Meeting-Agenda-October-8-2019

To the Citizens of Ben Hill County

Public Health State of Emergency Extended until 11/09/2020

COVID-19 – Notice to Public

Effectively immediately, we are limiting access to the public for all county buildings. All doors will be locked and monitored. We encourage you to continue doing business through e-mail, internet, or phone when at all possible. If an in-person transaction is required, please contact the appropriate department for an appointment.

The Ben Hill County Commission is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of our community. We are taking the above-mentioned action based on guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Social distancing is the best way to prevent the spread of germs. While these actions are temporary, we feel this simple precaution is in the best interest for the community and our employees.

Thank you for working with us for a healthier Ben Hill County.

You can view a copy of the official, signed notice here.

To view a sample copy of the notices posted at each office location, click here.

For contact information, please visit our Contact Us page.

Ben Hill County is committed to providing people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all the programs, services and activities the County provides or supports (e.g. employment, recreation, health care, social services, courts, voting, and public meetings.)

The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of or admission to its programs, services and activities; as required by the Title II ADA and Section 504 regulations.

Ben Hill County Manager Mike Dinnerman is responsible for insuring compliance with this policy. He can be contacted at the Ben Hill County Administration Office, 402-A East Pine Street, Fitzgerald, GA 31750, or by phone at (229) 426-5100. The alternate point of contact is Human Resource Manager Pamela Turner, at the same location.

Visitation Schedule

Visitation day and time will be determined by the first letter of the inmate’s last name.

Males: Saturday

Females: Sunday

Inmate Visitation Rules

1. Inmates are allowed Thirty (30) minutes of visitation each week. This will be divided among the maximum of four visitors. No more than one (1) visitor per inmate is allowed in the visitation area at a time. Noise shall be held to a minimum to allow other visitors to hear on the phones. Anyone violating the rules will be escorted from the detention center. No child under the age of 12 will be allowed in the visitation area. No child can be left unattended in the lobby. Detention Center visitation rules are posted in the lobby and all visitors should read and be familiar will these rules. Rules are subject to change and new rules will be posted in the lobby.
2. Inmates shall provide a list of proposed visitors. All visitors are subject to approval by the Jail Administrator. No one will be allowed to visit an inmate that is not on the inmate’s visitation list.
3. Requests for changes to the approved visitors list must be forwarded to the Jail Administrator or his designee. Requests must contain the name of the person to be added or removed from the list, as well as their relationship to the inmate. Request for changes to an inmate visitation list cannot exceed two (2) times per month.
4. Inmates should advise all prospective visitors that they will be required to present a valid approved identification card with a photograph. Examples of approved ID include: Valid Passport, Driver’s License, State Issued Identification Card, Military ID Card or any verifiable ID Card Issued by a Governmental Agency. Examples of non-approved ID cards include (but are not limited to): Employee ID Card, Check cashing card, Governmental ID Card without a photograph, etc. Visitors who cannot present an approved ID card will not be allowed to visit. Sole discretion concerning approval of an ID card remains with the Jail Administrator or his designee. A child over 12 and under 17 can be admitted with a valid birth certificate if listed on the inmate’s visitation list.
5. Visitations will only occur in the Inmate Visitation Room of the Ben Hill County Detention Center. All visits will be non-contact visits.
6. Visitation day and time will be determined by the first letter of the inmate’s last name.
7. All visitations are subject to monitoring as previously addressed above.
8. Inmate visitation may be canceled due to other activities at this facility such as court sessions. Inmates are encouraged to have visitors call ahead on the day they plan to visit to ensure visitation has not been canceled.
9. Any person visiting an inmate at the Ben Hill County Detention Center is subject to search as outlined in the notice posted at the driveway to the facility. Persons found bringing or attempting to bring contraband across the guard line will be prosecuted according to the laws of this state.
10. Visitation with legal counsel will be conducted in the Attorney Client rooms of this facility. Legal visits are not restricted or limited in time during normal business hours. However, such visits may be suspended or delayed during emergency situations, counts, meals or if you have not completed the booking process. All attorneys, unless personally known by Detention Center Staff, must present a valid Georgia Bar Card and a valid, approved photo ID card.

An increasing awareness of the concerns surrounding the disposal of prescription drugs has spurred a local effort to provide Ben Hill County residents with a safe place to deposit unwanted medicine. To handle the growing need, the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office has set up its own secure prescription drop box in the department for use by residents looking for a way of getting rid of medication.

Leaving expired prescriptions around the house can pose a health risk if mistakenly ingested, and parents are increasingly diligent to keep drugs out of children’s hands. Meanwhile, throwing medicine away leaves them vulnerable to animals or even humans sorting through trash. And more and more people are getting the word that flushing prescriptions down the toilet has the potential to contaminate water sources.

The drop box is located at the Sheriff’s Office 24 hours a day and is a way they can offer a secure convenient method of disposal for our citizens.

Don’t call 911 to ask when the power will be restored during outages or to report power outages.

Don’t call 911 to ask for weather reports.

Don’t call 911 for school reports such as closings.

Don’t call 911 to ask about scheduled events in Ben Hill County such as fireworks or the times of Halloween.

Don’t hang up when you call 911 in an emergency. If you get a recording stay on the line until the dispatcher answers. Hanging up will only delay the answering of your call further.

Don’t hang up if you dial 911 accidentally. Dispatchers have to call the numbers back and if no contact is made a police officer will be dispatched to your address to ensure your safety.

Don’t play with 911 or make false calls. It is a violation of the law to do so.

Don’t call 911 to request directory assistance. 411 is the correct number.

Don’t call 911 to arrange for ambulance transportation to a medical appointment.

Don’t call 911 to discuss legal problems, legal issues or questions on laws.

Don’t call 911 to ask for directions.

Why does the 911 operator ask so many questions? If I call with an emergency, time is crucial. Isn’t the operator wasting time by asking for so much information?

• 911 operators are trained to ask specific questions to determine the most appropriate response by public safety officers. Normally your call is taken by a call-taker who enters the information you give them into a computer system. That information is then automatically sent to the dispatcher who usually dispatches help to you before you ever hang-up with the operator.

What if something happens to me and I can’t speak? How can 911 help me?

• When you dial 911 from a traditional telephone, one that is wired into a house or other building, the location from which you are calling is displayed on a computer screen in front of the 911 operators. If you cannot speak, you are ill, or are being kept from talking by an intruder, leave the telephone off the hook. Any noise that we can hear will help us determine the most appropriate response. In cases of domestic violence, the victim often leaves the telephone off the hook and the call-taker is able to determine the nature of the situation quickly and send the appropriate law enforcement response.

I have a hearing impairment and cannot communicate over a regular telephone line. What should I do if I need help in an emergency?

• Ben Hill County 911 operators are trained in the use of a TDD/TTY. It is not necessary to dial a separate number for TTD/TTY calls or to place these calls through a relay service. If you need help, simply dial 911. The telephone system will recognize a TTD/TTY call and your call will be handled as quickly and efficiently as calls placed by non-impaired callers.

Can I call 911 from my cell phone?

• Yes. Keep in mind that wireless calls sometimes present special problems for 911 centers and callers. Calls from wireless phones are answered by the 911 center closest to the cellular tower that the call is routed through. For example, a call placed to 911 from Ben Hill County might be answered by another county because the cell tower that the caller is closest to is actually in that county. Be aware of this possibility when placing cellular 911 calls. Your call may take a few extra minutes to be routed to the correct agency.

  Something else to remember about wireless 911 calls is that your location is not automatically displayed like it is from calls placed by traditional phones. Cellular technology does not yet provide for your location to be pinpointed by the 911 systems. If you are not familiar with your exact location, it is crucial that you give as much information about your surroundings as possible. If you have access to a traditional telephone in an emergency, use it. Although wireless telephone providers, the FCC, and 9-1-1 organizations are working together, we are still a few years away from making cellular 911 as effective as traditional 911 services.

Why am I charged a 911 subscriber fee on my telephone bill?

• 911 subscriber fees support the entire operation of your 911 systems, from salaries to training and equipment. Without the 911 subscriber fee, we could not continue to provide 911 services.

When calling from a cell phone your location is not readily known.

• Tell the dispatcher the location of the emergency, your name, and your telephone number. This information is not displayed when calling from a cell phone.
• Provide the street the emergency is on along with the closest cross street or intersection. Use landmarks such as mile markers to assist in providing a location if the address is unknown.
• Be patient. Cell calls are sometimes routed to the wrong agency. This requires your call to be transferred to the appropriate agency to help you.
• Stay on the phone until the dispatcher has all the necessary information.
• Be sure to leave your cell phone turned on in case there is a need to call you back.

The following guidelines should be followed when asking for assistance or reporting an incident within Ben Hill County.

When to dial 9-1-1:

• Any incident that requires immediate dispatch of Police, Fire, or an Ambulance
• Medical Emergency
• Fire
• Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Suspicious Vehicles or persons
• Auto
• Theft
• Burglary
• Rape
• Arson
• Assault
• Robbery
• Shoplifting
• Disturbances
• Domestic Violence
• Fights
• Missing Persons
• Shootings
• Stabbing
• Destruction of Property
• Any crime in progress or just occurred
• Road Hazards
• Drunk Drivers
• Reckless Drivers
• Wires down
• Tornados
• If you are unsure if your situation is an emergency, call 911

The citizens of Ben Hill County may call the Non-emergency number (229) 426-5111 to report non-urgent incidents that require a police response.

When to dial the non-emergency number:

• Loud Music
• Lost Wallets
• Lost Cell Phones
• Lost Passport
• Non-Violent Animal Complaints

The same dispatchers who answer the 911 calls also answer the non-emergency number, so be patient. 911 calls will be answered first then the non-emergency phone.

When to call the Sheriff, Police or Fire Departments directly.

• Residents should contact their local agencies at their regular number for information or administrative calls.

Follow these procedures to use 911 properly.

• Dial the digits 9-1-1 form any residential, cellular, or coin operated phone. If your business or school is on a PBX system that requires you to dial another digit (often “9” to reach an outside line) dial the digit, then 911(e.g. 9-9-1-1)
• Report the nature of your call: Police, Fire, or Medical. Give the location of the incident, your name, and your phone number. Be prepared to answer the dispatcher’s questions in detail. In life-threatening situations, the dispatcher continues to ask questions while units are dispatched to the location you provided.
• If you are reporting a crime and a person is involved, pay close attention to a physical description. If a vehicle is involved obtain the color, year, make and direction of travel if possible. Never place yourself in danger to obtain information.
• When reporting a fire, tell what is on fire and whether anyone is in danger such as inside a vehicle or structure. Advise if hazardous material is involved. Do not place yourself in danger.
• If you are reporting a medical emergency be prepared to answer certain questions about the patient. This information will help the dispatcher send the appropriate emergency equipment. Be prepared to receive instructions to assist with the medical emergency before the paramedics arrive. Remember that the operator will continue to ask questions and provide instructions while help is dispatched and is on the way.

If you would like to apply for a position with the Elections office, you can fill out this application and submit it online. You can get a physical copy of the application by contacting the elections office at the number below.

If you have questions you can contact us at (229) 426-4152.

Veterans can also apply online at the Office of the Secretary of State. The application is available here:

Poll Worker Application – Veteran