Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016
WHITEHEAD RECEIVES STATHAM PILLAR AWARD
Statham Mayor Robert Bridges, left, presented the annual City of Statham
Pillar Award to Beth Whitehead during the monthly council meeting on
Oct. 18. Whitehead served as city clerk in Statham in the 1990s and she
also worked for many years with the historical society. Bridges thanked
Whitehead for all that she did for the City of Statham when she served
as clerk. Also shown, left to right, are council members Perry Barton and
Betty Lyle. Council members Gayle Steed and Hattie Thrasher were also
in attendance, but not pictured. Photo by Sharon Hogan
Auburn considers LMIG money
BOC continued from 1A
KISAALITA RECOGNIZED BY BOC
Barrow County chief finance officer Rose
Kisaalita, left, is recognized by county manager
Mike Renshaw and commissioners.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
By Sk aron Hog'an
News-Journal Reporter
The Auburn City
Council, at the Oct. 20
meeting, discussed the
following items that
could be included on the
consent agenda when
the council meets at 6
p.m. on Thursday, Nov.
3:
Those included:
•the application pro
cess for 2017 Georgia
Department of Trans
portation Local Main
tenance Improvement
Grant (LMIG) to be
used for widening and
resurfacing Honeysuck-
will be presented to the
BOE at its Nov. 1 meet
ing. The school, which
is located near the new
Russell Middle School,
is set to open for the next
school year.
CONSENT
AGENDA
Items added to the
consent agenda to be
voted on at the Nov. 1
meeting are:
•the purchase of inter
active projectors totaling
$37,980 from TechOp-
le Terrace.
LMIG funds for
2017 are approximately
$80,722.
The city has to match
the funds by 30 percent.
The estimated cost of
the project is $131,524.
•the adoption of the
new 2016 Georgia Storm
Water Management
Manual, as required by
the state.
•the renewal of the
lease of city property
located at 1365 Fourth
Avenue to HUE Graph
ics and Apparel LLC
from Nov. 1, through
Oct. 31, 2017, for $650
per month.
tics.
•a board code of ethics
revision due to legisla
tion changes.
The change prohibits a
school board from adopt
ing policies that would
keep board members
from “freely discussing”
policies and actions out
side of a board meeting.
•a revision to its stu
dent records policy fol
lowing 2015 legislation.
•a bid from Athens
Janitor Supply Compa-
•the sale of seven sur
plus vehicles and other
equipment to be listed
on E-Gov.
•the approval of the
city’s 2016-17 holiday
schedule for Thanksgiv
ing, Christmas and New
Years, as follows: closed
Thursday, Nov. 24, and
Friday, Nov. 25, for
Thanksgiving; closed
Monday, Dec. 26, and
Tuesday, Dec. 27, for
Christmas; and closed
Monday, Jan. 2, 2017,
for New Year’s.
•a review of the city’s
Fiscal Year 2015 audit,
completed by Hawkins
& McNair CPA.
ny totaling $495,600 for
equipment and $125,500
for a six-month supply
program.
The BOE recently
approved hiring a staff
ing company for its jan
itorial services and must
purchase equipment and
supplies that the previ
ous janitorial company
(Service Solutions) had
been providing.
•a policy revision to
its internet safety and
acceptable use policy.
including demonstrating
a constructive “spirit of
full disclosure” to clearly
communicate its financial
story and motivate potential
users and user groups to
read the CAFR.
The GFOA is a non-prof
it professional association
serving approximately
17,500 government finance
professionals with offices
in Chicago, Ill., and Wash
ington, D.C.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Tues
day’s monthly meeting, the
BOC:
•unanimously approved
the purchase of seven 2016
Dodge Charger all-wheel
drive, marked, pursuit vehi
cles for the sheriff’s office,
in the amount of $280,518,
from Akins Ford, Wind
er. A bid for the vehicles
of $285,250 was received
from Jacky Jones Ford;
and Patrol Upfitters bid
$103,510 for equipment
only, no vehicles. Fund
ing for the vehicles will
come out of Special Pur
pose Local Option Sales
Tax (SPLOST) 12 revenue.
•approved the purchase
of three 2016 Dodge
Charger rear-wheel drive,
unmarked, pursuit vehicles
for the sheriff’s office, in
the amount of $83,007,
from Akins Ford. A bid
was received from Jacky
Jones Ford for $85,950;
and Patrol Upfitters bid
$12,940 for equipment
only, no vehicles. Funding
for this purchase will also
come out of SPLOST 12
revenue.
•heard a report from
emergency services direc-
tor/EMA director John
Skinner on the status of
the county’s ladder truck.
Skinner said the truck, only
eight years old, has issues
with the emissions and lad
der. He told the commis
sioners the truck had been
out of service for 80 days
so far this year and over
$30,000 had been spent on
repairs for that same time
period. The cost to replace
the ladder truck is around
$725,000. BOC chairman
Pat Graham reminded the
BOC that a new ladder
truck was put into the capi
tal budget for 2020. Skinner
said he didn’t think the cur
rent truck would last until
2020. Renshaw reminded
the BOC and citizens that
due to the height of some
buildings in the county a
ladder truck is required.
Renshaw said when the
county’s ladder truck is out
of operation the City of
Winder steps in if a ladder
truck is needed. “It’s not
like the county is without
a ladder truck completely,”
Renshaw said.
•tabled action to autho
rize Graham to execute a
construction agreement
with CSX Railroad to
close three existing railroad
crossings - Cosby Road,
Russell Cemetery Road
and Deer Run Trail - as
part of the Ed Hogan Road
project. Commissioner Ben
Hendrix questioned why
CSX was now charging -
approximately $170,000
- to close the crossings
when they had not charged
in the past. Darrell Gree-
son, county staff, said it
was a new requirement of
CSX. Graham reminded
the BOC that a discussion
had previously been held
on keeping Russell Cem
etery Road open and clos
ing Cash Road instead.
The BOC tabled action of
the execution of the agree
ment to give county staff
several weeks to negotiate
with CSX on the closures.
Renshaw said he and staff
would get something put
together that would be ben
eficial to both the county
and CSX.
•unanimously approved
an application for the Assis
tance to Firefighters Grant.
The purpose of the grant
application is to update the
department’s rescue tools.
The total request for the
application is $420,561,
with a 10 percent match by
the department of $42,056.
•approved the purchase
of court recording software
for the Juvenile, Magistrate
and Probate courts at a cost
of $43,100.
•tabled action on the pur
chase of mobile data termi
nal software for the Barrow
County Emergency Ser
vices medical units at a cost
of $78,288. Graham said
she wanted to see this pur
chase go through the cap
ital improvement account.
“I want to see results,” Gra
ham said. “We purchased
the mobile CAD system
and I want to see the return
on our investment.”
•approved the chairman
to execute the 2016 Georgia
Transportation Infrastruc
ture Bank (GTIB) Barrow
County grant agreement for
$ 1.08 million, to be used on
the West Winder Bypass.
This grant does not require
a county match.
•tabled action on the pur
chase of two John Deere
mowers for the roads and
bridges department at a
cost of $212,912 under the
state contract pricing. Com
missioner Joe Goodman
made the motion to table
the matter for two weeks,
until additional information
could be gathered on the
two existing mowers that
are currently not in work
ing order. Commissioner
Isaiah Berry said, “If there
is a need we need to take
care of that need.” “I am
concerned with the need for
a ladder truck,” chairman
Graham said. “We need to
reserve as much SPLOST
money as we can for a lad
der truck, if one is needed,”
she added.
•met in closed session for
approximately 20 minutes
to discuss pending litiga
tion. No action was taken.
BOE continued from 1A
SPLOST continued from 1A
uation of the current one
already in place, would
take effect July 1, 2018.
It would fund various cap
ital improvements across
the county and in each of
its municipalities, which
could include upgrades to
roadways, water and sewer
systems and other infra
structure, parks and recre
ation projects and public
safety improvements.
At last week’s meeting,
the committee identified
four broad areas for the
potential referendum to
focus on: parks and rec
reation, transportation
(including bicycling and
walking), cultural and
civic centers and part
nerships with the Barrow
County School System,
Fort Yargo State Park and
other entities.
Committee members
were split into small
groups and identified the
following project needs (in
order of most cited):
•multi-purpose fields
•greater use of Fort
Yargo
•aquatic center
Considering
In M r) )
l buying or
selling?
770-867-9026
www.maynardrealty.com
•bicycling and walking
facilities, including trails
•general recreation parks
•additional water and
sewerage connections
•cultural arts facility
•repairs to and construc
tion of roads and bridges
•greater partnerships
with schools
•re-use of existing facili
ties, such as former schools
•police equipment
•greater accessibility
and connectivity around
the county for all residents
•library expansion and
investment in new tech
nology
•civic/convention center
•recreation center expan
sion.
The effort comes after
commissioners voted
in July not to include a
SPLOST referendum on
this year’s general election
ballot.
It would have been
in effect for five years
through June 2023 and
would have raised an esti
mated $56.6 million. Of
that total, roughly $7.4
million - or 13 percent -
would have gone toward a
county recreational com
plex project at Fort Yargo
State Park.
The remainder of the
money, about $49.2 mil
lion, would have been split
between the county. Wind
er, Auburn, Statham, Beth
lehem, Carl and Braselton,
according to population
figures from the 2010 U.S.
Census.
This summer, coun
ty officials attempted to
negotiate an intergovern
mental agreement (IGA)
with Winder officials that
would have allowed the
SPLOST to be in effect for
six years and raise a pro
jected $66 million.
Of the $66 million,
just over $27 million - or
$4.5 million per year -
would have gone toward
the county retiring debt on
SPLOST 2005 “Level 1”
projects approved by vot
ers, including the building
of a new detention center
and courthouse facility and
renovations to the historic
courthouse in downtown
Winder, which is now used
as a county administration
annex building.
However, Winder lead
ers said they would be
opposed to any IGA that
would have allowed that
large of a share to be used
for retiring SPLOST 2005
debt.
In a letter to commis
sion chairman Pat Gra
ham, Winder Mayor David
Maynard said the county
should use part of its allot
ted collections from the
tax to make its debt pay
ments. Graham, though,
said that would undercut
funding for capital items
that would have to be paid
for through property taxes.
PUBLIX MYSTERY COUPON
See What 1$ Gets!
Bring this coupon to Publix on October 26, 2016, and find out what
one penny gets you! Good with your purchase of $10 or more.
Limit one coupon per household per day. Excluding all alcohol,
tobacco, lottery items, money services, postage stamps, gift cards,
and prescriptions. Customer is responsible for all applicable taxes.
Reproduction or transfer of this coupon is strictly prohibited.
Effective October 26, 2016 at participating stores in Ga., Ala., and Tenn.
Publix.
WHERE SHOPPING IS A PLEASURE* LU# 14523
$55 DOT Physicals
Get your DOT /CDL
Physical Today
Location 1
r
Location 2
1253 Historic Homer
HWY
Homer, GA 30547
2800 Peachtree
Industrial Blvd, Suite F
Duluth, GA 30097
Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday
‘parking available in
front of clinic
Monday, Wednesday
and Friday
Sparking available
walking distance
706-677-1010
www.homerchiropractor.com
Email: homerchiropractor@gmail.com
DOT physicals, Drug Testing, Breath Alcohol Testing
Coupon
\ Special
7 $10 Discount
^ Offer <
> for Chiropractic office visit
Due to Federal regulations, this offer does not
Apply to Medicare, Medicaid & Commercial Insurance