TIFTON — Private schools will have fewer restrictions on where they can operate after the approval of a new amendment at the Tift County Board of Commissioners meeting Jan. 8.

Public schools currently are allowed in all zoning sections, except commercial, said Chris Davis, Development Support Services Director. “Private schools are only allowed in general business.” Davis said that a review of other counties show there are no differences in the way that public and private schools are zoned.

Davis requested the commissioners combine public and private schools and “do away with” Section 5-73, the old code that limited the location of private schools, and combine private and public schools with 5-72. The planning commission approved the change, Davis said, and recommended it be approved by the commissioners.

The text amendment was approved unanimously.

The meeting was a short one, less than 10 minutes before an executive session. Ten items from the consent agenda were approved at one time and another item, Animal Control, Leash and Tether Requirements, was postponed to another meeting.

Approved unamiously with the consent agenda were:

— Submission of LMIG 24 grant application to include Red Oak Road.

— Acceptance of $351,804 grand award to the Tifton Judicial circuit SCCJ ARPA grand funding.

— Acceptance of grand award for $130,101 for VOCA Program from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia.

— Approval of agreement with Professional Court Services for misdemeanor probation services for state court.

— Approval of agreement with Professional Court Services for misdemeanor probation services for superior court.

— Approval of resolution No. 2024-01, Setting and Publishing Qualifying Fees.

— Approval of Retail Malt Beverage Package and Retail Wine Package License for Sandip M. Patel, Shivam A&B Inc. located at 367 GA Hwy 125 S.

— Approval of Retail Malt Beverage Package and Retail Wine Package License for Yogeshkumar Patel, SHREEJTIFTON Inc, at 3131 US Hwy 41 S.

— Approval of Retail Malt Beverage Package and Retail Wine Package License for Jaimin Patel, JM Tifton LLC, at 1303 US Hwy 82 E.

— Approval of Retail Malt Beverage Package and Retail Wine Package License for Nehaben Patel, Jogni LLC, at 5070 GA Hwy 125 N.

Ordinance No. 2023-04, Animal Control, Leash and Tether Requirements, previously tabled at November and December meetings, was tabled again in January.

County Manager Jim Carter said there have been questions on social media about the ordinance.

“The concern was that we were actually creating an ordinance which would allow tethering,” said Carter. “In reality, this is an ordinance to restrict tethering. This is more of a good thing for the animals.” Carter sees people having opinions for and against tethering. Carter said the ordinance is still a work in progress.