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6A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, October 3,2018
FROM 1A
Budget
Department heads requested
$2.4 million in new positions
and salary changes; Thurmond
has proposed $932,632 in
expenses in the form of 19 full
time and four part time posi
tions.
“For many departments, the
new personnel that is being pro
posed in this budget will meet
the demands of not only today
but for several years to come,”
Thurmond said to the board.
“You will no longer see them
come every year asking you for
the same thing over and over
and over and over again. This
budget will eliminate some of
that.”
The four part time positions
are for a deputy coroner, a part
time judge and a weekend judge
for the Magistrate Court and a
clerk for the Probate Court. The
deputy coroner position has
already been approved by the
commission for the remainder of
this year.
Of the 19 full time positions,
18 are new and one is a promo
tion. Included in the new posi
tions recommended is a legal
assistant for the county attorney,
a training captain for emergency
services, an administrative assis
tant for fleet maintenance, a
human resources specialist, an
IT coordinator, two park mainte
nance employees, a building
inspector for planning and
development, an assistant public
defender, three public works
positions, a respite coordinator/
custodian for the new senior
center, two patrol officers for the
sheriff’s office and two opera
tors at the transfer station.
Thurmond said he hopes that
in addition to the new positions,
the county will be able to work
with the public safety depart
ments to fill open positions and
keep them filled.
“This budget doesn’t meet all
of the issues that we have. We
still have issues in public safety,
we still have difficulty keeping
our staff in public safety,”
Thurmond said. “We’re being
challenged by most of the ser
vices south of us so we’re going
to have to continue to take a
look at that.”
Thurmond also included a two
percent raise for all employees
next year as well as an addition
al $100,000 to cover any poten
tial increased insurance costs.
Changes made to the 2018
budget throughout the year
resulted in an amended
$26,417,480 general fund bud
get for this year. The budget
Thurmond proposed for 2019
comes in at $27,130,089, a
$700,000 increase.
“Finance and I went line by
line, department by department,
and found money that could be
reappropriated for better use,”
Thurmond said of the budgeting
process. “The proposal does not
put any strain on maintaining a
solid reserve fund.”
That also is due in large part
to increases in LOST collections
and property taxes that the coun
ty is anticipating. Projections are
for LOST to increase 10 percent,
an increase of over $1.1 million
from 2018, and the combination
of maintaining the millage rate
and a county-wide revaluation of
all residential properties will
result in a $1 million increase in
property taxes over last year.
Department heads also
requested $7.8 million in capital
projects funding, which is sepa
rate from the general fund.
Much of their requests will not
be granted but could become
future SPLOST items.
Thurmond has proposed mov
ing $100,000 from the capital
projects fund to the separate
vehicle replacement fund. He
also proposed allocating
$100,000 for audio visual
replacements in the courthouse,
$10,000 for cameras for the Tax
Commissioner’s Office,
$100,000 for paving the parking
lot at the KH Long building,
$31,071 to activate emergency
call buttons for the sheriff’s
office radios and $50,000 for
new AC units for the sheriff’s
office.
Thurmond also proposed the
county utilize monies from the
capital projects fund that don’t
get used in 2018 for those
expenses.
Also separate from the general
fund, the SPLOST VI budget for
2019 is $7,500,000, and is
already earmarked for a new
public works facility, a new fire
station in the west side of the
county, road paving and phase
two of county-wide computer
replacements.
“We’ve got to plan as we go
forward to replace these com
puters on a five-year (basis)...
we’ve got to get this stuff in
SPLOST where it’s not in the
general fund and we’re not hav
ing to try to find money for
these type projects,” Thurmond
said. “We’ve got to keep that
kind of stuff in SPLOST.”
Public hearings for the pro
posed budget are scheduled for 6
p.m. Oct. 4, 4 p.m. Oct. 11 and 6
p.m. Oct. 18 in the second floor
assembly room at the Dawson
County Government Center.
The commission could vote to
approve a budget at the Oct. 18
meeting.
“What I will propose to you is
this: that before every hearing,
we will have a conversation
about any proposed changes or
additions that you would like to
make, that way whoever may
come to that hearing will have
the opportunity to speak to that
as well,” Thurmond said to the
board.
In other business:
City, county to hold joint
planning meeting
Representatives from the
Dawson County Board of
Commissioners and the
Dawsonville City Council will
be meeting at Amicalola Falls
on Friday for a joint planning
retreat.
The meeting will begin at 8:30
a.m. Oct. 5.
The Amicalola Falls State
Park and Lodge is located at 418
Amicalola Falls in Dawsonville.
The meeting will be open to the
public.
FROM 1A
Mayor
Steven Leibel, who continues
as Grogan’s representation, has
requested that the Georgia
Supreme Court reverse the
Dawson County Superior Court’s
decisions so that Grogan can
have a clean slate to appeal
again.
“Grogan has not only been
denied his right of appeal, he also
has been penalized tens of thou
sands of dollars for having exer
cising that right,” Leibel wrote in
his brief to the Supreme Court.
In March, City Attorney Dana
Miles said that the amount of
taxpayer money the city had
spent fighting Grogan’s appeal
amounted to $60,000 paid to the
city attorney as well as $10,000
paid to Webb, Tanner & Powell
to represent the city council.
$30,000 of that was spent in
pursuit of Grogan’s salary and
legal fees once the appeal was
denied.
Miles said the city council will
have to decide whether to pursue
the lawyers’ fees. He said in
March that if it does, Grogan
would then be entitled to a jury
trial, further prolonging the pro
cess.
Once the case is completed and
a final judgment entered, assum
ing Grogan doesn’t appeal it, the
$25,060.88 in salary Grogan was
ordered to pay can be collected
as the law allows, Miles said.
Requests for comment by
Leibel and Miles were not
returned as of press time.
Grogan was voted out of office
by a 3-1 vote on May 15, 2017
after the city council initiated an
investigation into alleged misuse
of city funds.
Grogan attempted to regain the
mayor seat, running against inter
im Mayor Mike Eason in a
March special election, but lost.
Eason will continue to serve as
mayor until Dec. 31, 2019.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace delivers first beds
The Dawsonville chapter of
Sleep in Heavenly Peace deliv
ered their first set of beds in
Dawson County Sept. 27.
After constructing 10 beds at
their inaugural build Sept. 8,
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
received donations of bedding
and pillows to complete the
beds and get them ready to be
delivered.
Chapter president Skip Sevier
along with his wife Veronica and
volunteers Kyle Richardson and
Kendall Robinson packed up the
beds and assembled them for
two local children in the commu
nity. For the Dawson County News
"We left sweaty, heart-touched
and grateful in the understanding that these two kids were in their own beds tonight
for the first time," Sevier said. "The family was very grateful, very thankful, the kids
were thrilled and we left more convinced than ever that we're doing what we're
called to do and grateful to be a part of the SHP Family."
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national nonprofit organization with the mission of
building reliable beds for children ages three to 17 so that no kids sleep on the floor.
For more information visit shpbeds.org.
Important safety information from Atlanta Gas Light
Every day, underground pipelines safely
transport natural gas to homes and
businesses throughout the country.
Atlanta Gas Light operates, secures
and maintains the pipelines in our
service territories.
Call before you dig
Before digging on your property, state law
requires you call 811 to have your utility
lines professionally marked - for free! You
must wait the required amount of time
before you begin your project. Pipeline
markers indicate the presence of pipelines
and rights of way. Because they are not
present in all areas, it is important to
always call 811. If a right of way is adjacent
to your property, it is your responsibility
to ensure no new landscaping or physical
structure interferes with access to the
pipeline, and with our ability to keep it
safe through routine monitoring
and maintenance.
Information about transmission pipelines
operating in your community can be
accessed online at npms.phmsa.dot.gov,
courtesy of the National Pipeline
Mapping System (NPMS).
Water heater safety
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission urges all users to lower their
water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carbon monoxide
Incomplete combustion of any fuel
produces carbon monoxide. Carbon
monoxide is poisonous and has no odor,
taste or color. Carbon monoxide detectors
are helpful, but they are no substitute
for using equipment safely. This includes
having your appliances inspected once a
year by a certified contractor.
Appliance safety
According to the Federal Emergency
Management Agency:
• It is important that you have
your furnace inspected by a
qualified specialist.
• Be sure all furnace controls and
emergency shut-offs are in proper
working condition.
• Keep trash and other combustible
material away from your air, heating
and water heating systems.
Pipeline Integrity Management
Pipeline integrity management is a process
for assessing and mitigating pipeline
risks to reduce both the likelihood and
consequences of incidents. We have a
comprehensive plan that fully addresses
these processes, especially for locations
deemed high-consequence areas.
To learn more, visit atlantagaslight.com/
integritymanagementplan
If you smell gas, act fast!
Even though natural gas pipeline incidents
are uncommon, you can help prevent
emergencies by knowing the signs of a
potential problem.
LOOK for blowing dirt, discolored vegetation
or continued bubbling of standing water.
LISTEN for a hissing or roaring noise near a
natural gas appliance or line.
SMELL the distinctive, rotten-egg odor
associated with natural gas. Natural gas
is colorless and odorless, so we add a
chemical odorant called mercaptan for easy
detection. This odorant has a distinctive
"rotten-egg" type odor. You should act any
time you detect even a small amount of this
odor in the air.
If you suspect a natural gas leak,
do the following:
LEAVE the area immediately and move a
safe distance away from the potential leak,
while avoiding any action that may cause
sparks. Do not try to identify the source or
to stop the leak yourself.
AVOID using any sources of ignition, such as
cellphones, cigarettes, matches, flashlights,
electronic devices, motorized vehicles, light
switches or landlines, as natural gas can
ignite from a spark, possibly causing a fire
or explosion. Natural gas is non-toxic, lighter
than air and displaces oxygen. In severe
cases, if not used properly, it can also lead
to asphyxiation.
CALL Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321 or
911 once you are out of the area of the
suspected leak and in a safe place. Stay
away until Atlanta Gas Light or emergency
personnel indicate it is safe to return.
Note: Do not solely rely on sense of smell to determine
if a gas leak exists. Be aware that some individuals
may not be able to detect the odorant because they
have a diminished sense of smell, olfactory fatigue or
because the odor is being masked by other odors in
the area. Certain conditions may cause the odorant to
diminish so that it is not detectable. Some gas lines,
due to their unique function, may not have odor at all.
For more information, visit
atlantagaslight.com/safety or call
800.427.5463.
^ Atlanta Gas Light
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