Bryan County Commissioners passed a new animal control ordinance at its May 14 meeting.

County Administrator Ben Taylor presented the new ordinance and pointed out that the tethering section of the ordinance requires the dog to be able to reach shade, shelter, food, and water.

“I think it’s valuable to have these things in our ordinance and not just rely solely on state law for that motivational and management of the staff that’s going to be enforcing it,” Taylor said.

Joy Bohannon, local animal rescue owner, told the board during public comment that she did not see a lot revised and asked for clarification on what was changed.

Chairman Carter Infinger said the public comment time was not for discussion but just for comment.

Taylor said that the ordinance is available on the county’s animal control website.

In other business, commissioners approved a new subdivision after some discussion that may affect other applications. Hussey Gay Bell represented HRB Development LLC in a request to build Estates at George’s Branch off Wilma Edwards Road. The roughly 64-acre development includes 78 single family lots. The approval came with conditions recommended by county staff.

During the public hearing, Commissioner Steve Myers added concern that the housing development was not large enough for school buses to pick up and drop off public school students. He pointed out that the road in the subdivision is only half a mile and school buses do not go down a road if it less than half a mile, according to Myers.

He wanted to see the school board’s position before approving the development.

“So, we’re approving a subdivision that, normally, the school board’s not going to drive in,” Myers said. “I’m just making the recommendation that we find a solution to that problem.”

Commissioner Gene Wallace agreed.

Infinger asked planning and zoning manager Amanda Clement if the development had been discussed with the Board of Education. Clement said the county did not specifically discuss school bus routing when presenting the plan.

“I think this is the typical subdivision that’s going to have a lot of kids in it,” Myers said, adding how he sees similar with subdivisions on Ga. 144, “Kids are walking, standing at the end of the road.”

The commission decided to let the project keep going forward while they work with the school board to agree to drive down that road.

Myers acknowledged they were “in the eleventh hour,” and the developer had been before the board multiple times.

“And if they (school board) don’t go down the road, maybe he gets a pass, but from now on, we know that we’re going to have to deal with the issue,” Myers said.