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The Braselton News
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Area N e ws
Jackson County Board of Commissioners
Verbal smoke and fire traded at meeting
BY ANGELA GARY
A discussion on the county’s
planned fire training center got
hot Monday night when Jackson
County Board of Commissioners
chairman Pat Bell and commis
sioner Jody Thompson argued over
whether the matter should be dis
cussed further.
Thompson has questioned the cost
of the facility and whether voters
should be allowed to made a deci
sion on funding the project. Bell has
contended that voters approved the
project in an earlier special purpose
local option sales tax vote.
“Once the decision is made, it is
made,” Bell said.
Thompson quickly responded: “I
don’t believe the motion is dead
because you say it is dead.”
Bell said, “It is dead.”
Thompson was upset with her for
interrupting his comments.
“I still have the floor,” he said.
Bell told him: “Not if I don’t say
so.”
Thompson told her to “check the
parliamentary procedure.”
Thompson asked for the matter to
be on the agenda at the BOC meet
ing Monday night. He pointed out
that $1 million for a bum building
was approved in 1997, but that the
project is now estimated to cost $6
million.
Commissioner Tom Crow said
plans for a $4.8 million building
were approved by the BOC in 2004.
He added that costs of materials for
the building have increased since
that time.
$45.9 million in road bonds approved by BOC
BY ANGELA GARY
Jackson County leaders approved $45.9 million in
road bonds Monday night in an effort to boost the
county’s long-term economic outlook.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners unani
mously approved the bonds for nine economic devel
opment road projects. County leaders point out that the
cost of the projects could be less than $45.9 million,
depending on donated right of way, developer partici
pation and DOT funds.
Scott Martin, chairman of the county industrial
development authority, and Dr. Shannon Adams, coun
ty school superintendent, were at the meeting to offer
support for the projects.
The IDA recently held a day-long retreat with the
BOC to discuss possible projects to be funded.
“We have worked on this for quite some time,”
Martin said. “Our goal has been to be on a fact-finding
mission.”
Martin pointed out that the 2004 road bond package
for development had been bringing money back into
the county.
“These projects are bringing back more money than
it costs to build them,” he said. “These projects are
paying for themselves and they are good for Jackson
County.”
BOC chairman Pat Bell said she supports the proj
ects, but added that the county should be “very, very
careful” as it moves forward.
“I am concerned about long-term debt as it is money
we may need for water,” she said.
TIER 1 PROJECTS
The projects have been divided into two “tiers.” The
“tier 1” projects are:
•Transportation/rail corridor study and water and
sewer planning, $500,000.
•John B. Brooks Road, $3.8 million.
•1-85 interchange study, $250,000.
•State Route 53 engineering, $300,000.
•Hospital Road Connection to 441, $600,000.
TIER 2 PROJECTS
“Tier 2” projects are:
•Commerce Retail Blvd., $10 million.
•Zion Church Road construction, $22.9 million.
•Bana Road, $5.4 million.
•Oversight (of tier 1 and tier 1), $1.4 million.
The total price of tier 1 and tier 2 does not total $45.9,
the amount of the bonds. County leaders point out that
the additional money will be for the underwriter fees,
bond counsel fees and interest for two years.
Special election still ‘on track’ for Feb. 5
BY ANGELA GARY
Everything is “on track” for
a special election on Feb. 5 in
Jackson County despite efforts by
some countians to get a vote for
liquor by the drink on Sundays
taken off the ballot.
A large crowd attended a recent
meeting of the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners to ask that
the referendum be called off. No
action was taken at that meeting. At
a meeting this week, county offi
cials reported that everything is “on
track” for holding the election.
County attorney Julius Hulsey
gave a brief update at the meeting
on the Feb. 5 special election on
liquor by the drink on Sundays and
$50 million in bonds for recreation
projects. He said both issues have
already been forwarded to the jus
tice department for approval and the
absentee ballots have been printed.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the BOC
meeting:
•Ray Bauerband was reappointed
to the county airport authority.
•Tim Comelison was reappointed
to the county planning commis
sion.
•Shirley Turner was reappointed
to the county board of adjustment.
•Robert Schwalbe was reappoint
ed to the dangerous dog commit
tee.
•Helen Gunnels, Roger Brock
and Jimmy Peck were reappointed
to the parks and recreation com
mittee.
•agreed to a contract with Alien-
Smith Consulting for the servic
es of grant-writing to apply for
a Community Development Block
Grant.
•agreed to approve the annual
federal contract for the transporta
tion program.
•approved a contract with
American Pest Control for county
buildings.
•established a special revenue
fund for federal shared forfeited
assets.
•agreed to a lease purchase agree
ment with ACCG-Wachovia to
finance new sheriff’s vehicles.
•agreed to a $358,215 contract
with the Georgia Department of
Transportation for the resurfacing
of Ridgeway Church Road and
Sanford Road. The DOT contri
bution will be $214,929 and the
county’s portion will be $143,286.
•approved the Raco Parkway
Road Agreement.
•adopted a partial update to the
comprehensive plan.
•approved a right-of-way mow
ing and maintenance agreement
between the DOT and the county
for State Route 403 and 1-85.
•approved a lease agreement with
Mountain Stream Saddle Club for
25 acres on Wheeler Cemetery
Road, adjacent to Hurricane Shoals
Park, for a riding arena and buffer.
•agreed to create a citizen’s advi
sory committee to investigate
methods and means to restore the
historic courthouse.
•agreed to create a special tax
district for street lights on Kendall
Creek Subdivision, Berry’s Fanding
Subdivision and Rivers Edge
Estates.
Christmas Greetings
What better time to thank all our
friends and customers for their
valued business during the past year?
Happy holidays!
Commerce
Vision Center
tmflton MfH Eye
FW Cam Cmicr’
1937 Homer Road
Commerce, GA 30529
,706-335-7552
3300 Hamilton Mill Road, Suite 150
Buford. GA 30517 V^
(In the Kroger Shopping Center)
(770) 271-3500
"See Our New Location'
Jackson County Area Chamber ol Commerce
Nechvatal selected as vice president for chamber
Jackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce leaders announced
this week that Gerry Nechvatal is
the new vice president of economic
development for the organization.
The newly-created position will
focus on marketing and retention
of businesses, as well as workforce
development for Jackson County.
“Gerry is an excellent choice for
Jackson County,” said Shane Short,
president and chief executive offi
cer of the chamber. “The chamber
has made a commitment to move
our community to a new level of
involvement and recruitment in
the economic development arena.
Gerry is going to be an integral
part of that movement. At the rate
Jackson County has grown over
the past 10 years, it is important to
have an experienced professional
who is dedicated solely to market
ing our community and working
with existing businesses.”
Since 2002, Nechvatal has
served as regional director of CSX
Transportation in Atlanta. He was
directly responsible for all industrial
development activities in Georgia,
including recruitment, project man
agement, incentive formulation, site
development, and marketing.
Nechvatal routinely participated
in confidential recruitment projects
led by the Georgia Department of
Economic Development including
Kia Motors, Toyo Tire, and Del
Monte Foods. He also functioned
as a team leader on numerous new
business placements, such as The
Middlesex Company,
Columbia Farms,
and Global Green
Technologies.
The chamber’s board
of directors has been
planning for a change
in organizational struc
ture since May of this
year. The increased
demand on the presi
dent’s time with eco
nomic development
spurred the board to
split the responsibilities into two
posts.
“The business and government
groups here in Jackson County have
made it clear they want to be known
as the leader in economic develop
ment in the southeast,” according
to Roy Stowe, vice president for
marketing and member relations
for Jackson EMC and chair of the
chamber’s Economic Development
Council. “Gerry’s knowledge of the
economic development process and
network of brokers and others in the
business is extremely impressive. I
am totally committed to making this
a successful endeavor for Jackson
County by working through the
Economic Development Council of
the chamber.”
Nechvatal’s position with CSX
kept him actively involved in
Jackson County projects and others
along the Interstate 85 corridor.
“I am very excited about the
opportunity to work with the busi
ness and government entities in
Jackson County,”
Nechvatal said.
Nechvatal’s first
day at the chamber
will be January 2. He
and his wife Ann cur
rently live in Canton
with their two chil
dren. Nechvatal holds
a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree
from the University of
Georgia with a major
in marketing.
Other members of the profes
sional staff rounding out the cham
ber team include Linda Foster,
manager of member services, and
Hilda Love, executive assistant.
Members of the search com
mittee for the vice president of
economic development included
Stowe as chair; Short as president
of the chamber; Yarborough as
chamber chair; Hunter Bicknell,
Jackson County Water and
Sewer Authority; Jeff Blair, First
Commerce Bank; John Drake,
Patillo Construction Company;
Mayor Pat Graham, Braselton;
Mayor Buzzie Hardy, Commerce;
Ronnie Hopkins, Jefferson City
Board of Education; Mayor Jim
Joiner, Jefferson; Scott Martin,
Jackson EMC and Jackson County
Development Authority; Dan
Patillo, JohnRookerandAssociates;
Kathy Wilbanks, Jackson County
Board of Education; and Bruce
Yates, Jackson County Board of
Commissioners.
NECHVATAL
FOR THE BEST BUYS, READ THE CLASSIFIED ADS
//
T r ,
n
Gerard "Pepe" Cummings
VP Business Development
Hamilton State Bank
1596 Washington Street
Jefferson, GA 30549
(706) 367-1860 ext: 222
(706) 654-1083 (Cell)
We Would Lik-o .
lkc To Welcome
Gerard "Pepe" Cummings has joined
Hamilton State Bank as a Vice President
focusing on Business Development.
Cummings will be based at Hamilton State
Bank's Jefferson branch and will be focusing
primarily on the Jackson County market.
Cummings served as the President and
CEO of the Jackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce for seven years. His direction
resulted in over $700 million in new
investments and the creation of over 4,000
new jobs for Northeast Georgia. Cummings
was a charter member of the Braselton
Rotary and is currently on the Board
of Directors for Jackson County
Boys and Girls Club. He is an
active member of the Jackson
County Area Chamber of
Commerce, serving on the
Education committee. Hamilton
State Bank is proud to welcome
Gerard "Pepe" Cummings.
IftHAMILTON
State Bank
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