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Page 2A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
O
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Council observes moment of silence for Pam Jackson
The Braselton Town
Council observed a moment
of silence at its Jan. 13
meeting following the death
of Pam Braselton Jackson.
“We were saddened to
learn of the passing of Pam
Braselton Jackson last week
and pause to honor her life
and service to the Town of
Braselton,” said Mayor Bill
Orr.
Jackson was a member of
the town’s founding family.
She was a graduate of Bra
selton High School and the
University of Georgia and
taught second grade in Jack-
son County schools for her
entire professional career,
Orr said. She was a mem
ber of Northeast Church,
the Braselton Woman’s
Club and the Daughters of
the American Revolution.
Orr added that Jackson
was the first woman elect
ed to the Braselton Town
Council and described her
as a “dedicated member.”
“She was a visionary to
our heritage, leading the
renovation of her grand
parents’ home to become
our present town hall.” Orr
said.
“Pam embodied the
charm, grace and history of
our town. Our condolences
are extended to her sister,
her two sons and their fam
ilies.”
Photo submitted
Pam Braselton Jackson
Jackson County BOE gets updates
on new high school project
By Kyle Funderburk
kyle@mainstreetnews. com
The Jackson County
Board of Education was
given updates on its new
high school project during
its work session Thursday
(Jan. 9).
Work began at the Skelt
on Rd. site last fall and the
board was shown photos of
the progress at the meeting
showing more of the inter
nal steel structure, sewage
and public water installa
tion, erosion control, right
of way grading on the street
and preliminary prep for
athletic fields.
Two change proposal re
quests were also presented
before the board to revise
contracts with Simpson
Trucking and Grading and
Ben-Co Welding. The re
vised contract with Simp
son drops from $7.85 mil
lion to $7.56 million, while
the contract with Ben-Co
climbs from $3.31 million
to $3.62 million.
Assistant Superintendent
of Operations Ted Gilbert
said $505,755 was deduced
from Simpson’s contract
when a major change was
made to raise the gymnasi
um and not place a tunnel.
$332,703 was added to the
contract in a secondary bid
which excluded work to the
football stadium and out
door areas around the cam
pus. $134,000 was deduced
when they found areas to
reduce cost by changing
elevation on the building
pad. Additions to the con
tract with Ben-Co included
changes to roof equipment
and the steel pricing of the
second phase.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the
BOE:
•received bids to install
air conditioning in the gym
nasiums at Maysville Ele
mentary School, East Jack-
son Elementary School and
West Jackson Elementary
School. The board received
three bids and is considering
choosing Grahl Construc
tion, whose $361,000 bid
was the lowest.
•discussed incentives
for coaches who seek out
a Commercial Driver’s Li
cense to drive buses for ath
letic teams. The incentives
will include $1,000 stipend
payable after five trips and a
“team driver” supplement of
$100 per trip.
Braselton continued from 1A
•an alcoholic beverage license for Anil Kumar
Sodadasi for Braselton Smoke Bar at 1929 Hwy.
211.
•the 2020 paving bid package to low bidder E.
R. Snell Contractor, Inc., which submitted a base
bid of $598,700 and total bid with alternate total
ing $616,100. Projects include Fisk Falls Dr. and
Wallace Falls Dr., Fisk Falls Dr. and Wallace Falls
Dr. alternate, Zion Church Rd. and Braselton Pkwy.
•a civic center bid package for grading and util
ities to ATCO Demolition and Grading. Inc. for
$387,500.
•a Georgia Department of Transportation speed
detection permit resolution, which will allow the
police department to track speed on Braselton
Pkwy.
•a request to surplus scrap vehicles.
•appointing Jennifer Scott as town manager and
clerk. Gregory Jay as city attorney and Slappey as
mayor pro tern and the council’s seat on the Bra
selton Visitors Bureau Authority.
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Correction
A story about The Man- Jan. 8 issue had the wrong
sions at Braselton in the contact number listed. The
correct contact is Melva
Noakes at 770-757-9677.
Hoschton continued from 1A
9, before Weeks resigned
her position on Jan. 10, the
council approved a resolu
tion and a spending policy
plan that raises the thresh
old of spending limits that
won’t require council ap
proval.
In the past, any spending
above $2,500 by the city
that fell outside the budget
required council action. But
that would tie the hands of
the city today in an emer
gency, or an immediate
need.
The new system drafted
by the town’s lawyer and
financial consultants would
require bids and council
member approval set at var
ious thresholds, but won’t
require a city council vote.
The new system would al
low the town to respond to
immediate needs, but still
have bids and informal con
sent of council members.
TABLED ACTIONS
Several actions were ta
bled by the council Jan. 9
and could be on hold until
April.
The council had hoped to
appoint a city court judge
to hear code violation cita
tions. but ultimately tabled
action following a lengthy
discussion. The city has
not had a municipal judge
in several years, a situation
that prevents enforcement
of city code violations.
Two people have submit
ted resumes to be named
city court judge — Dennis
Still, who is city court judge
for the City of Lawrencev-
ille, and Eric Crawford who
is chairman of the Jackson
County Board of Elections.
There was some discus
sion as to whether or not
Crawford could legally
serve as municipal judge
while also serving as elec
tions board chairman. City
attorney Mitchell said he
was “85 percent sure” that
Crawford could do both.
The BOE’s bylaws only pre
vent board members from
holding elective office, but
not appointed offices.
Weeks said Still’s rate
would be $175 per hour
with a $350 minimum per
court session while Craw
ford’s rate would be $100
per hour with no minimum.
Ledbetter made a motion
to table action on the matter.
Astin agreed to second the
motion to table action after
learning that the city would
have to also hire a court
clerk.
The council also tabled
action on appointing a citi
zens’ advisory committee, a
project spearheaded by As
tin. He said the council was
still researching how to set
up such a council and exact
ly what it would do.
The council also took no
action on appointing mem
bers to the city’s ethics com
mission after learning that
Ledbetter, acting as mayor
pro tem, could proceed with
that on his own. Ledbetter
will appoint three people to
a committee and those three
people will create a pool
of six citizens who can be
called on to hear city ethics
complaints.
ACTIONS
In routine action Jan. 9,
the council:
• agreed to get estimates
on fixing a broken sidewalk
due to tree roots in the Vil
lage of Hoschton subdivi
sion. The trees, road and
sidewalks are on city right-
of-way and have been an
ongoing problem. Residents
in the subdivision said they
would like to keep trees
along the streets, but the
roots are causing damage.
Some council members said
they would attend the next
HOA meeting in the neigh
borhood to further discuss a
longer term solution.
• approved spending up to
$10,000 to update the city’s
online municipal codes.
• approved 10 city events
for 2020.
• approved allowing
American Street Rodders
the use of the city square on
the third Saturday of each
month April through Octo
ber.
• approved allowing the
Hoschton Heritage Arts
Council to use the train de
pot for three dates in 2020.
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