Newspaper Page Text
The Braselton News
Page 2A
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
BOC split on ag center paving
By Cindy Edge
The cost of the new coun
ty agricultural facility went
up a little more Dec. 16 after
the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners approved
a $715,000 paving contract
for the facility's parking lot.
The vote was split 3-2 on
the issue.
The contract calls for
heavy-duty, reinforced con
crete paving so that the area
can be used by the coun
ty fire training facility as a
driving course for fire trucks
and other heavy-duty vehi
cles.
Allied Paving Contrac
tors was awarded the bid.
The board further approved
using SPLOST-6 funds to
finance the additional cost.
Commissioner Ralph
Richardson expressed con
cern regarding the rising ex
pense to complete construc
tion of the facility, noting
the cost has already exceed
ed $5 million.
Richardson and commis
sioner Chas Hardy voted
against the plan and against
using SPLOST funds to pay
for it.
NEW PLANNING
BOARD MEMBER
In other action, the BOC
made a number of coun
ty committee and agency
appointments, including
appointing Harold Mull to
replace David Ayers on the
Jackson County Planning
Commission. The board re
appointed Steve Wittry to
the planning board for an
other term.
Other re-appointments
were: James Scott, Steve
Wittry and Shirley Turn
er to the Board of Adjust
ment; Charles Harrington
and Larry Marchinton to
the Dangerous Dog Com
mittee; Clarence Bryant to
the Industrial Development
Authority; Elizabeth French
and Melody Herrington to
the Keep Jackson County
Beautiful Board of Direc
tors; and Roger Brock. Josh
Huskins, Jay Phillips and
Jimmy Peck to the Parks
and Recreation Advisory
Board.
OTHER ACTION
In other business, the
BOC approved:
• adding Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day as a paid hol
iday for county employees.
• purchasing two am
bulances through a three-
year lease agreement in the
amount of $480,000.
• an agreement between
the board, the Sheriff and
Correct Health to provide
inmate medical service
during FY2020.
• a professional service
agreement with Southeast
Corrections, LLC to provide
probation services.
• adoption of a resolution
to support locally estab
lished building design stan
dards for residential dwell
ings.
• a statewide mutual aid
and assistance agreement.
• adoption of the Hazard
Mitigation Plan update for
2018-2023.
• a proposal from the
Georgia Power Company to
acquire an easement for in
stallation of an underground
fiber optic line.
• benefits change for pub
lic safety employees to in
clude payment of the $20
monthly contribution to the
Georgia Peace Officers An
nuity and Benefit Fund.
• accepting Hardin Ter
race Circle. The approval
was contingent upon agree
ment by the developer to
provide a maintenance sure
ty as required through coun
ty regulations. In addition,
maintenance of the road
will be the responsibility of
the developer for a period of
two years from acceptance
of the road by the county
and prior to acceptance by
the county, the road must
meet county standards and
be free of any failures.
• a quit claim deed to
accept roads and rights-of-
way within The Meadows
subdivision. Although this
subdivision has homes in
it, the development fell into
non-compliance during a
downturn of the economy
a few years ago. The quit
claim deed is needed in or
der to be removed from the
county non-compliance list
and to allow builders to con
tinue to build houses within
the development. Accord
ing to public development
director Gina Roy, the road
department has inspected
the roads within the devel
opment and they were found
to comply with county re
quirements.
The BOC also:
• heard from Bill Curtis,
Shepherds Crossing resi
dent, who expressed con
cern regarding a proposal
from Comcast Cable to in
stall cable and equipment
along county rights-of-way
to deliver 5G cellular ser
vice within his community.
Curtis said his research in
dicates the service would
be harmful to public health.
No action was taken by the
board.
• heard from Pam Stud-
dard, a property tax con
sultant representing Hansen
Technologies, who came
before the board to request
consideration regarding
a tax issue. According to
Studdard, Hansen Technol
ogies failed to file documen
tation with the tax asses
sor’s office for the county’s
freeport exemption prior to
the deadline. According to
Studdard, the company paid
$7,900 for taxes last year,
but this year the company
received a bill for $177,000.
“You can image what a toll
this takes on a company,”
Studdard said. Studdard
said the company has been
operating in the county for
10 years and has been grant
ed freeport exemption every
year except this year. But
the county attorney said the
BOC does not have the au
thority to waive taxes and
the taxes are due if freeport
exemption was not filed in
a timely manner. County
Manager Kevin Poe said the
tax commissioner’s office
is agreeable to setting up a
payment plan for the com
pany. No action was taken
by the BOC.
Subdivision poised
to move forward
By Cindy Edge
A large subdivision off of Old Pendergrass Rd. got approval
Dec. 16 for a minor change in an old condition that will open
the way for the project to move forward.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners approved re
moving a requirement that the developers add an extra 10 feet
of right of way along P. J. Roberts Rd.
The project calls for 200 homes and was rezoned over a de
cade ago. The recession held back work on the project until
now.
A number of area citizens were opposed to the project at
a recent planning commission meeting, but the rezoning had
already been approved.
In other zoning action, the BOC approved:
• a request from Keith Hayes to change the character area
map from Rural to Suburban and Future Land Use Map classi
fication from Commercial to Residential for two parcels total
ing approximately five acres located along Hwy. 330.
• Samuel and Ellen Kuntz to rezone 8.82 acres located at
100 Crooked Creek Road from A-2 to CRC for the purpose of
operating an auto repair service.
• InvestNLand, LLC’s request to change the Future Land
Use Map classification from Commercial to Residential for
3.41 acres located at 7840 Hwy. 124.
• Bobby and Marcey Parker’s request to change the Char
acter Area Map classification from Rural to Suburban for 2.32
acres located at 3696 Hwy. 60.
• Trinity Capital. LLC’s request to rezone approximately 5.5
acres located at 108 and 294 Hwy. 60 from A-2 to R-l.
County elementary schools
closed early last week
Elementary schools in the
Jackson County School Sys
tem closed one day early last
week due to a large outbreak
of the flu.
The schools closed for the
Christmas break starting on
Thursday, Dec. 19.
The system sent out a mes
sage Dec. 18 announcing the
closure, saying the flu “has
affected a significant number
of students and staff.” Super
intendent April Howard said
the flu had hit over 14 percent
of students and staff. An epi
demic is considered to be 10
percent and above.
The system's middle and
high schools went ahead and
held class Dec. 19, but on a
previously-set early release
schedule. Those schools had
not been as adversely affected
by the flu as the elementary
schools, officials said.
Two Northeast Georgia Health System employees receive awards
Two long-time employ
ees of Northeast Georgia
Health System are among
six healthcare workers in
the state officially recog
nized as “heroes.” Jason
Grady and Jeff Thompson
received their awards from
the Georgia Hospital As
sociation during its annual
Hospital Heroes Awards
luncheon November 1.
“I’m thrilled GHA has
chosen to recognize these
two outstanding employ
ees,” says Carol Burrell,
president and CEO of
NGHS. “While Jason and
Jeff have long been heroes
in our eyes, it's wonder
ful to see just how many
they've impacted - not
only in our community,
but in our state.”
Grady, who serves as
the coordinator of the
Northeast Georgia Re
gional STEMI System,
was recognized for his
work to improve care for
cardiac patients through
out the region. He coordi
nates emergency care and
communication between
Emergency Medical Ser
vices (EMS) personnel
from 17 counties; Emer
gency Departments (ED)
of 12 regional hospitals;
and interventional cardiol
ogy teams with The Heart
Center of Northeast Geor
gia Medical Center. To
gether. these groups syn
chronize efforts to provide
fast and efficient treatment
to patients suffering se
vere heart attacks known
as STEMI (S-T Segment
Elevation Myocardial In
farction).
“Thanks to Grady's
leadership, life-saving
care is provided to these
patients, on average, in
42 minutes, according to
a news release. “With an
industry standard average
of 90 minutes, the STEMI
System's coordinated care
is literally making history,
by the second.”
Grady also worked with
The Medical Center Foun
dation to ensure that all
EMS trucks in NGMC's
17-county service area
were outfitted with spe
cial EKG machines that
can transmit data directly
from the truck to the ED,
streamlining the care pro
cess for patients. Addi
tionally, paramedics can
call the hospital dispatch
center with a STEMI di
agnosis, allowing these
patients to bypass the ED
and go straight to the cath
lab.
“With Grady’s guidance,
this STEMI program has
become a national mod
el,” adds Burrell. “It’s
incredible to see cardiac
teams from all over the
country traveling to us to
learn about our program
and how to implement it in
their facilities.”
Jeff Thompson, director
of Pastoral Care at NGMC,
was also recognized for
his “deep-rooted compas
sion for both patients and
co-workers and his dedica
tion to help introduce new
programs at NGHS.”
“During his tenure at
NGHS. Jeff has had an
indelible impact on - and
is a true advocate for -
patients and employees
alike,” says Burrell. “He
has comforted families
in the emergency room,
helped bolster our Em
ployee Assistance Pro
gram, presided over mar
riages and has even spoken
at funerals. He is the epit
ome of strength, support
and serenity, with a sin
cere acceptance and love
for everyone.”
Thompson championed
NGMC’s Ethics Program,
which helps address eth
ical issues at the bedside
and gives clinical staff a
safe place to raise ques
tions and have discussions.
Additionally, he worked
°' s m -mm
r \ i
\
I
V «
\
s*
V * rf" ~ w ■ ■
W " ' M 4
L i
u
M ■
M\ / ■
Jason Grady (center), coordinator of the Northeast Georgia Regional STEMI
System, accepts his award from GHA chair Kevin Bierschenk (left) and GHA
president and CEO Earl Rogers (right).
Jeff Thompson (center), director of Pastoral Care at Northeast Georgia Med
ical Center, is shown accepting his award with GHA chair Kevin Bierschenk
(left) and GHA president and CEO Earl Rogers (right).
to introduce NGMC’s Re- they make decisions about this program. He also spends
specting Choices program, advanced care planning, time mentoring and teaching
which promotes advance With Thompson’s direction, current and future chaplains
directives and honors the NGMC became the first by NGMC's clinical pastoral
wishes of patients when hospital in the state to offer education program.
Whether you are looking for the perfect 770.568.2298
piece of furniture, want to accessorize
your home, need to liquidate an entire www.houseofboykin.com
home or sell a single item, House of 64 Brassie Lane
Boykin is the perfect place. Give us a call! Braselton, GA 30517