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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018
BOC approves agreement on wastewater treatment facility project
By Scott Thompson
News-Journal Editor
Barrow County has
reached an agreement
with a Lawrencev-
ille-based company to
provide management and
consultation services for
a new wastewater treat
ment facility project on
Tanners Bridge Road.
Under the $343,100
agreement with Engi
neering Management,
Inc. — approved by the
county board of commis
sioners Tuesday — the
company will assist with
planning, designing,
applying for permits and
additional funding for,
and preparing a bid pack
age for construction of
a facility adjacent to the
current Tanners Bridge
Road wastewater treat
ment facility. Sam Mark,
senior manager of utility
operations for the county,
said the consultation and
management work would
take 27 to 33 months to
complete.
Mark told commission
ers back in November
the Tanners Bridge Land
Application System was
at 60-percent capacity —
with the potential to reach
90 percent capacity with
in four years — and was
in need of replacement.
The overall project has
been approved for $11
million in SPLOST fund
ing. As part of approval
of the agreement with the
company, commission
ers also OK’d a $50,000
budget amendment for
FY18 to pay the company
through the end of the
fiscal year, June 30. That
money will come from
the unrestricted enterprise
reserves from the coun
ty's water and sewer fund.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business Tues
day, commissioners:
•approved a utility
agreement between the
county and the Georgia
Department of Transpor
tation for the relocation
of animal control waste
water facilities necessary
for construction of phases
1-2 of the West Winder
Bypass. The cost of that
work will be $70,910.80
and GDOT will reimburse
the county 100 percent,
county manager Mike
Renshaw said.
•approved an agree
ment with property own
ers on Bill Rutledge Road
for the abandonment and
county’s quit claim of
approximately 1 acre for
the realignment of the
road, which is connect
ed to phase 2 of the West
Winder Bypass.
•accepted a $6,446 grant
from the Georgia Trauma
Commission. The commis
sion offers an annual equip
ment grant for the purchase
of approved equipment to
aid in trauma response to
all EMS services that are
zoned providers. The funds
will be used by Barrow
County Emergency Ser
vices to purchase two new
stair chairs to replace two
that have reached the end
of their service life.
Auburn City Council renews
waste, recycling contract
The Auburn City Council, last Thursday,
voted to renew the city’s solid waste col
lection and recycling contract with Repub
lic Services of Georgia.
The agreement will extend the current
contract, which is set to expire Dec. 31. by
another three years with a two-year renew
al option. The city and contractor may
terminate the contract at the end of each
year with 90-day advance notification, and
Republic Services may petition the mayor
and council annually for a rate adjustment
utilizing the consumer-price index.
Republic Services will bill each regular
resident $16.19 per month for each 90-gal-
lon container and bill each senior resident
$13.79 per month for each 90-gallon con
tainer.
In other business last Thursday, the
council:
•met in closed session to discuss per
sonnel and property issues. No action was
taken.
•approved five new policies to be added
to the Auburn Police Operations Manual
— Field Training Program, Crime Anal
ysis, Personnel Early Warning System,
Communications, and Courtroom Secu
rity and Procedures. The policies have
been added to make sure the department’s
policies continue to be in line with state
certification standards, Chief Chris Hodge
said.
•approved a proclamation recognizing
April 23-29 as Volunteer Appreciation
Week, as part of National Volunteer Week.
Several city volunteers were at the meet
ing and were treated to a reception after
the meeting.
•heard from Hodge about an anti-bully-
ing campaign the police has active on its
Facebook page.
Briefs continued from 1A
renovation and preservation projects within
these homes and businesses. Tickets are $5
and can be purchased at Hill’s Ace Hardware,
Ann’s Flower Shop or Salon 52 West, or at the
tour headquarters, 52 West Candler St., on the
day of the tour. For more information, email
preservebarrow@windstream.net.
CLASS OF ‘62 REUNION
The Winder-Barrow High School Class of
1962 will have a mini-class reunion at 1 p.m.
on Monday, April 16, at Golden Corral. Winder.
Notify Dianne Fleeman at ldhfleeman@
gmail.com or 678-425-2531, or Richard Cronic
at richardcronic6@att.net, if you plan to attend
so arrangements can be made with the restau
rant.
SPRING CLEAN-UP DAY
IN BETHLEHEM
The annual Spring Clean-Up day is coming
up in Bethlehem.
The Town of Bethlehem is celebrating Earth
Day on April 25, with a Spring Clean-Up Day.
“Bring your junk, no tires, paint, items with
Freon or construction waste, curbside on April
24 and it will be picked up on April 25,” leaders
state.
If you have any questions, call 770-867-0702
from 12-6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
RED CROSS BLOOD
DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
COMING UP
The American Red Cross encourages eligi
ble donors to give blood during National Vol
unteer Month in April. Donating blood is a
simple way for those who are short on time to
make a life-changing difference, leaders said.
Volunteer donors are the only source of
blood products for those in need of transfu
sions. Donors of all blood types are needed to
help meet patient needs this spring.
Make an appointment to donate blood
by downloading the free Red Cross Blood
Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or
calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-
2767).
All those who come to donate from April 9
to May 13 will be entered to win one of three
$1,000 gift cards to a national home improve
ment retailer, courtesy of Suburban Propane.
(Restrictions apply. More details are available
at RedCrossBlood.org/Lets-Do-More,)
Upcoming blood donation opportunities in
Barrow County include:
•April 20,1:30-6:30 p.m.. Auburn Masonic
Lodge 230, 64 Autry Rd., Auburn
•May 4, noon to 6 p.m., Winder First
United Methodist Church, 280 North Broad
St.. Winder.
RMS STUDENTS VISIT ROCKY’S PLACE
On March 17, the National Junior Art Honors Society at Russell Middle
School took a field trip to Around Back at Rocky’s Place, a folk-art gal
lery, owned by Tracey Burnette and Russell Middle School teacher Robin
Blan. The students experienced the work of over 300 self-taught, region
al artists working in a variety of mediums, painting, pottery, fiber, metal
and wood. Pictured, from left to right, are McKendree Ramsell (seventh
grade teacher at Russell Middle), Angelina Newell, Aeris Xiong, Lindy
Vang, Hillary Xiong, Ella Ramsell, Cadence Black, Vicki Hart (Russell
Middle Art Teacher and club sponsor), and Mrs. Xiong. The artwork is
Angel by Roy Minshew.
Submitted photo
Taxes continued from 1A
The work was done with fewer staff
members, he said.
The property assessor’s office was
cut three positions “when the bottom
fell out,” he said. One position was
added back for the current year and
he will request another in the next
budget.
Elrod said county’s “sales ratio”
probably still will not reach the 3 8-per
cent level that is the state standard.
The ratio for 2016 was 35.65 per
cent and Elrod said he believes it will
be higher than 36 percent for 2017.
That number won’t be known until
the fall. Housing sales are increasing
county wide, he said.
Houses that were bought for
$110,000 to $115,000 are being sold
for $140,000 to $160,000, he said.
Elrod said mortgage rates for the
2018 are expected to be in the 4 to 4.5
percent range.
He said existing housing sales in
Barrow County are the highest in
about a decade.
Nationally, housing sales are 5.8
percent higher but still 12 percent
below the peak prices about a decade
ago.
BOE continued from 1A
Alvarez said the district
does a very good job with
discipline problems, but
if problems exists, more
resources should be pro
vided to deal with them.
“I don’t care what it is
and I don’t care who I
have to fight with to make
that happen,” he said.
If the school needs
additional social workers,
money should be shifted
to provide them, he said.
The district’s four social
workers were honored at
the meeting because they
“branched out a bit” and
created the Barrow Youth
Behavioral Summit. The
meeting, held in March,
was free and dealt with
mental health questions.
Huff said the district’s
discipline data were
lower than state reports in
all but the “interpersonal”
category, which includes
bullying, harassment and
Considering
M R buying or
/ selling?
770-867-9026
www.maynardrealty.com
threats. McMichael said
the district emphasiz
es reporting all instanc
es and, “if anything, we
over-report."
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the
board:
•agreed to provide sam
ples of four textbooks for
AP classes in the lobby of
the professional develop
ment center until the May
board meeting. The board
would vote on those texts
then. Prices for the texts
range from $114 to $144
for each book. Stevens
said she wanted to have
further discussions with
McMichael about the
U.S. government and
politics text. The College
Board, which oversees
AP courses, requires texts
for each student and that
the books be no more
than 10 years old.
•heard from Jennifer
Houston, assistant super
intendent for business
services, that the reserve
fund was $24.9 million
at the end of March. She
also said the ELOST fund
for three months in 2018
is 4.7 percent higher than
the same time in 2017.
The ELOST fund through
three months has been
higher each year since
2013. It is $2.7 million
for the first three pay
ments of 2018.
•agreed to a contract
with the University of
Georgia for speech ther
apy services for stu
dents. A UGA professor
will supervise up to 55
students to help provide
speech services. It will
cost about $96,000.
•approved the same
code of conduct that is in
use this school year,
•recognized 61 elemen
tary teachers for having
100 percent parent par
ticipation in the second
Academic Parent Teach
er Team meeting for the
2017-18 school year.
THE BARROW COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
INVITES THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND
ITS MONTHLY MEETING
Monday, April 16,2018 at 7:30 pm
Winder Woman’s Club • 15 W. Midland Ave.
State Senator Hunter Hill, Candidate for Governor
Scott Howard, Candidate State Senate District 47
Joe Hunt, Candidate US Rep., 10 ,h District
CITY OF ARCADE
ftZfltEfl FESTII/ni
Arcade City Park
Sat., April 28, 2018 • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rain or Shine
Pounding for Paws 5K Walk Run sm#
I HUMAjJl 4
Benefiting the Humane Society of Jackson County
Live Music: The Steve Bryson Band • Kristin Tinsley
Performances: Jackson County School System
Car Show: Benefiting Tri-County Shriners shriners Hospitals
for Children*
Bounce Houses • Face Painting • Food Vendors
Arts & Crafts • GACHIPS • Llama’s and More!
Directions: Exit 137 off 85 towards Athens • Highway 129 - Follow the signs
www.cityofarcade.org • 706-367-5500