About Barrow journal. (Winder, Ga.) 2008-2016 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2009)
Barrow Journal www.BarrowJournal.com •r Read all over... Wednesday, April 8,2009 Vol. 1 No. 24 24 PAGES 3 SECTIONS A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. WINDER, BARROW COUNTY GEORGIA 30680 250COPY — Inside — Barrow CFO suspended for lying Area news: • Prom Night for Apalachee High School page 1C •In the kitchen with a Cook of Barrow County page 1C BY SUSAN NORMAN The chief financial officer of Barrow County’s government was suspend ed Monday morning for twice being “untruthful” to the board of commis sioners. Beth Horacek, who has been the CFO since 2005, was suspended with out pay for 40 hours, according to the notice of suspension that the Barrow Journal obtained under the state open- records act. The notice states that Horacek gave an “untruthful answer” when asked at two board meetings why employees’ health insurance premiums this year are over budget. “Both times you gave an untruthful answer and particularly omitted the fact that you failed to budget for the increase in insurance premiums,” the notice states. Horacek said at the BOC meet ings that the approximately $250,000 jump in premiums was due mostly to the addition of a greater number of dependents than had been anticipated. But privately, she acknowledged to at least one board member she didn’t budget the increase at the direction of her former superiors — chief admin istrator Keith Lee and BOC chairman Doug Garrison. “While we understand that you take the position that the former Chief Administrator and Chairman directed you not to budget for the premium increase, please understand that you are not being disciplined for the fail ure to appropriately budget the item, but for the misrepresentations made to the Board on an issue of paramount importance to the County,” the notice states. With the county’s current financial struggle, it is “critical” that the com missioners be able to rely on what she tells them, the notice states. “You have breached that trust, and any future behavior of this sort will be grounds for additional disciplinary action, up to and including, termina tion.” Horacek is the second department manager in the past few weeks to be disciplined, at least in part, for alleg edly lying to county leaders. Former fire chief Robert Post was suspended March 16 for violating some directives and for claiming some recent firefighter training had been state-mandated. BOC chairman Danny Yearwood discovered later that the training was not state-mandated and, with the BOC’s approval, quickly suspended the chief. continued on page 9A Easter time In Winder •County audit misses deadline page 2A •Residents voice con cern over landfill page 3A Opinions: •Giving us a blanket of freedom page 4A •Consumers didn't get much from this ses sion page 4A •Driving and texting don't mix page 4A Sports: •AHS, WBHS baseball reach region midway mark , D page 1B •WBHS track competes at Alcovy page 1B •WB Speedway begins new racing season page 3B Also Inside: •Classifieds page 6C •Church News page 8B •Letters to the Editor page 5A •Public Safety pages 6-7A •Obituaries pages 4-5C EGG HUNT Thivault Nichelson, 5, has a basket full of goodies during Saturday’s Springfest/ Egg Hunt held in Auburn. The event took place at James Shackelford Memorial Park with more than 700 people in attendance, officials said. See more photos on page 3A. Photo by Jessica Brown Bible literature course path cleared ‘We need to bring this back to another genera tion. This nation is slipping away from us.’ —BOE member Larry Ballard BY CHRIS BRIDGES Following some emotional debate, the Barrow County Board of Education opened the door for the future teach ing of a history and literature elective class using the Bible as an instruction book. But that doesn’t mean the classes will be offered. In a 7-2 vote at Tuesday’s April meeting, the BOE gave the OK to the class should the county’s two high school principals decide to request the class in the future. Superintendent Ron Saunders made the recom mendation for board mem bers to give their approval for the class before any addi tional studies or background work was undertaken. In the future, the BOE would still have to work to approve what resources, bud get and materials would be used for the course at Winder- Barrow and Apalachee High School. Board member Larry Ballard had championed adding the course as an elec tive. Toward the end of the debate he stressed again why he believes the class is important. “It is a cornerstone of our nation,” Ballard said. “To not pursue this when the inter est (from students) is there, is wrong. To pursue other courses that has not had the impact of this book is wrong. We need to bring this back to another generation. This nation is slipping away from us. “I walk though the malls and hear students talking about the Bible in ways you wouldn't believe. When I ran for this position (on the BOE) I supported putting this in our schools. I made it no secret to anyone whose door I knocked on. We’ve been brainwashed into think ing we can't do this. At one time it was a mainstay.” Board member Lyn Stevens, who voted against the proposal along with Dan Cromer, attempted to coun ter Ballard at this point. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here and that a board mem ber is blaming schools for what is wrong with society,” Stevens said. At this point board chair man William “Bill” Bramlett, who voted for the proposal, told Stevens the discussion was over. continued on page 9A Natural gas rates cause concern BY SUSAN NORMAN A retired schoolteacher is taking City of Winder offi cials to task over the city’s natural gas rates. Green Valley Drive resident Kay Pierce told the Winder City Council Monday night that nobody at city hall could answer specific questions about billing and pricing. And she said city officials’ attempts to justify the pricing were inadequate. Pierce said city adminis trator Bob Beck told her she was paying a higher price per therm because she was using less gas due to energy-saving home improvements she had made and that a $12 service charge was spread across fewer therms, she said. “Fve invested in 21 win dows, insulation and new energy-saving appliances. To tell me that because I invested that money and use less gas, I’m paying more per therm, doesn’t make any sense.” Pierce said her quest for answers about the city's nat ural gas pricing began after reading an article that Beck wrote in March attempting to explain them. The city was charging its customers a $12 service charge plus $1.33 per therm (100,000 British Thermal Units), according to the arti cle in December. But when Pierce checked her bill for that month, she did some simple math to fig ure out that she was paying 42 cents per therm more than that. Her bill also didn’t show a $12 service charge. She said she has been a cus tomer of Winder’s gas ser vice for 38 years and that the city until recently did not charge a ser vice fee in addition to the charge for actual consump tion. “This $12 service charge is double dipping,” she said. “I want to know where that $12 goes.” ‘NOTHING ACCOMPLISHED’ In response to Pierce's questions, city officials had representatives of the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia at the work session to explain how natural gas is priced. MGAG officials said “hedge” pricing is used, which entails locking in pric es over a period of months prior to the winter season in order to protect against large price spikes. Sometimes the hedge pricing provides credits on consumers’ bills when the locked-in price is lower than gas on the variable “spot” market. However, Winder cus tomers currently are being charged a hedge adjustment because the locked-in price was higher than the current market. continued on page 2A PIERCE Statham votes to up water, sewer fees To subscribe, call today: 770-867-NEWS (6397). The Barrow Journal is delivered every Thursday. Bethlehem passes do tethering ’ ordinance BY CHRIS BRIDGES In Bethlehem, your wallet can continue to be on a chain, but your dog cannot. The Bethlehem Town Council approved a “no tethering” ordinance Monday night which will prevent dog owners from chain ing or tying their pets to trees. The action was requested by mayor Sandy McNab, who patterned Bethlehem's ordinance after the one already in effect in Statham. “It’s something I thought about after see ing dogs tied up choking while they are chained to trees,” McNab said. “People put dogs on chains and just leave them. I think we need to take a different approach than what the county ordinance is.” Barrow County allows tethering as long as it is done in a “humane” manner. The “no tethering” ordinance, which is now in effect in Bethlehem, requires dog owners to provide at least 150 feet of space per dog. Initially there was some discussion among council members about how it would be enforced, but the mayor did not foresee that being an issue. “It would be no harder to enforce than anything else we have on the books,” McNab said. “Barrow County Animal Control would enforce it.” Council member Scott Morgan said he also hated to see dogs treated in the manner that McNab spoke of. Morgan said he would like to see a provi sion added to the ordinance that allowed for dogs to be placed on cable runs provided they were at least 50 feet in length. continued on page 9A BY CHRIS BRIDGES In a 3-2 vote, the Statham City Council voted Tuesday to increase water, sewer and garbage rates. The increases will be effective immediately. The increase will help repay Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority loans, city officials said. Private citizens inside the city limits will now pay a minimum of $16 while commercial customers will pay a minimum of $27. Outside the city the minimum charge will now be $24 for private citizens and $37 for commercial. The rates previously were $12, $21, $18 and $28, respec tively. Homes in the city limits using the minimum amounts of water for sewer will now pay $12 and commercial buildings inside the city would pay $22. Outside the city, residences would pay $34. Currently the prices are at $9, $20 and $14. Garbage collection prices also increase from $12 to $15. Additional collection cans will now be $7.50. continued on page 9A
