Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
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H Wednesday, June 17, 2009
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 133 NO. 44 60 PACES S SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 50c COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Church's grant
request denied
page 2A
•Aldi to locate in
Jefferson page 2A
•Louisiana Pacific
plant to be sold
page 3A
•Population growth
projected .... page 9A
Op/Ed:
•'Getting out in the
woods is good for
boys' page 4A
Sports:
•Beck drafted by
Cleveland Indians
page 1B
Features:
•Jefferson father
and son reunited in
Afghanistan .. page 1 C
Other News:
•School News
pages 4, 10, 11B
•Public Safety
pages 6-8A
•Legals
pages 5-23D
•Church News
page 5B
•Obituaries
pages 6-7B
BOC split 3-2
BYANGELA GARY
THE NEW county fire-training center
will not have the large driving course
that was included in the original design
and was supported by the county fire
association.
In a 3-2 vote, the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners voted to remove
the driving course and instead increase the
size of the concrete pad located around
the bum tower to 285x300 to be used for
on proposal
driving practice.
The original plans called for spending
$1.08 million, while the new plan calls
for spending $621,810 — a difference of
$417,652.
The new design was approved with
commissioners Bruce Yates and Chas
Hardy and chairman Hunter Bicknell vot
ing in favor of it. Commissioners Tom
Crow and Dwain Smith voted against this
new design.
course axed
Crow said the majority of the fire
fighters would rather have the original
designed course, even if it was gravel
instead of paved, instead of this new
design.
Crow asked consultant Don Clerici
if the county has enough money in the
budget for the original design and was
told “yes.”
“We've got the money to do it right,”
Crow said. “That is what the voters
voted for.”
Crow pointed out the fire training
center was on the ballot twice as part
of a special purpose local options sales
tax vote and it passed both times.
After the vote was taken to change
the plan, Smith said: “We are making
a grave mistake...I hate for us to get
in a pattern to change things when
we've done approved it two or three
times like it was... Driver training is
certainly one of the most important
things.”
Several firefighters, including two
former chiefs for the Jefferson Fire
Department, spoke in favor of the
continued on page 5A
Lessons in Scouting
FLAG CEREMONY
Campers at last week’s Twilight Camp for area Cub Scouts are shown with one of the
counselors during the raising of the flag to kick off the camp day. The camp, held at
the Jefferson Boy Scout Hut, was for Jackson and Barrow county Cub Scouts in the
first through fifth grades. See page 10A for more photos. Photo by Katie Huston
Reservoir site to be set by fall
By Mark Beardsley
JACKSON County should
pin down the location of its
future reservoir this fall.
The engineering firm doing
the analysis of three potential
sites finally completed its envi
ronmental field work and geo
technical drillings necessary to
compare the sites, the Jackson
County Water and Sewerage
Authority learned last week.
“We got permission from the
two remaining property owners
to get on their property,” said
Rob MacPherson, of Prime
Engineering, the company
doing the analysis. “The envi
ronmental field work and geo
technical drillings were done
this week. The data will be
available in July.”
MacPherson proposed that
the authority will discuss the
findings in a work session in
September.
The reservoir search is a
joint project of the authority
and the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners. It is being
conducted in the belief that
the county needs a second
ary water source to the Bear
Creek Reservoir — particularly
since the authority disputes the
amount of water actually avail
able from the regional reser
voir.
Three potential sites were
identified. The largest of the
three is along Little Curry
Creek west of Nicholson inside
of Brockton Loop and backing
up to Brockton Road. The other
two are east of Nicholson. One
is between Quail Ridge Drive
on the North, Wages Farm Road
on the South and Sanford Road
on the east. The third is located
on Hardman Creek west of
Hwy. 334 between Berea Road
and Tal Phillips Road.
The data collection was ham
pered early on by a reluctance
of some property owners to
allow engineers on the sites to
do critical work necessary to
determine which of the sites
is best suited for the reservoir.
But those owners ultimately
continued on page 5A
Citizen input sought on comprehensive plan
BYANGELA GARY
THE JACKSON County Board
of Commissioners is looking for
citizens to serve on a committee
overseeing the comprehensive
plan update.
Public development direc
tor Gina Mitsdarffer asked each
... MITSDARFFER
commissioner Monday mght to
submit the names of people interested in serving
on the committee.
It is recommended that the committee consist
of 8 to 16 people. The committee will serve in an
advisory role only and the BOC will make all final
decisions in the update.
The committee will meet once in July, August,
October, January and February.
“I appreciate the speed you are attacking the
comp plan,” BOC chairman Hunter Bicknell told
Mitsdarffer.
Commissioner Bruce Yates said the plan will be
important for future development.
“You will have a document you can hold your
commissioners accountable to,” he said.
Jerry Weitz is handling the update of the com
prehensive plan, which will include: an existing
land use inventory and map, a future land use
map, a revision to the unified development code,
a community facilities inventory, a list of historic
resources and a major road plan.
Planning department
budget to be trimmed
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
JEFFERSON'S PLANNING and development department
is set to take a major financial hit in 2010, according to the
proposed budget.
The department’s tentative budget for 2010 calls for a 37
percent reduction - the largest percentage reduction so far
among the city’s departments. In 2009, the department was bud
geted for $388,978;
in 2010, the depart
ment is slated to
have a budget of
$243,536.
City manager
John Ward said since
the department is an
enterprise fund, its
budget is supported
through fees and
services offered
directly from that
department. But
with fewer build
ing and inspec
tion permits being
issued, revenue for
the department has
dramatically fallen,
too.
The budget also
reflects the fact
that Arcade recent
ly left the Quad
Cities Planning
Commission, which
was supported by
the department. Jefferson and Talmo now operate a joint plan
ning and development department, with Talmo expected to fund
$8,805 next year.
The department will still include two full-time employees,
Ward said. The building inspector and permit clerk are now
handling soil erosion issues, and the permit clerk is also work
ing on other city projects.
The 2010 budget - which starts on Jan. 1,2010 - is a “worse
case scenario” for the department, Ward said.
The Jefferson City Council also heard from four other city
departments on their proposed 2010 budgets. The council is
expected to adopt a final budget on Aug. 24.
The library's budget is expected to increase 21 percent -
largely due to changes in accounting, according to Ward.
Jefferson will consolidate two accounts previously used to
support the library - from the city’s general fund budget and the
library board - into one budget. Currently, the nonprofit library
board handles some expenses for the library.
“Everything you’re seeing tonight is just bringing everything
under the same umbrella,” Ward told the council.
The library's budget will increase from $190,306 in 2009 to
$230,822 next year. Ward said there are no actual increases in
the library budget and operation will remain the same.
The Main Street Jefferson program budget will decrease
slightly by 1.3 percent from $94,875 in 2009 to $93,606 in
2010.
Director Beth Laughinghouse said one project in the works
for next year is another mural in downtown Jefferson, similar
to the one in the city's Marlowe Park highlighting the work of
Crawford W. Long.
The latest mural is slated for directly across the entrance from
the Crawford W. Long Museum on the building occupied by
Fusion on the Square. Guests leaving the museum will have a
continued on page 9A
Year to date
For the first five months of its 2009
budget year, Jefferson had collected
more property taxes
than it anticipated,
$2.7 million compared
to $2.5 that had been
budgeted.
But that was about
all the good news in
the city’s recent bud
get report. Sales taxes
are running far under
budget so far in 2009,
as are beer and wine
taxes, city court fines,
building permits and
fees, and water and sewer sales.
While revenues are running lower
than expected, the city has also cut
expenses so that spending is also below
budget in most departments. While 42
percent of the year is gone, the city has
been spending only around 30 percent
of budget.
The city’s fiscal year ends Dec. 31.
City manager
John Ward
reported on
the Jefferson
budget.
Jackson foreclosure
numbers jump for July
FORECLOSURE actions in Jackson County took
a steep jump for the upcoming July sale date with
142. That is the second highest monthly total behind
February's 145 actions.
Year to date, Jackson has recorded 780 foreclosure
actions. At that pace, the county could top 1,300 foreclo
sures by the end of the year.
In 2008, Jackson had 1,051 foreclosure actions.