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Legal Documents
City_Ordinance_Chapter_22___UTILITIES_Updated_4-29-2020 – Updated 7/22/2020
County_Ordinance_-_CHAPTER_2_16_-_78_Updated_3-5-2020 – Updated 7/22/2020

Operational_Agreement_with_7_addendums_included – Posted 5/20/2021
WORD_INDEX_-_with_Seventh_Addendum – Posted 5/20/2021

For communications that you would like to be seen by all commissioners, you may email  commissioners@bgjwsc.org

Chairman Ben Turnipseed, P.E.
Grand Jury Appointed
Serving through 12/31/2027
bturnipseed@bgjwsc.org

Vice-Chairman Charles S. “Chuck” Cook
210 Stillwater Drive
Brunswick, GA 31525
Mobile: 912.248.7698
Grand Jury Appointed
Serving through 12/31/2028
ccook@bgjwsc.org

Commissioner Clayton Watson
Mobile: 770.557.5704
Elected – Post 2
Serving through 12/31/2026
cwatson@bgjwsc.org
cwatson202@hotmail.com

Commissioner Wayne Neal
Glynn County Appointment
Serving through 12/31/2026
wneal@glynncounty-ga.gov
wneal@bgjwsc.org

Commissioner Lance Sabbe
601 Gloucester St, Brunswick, Ga 31520
Mobile: (912) 782-4028
Office: (912) 267-5500
City Of Brunswick Appointed
Serving through 12/31/2025
lsabbe@cityofbrunswick-ga.gov

Commissioner Bill Edgy
Office: 912.222.2393
Elected – Post 1
Serving through 12/31/2028
bedgy@bgjwsc.org

Commissioner David Ford, P.E.
Grand Jury Appointed
Serving through 12/31/2025
Mobile: 912.230.2729
dford@bgjwsc.org

Janice B. Meridith
Executive Commission Administrator
Office: 912.261.7136
jmeridith@bgjwsc.org

Charles A. Dorminy
Legal Counsel
3528 Darien Highway Suite 300
Brunswick, GA 31525
Office: 912.554.0093
http://www.hallboothsmith.com
cdorminy@hallboothsmith.com

Committee Assignments:

Communications/Public Information and Customer Relations –

• Commissioner Chuck Cook, Chairman
• Commissioner Lance Sabbe
• Commissioner Clayton Watson

Economic Development –

• Commissioner Wayne Neal – Chairman
• Commissioner Lance Sabbe
• Commissioner Bill Edgy

Emergency Preparedness –

• Commissioner Wayne Neal – Chairman
• Commissioner David Ford
• Commissioner Lance Sabbe

Facilities –

• Commissioner Ben Turnipseed, Chairman
• Commissioner David Ford
• Commissioner Wayne Neal

Finance –

• Commissioner Clayton Watson, Chairman
• Commissioner Chuck Cook
• Commissioner Bill Edgy

Human Resources –

• Commissioner Chuck Cook, Chairman
• Commissioner Lance Sabbe
• Commissioner Clayton Watson

Legislative –

• Commissioner Lance Sabbe – Chairman
• Commissioner Wayne Neal
• Commissioner Bill Edgy

Minutes to meetings can be found here.

You may find it helpful to view presentations from various members of our staff given to members of the Commission during our 2017 Orientation.

History of the BGJWSC:

The City of Brunswick and Glynn County have long recognized the need to provide services to the region with a coordinated, planned and unified potable water and wastewater system. This effort first began with an intergovernmental agreement to provide wastewater treatment to Glynn County’s north mainland system in 1988.

In the autumn of 2004 the two governments began meeting to discuss the renewal process for the 1988 agreement. It was in these meetings and the ensuing discussions of efficiency in service delivery, avoiding the duplication of resources and preparing for growth that each government realized the community would best be served by continuing their efforts in unifying the systems.

With this goal in mind the City of Brunswick and Glynn County entered into a formational agreement on June 13, 2005 to combine their independently owned and operated water and sewer systems under a separate entity.

From the formational agreement, our local delegation to the State General Assembly introduced legislation to create the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission (the JWSC) as a State agency, but, one that would be governed locally.

The legislation was passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor on April 19, 2006. That legislation contained two conditions that would have to be met before the Commission could be formed.

First, the citizens of Glynn County and the City of Brunswick would have to affirm their desire to go forward through a public referendum. On July 18, 2006 the referendum passed with majority votes of 74% in the County and 57% in the City.

After citizen approval, the two governments and the JWSC began work on the second condition of creating an Operational Agreement. This document sets forth the terms and conditions that the JWSC will operate and maintain the unified system on behalf of the City, the County and its citizens. In July 2007 the Operational Agreement was approved and established a January 1, 2008 start date for the JWSC.

Financial Restructuring

Formal financial acquisition of the City of Brunswick and Glynn County water and sewer system assets occurred in FY 2009-2010.  Prior to that time, the Commission provided operations services to both the City and County. There were no purchase or sales agreements other than the Operational Agreement. Once the JWSC completed a list of benchmarks, the City and County consented to the JWSC issuing debt to both satisfy the outstanding debt of each government and for the JWSC to take ownership of the assets. All public assets were then acquired at historical cost, net of depreciation, for the amount of the outstanding debt principal, net of any reserves held by bond trustees.

There were no valuation appraisals required at that time as GASB 69, dealing with Governmental Combinations and Disposals of Governmental Operations, was not issued until January 2013.  The advice provided by GASB at the time of formation on 1/1/08 was to record all assets and liabilities transferred to the JWSC at the audited amounts of the City or the County as of 12/31/07.  The enterprise fund balance of the governments at 12/31/07 was recorded as contributed capital by the JWSC. The JWSC had possession and control, but not ownership of the fixed assets, therefore they were considered leased assets and capitalized as such until acquired on 6/30/10.  The lease amount was equal to the debt outstanding by the City or the County.  The JWSC transferred funds on a scheduled basis to the City or County for them to satisfy their respective debt payments.  On 6/30/10, debt issued by the JWSC satisfied all outstanding debt of the two governments, as indicated in the closing memo and related financial statements referenced below:

2010_Closing_Memo
2010_Audit_Report

Election, Selection and Appointment of Board Members

In years that lead up to the selection of a new candidate by the local Grand Jury, the Clerk of the JWSC will publish a legal announcement in the Brunswick News in June to announce the terms of the position and the means to apply. Applications for the position(s) would be turned in to the Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court in early October. Following review by the Grand Jury, final selection of the candidate(s) would be made at the end of November. The term for this commissioner selected by the Grand Jury would then begin with a swearing in ceremony at the first public meeting in January.

Future elected positions to be filled follow the Glynn County Board of Elections procedures and time schedule. Upon notification to the Board that a citizen JWSC seat is to be made available, application will be made directly to the Board of Elections with no formal advertisement being made to this fact by the JWSC. City of Brunswick and Glynn County Board members will appoint their representative according their terms.