Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 7A
Hoschton police ask for supplemental raise
TARGETING TOP ISSUES
Eric Bosman (right) with Urban Collage, Inc., helps Braselton residents pinpoint what
they consider to be key issues the town is facing for the next 20 years. Braselton is
working on its comprehensive plan and the first of several public workshops was
held last week.
Photo by Kerri Testement
First public workshop on plan held
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE HOSCHTON Police Department is
facing a two-fold dilemma — keeping the
remaining officers while dealing with declin
ing revenue.
After trimming its expenses during a tight
budget year, the city police department is
down to four officers when it once had eight
officers. One officer recently resigned, but
Hoschton plans to fill his vacant position.
Police chief Dave Hill asked the council last
week to use $10,500 slated for the lease of a
new patrol vehicle to supplement the salaries
of the four remaining officers.
Under the plan, the four officers would have
each received a $2,625 salary supplement over
a three-month period. Since the police depart
ment has fewer officers, the new patrol vehicle
isn’t necessary.
The city council seemed lukewarm to the
proposal.
“I’m not against the police department —
just at a revenue standpoint, that’s what I’m
looking at — I think we do need to do some
thing to keep the police people here, it’s very
valuable to have them,” said council member
Tom Walden.
Walden — who heads the city’s fiscal
resources committee — said the police depart
ment is $9,800 below projected revenue just
two months into the 2009 budget year.
Through the end of February, municipal
court fines stemming from the police depart
ment were $23,400. Hoschton estimated it
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE FBI will fund improvements to
Braselton’s firing range that should resolve
noise and safety issues raised by neighbors in
Hoschton.
Town manager Jennifer Dees said last week
that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has
agreed to fund changes at the firing range to
insulate sound and convert the facility to an
indoor firing range.
The news came after Braselton received the
results of a sound study on noises coming from
the facility over a three-month period.
An acoustics and vibration consulting firm
— Ballentine Walker Smith, Inc. (BWS)
— visited Hoschton's Deer Creek Farms sub
division three times to monitor noise from the
facility, which is located one mile from the
firing range.
BWS concluded that the average noise in
Deer Creek Farms isn’t significantly altered by
the operation of the firing range.
The firm noted in its report to Braselton that
noise from other sources — such as vehicles
and airplanes — is louder than noise coming
from the outdoor firing range.
But, the firm said the “impulsive type noise
events” are more objectionable to listeners, than
the sound of a broad, steady noise. Weather
conditions also affect noise levels in the subdi
vision, BWS said in its report.
And just constructing a sound barrier at the
firing range may still result in complaints from
neighbors because of the type of noise that
weapons make when fired, BWS reported.
The firm suggested that Braselton convert its
firing range into an indoor facility.
“Based upon adverse community reaction
cited to date, complaints are only expected to
intensify over time as the community expands
would receive $195,000 in municipal court
fines through 2009.
At the current rate, Hoschton would be at
least $50,000 below its projected revenue for
municipal court fines, Walden said.
Chief Hill said revenues will remain low
until additional officers are available to issue
traffic citations.
Hill also said the police department can’t
resort to a loan for a financial shortfall — as
the council did on Monday to fund additional
costs for the city’s wastewater treatment plant
project.
Council member Richard Shepherd —
who heads the city’s public safety committee
— said Hill’s proposal is more cost efficient
than paying to train and hire additional offi
cers.
The public safety committee is expected to
discuss funding options during its monthly
meeting on Tuesday, March 17, at 6 p.m., at
the police department. The meeting is open to
the public.
Walden also reported on Monday that rev
enue for the city’s general fund budget will
likely remain below projections.
Through the end of February, Hoschton
should have collected $113,000, Walden said.
In the first two months, the city collected
$152,000 — but $60,000 of that amount came
from franchise fee revenue that Hoschton
planned to receive in March. Without the early
arrival of franchise fees, Hoschton collected
$92,000 by the end of February, Walden said.
with new residential developments,” wrote
Scott Walker Smith, president of the firm.
Dees said the town won’t know the cost of
converting the firing range until engineering
work is completed. Funds to improve the fir
ing range are in the current year’s budget and
are immediately available. The funds must be
spent by Sept. 1.
Dees said she expects the FBI would start
construction in 30 days.
Meanwhile, agencies that have been sched
uled to practice at the facility will continue to
so until construction starts, Dees said. Federal
agencies still use the firing range on Fridays.
Braselton opened its Todd Helcher Memorial
firing range in 2007 using $297,000 in seized
drug funds. The Department of Homeland of
Security also contributed about $50,000 in
equipment for the firing range.
Nearby, the FBI built a $350,000 shoot house
also within the town’s water reclamation facil
ity property off Josh Pirkle Road. The FBI
later gave ownership of the shoot house to the
Braselton Police Department.
Almost 40 local, state and federal law
enforcement agencies use the Braselton firing
range and shoot house.
The FBI doesn’t plan to make changes to the
shoot house, which is partially enclosed, Dees
said on Wednesday, March 4.
Concern about noise and stray bullets from
the 10-lane firing lane peaked in late January,
when the Army Rangers were practicing at the
firing range. Residents from Deer Creek Farms,
The Village at Hoschton and neighbors along
Beaver Dam Road in Barrow County expressed
concerns about the firing range sounding like a
“war zone.”
Braselton paid $5,400 for BWS to conduct
the sound survey.
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
IT’S A document that consultants say will
craft Braselton’s direction for the next 20
years and will address some of the townis top
issues.
And for some residents attending a public
workshop last week, those top issues center on
revitalizing historic downtown Braselton, re
aligning Thompson Mill Road from Ga. Hwy.
211 to Spout Springs Road and increasing the
limited amount of office space in the town.
Braselton is working on its comprehensive
plan - a document that outlines existing condi
tions in the town and offers a vision for the
next 20 years. The comprehensive plan will
address transportation, land use, economic
development, community facilities, housing,
and historic and natural resources in the
town.
Georgia requires that all cities and coun
ties update their comprehensive plans every
10 years, according to Eric Bosman, associ
ate principal, with the Atlanta-based plan
ning and urban design firm Urban Collage,
Inc. Braselton must complete its update by
October 2010, although the work is expected
to be completed well before the deadline.
“If you came tonight to see the plan, you’re
eight months too early,” Bosman told inter
ested citizens.
Braselton hired Urban Collage in October
2008 to begin working on the comprehensive
plan. Urban Collage also tapped the consulting
firms JJ&G, and Market + Main to assist in
portions of the townis plan.
The town expects to spend a total of $150,000
updating its comprehensive plan.
Already, the consultants have completed one
of four phases of the project - a community
assessment, which provides an analysis of the
town’s existing conditions that will be used to
address Braselton’s issues and challenges.
“You’ve grown leaps and bounds by a per
centage basis,” Bosman said.
Between 1990 and 2008, Braselton grew
at a faster percentage rate than the four sur
rounding counties, Metro Atlanta and Georgia,
he said.
And while growth is still expected for
Braselton, it won’t happen as quickly as
predicted years ago - especially with the
slow economy, Bosman said. However, given
Braselton’s prime location along 1-85, the
town is still positioned for growth.
Braselton is also in the top 15 cities in
Georgia for per capitol income, he said. The
town’s average household income in 2008 was
$119,316 - compared to the state average of
$66,192.
That means that retail stores will keep their
eyes on Braselton because of the household
income wealth, Bosman said.
However, individual wages in the town are
lower. About 70 percent of Braselton residents
work outside of their county of residence,
according to Lakey Boyd with Market +
Main.
There is also a high concentration of jobs in
wholesale trade, manufacturing and construc
tion in Braselton. Less than eight acres of
8,000 acres in the town limits are devoted to
office space, Bosman said.
The comprehensive plan will address how to
help maintain and enhance the quality of life
for Braselton residents, he said.
Next month, the town will hold another pub
lic workshop to narrow issues for Braselton
and focus on a vision for the town. Consultants
will get public opinion about a variety of
images highlighting housing, greenspace and
other issues that will shape the “character” of
Braselton.
In May, another public workshop will focus
on priority “character areas” in Braselton. The
“community vision” is expected to be com
pleted by the summer.
NEED PRINTING? CALL 706-367-5233
FBI to fund improvements at firing range
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• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce Hen
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•The Madison County Journal
St. Catherine Laboure
Catholic Mission
Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:00 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m.,
Wed. 12:10 p.m.
Parish Council meetings: 2nd Sunday of the month
after 11:00 mass
Stations of the Cross Wednesdays
after Mass during Lent
First Friday Adoration 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org
706-335-2622 Pd.03/09
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pd.-07/09
Citizens Organized for
Pipeline Safety
investigating the health risks to citizens from
underground pipelines and booster stations in
Madison Co. Meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Colbert
Grove Baptist Church the 2nd Thurs. of each
month. 706-783-4702. Pd.04/09
JEFFERSON
Ip AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 3io
BANKS COUNTY
fj§ AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.06/09
HI VETERANS OF
W FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Tuesdasy, 7:00 p.m.
Lamar Langston, Commander
Phone 706-652-2627 263
JEFFERSON EIONS CEUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m.-(706) 387-1156
Mack Cates, President
542
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F & A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwayne Potts • 706-367-4449
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. *(706) 367-7696
Gina Mitsdarffer, President
547
BANKS COUNTY
®j§ AMERICAN LEGION
Riders Club Post 215
Meets each 2nd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 pd.02/10
Georgia Real Estate Investors
Association, Inc. - Athens
Meets the third Thursday each month
6:30 pm at the UGA Conferen ce Center
1197 South Lumpkin Street,
Athens, GA 30601
Tom Hewlett - Chapter President
thewlettl@charter.net Pd. 12/09