Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Braselton News
Page 3A
Barrow County Board of Education
BOE awaits word from state
to complete budget figures
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
he Barrow County Board
of Education is in some
what of a holding pattern
concerning its budget for the new
fiscal year until some decisions are
made by the governor’s office.
Ken Cato, assistant superintendent
of business services, said Tuesday
night that approximately 85 percent
of the new budget is complete, but
other areas are on hold.
“You know 85 percent of our bud
get deals with salary and benefits,”
Cato said. “That is pretty much set.
The state has approved a 2.5 percent
increase in pay.”
The remaining portion of the bud
get cannot be set, he said, until the
school system receives word from
Governor Sonny Perdue’s office con
cerning the equalization grant.
“We are scheduled to receive one,
but until it is signed, it is still in
doubt,” Cato said. “The governor
could use a line item veto on it.”
Within a few days, Cato said he
hoped to have a clarification from
the governor’s office on the matter.
He said there was no need to hold
a scheduled work session Thursday
about the budget since the informa
tion would not be available at that
time.
Cato said Barrow County, like other
school systems in the state, could get
additional funds to replace past “aus
terity reduction” cuts, but that funding
could also be vetoed by Perdue.
In other business at Tuesday’s meet
ing, the BOE:
•recognized Winder-Barrow High
School’s Jeff Beggs for being named
Class AAAA athletic director of the
year. Beggs had previously been
named athletic director of the year
for Region 8-AAAA. The veteran
coach and educator is retiring from
WBHS at the end of the 2007-08
school year.
Barrow County Board of Commissioners
Barrow receives $10,000
homeland security grant
BY KRISTI REED
For the third year in a row, Barrow County has been awarded a grant
from the Department of Homeland Security and the Georgia Emergency
Management Agency for the citizens’ corps program.
The $10,000 grant will help Barrow County train volunteer emergency
responders in first aid and disaster relief.
In other business, the Barrow County Board of Commissioners:
•accepted a $3,000 health promotion and wellness grant from the
Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG).
•approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Carl in which
Barrow County will process all applications for building permits, variances
and rezones for the city. City and county officials have entered into the
agreement to insure consistent application of the Barrow County Land Use
plan and minimize inefficiency resulting from duplication of services.
•tabled two proposed changes to the Barrow County Employee hand
book. The first change would provide a three percent salary increase to
any employee required to work at a higher grade on a temporary basis. The
second change specified procedures for administrative transfers.
•approved the purchase of two dump trucks at a cost of $112,000 each.
The purchase will be funded from the road SPLOST.
PERMITS — cont’d from pg. 1A
numbers reflect the building per
mits issued in its four-county town
limits of Jackson, Barrow, Hall and
Gwinnett.
By the end of 2007, there were
989 new residential building permits
issued in Jackson County and its
nine cities.
HOUSING AND LOTS
According to statistics from the
Jackson County Public Development
Department, fewer lots are also
being platted due to the housing
slowdown.
From a high of 2,445 lots plated
in 2005, the number fell to 1,687
in 2006 and only 1,094 last year.
Through three months of 2008, only
107 lots were platted.
Meanwhile, the department cal
culated that some 672 speculative
houses were on the market at the
end of March. The vast majority,
412, were in unincorporated Jackson
County, Jefferson had 133, Braselton
69 and Commerce 28.
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Winder, GA 30680
770-867-6821
PUBLIC NOTICE
There will be a public meeting on Tuesday,
April 15, 2008 at 7:00 P. M. at the Depot,
4272 Highway 53, Hoschton, GA 30548, to
receive input into the design of the
Highway 124/Highway 53 Overlay Corridor.
This meeting will include discussion on lot
standards, architecture, signage, parking,
lighting, landscaping/buffers, and
accessibility.
For additional information, please contact
Frank Etheridge, Planning Department
Manager at 706-367-5908.
Winder
QUICK ACTING
Winder-Barrow H.S. students Rodney Morris and Jared Kay were
recognized for their quick actions in administering the Heimlich
maneuver to a fellow student who was choking. Police Captain
Dennis Dorsey presented the award. Photos by Kristi Reed
MASTER CLERK
Winder City Clerk Sabrina Wall was recognized for successfully
completing the 60-hour Clerks Master Education Program at the
University of Georgia. City Administrator Bob Beck presented Wall
with a certificate of achievement.
Winder City Council recognizes employees, citizens
BY KRISTI REED
Winder Mayor Chip Thompson recognized several employees and citizens
for their actions and achievements at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Several city employees were recognized, as were two Winder-Barrow
High School students.
The council recognized:
•Winder-Barrow High School senior Rodney Morris and sophomore Jared
Kay for their quick actions in administering the Heimlich maneuver to a fel
low student who was choking on a piece of candy. School resource officer
Tim Harrell praised the boys for their efforts.
•firefighters Barry Garrett and William Reidling for volunteering to fight
the large forest fires in south Georgia last year. The City of Winder is part
of the Georgia Mutual Aid Group (GMAG). When GMAG asked for volun
teers, Garrett and Reidling immediately volunteered and were enroute to the
fire within two hours of first receiving the request for assistance. Garrett and
Reidling were deployed for a total of nine days.
•Public Works Department employees Michael Martin, Cody Skelton
and Michael Sams for the care and consideration they showed to an elderly
citizen in medical distress. After noticing an elderly female having trouble
walking, Martin and Skelton stopped to offer assistance. The woman refused
an ambulance, but asked that her husband be contacted. Martin and Skelton
remained with the woman while Sams located her husband.
•City Clerk Sabrina Wall for successfully completing the 60-hour Clerks
Master Education Program at the University of Georgia.
HELPED CITIZEN
Mayor Chip Thompson presented awards to Public Works employ
ees Michael Martin and Cody Skelton in recognition of the care
and consideration they showed to an elderly citizen in medical
distress. Supervisor Michael Sams was also honored.
WINDER — continued from page 1A
Volunteers needed
shops located within the city.
Due to the large volume of sto
len property which moves through
these shops, law enforcement per
sonnel devote considerable time and
resources to visit the shops and check
items against a statewide database of
stolen property. Rodgers estimates
his department devotes over $2,200
in resources to each shop.
Pawn shop owner Michael
Barnette asked council to reconsider
the $ 1,200 fee, saying it was far more
than the fees charged by surround
ing cities and counties. Barnette
said he is struggling to make a living
and called the 600 percent increase
“pretty substantial.”
Councilman Sonny Morris said he
understood Barnette’s concerns, but
that the city was justified in charging
the higher fees.
“It’s costing the city a lot of
money to manage and maintain
pawn shops,” he said.
In other business, council:
•approved a franchise fee ordi
nance which will allow the city to
collect 5 percent of the gross rev
enues of any cable or video which
holds a statewide franchise and uti
lizes local right of ways.
•authorized the opening of a new
bank account for the city’s SPLOST
funds.
•approved a beer, wine and liquor
permit for Turtle Creek Wine and
Spirits at 429 Loganville Highway.
•approved a beer, wine and liquor
permit by the drink for Murphy’s
Brass Rail located at 243-A North
Broad Street in Winder.
•approved a beer permit by the
drink for the Chimneys Golf Course
/■
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770-867-3761
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•tabled a game room license request
for Don’s Food and Gas Game room
at 186 West May Street.
•approved an event permit for
the Winder-Barrow High School
Bulldog Band Thriller Race/Walk.
The race is scheduled for Apr. 26
at 8:30 a.m.
•approved a prayer walk spon
sored by Fit 5. The walk will take
place downtown on Apr. 26 at 9
a.m.
•approved the rezoning of 114
North Broad Street from R-l to B-l
for office or professional use.
Braselton is seeking volunteers for
cleaning up the Mulberry RiverWalk
on Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m.
to noon.
The annual clean-up day will be
held at the wooden bridge in the
Mulberry Park subdivision. The
town will provide gloves, bags,
water and thank you gifts for vol
unteers. The town is seeking volun
teers of all ages.
For more information about
the cleanup, or directions, con
tact town manager Jennifer Scott
at 706-654-5720 or e-mail jscott@
braselton.net.
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