THOMASVILLE — The Thomas County Board of Commissioners tabled an application for the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative on Tuesday morning, after they told the applicant they did not have enough information to support it.

Real Estate Broker Jeffrey Jones explained to the Commissioners he was representing the developer of Plantation Point, who was looking to craft a neighborhood similar to that of Madison Grove, but with lower price points.

“It has come to my attention that there are state funds that would allow us to start our price point at $199,000 for cottages,” he said.

The funds would come through a grant, known as the DCA Grant, to Thomas County for up $2.5 million worth of infrastructure on the condition that no homes or cottages were sold for more than $295,000 during the first phase.

Jones said he was there to ask the Commissioners to sign the application stating they understood this, as did the developer, and would support and oversee the developer’s project.

Vice Chair Donnie Baggett was quick to inform Jones the Commissioners would not be signing or supporting any such application, as they did not have enough information.

Jones was hopeful Aurora Taylor, who resides in Cairo and has helped complete more than 12 DCA Grant applications would be able to help answer any questions the Commissioners may have.

“This grant is meant for towns like Thomasville and counties like Thomas County outside the Atlanta metro area to add housing and meet population needs within the city and county,” Taylor said. “It pays for the public infrastructure.”

The grant’s coverage of public infrastructure helps cut down the cost of housing, as the state has realized infrastructure is one of the largest components individuals are paying for in new homes.

“The infrastructure burden is so high that its pricepoint makes it not attainable for all of the population in one area,” Taylor said.

Taylor went on to point out that in Thomasville it is difficult to currently build and purchase a home under $300,000, preventing young professionals from relocating into the area.

“What we would like to do with this grant is get $30-50,000 worth of leverage for each home,” she said. “So, instead of a $300,000 price point, we can hit $250-280,000, meeting the population’s growth and needs.”

Taylor explained she felt confident in Thomasville’s application for this cycle of funding, as the developer has already paid for engineering to be completed, which allows for the grant to solely pay for infrastructure installation.

Taylor was met with numerous questions from the Commissioners, including County Manager Mike Stephenson.

Stephenson asked Taylor if they could pause the application in order to make local developers aware of these funds so they could have the opportunity to join in the process.

Taylor understood his concern, and said that is possible and they could pause the process and publish a request for proposals, however it would put them into a later funding cycle, which is much more competitive.

Jones also informed Stephenson that the grant has been widely publicized by the state with any developer allowed to apply.

Taylor also clarified that if the Commissioners endorsed the application on behalf of Jones and his client, it would not prevent any other developer or interested party from applying in another cycle.

Baggett remained adamant that the Commission would not be endorsing the application, as they were just finding out about it.

“The first person you should’ve told when you wanted to apply was us,” he told Taylor. “Nobody knows anything about this grant. You haven’t done a very good job of explaining the project.”

Taylor was extremely apologetic and offered to explain the grant and project further, but Baggett was uninterested, telling her she should’ve attended a committee meeting earlier.

Taylor explained the property the application was being submitted for only recently qualified and met the criteria. She said she called the office two weeks ago, and this was the first County Commission meeting available.

“An endorsement does not commit you to our full application,” she said.

Taylor went on to tell the Commissioners they could withdraw the application if they saw fit. She and Jones were simply asking for them to endorse the pre-application, and during the time from the pre-application to the formal application they could explain and sell it to the community that highlights the value to Thomas County.

“It’s a huge opportunity what we are bringing,” Taylor said.

Baggett told Taylor and Jones he still didn’t know what they were being asked to support and didn’t feel comfortable having the Commissioners vote on something they didn’t understand.

Commissioner Jeremy Rich asked fellow Board Members if they would be willing to workshop the following day to better understand the application, so Jones and Taylor could meet their deadline, but he was met with a resounding “No.”

“We have seven or eight meetings a month, so that’s when you should’ve come to us and explained this,” Baggett told Taylor in closing, before suggesting she try again at a later committee meeting.

He then accepted a motion to table the endorsement of the application.