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The Braselton News
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Area N e ws
Jackson County Board of Education
Drought
Cronic selected for school board
County, city leaders working together on drought
BY BRANDON REED
Michael Cronic was named as
the new District 1 member on the
Jackson County Board of Education
Monday night. Cronic was chosen
from three candidates who applied
to fill the vacant post. He fills the
unexpired term of Steve Bryant.
Cronic is a West Jackson native and
is a broiler manager for Columbia
Farms in Lavonia. He is a mem
ber of West Jackson Volunteer Fire
Department, serving as chief of the
department for three years.
“I think we’ve struggled on our
side of the county for the best repre
sentation,” Cronic said. “We had a
good guy and had some district lines
that were kind of messed up. I'm
just looking for an opportunity to
serve our side of the county.”
Parents unhappy about traveling distance
BY BRANDON REED
Parents living in the area between
Highways 82, 11 and 129 are still
upset about how far their children are
having to travel to school this year.
Tammy Shekey said at Monday
nights Jackson County Board of
Education meeting that members of
the community in that area are con
cerned about the amount of time
their children have to spend on a
school bus.
She said there are 85 children in
the area between Finch Landing and
Wood Farm subdivisions, with 49
of those attending South Jackson
Elementary School.
Shekey said she didn’t believe the
plan is in the best interest of children
and that they deserved an option to
do something other than going across
the county to school.
“It’s a numbers game to make the
numbers look better at East Jackson,”
Shekey said of the board’s motive for
the district.
But BOE Chairman Kathy
Wilbanks disagreed.
“No, it’s not to make the numbers
look better,” she said. “It’s to allevi
ate the overcrowding on the west
side. And there’s still subdivisions
being built left and right on the west
side.”
One person asked the board to con
sider changing school district lines to
allow area children to attend schools
closer to home.
“The last time we looked at this,
we did give an option,” Wilbanks
said. “We can’t keep re-opening this
issue.”
The board took no action on the
group’s request.
In other business, the BOE:
•learned that it met Georgia School
Board Association standards and
have received a certificate saying the
board now meets those standards.
•was informed by superintendent
Shannon Adams that East Jackson
Elementary School has met the cri
teria to be a platinum school for
the statewide accountability system.
The school reached the highest level
of attainment.
•was informed that the school cal
endar for 2008-09 will be as close to
the current calendar as it can be, with
adjustments for day changes.
•was given a construction update
from Dennis Patrick, director of
administrative services, who told the
board that Gum Springs Elementary
School is still on schedule, with
brickwork scheduled to be complet
ed at the end of the month. Water
and sewer lines will be going in this
month as well.
•learned that EJES has had almost
98 percent attendance for the third
school month. Adams said that sys
tem wide, the attendance rates con
tinue to be very good.
•herad a report from Adams that
SPOLST revenue for August was at
almost $600,000.
•recommended requests for addi
tional personnel be approved, includ
ing a Spanish teacher for Jackson
County Comprehensive High
School, a social studies teacher for
East Jackson Comprehensive High
School, an 8 th grade teacher for Kings
Bridge Middle School and 3 rd grade
teacher for Maysville Elementary
School, and two special education
paraprofessionals.
•approved the purchase of eight
regular buses and one special educa
tion bus from International at a total
cost of $674,065.
•approved surplus items to be
resold or disposed of.
• approved a list of substitute tea-
hers, individuals for employment,
resignations, and transfers.
•approved the retirement of Beth
Bray, principal for Benton Elementary
School, effective June 30, 2008.
•went into a closed meeting for
approximately an hour and 15 min
utes to hear the appeal of a student
disciplinary tribunal. Upon coming
out of the closed meeting, the board
voted unanimously to uphold the
tribunal’s decision.
Winder City Council
Winder finance department honored
BY ANGELA GARY
Jackson County leaders and city
officials continue to urge citizens to
cut down on water use while they
search for alternative water sources
during the worst drought in the
county on record.
Leaders from the Jackson County
Water and Sewerage Authority, as
well as the municipal water depart
ments, held a joint meeting Monday
morning in Jefferson to provide a
look at the current water situation
and plans for other water sources.
Leaders from each group gave an
update on how they are handling
the drought.
The governor has issued an order
that water use be cut by 10 percent
which has left providers scrambling
to educate the public on ways to
conserve water. While the counties
and cities don’t know exactly what
the penalty will be if they don’t
comply, leaders do know that it will
be a monetary fine.
Eric Kleirk of the county water
authority reported that water usage
for the county is down 45 percent
from this time last year.
He said the system is now getting
water from Bear Creek and the City
of Commerce. He said that, without
rain, the Bear Creek reservoir would
run out of water by mid-February.
Kleirk said the authority is look
ing at several alternate sources of
water, including an old connection
on the Waterworks Road, where
up to 500,000 gallons of water a
day could be available. Another
possible source of water would
be a connection with the City of
Gainesville and purchasing water
from Braselton.
“Everything depends on whether
Bear Creek goes dry,” he said.
Braselton City Manager Jennifer
Scott said the town has four sources
of water and does not have a short
age at this time. Scott also said town
leaders are working with the top 10
water users to conserve water, as
well as working on an “aggressive
ADDRESSES DROUGHT SITUATION
Braselton Manager Jennifer Scott speaks on the drought situation
at a meeting Monday between Jackson County and city officials.
Photo by Angela Gary
drilling program” for wells.
Commerce water department
superintendent Brian Harbin said
the city also does not have a prob
lem at this time. Commerce is sell
ing water to Jackson County, Banks
County and Maysville. He said the
310-acre watershed lake is “very
sustainable.”
Harbin plans to meet with the top
25 water users to discuss voluntary
conservation. An “intensive resi
dential education program” also is
in place to provide water conserva
tion tips.
Harbin said other sources of water
for Commerce might be a watershed
lake located between Gillsville and
Lula and reactivating a community
well system.
Jefferson Public Works Director
Jeff Killip said there has been a
“significant reduction” of water use
in the city and several business
owners are investing in wells. He
is also working on education sixth
graders about conserving water.
Killip also gave an update on the
city’s Parks Creek reservoir, which is
expected to be in place in five years.
Hoschton City Councilman
Richard Greene said the town is
continuing to purchase water from
Braselton. He added that the water
use has been reduced by 13 percent.
Ralph Sailors, Maysville’s water
department director, said the town is
purchasing water from Commerce,
as well as using two wells. He said
daily water use is down 20 percent
and residents are being educated on
how to further cut down on water
use.
Maysville leaders also have met
with the town’s two top businesses
to discuss reducing water use.
Jackson County Planning Director
Scott Carpenter spoke on ways his
department has been working to
conserve water use, including allow
roll matting instead of sod yards.
“In a drought situation, we have
to be flexible,” he said.
Commerce police Chief John
Gaissert also spoke on public safety
officers and how they could assist
during the drought. He said they
can assist in providing safety for
water staff members who go out to
cut off water for those who violate
the new rules. He said an effort also
is already under way to cut down on
the use of water at the county jail,
where showers are being restricted
to no more than five minutes.
“I also encourage you to pray for
rain,” Gaissert said.
BY KRISTI REED
Mayor Buddy Ouzts congratulated
the City of Winder finance department
for receiving the national Award for
Outstanding Achievement in Popular
Annual Financial Reporting. Finance
Director Leslie Ginn accepted the
award at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The award recognizes state and
local governments for their efforts in
disseminating budget information to
citizens in a concise, understandable
way. To be considered for the award,
the governing authority must publish
a Popular Annual Financial Report
(PAFR), also known as a Citizen’s
Report. The report for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2006, was Winder’s
first published PAFR.
Mayor Ouzts and council members
also passed a resolution recogniz
ing Partnership Barrow Inc. for their
efforts in promoting Barrow County.
The resolution encouraged citizens
and local businesses to support the
group’s efforts to enhance the quality
of life for Barrow citizens.
Jerry Presley of Partnership
Barrow said the group wants to mar
ket Barrow County effectively.
“We want everyone to know how
great this community is,” Presley
said. “We want this to be a strong
community that people and busi
nesses want to come to.”
City Administrator Bob Beck pro
vided an update on the review of the
city and county service delivery strat
egy. The purpose of the review is to
eliminate duplication of services and
ensure that citizens are not paying
twice for the same service.
Beck said the city and county have
until the end of 2008 to finalize an
agreement regarding any consolida
tion of services. Beck told council
that Barrow Board of Commissioners
Chairman Doug Garrison has pro
posed that fire, water and sewer ser
vices be consolidated.
In other business, council mem
bers:
•approved several ordinance
amendments necessary to imple
ment Winder’s watershed protection
plan. The plan is part of the city’s
efforts to improve the water quality
of streams. The plan calls for sam
pling of streams, measuring flows
and working with agricultural con
cerns to avoid stream contamination.
•approved a resolution to par
ticipate in the Georgia Municipal
Association’s “Certified City of
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Ethics” program. As part of the pro
gram, governing authorities pledge
to conduct their affairs according to
prescribed ethical principles.
•approved an ordinance establish
ing rules of procedure for the Winder
City Council. City administrator
Bob Beck said the guidelines would
be followed by all persons attending
a council meeting. The procedures
are designed to allow public access to
the mayor and council in an orderly
fashion.
•approved a new insurance plan
for city employees. The city has
chosen United Healthcare as their
new insurance provider. Beck said
the change will allow the city to pay
100 percent of employee premiums
and 75 percent of family coverage
premiums while also including dental
coverage.
•approved a moratorium on busi
ness registrations requesting permits
for outdoor water use. The morato
rium would be in effect for the dura
tion of watering restrictions.
Jackson Countv BOC. IDA
$80 million in road projects discussed
BY ANGELA GARY
Jackson County leaders are considering more than $80
million in road projects in an effort to boost the county’s
long-term outlook.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners and the
county Industrial Development Authority met for six
hours Tuesday to discuss a list of potential road projects
to possibly be funded through bonds in 2008.
No action was taken, but the two groups did prioritize
the projects.
The first four projects to be carried out if approved-
would be: John B. Brooks Road, $6.4 million (with
Jefferson to assist with funding); engineering on State
Route 53 from 1-85 to State Route 332, $495,000; an
interchange justification feasibility report for another
exit on 1-85, $250,000; and a county-wide transportation
and rail corridor plan, $185,000.
The remaining projects were grouped into three tiers.
Projects listed as “Tier One” were:
•Zion Church Road construction, $22.9 million.
•Bana Road, $5.4 million.
•Commerce Retail Blvd., $10 million.
“Tier Two” projects include:
•Hog Mountain Road, $4.9 million.
•State Route 82/Airport, $10.5 million.
•Hospital Road, $600,000.
“Tier Three” projects include:
•Concord Rd. Extension, $18.6 million.
•Concord Rd. Extension Sewer, $1.3 million.
•Steve Reynolds signal, $80,000.
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