Newspaper Page Text
INSIDE:
Fayetteville Funeral Flome Partners
with ‘SharkFank’featured Company, A3
INSIDE:
Words from theY2K Mom, A5
INSIDE:
Introducing the 2023 All-County
Girls’ Athletes of theYear, Bl
THE TRUTH SINCE 1886
FAYETTE COUNTY (1) NEWS
f ay ett e-news, net
Vol. 151, No. 26
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
$1.00
Drug Treatment Facility Definition
Amendment Dominates Commission Meeting
Luke Haney
Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
What began as a public
hearing for consideration of
an ordinance to amend Fay
ette County’s definition of a
drug abuse treatment facil
ity within the zoning ordi
nance, led to emotional,
tear-filled discussions by
members of the county
commission and public.
During the June 22
commission meeting, staff
presented a definition,
which was approved by the
planning commission, but
staff recommended a re
vised version, which reads
as follows:
“Drug abuse treatment
facility means a halfway
house, drug rehabilitation
center, or facility for treat
ment of drug dependency
staffed by professional
and/or paraprofessional
persons offering treatment
and/or therapeutic pro
grams for drug-dependent
persons who are housed on
the premises for the course
of treatment. A drug abuse
treatment facility must also
be approved and licensed by
the Georgia Department of
Community Health.”
To begin public com
ment on the hearing, At
lanta attorney Adam Kaye
addressed the board, in
forming those in attendance
that he is working to open a
drug addiction
treatment/detox center and
asked the board to amend
the definition to clarify that
drug abuse treatment facil
ities shall be permitted in
any zoning districts that
allow for care homes, sub
ject to the same zoning con-
See Treatment Facility, A6
Marine to Marshal:
94-Year-Old WWll
Vet to lead PTC
July 4 Parade
Parade organizers named 94-year-old
Marine veteran James “Jim” Rogers as Grand
Marshal for the 2023 Peachtree City Fourth
of July Parade.
Rogers served in World War II, the
Korean War, and multiple tours in Vietnam.
During his service to the country, Rogers re
ceived multiple medals including the World
War II Victory medal, United Nations Service
medal, and the Bronze Star.
He is currently a Life Member of Peach
tree City’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
9949-
“Jim’s fellow VFW members nominated
him for this honor,” Parade Director Maria
Puckett said. “We are thrilled at the opportu
nity to honor him and his service to our coun-
See July 4 Parade, A6
94-year-old WWll vet James "Jim Rogers will lead the 2023 Peachtree City Fourth
of July Parade as Grand Marshal. Courtesy of Ben Bauman/VFW Post 9949
Fayette C.A.R.E. Clinic Executive Director Geneva Weaver, left,
and members of the clinic stand with Rick Ross, right, as he
presents a check for more than $30,000. Submitted
Rapper Rick Ross
Donates $30K-Plus
to Help Fayette
Clinic Remain Open
The following story was
written by Wendy Corona
and published by WSBTV
and Channel 2 Action News
on June 20:
A Fayette County clinic
has the funds to stay open,
thanks to rapper and Fay
ette County resident Rick
Ross.
Channel 2 Action News
was there as he presented
Fayette C.A.R.E. Clinic with
a check Monday.
The rapper said he is
glad he could help and looks
forward to doing more.
Leaders of the clinic got
to personally thank Ross for
his donation.
“Thank you very much
for your donation of the
$30,179,” Geneva Weaver,
executive director of Fayette
C.A.R.E. Clinic, told Ross.
The clinic provides free
care to people 18 and older
in Fayette County and was
in danger of closing because
it did not have enough
funds.
Ross said he knows
clinics like this one matter
and was not going to let that
happen.
“A clinic like this means
a lot to me. I lost my father
at an early age, and I felt like
one of the reasons I lost him
so early is because of his
lack of healthcare,” Ross
said.
The clinic is especially
useful to those who don’t
See Fayette Clinic, A6
FCN Office
Closes
July 3-4
The Fayette County
Neivs office ivill be
closed on Monday, July
3, through Tuesday,
July 4, in observance of
Independence Day. The
office ivill reopen for
regular hours on Wed
nesday, July 5.
Commission Approves
$135 Million FY 2024 Budget
County Staff Receive 12.5% Raise,
Manager Contract Extended 1 Year
PTC Holds Second
Budget Workshop
Luke Haney
Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
Commissioners held a
second public hearing and
subsequent unanimous ap
proval of the $135 million
Fiscal Year 2024 annual
budget during the June 22
meeting, which includes a
12.5 percent raise for all
county employees.
Before voting on the
budget, commissioners voted
to extend the raise to County
Administrator Steve Rapson,
as well as extend his contract
to December 2025, one ad
ditional year.
Contrary to other county
staff positions, the county ad
ministrator’s pay can only be
set by commissioners.
Commissioners included
constitutional officers and 19
“shared” employees of the
Griffin Judicial Circuit into
those receiving the raise, but
GJC employee raises will not
become official until approval
is given by commissioners of
all counties within the circuit.
Chairman Lee Hearn
stated, “There are lots of
good, important projects in
this budget,” noting projects
and upgrades including the
recreation building, fire
training facility, law enforce
ment training facilities, and
the election building.
No comments from at
tendees were made during
the public hearing.
In other news, commis
sioners approved a contract
renewal for water system
chemicals to be provided by
Brenntag Mid-South Inc.,
Chemtrade Chemicals US
LLC, and Southern States
Chemical for a total, not-to-
exceed amount of $406,012.
Chemicals noted within
the contract include chlorine,
sodium silica fluoride, alum,
sodium hypochlorite, and
sulfuric acid. Copper sulfite is
not offered by any of the
three providers, but county
staff says funds are available
for the copper sulfite, which
will be purchased on an as-
needed basis.
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
On June 20, the City
Council of Peachtree City
held its second workshop to
discuss the proposed Fiscal
Year 2024 budget, which
was presented by City Man
ager Bob Curnow, Assistant
City Manager Justin Strick
land, and City Finance Di
rector Paul Salvatore.
Beginning the presenta
tion, Curnow highlighted
the mission statement of the
city and posed a question to
the council: “Can we afford
to own what we own?”
Curnow noted three
challenges the city is cur
rently facing, including a
“lean staff,” the absence of a
formalized project manage
ment program, and the
need to develop a meaning
ful facilities maintenance
plan.
“Additionally, we have a
city of almost 65 years that’s
starting to show its age and
a significant decline in some
of its infrastructure,” Cur
now continued.
Curnow passed the pres
entation to Salvatore to dis
cuss the numbers within the
See PTC Budget, A6
State Court Interns Recognized at Commission Meeting
At the start of the July 22 Fayette County Commission meeting, commissioners turned the floor over to Fayette County State Court Judge
Jason Thompson for a recognition of summer interns at the local state court. Judge Thompson presented a video, created by the state
court's summer interns, about their favorite parts of the internship. Following the video, interns received certificates from Judge Thomp
son. Interns included high school interns Kelsey Miller and Charli Thompson, college interns Robby Klitten, Nathaneal Smith, Caleb New,
Daija Piper, and Tani Alofe, and law school interns Bassem Amercani and Jocelyn Zhao. ^pg Haney/Fayette News
INSIDE:
FAYETTE VIEWS
SPORTS
A4 LEGALS
31 CLASSIFIEDS
B2 SCHOOL NEWS
B6
B6
CONTACT US: support@fayette-news.net - (770) 461-6317 - fayette-news.net
We Look Forward To
Seeing You Soon!
Open for Lunch and Dinner • Seven Days A Week
180 Hwy 314, Fayette, GA • 770.703.7514 • fridasbarandgrill.com
ran
Frida’s
f * M
