It was an extraordinary moment that only occurred before a few people Tuesday night at the end of the Coweta County Commission meeting.

At the end of the meeting, Commission Chairman Tim Higgins asked if there were any public comments. With most of the public gone, it seemed the County Commission would ease into their executive session.

But suddenly, Sheriff Mike Yeager stood up and said he would like to make a comment. Yeager carefully removed all his sheriff accouterments, including his gun, and strode to the podium.

The sheriff started by talking about how the county had recently gone to Level 3 drought restrictions, which only enables a resident to water one day on the weekend. Yeager said he had received a number of calls from residents claiming to see trucks siphoning water out of creeks and fire hydrants.

“Maybe it’s time we slow down all this development,” he said. Yeager alluded to the mega-development that had recently been approved by the County Commission and said developments like those would require a lot of water.

The sheriff’s comments drew quick responses from the County Commission and staff.

“Our development is a lot less dense than neighboring counties,” said County Administrator Theron Gay.

Commissioner Leigh Schlumper said mega-developments offer the comprehensive planning all at once, where you could be faced with approving 40 subdivisions that then decide commercial is needed for the area.

“It’s just something to think about,” Yeager said.