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PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009
Proposed reservoir regulations anger area residents
BYANGELA GARY
RESIDENTS along the
Bear Creek Reservoir are
upset about the proposed reg
ulations that would limit the
use of the lake.
Seven people spoke at
the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners meeting
Monday night on their con
cerns about the regulations.
The BOC was set to vote on
the regulations at the meet
ing, but postponed action after
hearing from those opposed to
the proposal.
BOC chairman Hunter
Bicknell told the group to get
on the agenda of the Upper
Oconee Basin Authority to
speak about their issues. The
next meeting of the authority
is at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday,
July 22, and the meetings are
held at the Northeast Georgia
Regional Development Center
in Athens.
“We can’t legislate action
that doesn’t conform to what
they agree to,” Bicknell said.
“Those concerns need to be
expressed to the Upper Oconee
Basin Water Authority at one
of their regular meetings...
That’s really where you need
to air your concerns.”
Among the citizens speak
ing was Baz McDonald, who
wants the regulation limiting
fishing only on the lake to be
changed.
“It’s a public facility that
was paid for by all the citi
zens and to restrict it based on
a recreation activity is inap
propriate and I’m not sure it
could be legal,” she said.
Dale Hawk, who lives on
Bear Cub Way, said he bought
a house on the lake because
of the amenities. He said the
proposed regulations “are not
very rational” and are “puni
tive to the homeowners on
the lake.”
“The county needs to be pro
active on this,” he said.
Hawk pointed out that
Jackson County has two mem
bers on the Upper Oconee
Basin Authority and they need
to address these concerns.
“Jackson County’s interests
are not being served by these
rules,” Hawk said.
Tom Claiborne, a resident
of Bear Cub Way said the
ordinance “needs tweaking”
before it is adopted. He added
that people who live on the
lake should have unlimited
access.
“We are going to take care
of the lake,” he said. “If you
allow us to go out there, you
will have extra eyes and ears
to look for problems and
report them.”
Ken Cordell, South Jackson,
said the policy is “very dis
criminatory on who can and
can’t use the reservoir.”
William Hill of South
Jackson said he bought five
acres so he could go out his
back yard and fish. He also
planned to build a $1 million
house, but will not do so if
this ordinance passes.
Another man who lives near
the reservoir pointed out that
the subdivision was developed
to be on the lake.
“You take away the lake,
you take away that subdivi
sion,” he said. “That lake is
the lifeblood of that subdi
vision... We paid a premium
and are taxed a premium on a
closed lake.”
Southern Company request to go to commissioners
BY BRANDON REED
THE JACKSON County
Planning Commission made
a ruling last week that you
don’t hear very often. The
commission voted unani
mously to approve a request
from Southern Company for
a change of conditions on
its property on Jarrett Road
to allow for a 4,500 square
foot extension to the current
administration building.
But the commission
couldn’t make a true recom
mendation because there are
no conditions on the cur
rent property. The facility
was grandfathered in when
the county approved a Heavy
Industrial zoning on the
property in 2008.
Only the county com
mission can give Southern
Company the go-ahead. But
it first had to come before
the planning commission,
according to staff, to allow
the request to go through the
usual process. The county
commission will hear the
request at its next meeting.
Also at Thursday’s meet
ing, the commission voted
unanimously to table a
request from James Ray
Mattox to rezone a 6.215-
acre track on Savage Road
from A-2 to R-l for a four-
lot split. The decision to
table the matter came after
the location of a water line
to service the lot was brought
into question.
Jackson County DFACS gets new foster care supervisor
BY SHARON HOGAN
THE JACKSON County Department
of Family and Children Services will
have a new foster care supervisor begin
ning on Monday, June 1.
Jackson County DFACS director
Jacqueline Franklin said at the monthly
board meeting on Wednesday, May 27,
that Mary Mahoney will join the staff as
foster care supervisor.
Mahoney has experience in a supervi
sory position, Franklin said.
“She comes to us from Barrow County,”
Franklin added.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the monthly board
meeting:
•Franklin said the number of people
coming into the office was down some
in April. A total of 1,142 clients came
through the front door in April, compared
to 1,355 in March, 1,207 in February and
1,529 in January.
•Franklin presented the April county
financial report to the board. April coun
ty expenses totaled $1,789.
•Franklin presented the monthly social
services report for April showing the fol
lowing: 53 active foster care cases; 17
investigations; 54 ongoing child protec
tive services cases; 50 total diversions;
two ICPC - other state cases; 13 total
child protective services safety resources
cases; and 58 OTI-secondary assign
ments.
•Carolyn Little gave the family inde
pendence report for April. During April,
the following applications were taken:
259 for Food Stamps: 218 for Medicaid;
39 for Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF); and five for TANF
payee. Little said, “We are seeing a
different clientele coming in to apply
for Food Stamps.” DFACS has a total
of 2,715 Food Stamps cases, 2,443
Medicaid cases, 83 TANF cases and 84
active childcare cases.
•Franklin announced plans for the yard
sale for foster parents, set for 7 a.m. to 1
p.m. on Saturday, June 13, at Christian
Outreach, Commerce. DFACS is seeking
donations of yard sale items and food
items for the working volunteers. (See
separate story on this.)
•Franklin presented the board mem
bers with information from the Georgia
Department of Human Resources
Division of Public Health on Swine Flu
virus Type A (H1N1).
The next regularly scheduled Jackson
County DFACS board meeting is set for
10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, at the
DFACS office, Athens Street, Jefferson.
DFACS seeks foster parent yard sale items for June 13
BY SHARON HOGAN
THE JACKSON County Department
of Family and Children Services
(DFACS) is seeking donations for its
Foster Parents Yard Sale.
Yard sale items can be dropped off
at Christian Outreach, 2183 North Elm
Street, Commerce. All items need to
be marked for the Foster Parents Yard
Sale. Proceeds from the yard sale will
go to help fund the foster children’s
picnic.
The yard sale will be held from 7
a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, at
Christian Outreach.
DFACS is also seeking volunteers to
help with the event and food items for
the working volunteers.
For more information contact Jerra
Wisecup, Jackson County DFACS
office, 706-367-3000.
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Boating hours, fees given
for Bear Creek Reservoir
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
THE UPPER Oconee Basin
Water Authority established
hours and a fee schedule for
(eventual) fishing from boats
in the Bear Creek Reservoir
Thursday.
Basically, the group accept
ed the proposal presented by
Jackson County recreation
director Ricky Sanders —
with minor changes.
Work, though slowed by
rain, is under way on the boat
ramp and related facilities. It
is expected to be completed
by early August, according
to Jim Luke, who heads the
authority’s recreation com
mittee.
The move will not only
allow and regulate boat
access by the general public,
but it will also seek to con
trol use of boats by adjacent
property owners, who by and
large have fished at will thus
far.
In addition, the four-coun
ty group approved a $50,000
cost estimate from Jackson
County to build rest rooms,
a septic system and a guard’s
kiosk at the site.
When the boat ramp
opens, hours of operation
will be from 6 a.m. to 9
p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays May through
September; and from 6 a.m.
to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and
Fridays October through
April. The ramp will be open
on the Memorial Day and
Labor Day holidays, and
closed on Christmas Eve,
Christmas Day, New Year’s
Eve and New Year’s Day.
Daily use fees for the ramp
will be $5 for adults and
$3 for children, veterans,
the disabled and people over
age 65. Yearly passes will be
available at $25 per person.
The new rules also attempt
to control use by adjacent
property owners. They will
be prohibited from using
boats on the lake during
hours when the boat ramp is
not open, and will be expect
ed to pay a $25 annual fee
per boat.
“The good news is that it’s
raining a lot and the lake is
full,” noted Luke. “The bad
news is that it’s raining a
lot and it’s (construction of
the ramp) is not going well.
We probably won’t make the
early August opening date.”
The authority also
approved the expenditure
of another $50,000 on the
project, which is expected to
cover Jackson County’s cost
of building a rest room facil
ity, guard kiosk and a septic
system. That brings the total
estimated cost of the project
to $370,000.
Likewise, the group
approved a $19,500 estimat
ed annual operating budget
proposed by Sanders. The
Jackson County Parks and
Recreation Department will
manage the boat access.
Thursday’s action also gave
Sanders flexibility to change
operating hours and days of
operation as the situation
dictates. The authority will
review the situation annually.
Bear Creek water plant
gets ‘platinum’ award
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
THE WATER plant on the
Bear Creek Reservoir received
a prestigious service award last
week.
Ryan Waggoner of the
Georgia Association of Water
Professionals presented that
group’s “Platinum Award” to
the Upper Oconee Basin Water
Authority and its plant manage
ment firm, Jordon, Jones and
Goulding, last Thursday.
The award recognizes the
plant for achieving five consec
utive years of service without a
violation of any of its operating
permits.
“It’s an exceptional feat to
meet the permit every day in
five consecutive days, never
missing a test,” said Waggoner.
“Not many facilities have met
the five-year platinum award. It
does set the standard for 2,600
water suppliers.”
Food bank hours announced
THE HOURS of operation of the Banks-Jackson Emergency
Food Bank, located at 111 Atlanta Avenue, Commerce, are
from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and
Friday. The food bank provides one-time emergency food
supplies for individuals and families referred by churches or
social service groups.
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