Newspaper Page Text
16 Pages, 2 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, September IS, 2021
Winder mayor pushes back on petitions aimed at changing charter
Proposed amendments would
provide for citizens’ veto, cap
millage rate, establish term
limits for mayor, council
By Scott Thompson
sthompson@barrownewsj ournal. com
Three proposed amendments to the City
of Winder’s charter that could substantial
ly alter the city government drew a rebuke
last week from Mayor David Maynard in
an open letter before the author of the pe
titions shot back, accusing the mayor of
“fear-mongering.”
The petitions and proposed charter
amendments, which would require voter
approval in a special-called referendum if
they advance to that point, seek to: cap the
city’s millage rate at a maximum of 3 mills;
impose term limits of two four-year terms
for the mayor and three four-year terms
for city council; and, in the most expansive
proposed change, allow for citizens to pe
tition to “veto” or override any acts, ordi
nances or resolutions passed by the council.
The petition effort, being led by city res
ident Jessica Burton, stems from the coun
cil’s vote last month to essentially double
the city’s millage rate to fund the fiscal year
2022 budget, a move city leaders have said
is necessary to reduce the General Fund’s
continued reliance on utility fund transfers.
The tax hike drew strong backlash from
residents, including Burton, at a series of
public hearings, but the council ultimately
voted 4-1 in favor of the increase.
Burton had initially vowed to recall sit
ting council members who weren’t already
up for re-election (Travis Singley and Kobi
Kilgore) as well as Maynard, but later said
she had been informed by city attorney
John Stell that residents could only petition
to amend the city charter.
Burton said this week that she and the
rest of the group organizing the petition
drive have until Oct. 26 to submit petitions
to the city clerk. Signees must be a city res
ident and registered to vote within the city.
At least 20% of the number of registered
voters who were able to vote in the 2019
city election would have to sign the peti
tions in order to trigger a special election
for the referendum, meaning they would
need roughly 2,170 signatures.
“It is unfortunate and disappointing that
we were unable to resolve this through the
public hearings and had to make it to this
point of needing to amend the charter in
order to get our voices heard and respect
ed,” Burton wrote in an email last month to
city officials. “When the council and mayor
refuse to bend to the will of the people, it
is necessary to take such actions to remind
elected officials that they are public ser
vants, not rulers over their constituents.”
In his letter last week, Maynard took aim
at the petitions and cautioned that city res
idents should take time to understand the
See Petitions, page 2A
Sunflower
Festival
set for
Saturday
The Statham Sunflower
Festival will be held Satur
day, Sept. 18, from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. in the downtown
area with a “Street Dance”
following until 10 p.m.
A car show will be held
from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,
and there will be more than
140 vendor booths, food
tents and food trucks, as
well as pony rides, inflat-
ables, face painting and
more activities.
2021 Sunflower Festi
val T-shirts are available
for purchase ($20 each) as
well as raffle tickets for the
handmade sunflower quilt
($1 each or six tickets for
$5). Purchases can be made
at city hall during business
hours, between 8 a.m. and
5 p.m. or at the festival in
formation booth near the
train depot building. The
quilt raffle will take place
4 p.m. Saturday, and you
do not need to be present to
win.
“It’ll be a great day is our
Sunflower City,” festival
leaders said. “While we un
derstand certain COVID-19
restrictions, we encourage
you to remain comfortable
and safe. Masks are not
mandatory, but maintaining
a safe distance is encour
aged.”
Index:
Public safety 5-6A
Social, school 3,8A, 8B
Classifieds 7A
Legals 5-7B
Obituaries 3-4B
Opinion 4A
Sports 1-2B
MAILING LABEL
Never forget 9/11
Photos by Scott Thompson
The Winder Fire Department held its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony Satur
day, Sept. 11, on the 20th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000
Americans. Members of the fire department and Winder Police Department
read the names of all 343 firefighters and 62 law enforcement officers who died
on 9/11. Winder fire chief Matt Whiting gave remarks and laid a wreath with
Mayor David Maynard. Fire department chaplain Mike Williams gave an invo
cation; Joel Goddard sang the national anthem; Barrow County Probate Judge
Tammy Brown sang “Amazing Grace” and Winder-Barrow High School band
member Blaine Tuttle played “Taps.” Pictured above: Whiting, left, and May
nard carry out the wreath at the start of the ceremony. See more photos online
at barrownewsjournal.com.
Joel Goddard sings the national anthem Blaine Tuttle plays “Taps” near the
during Saturday’s ceremony. end of Saturday’s ceremony.
Several dozeen residents turned out Saturday morning for the 9/11 memorial
ceremony at the Winder Fire Department’s downtown headquarters.
BOG rejects request
for large subdivision
in Statham, approves
rezoning of property
at lower density
By Scott Thompson
sthompson@barrownewsjournal.com
Following along with the county planning commis
sion’s recommendation from last month, the Barrow
County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. Sept.
14, approved rezoning 117.5 acres of land on Glenn
Jackson Road in Statham for a new subdivision, but at
a much lesser density than the prospective developer
and property owners were seeking.
The board voted unanimously to deny a request by
LGI Homes Georgia and the land owners to change
the future land-use map (FLUM) designation for the
land near Glenn Jackson Road’s intersection with
Luke Circle, which would have allowed the applicants
to get an R-2 zoning and build a planned subdivision
of 310 single-family homes with a proposed mini
mum of 2,000 square feet and a density of well over
two units per acre.
The board then backed up the planning commission
by approving a rezoning to R-l, but that zoning re
quires 1-acre minimum lot sizes and carries further re
strictions on the density because the character area for
the parcels is under Rural Reserve and Rural Neigh
borhood.
“I think the planning commission made the right
call,” BOC chairman Pat Graham said.
The board’s approval of the R-l zoning came with
four staff-recommended conditions: that the project
be developed as an open-space subdivision, that all
homes be a minimum of 2,000 heated square feet with
no vinyl siding, and that sod and landscaping be in
stalled in front and side yards.
But it was unclear Tuesday what the applicants’
next step — litigation, walking away from the project
or going forward with it — would be, as their attorney,
Joshua Scoggins, has said a less-dense subdivision
would not be economically feasible,
Scoggins made an appeal to the board during a
public hearing on the case Tuesday, saying it would
be appropriate to amend the FLUM and allow for the
project as planned.
“This proposal before you satisfies all the legal re
quirements,” Scoggins said. “Not everybody’s going
to like it. But at the end of the day, I think it’s the
right thing to do by the property owners and by the
applicant.”
A few residents, including ones from neighboring
properties spoke against the requests Tuesday, object
ing to them over concerns related to traffic and storm
water management.
Scoggins stressed that the project was planned to be
phased in over four to six years.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business Tuesday, commissioners:
•approved a request by Euphoric Development to
rezone just under 96 acres of wooded land near the
intersection of State Route 316 and Kilcrease Road
in order for an industrial park with 1.1 million square
feet of warehouse space to be built. The developer
plans to build four warehouse buildings to be market
ed to companies looking to expand their space. No
suitors for the space have been publicly announced
yet. Plans are to build the project in one phase with an
estimated completion by the end of 2022. The project
has an estimated $70 million value at buildout.
•approved a request by David Dillard and the Jack
and Janet Dillard Family Partnership to change the
character area for and rezone 5.63 acres on Carl-Beth-
lehem Road near its intersection with Loganville
Highway for commercial and retail uses, with 3-5
outparcels next to the IHOP restaurant.
•approved a request to change the character area of
and rezone 0.835 acres at 241 Hwy. 211 NW, Winder,
for a new convenience store to take the place of the
former “Real Deal,” which closed as a result of the
coronavirus pandemic. Though a convenience store
has been operating there, the property has been under
See BOC, page 2A
o