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Page 2A The Braselton News Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Area N e ws Jackson Countv Water and Sewerage Authority Jackson County bans all outdoor watering Exceptions Removed The following exceptions to the level four drought response plan will be eliminated: • newly-installed landscaping •use during the installation of irrigation systems •sod producers •ornamental growers • fruit and vegetable growers •retail garden centers • hydro-seeding •power washing •at construction sites • the production of food and fiber •carwashes •watering in of pesticides and herbicides on turf Effective Oct. 21, water restrictions in Jackson County will be tightened substantially. Customers of the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority — and Hoschton, which it sup plies with water — will be prohibited from virtually all outdoor use of county water. As planned, the authority voted Thursday night to eliminate all of the exceptions in the level four restrictions imposed earlier. That means absolutely no watering of sod or landscapes, no use by commercial car washes or pressure washing services. Even the watering of food gardens will be illegal. All of Georgia is on level four as mandated by the Environmental Protection Division, but with predic tions that the Bear Creek Reservoir could run dry by Jan. 9, the authority opted for the most extreme levels available. Surprisingly, no one came before the authority to protest the move, which had been publicized in local newspapers. “We had a request from some builders who said they had to plant sod and put shrubs out to get a certificate of occupancy,” said Manager Eric Klerk, “but the county planning office waived that requirement.” The watering of sod and landscapes installed by licensed companies was allowed prior to Thursday’s action for 30 days after installation. Not any more. “Sod will be going dormant pretty quickly,” noted member Rob Jordan. That means builders can install the sod while it is dormant, and it should recover with spring rains. The authority will handle requests for exceptions or variances on a case-by-case basis. It is also actively enforcing its restrictions. “We’re even putting people out at night,” Klerk said. The authority has received numerous tips and has issued approximately 140 warnings to offenders, often following tips that come in by phone or e-mail. “The first offense, they get a warning,” he said. “On the second offense, we take their meter and they pay a $250 fine. The third offense is $500 and the fourth offense is $1,500.” Klerk estimated that the authority has pulled a dozen meters to date. But most people are heeding the warnings, and the conservation practices are working, he said. The authority’s sales have plummeted to about 1.7 million gallons per day (mpd), including sales to Jefferson and Hoschton. “Golly, we’ve cut way back,” observed member Alex Bryan when he heard those figures. “Our customers have been very good about conserv ing water,” Klerk agreed. That, in turn, is causing problems with water qual ity, but Klerk said the authority is combating that by installing chlorinators in its South Apple Valley Road and Galilee Church Road pump stations. Still, with usage down, some water will still go “stale,” and have to be flushed from pipes, a scenario that is particularly unsettling at a time when severe water restrictions are in place. The flushing of a large line can require hun dreds of thousands of gallons, Klerk said. And while some of that water could possibly be put to use by offering it to fire departments or for others who can haul it off, most of the water is wasted. NEW WATER SOURCES Meanwhile, efforts to secure more emergency water supplies appear to be bearing fruit. Klerk said the authority will connect with a Gainesville line on Hwy. 60, which could supply a million gallons per day. Two other connections to boost that amount further are also being considered. In addition, the authority has found it can take 300,000 gallons per day (gpd) from Braselton, which is wheel ing water it buys from Gwinnett County. The authority has a connection with Braselton on Maddox Road. Those connections are of particular importance since Commerce officials have indicated that they may have to cut back or totally eliminate sales to the county if their reservoir continues to drop. “Gainesville has told us ‘We can give you substan tially more water than one million gallons a day,”’ Klerk told the authority. Currently, the authority is buying about 1.6 mgd from the Bear Creek Reservoir and 600,000 gpd from Commerce. Jackson County Board of Commissioners Zoning change OK’d in hopes of attracting company BY ANGELA GARY The Jackson County Board of Commission gave the go-ahead Monday for a rezoning request to help bring a European engine remanufacturing industry to the Jefferson area. The BOC approved a rezoning for 12.5 acres at 1385 Valentine Industrial Parkway from LI to GI for the project. The company, which has not been named, is looking at a site in the Valentine Industrial Park. The zoning change came at the recommendation of the county’s planning department, not the property owner. According to the county planning staff, the zoning change will help attract the com pany from Europe to invest in the property. “We want to encourage whatev er kind of manufacturing we can and not put up any road blocks,” BOC chairman Pat Bell said.” OTHER BUSINESS In other business, the BOC: •in a 3-1 vote, approved a request from Bryan Day to change the conditions in a zoning change for his 112-acre site on Jackson Way. Commissioner Dwain Smith voted against this, while Jody Thompson, Bruce Yates and Pat Bell voted in favor of it. Commissioner Tom Crow was not at the meeting. The change in conditions include deleting the requirement that all lots in the planned subdivision have basements or crawl space. The property was rezoned in 2005 for the project. •unanimously approved a rezon ing request from Margaret and Charles Mathis for six acres at 1295 Gum Springs Church Road to be changed from A-2 to R-1 for a three-lot split. •in a 3-1 vote, approved a text amendment to add a definition of the A-l zoning district in the county’s Unified Development Code and to list the permitted and permitted with restriction uses in the A-l district. Bell voted against this. •approved a contract with the department of transportation for an environmental assessment and engineering design services for a 900 foot extension of a runway and taxiway at the airport. The total cost will be $283,572 and 95 percent of this money will come from the Federal Aviation Administration. The state and county will pay five percent of the cost of the project. Jackson County’s portion will be $7,089. •heard a request from citi zen Barbara Evans that county residents be asked to “help save water” due to the drought. •heard a request from Neal Koelbl that a right of way deed for Wescott Place subdivision, located off of Hwy. 124, adjacent to White Plains Baptist Church, be placed on the agenda. BOC chairman Pat Bell said this had not been adver tised as being on the agenda and it would not be added. •agreed to create a special tax district for street lighting for Bryceland Manor Subdivision. •named Durian Ives to serve on the Keep Jackson County Beautiful Committee for a three- year term. •approved a contract with the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center for the aging services program. •approved an alcohol license for Eagle Greens Chattahoochee for Sandy Creek Golf Club. TRAFFIC LIGHT WORK UNDER WAY Work began Monday on preparing the bypass for the installation of traffic signals at the Jefferson Kroger intersection. Phase one of the project will begin with the installation of erosion control and detour signs along Old Pendergrass Road and the Damon Gause Bypass. Old Pendergrass Road is closed on its west (Kroger) side for several weeks. Traffic has been rerouted to Faith Drive (around and behind Kroger), or to a path of Holders Siding Road to Benton Road to Old Pendergrass Road. Traffic traveling north on the bypass will also have the option of doing a U-turn at Holders Siding Road to return back to the Kroger area. Turning lanes off Old Pendergrass Road will be built at the west intersection during this closure. After that phase is completed, the east side of Old Pendergrass Road (closest to the city schools) will be closed for turning lanes to also be installed at that part of the intersection. Talmo Agri-Cycle remains closed for now BY ANGELA GARY Agri-Cycle will remain closed until further notice following a ruling by Superior Court Judge David Motes Monday. Motes said evidence was presented during the almost 10-hour hearing on Oct. 2 which proved that the Talmo company violated its permit and the state’s water quality control act by modifying its treatment processes without obtaining a permit to do so. Motes also ruled that evidence was given that the company had expanded its capacity without getting approval from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. He added that the company also “hydraulically over loaded its sprayfield.” Motes said continued operation of the business would “cause continued pollution of Allen Creek and would cause build up of flammable wastes on the property which have already proven to be a major hazard to the community.” The judge ordered that the company remain closed until “it can operate in accordance with the law and without posing a threat to human health, safety and welfare.” Agri-Cycle was shut down by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division in September fol lowing a fire at the business’ holding pond. At that time, Judge Motes ordered that Agri-Cycle could not receive any additional waste at its Talmo facility for 30 days, or until the company could demonstrate that it is in compliance with the law and poses no threat to the public health. The facility has been the source of a large public outcry in the Talmo area over odors coming from the waste treatment spray fields and holding ponds. Jackson Countv Board ol Commissioners No action taken on land for recreation expansion BY ANGELA GARY A vote to take options on two tracts of property for future recre ation expansion ended in a stale mate Tuesday night. The vote was 2-2 to take the option on the two tracts of proper ty. With only four commissioners at the meeting, it wasn’t possible to break the tie. Commissioners Bruce Yates and Dwain Smith voted to take the option to possibly purchase the property, while Jody Thompson and Pat Bell voted against the motion. The recommendation from the recreation department was to take a $20,000 option to purchase 128 acres on Deadwyler Road and a $10,000 option for 22 acres adja cent to the Lamar Murphy Park in Jefferson. The option payment would be non-refundable if the BOC decided against purchasing the property. Bell said she is concerned that the county would lose the $30,000 if the property is not purchased. “Recreation is a want, not a need,” she said. “We have no idea what kind of issues we will have with water (due to the drought).” Yates pointed out that the money for the projects would come from bond funds designated for recre ation use — not water. The BOC did unanimously agree Monday night to take a $10,000 option on purchasing 22 acres adja cent to Hurricane Shoals Park. All but $100 of this would be refunded if the property is not purchased. The three sites are part of the $15 million parks and recreation bond referendum to be held in February 2008. Among the proj ects to be funded with this would be purchasing up to 395 acres in the western, north central and southern portions of the county for more facilities; adding programs, such as tennis, dance, arts and crafts and programs for adults and senior citizens; and constructing an indoor aquatic center and an expo center. 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