Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3A
Nicholson City Council adopts zoning
RUSSELL EXPLAINS NICHOLSON ZONING MAP
Nicholson City Attorney Rob Russell explains the
Nicholson zoning map to everyone in attendance at the
public hearing Monday night. The city council approved
zoning for the city at Monday’s council meeting.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
HOME AND GARDEN TV PERSONALITY
FILMS COMMERCIAL IN JEFFERSON
Home and Garden Television personality Pat Simpson
(L) made a stop in Jefferson on Wednesday. Simpson
is shown with a member of the film crew working on
several commercials for Jackson Electric Membership
Corporation. Photo by Sharon Hogan
BOC meets to set goals
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Nicholson City Council
approved its first-ever zon
ing ordinance Monday night
just minutes after the council
approved a zoning change for
11.43 acres.
City attorney Rob Russell
said at Thursday's work ses
sion the city’s new zoning
ordinance has four classifica
tions. The zoning is just like it
is today, he said.
“We are not asking anyone
to change the use of their
property,” Russell added.
The zoning classifications
are: ARR1, agricultural; R2,
residential-manufactured
homes: Rl, residential-stick
built homes; and commercial/
business.
Russell said one reason
the council was adopting the
zoning is because the county
could object to any annexa
tion into the city without the
zoning in place.
In a related move, Larry
Farmer asked the council to
change the zoning on his prop
erty located on Cabin Creek
Drive at J.S. Williamson Court
from ARR1 to allow him to
subdivide the property.
“I am asking for the change
before the zoning becomes
law,” Farmer said. “There is
no zoning at this time, cor
rect?”
Mayor Ronnie Maxwell
said, “I don't see any problem
with changing the map before
it is adopted.”
When asked by councilman
Howard Wilbanks what his
plans were for the property,
Farmer said he intended to
sell a portion to his nephew
for a manufactured home or a
built house.
Wilbanks said he would
rather see a zoning change for
a built house. But Farmer said
it wouldn’t be fair to limit it to
a built house because manu
factured homes are already in
the area.
“Some manufactured homes
are as nice as any stick-built
home,” he said.
The zoning ordinance was
approved with the stipula
tion that Farmer’s property be
changed from ARR1 to R2.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at
Monday’s meeting:
•the council unanimously
approved the second reading
of the land transfer to Charlie
Smith and the Nicholson Fire
District. The transfer to the
fire department will revert
back to the city in the event
the fire department is no lon
ger in existence, Russell said.
•the council approved the
second reading of the city's
soil and erosion ordinance
and flood control ordinance.
•the council held the first
reading of the ordinance to
codify city ordinances into
chapters and codes, the ordi
nance regulating rezoning and
appeals procedures and the
ordinance naming the street
going to the new East Jackson
Park as Park Avenue. Two
public hearings will be held
on the rezoning and appeals
procedures. The first will be
held at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday,
Nov. 20, prior to the monthly
work session, and the second
at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Dec.
1, prior to the monthly coun
cil meeting. Russell said the
city will follow the consti
tutional and legal guidelines
for all rezoning requests and
appeals.
•Mike Stowers, pastor, New
Hope Baptist Church, said the
church is looking to build a
fellowship building adjacent
to the church. Stowers asked
what he needed to do to get
this approved in the zoning
classification the church is
in. Russell said, “Nicholson
has the most church-friendly
zoning of any city. Churches
are allowed in all of the zon
ing classifications.” Russell
instructed Stowers to obtain a
building permit from the city.
No change in the zoning will
be needed for the fellowship
building, Russell said.
•Maxwell said the Gordon
Wilbanks house being donat
ed to the city by Georgia
Transmission has been
secured. GeorgiaTransmission
has agreed to pay the cost of
demolishing the house to the
city to go towards the cost
of moving the house to the
city's property, Maxwell said
at Thursday's work session.
•Maxwell said the District
5 meeting with the Georgia
Municipal Association will be
held on Monday, Nov. 17, at
the Commerce Civic Center.
•Maxwell said the city's
annual Christmas tree light
ing will be held at 6 p.m.
on Saturday, Dec. 6 and the
employee Christmas dinner is
set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,
Dec. 11.
BY SHARON HOGAN
OUTGOING Jackson County
Board of Commissioner’s chair
man Pat Bell cautioned those
who will be coming onto the
BOC in 2009 to make sure they
follow the correct process in how
they interact with county man
ager Darrell Hampton. Bell, who
at times during her BOC tenure
found herself at odds with county
managers, said that when a BOC
member asked Hampton to do a
task, it should be in writing and
the other BOC members should
be made aware of the request.
That relationship between the
elected BOC members and its
hired county manager was one of
the key areas of discussion dur
ing a recent daylong meeting of
the board with staff and the two
new BOC members.
Bell said the purpose of the
meeting was to help make the
transition for the new board
members as smooth as possible
on January 1.
“I don’t want any surprises for
this board like the previous board
faced,” Bell added.
County consultant and former
interim county manager Leonard
Myers discussed the county’s
vision statement, mission state
ment and core values with the
group.
Myers said, ‘To support your
mission statement and vision
statement you developed your
core values.”
Incoming BOC member Chas
Hardy said, “I know that you took
some knocks on doing a mission
statement, vision statement and
core values, but I admire you for
this. You need to look at these
every day.”
The group also reviewed the
role of the commissioners and
the chairman as set forth in the
charter. In addition, a discussion
on the history of the commission-
county manager form of govern
ment since 2000 was held.
“I think over the last four years,
this board has developed some
trust of the citizens,” said com
missioner Tom Crow. “We have
started some teamwork with the
cities and some other boards.”
The group also set its goals
for 2009. The top eight adminis
trative projects the board would
like to accomplish in the coming
year includes: Developing a five-
year capital improvement pro
gram for large county projects;
reviewing all revenue-generating
departments to make them more
profitable; developing a master
plan for the Courthouse cam
pus; developing an inventory of
projects for future funding from
Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax (SPLOST); working
with the Jackson County Water
and Sewerage Authority to iden
tify additional water sources;
pursuing airport improvements;
working on the census; and
working on a process to adjust
the county budget if needed.
Commissioner Bruce Yates
said he would like to see a
monthly report on these goals.
In addition to these goals, Bell
said she would like to have a rep
resentative of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce
come before the BOC at least
quarterly to make a report.
Nicholson woman pushes for city police department
BY SHARON HOGAN
NICHOLSON RESIDENT Deloris
Chambers made an emotional plea to
the city council on Thursday night to
form a police department in the city.
Chambers said the city has a problem
with kids being out at all hours of the
night.
“Little girls unescorted, kids on
4-wheelers, 2-wheelers, motorcycles
are out at night,” Chambers said. “I
think we need to see some laws in our
little town. I don’t want to be some
one’s next victim.”
A meeting was set for 7 p.m. on Nov.
10 with city officials and residents to
discuss the matter further.
Chambers said she could not under
stand why anyone would not want
police protection in Nicholson. County
attorney Rob Russell said Jackson
County law enforcement cannot enforce
city laws in Nicholson. The county has
patrols in Nicholson.
Nicholson resident Bobby Rapper
said he is in agreement that somebody
needs to be out patrolling.
“I see county patrols in the city,”
Rapper added.
Chambers said there are a lot of
things going on in the city that need
to be addressed. People are speeding
through the city, running stop signs,
discharging firearms in the city lim
its and raising farm animals against
the covenants in her neighborhood,
Chambers said.
“It is time to stop making our own
laws; we have to do away with the
buddy system,” Chambers said. “If you
(council) don’t do anything else, try to
make this place a better place for our
children.”
Chambers asked the council why
Nicholson couldn’t have a police
department.
“Deloris, you have thrown something
at me tonight that I was not prepared
for,” said Mayor Ronnie Maxwell.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the work session
on Thursday:
•council member Faye Seagraves
said a Nicholson Coupon Club will
begin meeting at 7 p.m. on the second
Monday of each month at the commu
nity center.
•the council met in closed session for
35 minutes to discuss personnel. No
action was taken.
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