Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3A
Funding to preserve historic school approved
BY JEREMIAH DILLS
A 19TH century African-
American schoolhouse in the
Cross Roads area of Nicholson
will be renovated following action
of the Nicholson City Council
Thursday night. The Cross Roads
area is located on Cedar Drive, off
Highway 441.
The council approved an earlier
proposal made by David Ramsey
to restore the 19th century
African-American schoolhouse.
Council members unanimously
voted to pay $5,000 of the esti
mated $10,000 the job will cost.
Ramsey, who proposed the proj
ect, has committed to raising one
half of the renovation expenses in
a matching fund with the city.
The school was built prior to
1880. The site includes an adja
cent cemetery from the same
post-Civil War era and an African-
American Methodist Church site.
The church was lost during the
1950s but there are records from
its existence.
19TH CENTURY SCHOOLHOUSE
In other business, council
members:
•approved a temporary land use
ordinance that will allow anyone
seeking short-term use of manu
factured homes in R-2 agricultur
al or business zoning areas to do
so by completing an application
and coming before the council for
approval. Permits will expire after
one year.
•approved an amended capital
budget for improvement projects.
The renovation of the schoolhouse
is included in this adjustment.
Jefferson Better Hometown
program now reclassified
City part of Main Street program
BYANGELA GARY
AN INCREASE in popula
tion has led Jefferson’s Better
Hometown program to be
reclassified a Main Street pro
gram.
Towns with a population of
over 5,000 that have a full-time
downtown development man
ager are designated as Main
Street programs. Jefferson has
been a participant in the Better
Hometown program since
2001.
“Since becoming a Better
Hometown, Jefferson’s down
town development initiative
has grown in terms of com
munity support, volunteers
and new investment in the his
toric downtown center,’’ said
Billy Parrish of the Georgia
Department of Community
Affairs.
The change was announced
at the city council meeting
Monday night. On a related
issue. Main Street program
manager Beth Laughinghouse
gave an update on the town’s
streetscape project. She said
the city needs easements from
seven properties before con
struction gets under way.
“We definitely are much,
much closer,’’ she said.
In other business Monday
night:
•finance director Amie
Vaughan reported that the audit
will be completed in late May
and presented to the city coun
cil in June.
•Lesa Campbell gave an
update on the renovation under
way at the Crawford W. Long
Museum. She said the medi
cal building has been rewired,
track lighting has been placed
in all three buildings, some
carpet has been replaced with
wood flooring and a brochure
has been created to place in
visitor centers. This renova
tion has been funded with a
$200,000 federal grant.
•city manager John Ward
gave a report on the town’s
property at 55 College Street
that is being leased by Direct
Supply. The lease expires soon
and he asked the council to con
sider whether to renew it or sell
the property. The council asked
staff to get information on pro
ceeding with selling the prop
erty, which will include getting
an assessment. Roxanne Rose,
chairman of the museum board
of directors, asked the council
to consider some of the money
from the sale of the property
going to the museum.
•police chief Joe Wirthman
presented the police depart
ment awards. They went to:
Amber Mathewson, Employee
of the Year; James Arwood,
Officer of the Year; and Lisa
Doster, Volunteer of the Year.
•Barbara Johnson gave an
update from the Tree Council
and the recent Arbor Day activ
ities. “Thank all of you who
worked hard to make Arbor
Day a success,’’ Johnson said.
•a discussion was held on
updating the personnel policy
relating to reimbursement to
city employees for travel relat
ed expenses. The current policy
is a $50 per day per diem.
One suggestion was requiring
receipts be submitted instead
of automatically allowing $50
per day.
Correction on planning report
A STORY in last week’s issue on a meeting of the Jackson
County Planning Commission contained two errors. It incorrectly
stated that a rezoning request from John Adams is necessary in
order to construct a pole bam on his property to store items. The
rezoning is actually necessary in order for him to continue to
operate a construction business on the property. The other error
was an incorrect statement that the planners consolidated the inac
tive A-1 and A-3 zoning districts into the AR zoning district.
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OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Investigator James Arwood (left) was presented the
Officer of the Year award by police chief Joe Wirthman
at the Jefferson City Council meeting Monday night.
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Amber Mathewson was presented the Employee of
the Year award by police chief Joe Wirthman at
the Jefferson City Council meeting Monday night.
Mathewson is the evidence technician/custodian and
among her accomplishments this past year was reor
ganizing the property room, the police chief said.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Lisa Doster was presented the Volunteer of the Year
award by police chief Joe Wirthman at the Jefferson
City Council meeting Monday night. The police chief
thanked Doster for her volunteer work with the animal
control department.
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NOTICE OF
PUBLIC HEARING
The Personnel Hearing Officer for
Jackson County, Georgia will conduct an
appeal hearing for the appeal of Andrew
McMillan, Jr.
The hearing will take place on
Monday, March 16, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. in
the Human Resources Department of the
Jackson County Government. The
hearing will be open to the public.
Bickering continues on
Jefferson bar band noise
Owner says he’s being ‘harassed’
BYANGELA GARY
THE NOISE level from a
Jefferson bar is a continuing
point of contention between the
local restaurant owner and sev
eral residents who live near the
club.
Monday night, several resi
dents who live near Mike’s
Down Under on Sycamore
Street appeared before the city
council to ask that the town’s
noise ordinance be enforced.
But the owner of the business
said he is meeting the ordinance
and that some of the area neigh
bors are harassing him.
The city council is consider
ing revisions to the town’s noise
ordinance. Citizens spoke on the
matter at this week’s council
meeting.
“I would hope that whatever
you enact, that you just enforce
it,’’ Chris Roper said. “I am glad
that there is music downtown.
I hope there are more spots for
entertainment. I support it. My
problem is that it (the noise ordi
nance) has not been enforced.’’
Roper said citizens who com
plain about the noise level “are
treated more like it is our fault.’’
Bobby Patterson, who lives
on Sycamore Street and has long
complained about the bar, said
he hopes that the police depart
ment will be allowed to “enforce
what needs to be enforced.’’
“I hope the shackles will be
taken off of them and they can
finally do their job like they
are supposed to,’’ he said of the
police officers.
Mike Carron, owner of Mike’s
Down Under, said he is meeting
the noise ordinance.
“We have spent thousands
of dollars on that building,’’ he
said. “We have worried with it.
We have done everything we
can do. As far as I know, we are
legal... We ask the band to play
their loudest music and we go
outside and we call the police
and we check it. We try to set it
at 55 or 60 decibels on the song
we feel is the strongest. That is
all we can do. I go down there
several times a night to check.
We are usually in compliance.
If we are not, we change it...I
wish there was an answer. We
were told it was 60 and that is
what we shoot for. As hard as
we can, we shoot for 60. We
make it or we exceed it...The
police have bent over backwards
with both of us. With some of
these people, it is past harass
ment. I would like to see some
one locked up. We have done all
that we can do.’’
One of the issues is that sev
eral of the neighbors who are
complaining about the noise
live on property that is zoned
commercial. The noise level for
commercial property from 10
p.m. to 7 a.m. is 60 decibels,
while the noise level for residen
tial property is 45 decibels.
“Outward appearance may be
that it is residentially zoned, but
that is not always the case,’’ city
manager John Ward said.
Len Sturkie, who lives on
property zoned for commercial,
said, “I’m in a district I didn’t
ask for...If the guidelines are
going to be commercial, I am
going to seek zoning change.
Nothing goes on at my house
except a residence.’’
Jerry McKinney said that fed
eral guidelines indicate that any
thing over 45 decibels “is detri
mental to not only your health
but your mental well-being.’’
“No one is trying to put Mike
out of business,’’ he said. “We
just want some consideration.’’
Henry Johnson, Martin Street,
who works in the lighting and
sound business, agreed.
“Bass is detrimental to your
health’’ he said. “It can actually
cause your heart to stop if it is
too loud.’’
One resident said he doesn’t
have a problem with noise from
the bar. He said the bar noise as
well as street traffic are “sounds
of the city.
“They are just things that you
hear,’’ Chris Brown said.
Ward asked the council to give
him any suggested changes for
the noise ordinance. He added
that he will do an inventory of
downtown property zoned com
mercial that is being used as
residential.
“One of the underlying prob
lems seems to be the zoning of
some of the residential proper
ties.’’
The mayor asked that staff
ensure the ordinance is being
followed.
“Let’s make sure the police
department is enforcing our
ordinance to the letter,’’ Mayor
Jim Joiner said.
Nicholson authority seeks
loan for water project
THE NICHOLSON Water
Authority has made an
application to the Georgia
Environmental Facilities
Authority (GEFA) and the
Georgia Department of Natural
Resources, Environmental
Protection Division (EPD) for
a $1 million loan through the
Drinking Water S tate Revolving
Loan Fund (DWSRF).
The loan is for the improve
ment of The Nicholson Water
Authority water system.
Underthis project, Nicholson
Water Authority will make
supply improvements of new
wells and well rehabilitation,
distribution improvements of
main replacement and adding
loops, storage improvements
of removing a 75,000 gal
lon elevated storage tank and
miscellaneous improvements
of meter replacement, read
ing software, training and new
billing software.
The proposed project will
improve the reliability of the
Nicholson Water Authority’s
water system and help the
Authority continue to supply
treated water to its custom
ers, leaders state. This proj
ect will benefit an estimated
population of 2,665 existing
water customers served by the
Nicholson Water Authority.
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