The shortest meeting on record of the Wilkes County Commissioners was finished in just 13 minutes last Thursday, May 11, with practically no action taken although reports from various departments and agencies were heard.

In the absence of Sheriff Gary Rogers due to continuing health problems, Chief Deputy Mike Sisson reported to the Board that since Sheriff's cars began using radar to enforce speed limits, a total of 229 citations had been written. "A lot of people have slowed down now," he said, "but that's what you want. Our goal is to make the roads safer and eventually cut down on accidents too."

Sisson explained that in the beginning, deputies had been writing as many as seven or eight tickets per day but now that people are aware of the presence of the seven radar cars, sometimes they have to work hard just to get one or two in a day.

The chief deputy also reported that his department had served a total of 336 civil papers so far this year, which he said is "a really high number" at this point.

Sisson also recommended that the commissioners consider adopting two county ordinances to facilitate his department's dealings with some annoying problems.

"A disorderly conduct ordinance would save us a lot of time and effort," he said. Under the current system, such cases must follow Superior Court procedure involving war

rants and scheduling by Superior Court rules. A county ordinance, he explained, would allow law officers to simply write a ticket and then the case would go before the Magistrate Court.

Similarly, Sisson recommended that a noise ordinance be investigated as well. Commissioners were receptive to the idea and Sisson agreed to research the ordinances and possibly find some samples that board members could evaluate and adopt with proper modification.

Reporting for the Wilkes County Emergency Medical Agency, Tina Bailey informed the commissioners that the new truck had been inspected by the state during the previous week and was now in service. She also reported that the agency had been observing Hospital Week and EMS Week and that director Blake Thompson sent word that the entire department had been "very busy."

During April, she said, EMS teams answered 236 calls and had already responded to 94 for the month as of May 11.

In other business:

* Payroll Development Authority Executive Director David Jenkins reported that he had "lots of projects going on" including assistance with the expansion of some businesses and with helping Hexcel to find a buyer or occupant for its building when it becomes vacant later this summer. "There is progress being made," he said although he indicated nothing specific.

Jenkins also reminded the board that a large number of riders and their families will be here as the Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) passes through in June.

Commissioners set Wednesday, May 17, at 1 p.m. as the time to meet for a work session concerning the Joint Planning Initiatives for the Comprehensive Plan, Solid Waste Management Plan, and Service Delivery Strategy Plan. Later, the county will be involved in joint meetings with the municipalities on the matters.

County Administrator David Tyler reported that $78,341.60 in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax had been received for the month of February and that $52,301.05 in Local Option Sales Tax had been received for the same period. He reminded commissioners that when the SPLOST amount is received, "we turn right around and disperse it to the municipalities on a pro rata basis."

A budget work session, which would probably be an all-day meeting, was set for Wednesday, May 24, beginning at 8 a.m.

When Chairman Sam Moore asked County Attorney Charles LeGette if there were any legal matters to come before the board, LeGette replied in fun, "We don't have any legal problems in Wilkes County - everything is running quite smoothly." Those in attendance appreciated both the humor of the statement and the fact of the matter.

After an executive session for personnel matters, the meeting was reopened and a resolution providing for overlapping coverage by the Wilkes County and Greene County EMS units at Durhamtown Plantation was adopted. Following that action, the meeting was adjourned.

The next regular meeting of the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, 2006.