promoting the Golden Isles as a favorable location for film makers will bring local businesses an opportunity to increase sales and income.  Commissioner Fendig briefly highlighted methods and benefits that other locations have offered to make their areas more attractive to the film makers, and that the Golden Isles should consider offering the same types of benefits to attract more of the film making industry to this area.