About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2018)
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 © 2018 Southern Company. All rights reserved. Do not reuse text or graphics without written permission. AGL-17986
