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The Braselton News
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Toyota expansion
gets green light
Southeast Toyota in Commerce got a greenlight this
week to move its cars across the street.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners approved
a series of rezonings and a map amendment last week
that opened the way for Toyota to build $30 million in
new facilities across Hwy. 334 from its current location
just south of Commerce.
When completed, the new plant will have the largest
automotive rail facility in North America with the capac
ity to handle 90 rail cars and to process over 200,000 cars
per year.
Southeast Toyota processes cars for dealers throughout
the Southeast U.S. It receives cars via rail from Toyota
manufacturing plants throughout the U.S. and Ontario,
Canada.
The new facilities will consist of six buildings totaling
330,000 sq. ft. of space on 253 acres at the intersection
of Hwy,. 334 and Hwy. 441. It will have six rail spurs to
handle incoming vehicles.
Toyota opened its current facility in 1988, with 40
employees. The company now employs 180 people and
30 contractors and processes 150,000 cars per year.
The firm plans to sell or lease its existing facility once it
has moved into its new “state of the art” plant.
Southeast Toyota will get its water and sewer services
from the City of Commerce for its new facilities. Those
close to the project said that several Commerce officials
have also lobbied Toyota to annex into the city from the
county, a move that would have ramifications on tax
revenues to both the county and city school systems.
However, there was no indication during the rezoning
process that the firm plans to make an annexation move
into the city.
Southeast Toyota's parent firm, JM Family Enterprises
Inc., has been a leader in local community programs,
including an active role in raising funds for the new Jef
ferson Boys & Girls Club facility.
YOGA CENTER
In other rezoning action, the BOC also approved a
rezoning of 12 acres just south of Commerce on Hwy.
441 to allow for a yoga center to operate at the location
of the old Dixieland Motel.
At the planning commission meeting last month, Samir
Assad said his organization. Om Deep Enterprise LLC of
Buford, plans to remodel the old motel and two nearby
houses to allow for yoga retreat patrons.
If lodging is provided, it will require a special use per
mit from the county.
A yoga retreat is a getaway that incorporates yoga
classes and other wellness activities, which sometimes
include hiking and meditation. It is often a multi-day
retreat and is sometimes time-structured around yoga
classes of varying styles.
In other zoning action this week, the BOC also
approved a residential rezoning on Ila Road from A-2
to R-l to allow a tract to be divided for a second house.
Board of Elections
to meet Feb. 6
The Jackson County Board of Elections and Registra
tion will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, February
6, at 9 a.m. at the Gordon Street Center, located at 441
Gordon St., Jefferson.
The meeting is open to the public.
For more information, call 706-367-6377.
Health board
to meet Feb. 14
A regular meeting of the Jackson County Board of
Health will be held in the educational room at the Jackson
County Health Department in Commerce at 12:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, Feb. 14.
Animal shelter fees,
guidelines get Ok
Fees and other details of how the new Jackson
County Animal Shelter will operate got approval of
county leaders Monday night.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners
approved the shelter’s operation procedures guide
lines. including surrender and adoption fees for the
facility.
Surrender fees for dogs and puppies will be $45 and
for cats, $25.
Adoption fees will be $150 for dogs and $100 for
cats.
Reclaim fees are $25 for both dogs and cats.
The document also includes other details, including
employee guidelines, medical care for the animals
and impound and adoption guidelines.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the BOC:
• approved $200 per month in expense allowance
for the magistrate judge.
• approved a new way of handling payroll for a
position under UGA’s Cooperative Extension Service
in the county.
• tabled an easement agreement with Spectrasite
Communications, LLC.
• approved the meeting calendar for the BOC for
2017. The board will meet every first and third Mon
day of the month except for May, July and September
when it will only meet on the third Monday.
• appointed Ralph Richardson as vice chairman of
the BOC for 2017.
Rep. England gives House update
By Rep. Terry England
(R-Auburn)
Last week, the Georgia General
Assembly was not in session, but the
House and Senate appropriations com
mittees held two days of joint budget
hearings.
Governor Nathan Deal kicked off the
hearings on Tuesday, Jan. 17, noting
how well the state is doing compared
to just a few years ago. We also heard
from Georgia State fiscal economist
Kenneth J. Heaghney, who develops
the annual tax revenue forecast for the
State’s budget. He said tax collections
are on track to cover projected spend
ing for the upcoming year.
While Georgia’s economy is on solid
ground again, I’m nevertheless going
to stay a little reserved when it comes
to spending. I guess having been a
retailer for so many years and continu
ing to ran a small business, it’s just my
nature to always be concerned about
what could be around the comer.
So as House Appropriations chair, I
personally remain committed to con
servative budgeting and to building
even more our Rainy Day Fund that
currently stands at just over $2 billion.
Yes, that is a lot of money. But as
we saw during the Great Recession
just a few years ago, it really isn’t. Our
$1.5 billion we had set aside at the
time quickly dwindled to $116 million,
which was only enough to cover about
two days of government operations.
So I support the Gov. Deal’s goal of
increasing the “Rainy Day Fund” over
the next two fiscal years to $2.5 billion.
On the other hand, I fully sup
port continued funding of important
reforms Gov. Deal has begun in the
areas of criminal justice, public safety
and child welfare.
Georgia’s criminal justice reforms
have received national attention for
their effectiveness. And we have seen
good results in terms of hiring and
retention of state law enforcement
officers since the Governor last fall
proposed 20-percent pay raises and
improved training.
What hasn’t received quite as much
attention is another area of reform that
began three years ago, when Gov. Deal
appointed a Child Welfare Reform
Council to examine a really serious
problem with staff retention in the
Division of Family and Children Ser
vices.
As a result of the council’s work, we
have funded 628 new positions and
reduced the caseloads of case manag
ers from as many as 100 down to an
average of 19. One thing we haven’t
done, though, is raise the really sub
standard salaries for people in those
high-stress jobs. Last year, more than
a third quit. That is why Gov. Deal is
recommending 19-percent pay raises at
a cost of $25.9 million during FY2018.
In addition, Gov. Deal is recom
mending higher per-diem rates for fos
ter parents, who typically drop out after
only two years. With the number of
children in foster care almost doubling
since 2013, I don’t think we have a
choice.
Over the next few weeks, the sub
committees of the House Appropria
tions Committee will pore over these
and other areas of recommended
spending in Gov. Deal’s proposed mid
year budget for FY2017 and his new
budget for FY2018. I will bring more
details to you as we go along.
Thank you for allowing me the
opportunity to represent District 116.
If you have any questions or con
cerns, feel free to contact me at terry @
terryenglandforgeorgia.com or at 404-
463-2245. May God bless you and
your family, this wonderful county, and
our great state.
Rep. England has served in the Geor
gia House since 2005. District 116
includes most of Barrow County. In
addition to chairing the House Appro
priations Committee, he is an ex-officio
member of the Ways & Means Commit
tee and a member of the Agriculture
and Consumer Affairs Committee, the
Education Committee, the Industry and
Labor Committee, and the Natural
Resources and Environment Commit
tee.
Region Roundup
Headlines from the area include:
JACKSON COUNTY
•Five qualify for vacant BOC seat -
Five people have qualified for the Jack-
son County Board of Commissioners
District 4 seat. A special election will
be held on March 21 for the position
previously held by Dwain Smith, who
died in December. Those who qual
ified were: Chris Nichols, a police
officer, 3640 Lebanon Church Road,
Athens; Eric C. Crawford, an attorney,
147 Kodiak Lane, Bogart; Marty Sea-
graves, a UPS employee, 7276 Hwy.
334, Nicholson; Reggie Metheny, a
banker, 1340 Ethridge Road, Jefferson;
and Wes Smith, a director of innovative
sales, 978 Old Kings Bridge Road,
Nicholson.
•Three dead, two injured in pur
suit, wreck - Three people died and
two were injured in a Jan. 19 wreck in
Jackson County. The crash happened
on 1-85 during a vehicle pursuit which
ended at exit 147 ramp. The driver,
Rebecca Toney a Mack, 21, of Green
ville, S.C., died in the crash, along with
Clifton Gordon, 23, also from Green
ville, S.C., and Jamarkeiz Jenkins, 29,
Mauldin, S.C. Zaire Lamong Hewins,
22, and Chrishanique Yeargin, 22, both
of Greenville, S.C., were transported to
NGMC Gainesville. Mack, who had
an outstanding warrant, fled during a
traffic stop in Banks County. When
the vehicle attempted to exit the inter
state at speeds over 90 miles-per-hour,
the vehicle struck a sign and a tree.
It’s unclear if drags or alcohol were
involved, but both were found on the
scene.
BARROW COUNTY
•Authorities seize $100K in ‘illegal
gambling’ money - Over $100,000
was seized during an investigation
into illegal gambling at three Barrow
County convenience stores. The Bar-
row County Sheriff’s Office conducted
search warrants at 1132 Atlanta High
way NW, in Auburn; 10 Patrick Mill
Road SW, in Winder; and 669 Atlanta
Highway SE, in Winder in reference
to illegal gambling. The stores were
paying out cash to customers using
the gaming machines located on the
premises, according to a BCSO press
release. The machines were “disabled
and removed promptly.” The three
stores are also temporarily prohibited
from selling lottery tickets. The investi
gation, which included assistance from
the Georgia Lottery Corporation, is
ongoing.
•BCSO gets $20K grant - Bar-
row County Sheriff’s Office received
a $20,000 grant from the Governor’s
Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).
The BCSO received the grant in rec
ognition of its “lifesaving work as
the coordinating agency of GOHS’s
Piedmont Area Traffic Enforcement
Network.” The grant, which will con
tinue through Sept. 2017, will help
finance and support the activities of the
traffic enforcement network and half
to be spent on traffic safety equipment
for the BCSO. The coordinator in the
Piedmont Area Traffic Enforcement
Network region will coordinate year-
round waves of high visibility, concen
trated patrols, multi-jurisdictional road
checks and sobriety checkpoints as a
partner in campaigns such as Click It
or Ticket, Operation Zero Tolerance
and the Thunder Taskforce.
HALL COUNTY
•Doctor fired amid ‘questionable
touching’ accusations - A Hall Coun
ty doctor was fired amid accusations of
“questionable touching” during exam
inations, according to The Gainesville
Times. R. Philip Marler, the former
staff physician of the Hall County
Family Health Center, was fired after
female employees reported “ques
tionable” touching with stethoscopes
during examinations, according to
The Times’ article. The investigation
is ongoing.
•Hall plans ‘government scholars’
academy’ - Registration is open for
the Hall County Government Scholars’
Academy, which will be held March
7- May 9. Each of the nine sessions
will focus on a different aspect of local
government and will include tours
of many facilities. There is no cost
to participants. The registration form
and syllabus are available on the Hall
County.org website. For more informa
tion about the Government Scholars’
Academy, contact public information
officer Katie Crumley at kcramley@
hallcounty.org or 770-297-5504.
•Quadruplets born at NGMC
Gainesville - Quadruplets were bom
at Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Gainesville. “The Davidson Quads,”
Callie, Teagan, McKenna and Sawyer,
were bom on Jan. 21. They were the
first quadruplets bom at NGMC.
GWINNETT COUNTY
•ADA arrested in connection
with prostitution ring - Christopher
Quinn, a Gwinnett County assistant
district attorney, was arrested for pan
dering and violating Georgia’s felony
racketeering statute, according to the
Gwinnett Daily Post. Quinn was arrest
ed following a Dunwoody prostitution
ring bust, according to The Post. He’s
been suspended with pay.
•Gwinnett plans $1 million park
upgrade - Tribble Mill Park near Law-
renceville will soon get an upgrade.
The Gwinnett County Board of Com
missioners approved a bid for $997,900
for the project, which is part of Spe
cial Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
upgrades. The playground at Ozora
Meadow will get new equipment,
surfaces, drainage, fencing, retaining
walls, a concrete plaza, a pre-fabricat-
ed pavilion, picnic tables, a bike rack,
landscaping and a pet drinking foun
tain. Upgrades are also planned to the
playground near the Oak and Maple
Pavilions.
Utility scammers have
Jackson EMC is warning citizens to beware of the latest
utility scam.
“You get a phone call, and your caller ID says it’s your
power company,” said Bonnie Jones in a news release. “If
you call the number back to check, it even has a recording
that sounds like your power company. But wait a minute - if
they’re calling to tell you your bill is past due and you have
to make a payment right now or have your power cut off,
they’re really just scammers.”
The latest scam involves “spoofing,” or making your
phone think their call is coming from a legitimate company
rather than who’s really on the line. The more sophisticated
scammers have even copied or duplicated your power com
pany’s recorded options to fool you further.
“More and more customers are reporting this scam. Please
don’t fall for it,” says Jackson EMC director of customer
service Brent Cochran. “No matter how fancy they get with
their schemes, just remember two things — no real utility
will call you and tell you to pay up right now or be cut off,
moved on to spoofing
and they definitely will not ask for payment by Green Dot
or other cash cards.”
Cochran says if you’re worried about a past due bill, sim
ply get your utility’s number from your phone book, your
bill or their website and call them - not the number on your
caller ID.
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