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The Braselton News
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Ag facility, PR top county priorities
A new agricultural facility and expanding the use of
social media to promote Jackson County were the top goals
set by the board of commissioners at its day-long annual
retreat meeting last week.
The board also highlighted making plans to maintain the
county's rural heritage; getting more information about
how the county attorney is billing the county for services;
and developing a county transportation plan as its top five
priorities.
Commissioner Ralph Richardson pushed for the county
government to get more active with social media to put
out a “more positive” view of the county. The county
recently upgraded its website and each department head is
responsible for keeping his or her area updated, said county
manager Kevin Poe.
On other items:
•BOC chairman Tom Crow said the county may roll back
the millage rate slightly if the assessments come in higher
than anticipated.
•EMS and Public Safety employee retention issues —
Poe said he would put together a proposal to bring back to
the BOC for a mid-year pay adjustment for public safety
employees. He wants to “keep who we have” because the
“turnover rate is a challenge.” He said many new hires are
younger employees who have “different expectations” in
the labor force. Stress was also mentioned as one reason
for the public safety turnover.
•UDC—Public development director Gina Roy said it's
almost complete: It will go to the planning commission
then to the BOC. Major discussion was about what to do
with the 300-foot separation mandated between ag facili
ties, such as chicken houses, and houses. Consensus was
that if a house is already built, any ag facility will have to
be 300’ away, but if ag building is there first, homeowner
can build at his own risk.
•County Attorney — Some officials are unhappy with the
current law firm and want a change. Poe said he doesn't
understand some of how the firm bills for its work. Com
missioner Marty Seagraves said Poe needs to check with
other counties. Consensus was to get some other proposals
to consider.
•Transportation plan — There was a lot of discussion
on road and bridge needs. The county may put its own
T-SPLOST on the 2018 ballot to get some funding to do
more road repair and work. Richardson discussed the need
for an interchange at Hwy. 60 and 1-85 to relieve Hwy. 53
congestion, but said that the state had put that interchange
low on the priority list until 2040. “We need relief,” he
said. Poe will compile a list of road priorities and bring that
back to the BOC so it can go to the state DOT unified about
what its priorities are.
Five men are being held in the Barrow County Deten
tion Center without bond for their role in a local meth-
amphetamine laboratory.
Catarino Lopez, Sergio Lopez, Arturo Lopez-Torres,
Jhonnathan Ulivi Vergara and Julio Moreno-Nieto were
arrested June 21 after the Barrow County Sheriff’s
Office Narcotics Unit and Drug Enforcement Adminis
tration Clandestine Laboratory Team found 19 one-gal -
•Fees & Building Standards — Commissioner Chas
Hardy wanted to talk about the county's building standards
to see if they are too rigid and making housing prices too
high for lower income workers. But Roy said the average
building permit is over 2,000 sq. ft., far above the 1,400
sq. ft. minimum. There was some discussion about imple
menting impact fees in the county and or raising existing
permit fees.
•Service Delivery Strategy — Poe said the county is
in good shape with its agreements with other govern
ments on utilities, but when the SDS gets renegotiated,
the issues will be over other, softer services. Cities want
the county to take on more of the financial cost of some
services.
•Tax Abatements for industries — Discussion was to
make sure those are regularly audited and followed up on.
There are not very many abatements in unincorporated
parts of the county.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its retreat, the BOC:
•heard an update on the Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax V, which ends June 30. Projected revenues are
expected to be slightly higher than originally expected.
The referendum funded EMS facilities; roads, bridges
and streets; parks and recreation; and debt service. After
covering those budgeted costs, any additional funding
that comes in SPLOST V may be put towards the county’s
debt.
•discussed updating the software for the finance, human
resources and public development departments. The
upgrade would total $480,400 with $41,600 in annual
maintenance beginning in the second year. County lead
ers think the upgrade will improve efficiency within the
departments.
•got an update on its 2016 audit, which will be presented
in July. Revenues for 2016 were over budget by $1.8 mil
lion (due to real estate, sales and insurance premium taxes;
charges of services and intergovernmental revenues mostly
from the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant).
That’s up $3.7 million from 2015. Expenses came in
under budget by $10,000. Expenses are down $6.2 million
from 2015 (possibly due to bond refunding). The county’s
reserves were in better shape in 2016 than they have been
in the past three years, coming in at 22.2 percent of the
general fund.
•discussed issues with delays in EMS billing, an issue
that is not unique to Jackson County according to auditor
Beth Grimes. Richardson, who used an ambulance service
in May 2016, said he just received his EMS bill last week.
The county is taking proposals from alternative billing
companies.
Ion containers filled with liquid amphetamine at 1625
Sedgefield Trail in Bethlehem.
The methamphetamine, transported from Mexico and
found in a bedroom closet, yielded approximately 45
pounds of crystal methamphetamine with a street value
of $1 million, according to a news release.
Investigators also seized three firearms, marijuana,
cocaine and over $250,000 in cash.
Judges awarded certificate
Twenty-eight probate court judges and asso
ciate judges from Georgia were recently rec
ognized for completing the Georgia Probate
Court Judges Certificate Program. Pictured
are: Treutlen County probate judge TJ Hudson;
Jackson County probate judge Sherry Moore;
Carl Vinson Institute representative Mara Shaw;
and Barrow County probate judge Tammy
Brown.
Area probate judges
earn certificate
Twenty-eight probate court judges and associate judges
from Georgia were recently recognized for completing
the Georgia Probate Court Judges Certificate Program.
They earned certificates through the 72-hour profes
sional development program.
Training was coordinated by the Carl Vinson Institute
of Government in collaboration with the Council of
Probate Court Judges and the Institute of Continuing
Judicial Education at the University of Georgia. The
institute launched the certificate program in 2012 to help
judges strengthen their command of court procedures,
gain deeper insight into the intricacies of guardianships
and estates and more.
Judges must successfully complete 12 hours of con
tinuing education every year to maintain the certificate.
Certificates were awarded at the 2017 Probate Court
Judges Spring Conference in Macon.
Local Democrats to
hold book bag drive
The Jackson County Democratic Committee met in
Maysville Thursday, June 15, with the group deciding to
hold a book bag drive.
The members voted to conduct the book bag drive to
benefit needy students going into the next school year.
Members also decided to hold some informal gath
erings at restaurants and other areas around the county.
These will be publicized on the Jackson County Dem
ocrats Facebook page as they are planned and anyone
interested is invited to attend.
Also at the meeting, Pete Fuller was nominated to take
over the vacant vice-chair spot for the remainder of 2017.
The meeting opened in prayer by Chairman Tony
Gamer before opening into regularly scheduled business
with the members in attendance.
The committee will be taking the month of July off,
with its next regularly scheduled meeting taking place on
August 17 at the Jefferson Clubhouse. Anyone interested
in learning more about the party is welcome to attend.
The Jackson County Democrats are also looking to
speak to anyone curious about running for local office
and would invite those interested to reach out. For more
information, visit https://www.facebook.com/jcdcga/ or
contact Tony Gamer at 404-386-1330 or gamersr58@
gmail.com.
Gwinnett animal shelter under
Gwinnett County's animal shelter
is under a 14-day quarantine after
an officer found a dead kitten while
cleaning the shelter.
The cat quarantine was issued on
July 1.
No felines will be impounded or
allowed to leave the building pend
ing instruction from the Georgia
Department of Agriculture, accord
ing to a news release.
“While cleaning the shelter
last week, an animal welfare and
enforcement officer found an unre
sponsive kitten,” according to the
release. “Preliminary testing by a
cat quarantine
local veterinarian indicates feline
panleukopenia: the University of
Georgia will perform a necropsy to
confirm.”
The shelter staff has contacted
everyone who has a pending feline
adoption. Dog intake, adoptions and
rescue will continue as usual.
5 arrested in meth lab bust
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