Newton County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Newton County Board to weigh $159M water plant upgrade, zoning appeals

Over the past two weeks, Newton County boards met to discuss a range of items, including a proposed $159 million upgrade to the Cornish Creek Water Treatment Plant and several zoning matters. No minutes have been published for any of the meetings, so no decisions are confirmed.

Board of Commissioners (Aug. 18)

The Board of Commissioners agenda includes a third amendment to a design-build agreement with Reeves Young, LLC for the Cornish Creek Water Treatment Plant upgrades, in the amount of $159,031,405.20, funded by ARPA. The board is also scheduled to consider a $23,426.00 contract with Environmental Resource Analysts, Inc. for the FY2027 Drinking Water Submission to the state.

Also on the agenda:

• Rezoning request REZ26-000004 for 3.63 acres on Highway 81 from R-2 to CG for multi-tenant retail (tabled 06/16/26)
• A resolution to terminate the moratorium on convenience store development applications (tabled 06/16/26)
• An appeal of the Planning Commission's denial of a preliminary plat for Sherod Farms, a proposed 310 single-family homes on 399.3 acres on Dinah Pace Road

Solid Waste Authority (Aug. 13)

The Solid Waste Management Authority met to discuss financing options for landfill cell construction, review July landfill tonnage reports, and consider changing the date of the September regular meeting. The agenda also included updates on equipment and hang tag sales, plus approval of the FY 2027 holiday schedule.

Joint Work Session (Aug. 13)

The Board of Commissioners and the Planning Commission held a joint work session to discuss the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update. The meeting was open to the public and held at the Historic Courthouse in Covington. No specific decisions or proposals were listed on the agenda.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the provided data. Residents should check the county's official meeting calendar for future schedules.

Newton County roundup: No decisions published yet; $159M water plant contract on Aug. 18 agenda

No decisions have been published from Newton County government meetings held in the past two weeks, as all recent agendas are marked as minutes not yet published. The most consequential item on the horizon is a $159 million contract amendment for the Cornish Creek Water Treatment Plant upgrade, scheduled for the Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 18.

Recent meetings (agendas only, minutes not yet published)

Board of Commissioners — Aug. 4

The board held a special called meeting with a closed executive session to discuss personnel and litigation. The public was invited but not allowed during the executive session.

Also on Aug. 4, the board considered the estimated 2026 millage rate of 8.567 mills, a rezoning request for 3711 Salem Road to CG for a convenience store with gas pumps, a landscape maintenance agreement with Five Fields Lawn Care, LLC for $217,486.20 annually, an RSAT FY24 Grant Application for the Newton County Sheriff’s Office for $266,318.00, and a View Point Health contractor agreement for treatment services up to $222,247.72.

A separate public hearing on the 2026 millage rate was held at the Historic Courthouse, 1124 Clark Street, Covington. No other business was listed.

Solid Waste Authority — Aug. 13

The Solid Waste Management Authority discussed financing options for landfill cell construction, reviewed July landfill tonnage reports, and considered changing the September regular meeting date. The agenda also included updates on equipment and hang tag sales, plus approval of the FY 2027 holiday schedule.

Board of Commissioners and Planning Commission — Aug. 13

A joint work session was held to discuss the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update. The meeting was open to the public, but no specific decisions or proposals were listed on the agenda.

Upcoming meeting

Board of Commissioners — Aug. 18

The board will consider a third amendment to Reeves Young, LLC for Cornish Creek Water Treatment Plant upgrades, totaling $159,031,405.20, funded by ARPA. Also on the agenda:

• Environmental Resource Analysts, Inc. FY2027 Drinking Water Submission to State, $23,426.00
• Rezoning request REZ26-000004 for 3.63 acres on Highway 81 from R-2 to CG for multi-tenant retail (tabled 06/16/26)
• Resolution to terminate moratorium on convenience store development applications (tabled 06/16/26)
• Appeal of Planning Commission denial of preliminary plat for Sherod Farms, 310 single-family homes on 399.3 acres on Dinah Pace Road

Coming up

The Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 18 is the only upcoming meeting listed in the next 14 days. It is scheduled to take place at the Historic Courthouse in Covington. Residents interested in the water plant contract, rezoning appeals, or the convenience store moratorium may want to attend.

Newton County Planning Commission denies 222-home subdivision; county weighs millage rate

The Newton County Planning Commission denied a preliminary plat for a 222-home residential development, the most significant decision among recent county meetings. The commission also denied a two-lot subdivision and recommended denial of a convenience store rezoning. Separately, the Board of Commissioners held public hearings on the proposed 2026 property tax rate and is considering several service contracts.

Planning Commission actions

At its July 28 meeting, the Planning Commission:

• **Denied** the preliminary plat for Easthampton Development on Harold Dobbs Road, a proposed 222 single-family detached houses on 89 acres.
• **Denied** a final plat to subdivide 2.29 acres on Cook Road into two single-family home parcels.
• **Recommended denial** of a rezoning request (REZ26-000003) for 1.93 acres at 3711 Salem Rd to CG (commercial) for a convenience store with gas pumps. This item had been tabled in May.
• **Approved** a withdrawal request for a conditional use permit for farm wedding ceremonies at 13793 Hwy 36.

No vote tallies were provided in the meeting summaries. Minutes have not yet been published.

Board of Commissioners

The Board of Commissioners held two public hearings on the proposed 2026 millage rate (property tax rate) on July 28 and again on August 4, both at the Historic Courthouse, 1124 Clark Street, Covington. The estimated rate is 8.567 mills. No decision on the rate was recorded in the agenda summaries.

At its August 4 meeting, the board also had the following items on its agenda, but no decisions were noted:

• A rezoning request for 3711 Salem Road to CG for a convenience store with gas pumps.
• A landscape maintenance agreement with Five Fields Lawn Care, LLC for $217,486.20 annually.
• An RSAT FY24 Grant Application for the Newton County Sheriff’s Office for $266,318.00.
• A View Point Health contractor agreement for treatment services up to $222,247.72.

Also on August 4, the board held a special called meeting that included an executive session on personnel and litigation. The public was invited to attend the open portion but not the executive session.

All of these items are listed as agenda items only; minutes have not yet been published.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings were listed in the provided data for the next 14 days.

Planning Commission denies 222-home Easthampton Development; millage rate hearings continue

The Newton County Planning Commission denied a preliminary plat for a 222-home subdivision on Harold Dobbs Road at its July 28 meeting, blocking one of the largest residential proposals reviewed this month.

Planning Commission land-use decisions

The Planning Commission denied the preliminary plat (PP26-000004) for the Easthampton Development, which called for 222 single-family detached houses on 89 acres on Harold Dobbs Road.

The commission also denied a final plat (FP26-000001) to subdivide 2.29 acres on Cook Road into two single-family home parcels.

For the rezoning request REZ26-000003 — seeking to rezone 1.93 acres at 3711 Salem Road to CG for a convenience store with gas pumps — the commission recommended denial. The request had been tabled from a previous meeting in May.

The commission approved a withdrawal request for a conditional use permit (CUP26-000003) for farm wedding ceremonies at 13793 Highway 36, after the applicant pulled the request.

Board of Commissioners: land transfer, contracts, and fees

The Board of Commissioners had several items on its July 21 agenda, though minutes have not yet been published and outcomes are not confirmed.

A resolution (R-072126a) would convey county-owned real property to the City of Covington.

Grant-funded professional services contracts were listed for the juvenile and resource courts: Break the Cycle Counseling & Consulting, LLC for $91,352 covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, and a Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant award of $96,217 for FY27 through the CJCC grant.

Chief Royce Turner presented proposed revisions to the Fire Services fee schedule.

The board scheduled a first-reading hearing for an on-premise consumption license for T's Event Center at 3281 Salem Road.

An ordinance on motion-picture productions was slated for repeal and replacement, and two zoning appeal cases were listed for review.

Also on July 21, the board held a special called executive session to discuss litigation. That session was not open to the public.

Millage rate public hearings

The Board of Commissioners held two public hearings on July 28 at the Historic Courthouse, 1124 Clark Street, Covington — at 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. — to receive input on the proposed 2026 millage rate, which determines property tax levies. No other business was listed.

Unified Development Ordinance work session

On July 23, the Board of Commissioners and the Planning Commission held a joint work session from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Admin Building, 1st Floor Large Conference Room, 113 Usher Street, Covington. The session provided an update on the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). No decisions or votes were indicated on the agenda.

Coming up

• **August 4, Board of Commissioners:** Public hearing on the 2026 millage rate at the Historic Courthouse, 1124 Clark Street, Covington. The board is also scheduled to consider an estimated 2026 millage rate of 8.567 mills, a rezoning request for 3711 Salem Road to CG for a convenience store with gas pumps, a landscape maintenance agreement with Five Fields Lawn Care, LLC for $217,486.20 annually, an RSAT FY24 Grant Application for the Newton County Sheriff's Office for $266,318.00, and a View Point Health contractor agreement for treatment services up to $222,247.72.
• **August 4, Board of Commissioners:** Special called meeting with an executive session to discuss personnel and litigation. The public may attend but will not be allowed during the executive session portion.

Note: All recent meeting summaries are based on agendas only; minutes have not yet been published. Outcomes for Board of Commissioners items are not yet confirmed.

Newton County board weighed $2.3M water plant contract; land transfer to Covington on next agenda

Newton County's Board of Commissioners had a full slate of money and land items on its July 7 agenda, including a $2.3 million contract amendment for the Cornish Creek Water Treatment Facility. Because minutes have not yet been published, the county record does not yet confirm which items were approved; the following reflects what was scheduled for consideration.

Board of Commissioners — July 7

The agenda listed a $2,326,380 amendment to the Carter & Sloope contract for the next phase of Cornish Creek Water Treatment Facility construction. Also on the agenda:

• A $285,331 grant acceptance for the Newton County Superior Court/Adult Drug Court from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
• Annual legal services agreements for Juvenile Court appointed attorneys, not to exceed $256,890.
• A budget transfer of $187,312 to complete the Historic Jail Project.
• A future land use and rezoning request at 1042 Woodlawn Rd., changing the Future Land Use Map from AF to RR and zoning from A to A-R for a family conveyance.
• A new Staff Attorney position for Probate Court at $126,000.

A separate July 7 agenda entry shows the board was set to enter executive session to discuss litigation, with routine procedural items surrounding it. Minutes for both July 7 agendas are not yet published.

Solid Waste Authority — July 9

The Newton County Solid Waste Management Authority was scheduled to review June 2026 landfill tonnage reports and the financial status report for month 12 of fiscal year 2026. The agenda also included a Newton County Landfill permit update and consideration of a request for proposals (RFP 26-07) for a waste excavation screen purchase. Approval of minutes from the June 11, 2026 regular meeting was also listed. Minutes are not yet published.

Coming up

• **July 21 — Board of Commissioners (special meeting):** A special called executive session to discuss litigation. The session is not open to the public.
• **July 21 — Board of Commissioners (regular meeting):** The board will consider Resolution R-072126a to convey county-owned real property to the City of Covington. Other items include proposed fire services fee schedule revisions presented by Chief Royce Turner; a Break the Cycle Counseling & Consulting, LLC services contract of $91,352 for July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027; a Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant award of $96,217 for FY27 from the CJCC; a first-reading on-premise consumption license for T's Event Center, 3281 Salem Road; repeal and replacement of an ordinance on motion-picture productions; and two zoning appeal cases.
• **July 23 — Board of Commissioners and Planning Commission (work session):** A joint work session on the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Admin Building, 1st Floor Large Conference Room, 113 Usher Street, Covington. No decisions or votes are indicated on the agenda.

Note: All recent meeting summaries above are based on agendas only; official minutes have not yet been published, so outcomes are not yet confirmed in the record.