Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3A
Public meeting set on John B. Brooks Road detour
Detour map to be
displayed Thurs.
A PUBLIC information
open house on the upcom
ing detour of John B. Brooks
Road in Jefferson will be held
on Thursday, July 9, from 5-7
p.m.
The meeting will be held at
the Brooks Village Clubhouse,
located at 638 Cottage Loop,
Pendergrass. The meeting will
provide the public with an
opportunity to view the pro
posed project detour route.
The project will construct and
widen John B. Brooks Road
from U.S. Hwy. 129 to S.R.
332 and will include a continu
ous center turn lane, and curb
and gutter throughout.
The public is invited to attend
anytime during the open house
hours. There will be no formal
presentation.
Jackson County, GA
John B Brooks Rd I
Detour Map
Lanier Rd
Highway 332
Load Restricted Bridge
j’tjBrooKs
Highway 124
Highway 11
Project Location
/ Area of Closure
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11
ROAD DETOUR MAP
Pendergrass begins work on comp plan update
BY SHARON HOGAN
CITY OF Pendergrass officials are gearing
up to work on the 20-year comprehensive
plan update for the city.
City administrator Rob Russell said at
Tuesday’s, June 30, council meeting this will
be a six to seven month process. A lot of time
and work will go into completing this plan,
Russell said.
“We will do a snapshot of Pendergrass in
2010 and we will do a snapshot to show what
the city will be like in 20 years from now,”
Russell said.
The comprehensive plan update will be
submitted to the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs.
“It is important to know what the City of
Pendergrass has to offer,” Russell said.
Russell said the first thing in the compre
hensive plan update process is a community
assessment. Russell said he hopes to have a
steering committee in place at the next coun
cil meeting on July 28 to work on this.
“We will be seeking the help of the coun
cil, citizens and business owners on this,”
Russell added.
Russell said some city councils in the area
have paid $10,000 to $50,000 to have a firm
do their comprehensive plan update.
“We are trying to be as cost efficient as we
can on this by doing it ourselves,” he said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at last week's council
meeting:
•Russell said the street department employ
ees are doing a lot of clearing along the rail
road tracks in the city and they are doing
some grass cutting along the bypass since the
state has cut back on the amount of cutting
they are doing.
•Annette Raymond, Piedmont Court
Appointed Special Advocates (CASA),
asked for volunteers and donations for the
program offered to children in foster care.
•Renee Martinez presented the June library
report. The library had a total of 406 patrons
during June, 116 computer users, and three
children's programs with 102 children and 47
adults in attendance.
The next council meeting will be held at
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, at the city depot.
Nicholson water authority asked to use hydrant as ‘leverage’
By Brandon Reed
A SINGLE FIRE hydrant
for the Nicholson Water
System became the center of
attention at the monthly meet
ing of the Nicholson Water
Authority Tuesday night.
NWA chairman Tully
Westmoreland said he had
approached the city with the
question of the installation
of a fire hydrant at Wilbanks
Circle. Westmoreland said
Nicholson Mayor Ronnie
Maxwell said the city would
spend SPLOST money on the
hydrant.
“But they would expect the
water board to use that for
some leverage to get the rest
of the residents on Wilbanks
Circle to annex into the city,”
Westmoreland said. “He said
they had been trying to get
them to annex in and they
wouldn't, and they'd like to
use that as leverage to get
them to annex in.”
“I told the mayor myself
that I would at least have used
the word encourage, because
leverage sounds like a bribe
to me,” Westmoreland added.
“I’m not going to be involved
in that. We’re not here to use
leverage or anything else to
help people get a fire hydrant.
Before I get involved in that,
I'd recommend the board just
spend our own money and
put it in.”
No action was taken on the
matter.
The NWA voted unani
mously to move forward with
fluoridation of water in the
system. With the vote, the
authority set a deadline for
Sept. 1 to have all the infor
mation compiled on what it
will cost to set the system
up and what it will cost to
dispense fluoride into the
water system. The authority
was informed that it will cost
approximately $800 per well
to set the system up.
The NWA also voted
unanimously on a 10 percent
employee pay increase.
BOC continued from page JA
Census Count Committee to
develop a local effort.
•a proposed contract with
the Georgia Department of
Corrections stating that the
county will house 200 state
inmates. This is 26 more than
the county currently houses
and will bring an additional
$189,800 in revenue to the
county.
•proposed procedures and
rules for conducting BOC
meetings. Commissioner Chas
Hardy asked that the board con
sider increasing the time allo
cated for citizens to speak. He
added that two minutes per per
son is not long enough on some
issues and added that it is the
responsibility of the commis
sioners to listen to what citizens
have to say.
•a proposed policy on han
dling requests for county funds
from charitable organizations.
Joiner continued from page JA
“Also, replacement of the old club house by a facility that is avail
able for rental for any type of small event was a much needed addition
and is also used weekly.
“Since I've been mayor, we have established a staff that offers
strong leadership for our city that enables us to provide the services
that our citizens require. With the addition of our finance department
and the leadership of Amie Vaughan and City Manager John Ward,
we have positioned the city financially so that even in these hard
economic times, we are in sound financial shape. I have always been
involved in the community as far as civic organizations and church
affiliation. I have served on the board of the GMA and am vice chair
man of The Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. I have a pas
sion for Jefferson and the people who five here.”
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Qualifying cont’d from JA
MAYSVILLE
In Maysville, the council
positions forWard 1 and Ward 3
will be on the ballot. The Ward
1 council position is currently
held by Clay Dorsey. Rebecca
McNeeley currently holds the
position of council Ward 3.
The qualifying fee for each
council seat is $30. Qualifying
will be held from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. daily on Monday,
Aug. 31, through Wednesday,
Sept. 2, at city hall.
NICHOLSON
The mayor’s seat and four
council positions will be on
the ballot in Nicholson in
November. Ronnie Maxwell
currently serves as mayor, and
the council seats are now held
by Faye Seagraves, Howard
Wilbanks, Paul Cartledge and
Lamar Watkins.
The qualifying fee for mayor
is $10 and $5 for each council
seat. Qualifying will be held
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
on Monday, Aug. 31, through
Wednesday, Sept. 2, at city
hall.
TALMO
In Talmo, the mayor’s seat
and two council positions will
be on the ballot in November.
Larry Wood currently serves
and mayor and Jill Miller and
Michael “Trapper” Brissey
currendy hold the two council
positions.
There is no qualifying fee due
to the positions being volunteer.
Qualifying will be held from 9
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday,
Aug. 31, through Wednesday,
Sept. 2, at city hall.
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BOC moving forward on
Zion Church Rd. project
BYANGELA GARY
JACKSON COUNTY only
needs a handful of parcels to
begin the Zion Church Road
improvementproject. Monday
night, the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
agreed to condemn these
tracts if necessary.
The BOC voted unanimous
ly to give the county attorney
the go-ahead to prepare the
paperwork for condemning
four tracts. County officials
will continue to negotiate
with the property owners in
an attempt to settle the matter
without condemnation.
On one of the sites, there
is a 100 percent difference
between the county's apprais
al and what the property
owner is asking.
The action also gives the
county the authority to pro
ceed with six additional
condemnations if necessary.
These parcels may not be
condemned, but authority
was given to do so if there
are problems that could delay
the project.
Attorney Tom Fitzgerald,
who has represented the
county in the acquisition of
the property, pointed out that
county officials have already
talked with the landowners
on numerous occasions and
would continue to do so until
the matter is resolved.
Several property owners
donated land for the proj
ect with the combined value
being almost $2 million. One
property owner alone donat
ed approximately $500,000
worth of property.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business Monday:
•commissioner Bruce Yates
encouraged citizen input
on the comprehensive plan
update. “It is time to be pro
active,” he said. “When this
slow down ends, we will have
a lot of people banging on
our door so we need to have
a plan... Now is the time to
take action, not later. We need
your input and advice for the
future of Jackson County.” In
September, public hearings
will be held throughout the
county.
•Yates announced that he
will hold a town hall meet
ing on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at
the Hoschton depot. Items
to be discussed will include
a new park in the Hoschton
area, property tax appraisals,
the comprehensive plan and
county budget cuts. “I can
not urge you enough to stop
by to this important meeting,”
Yates said.
•recreation director Ricky
Sanders reported on the Dizzy
Dean World Series to be host
ed in Jackson County July
16-19. Opening ceremonies
will be held from 6:30-9:30
p.m. Thursday, July 16, at
East Jackson Comprehensive
High School with fireworks.
Some 30 to 40 teams will be
participating.
•Chuck Murphy was
appointed to a three-year
term on the county board of
assessors.
•Shawn Watkins was
appointed to a three-year
term on the Keep Jackson
Beautiful Committee.
•Jim Dove was reappointed
to a three-year term on the
Northeast Georgia Region 10
Emergency Medical Services
Council.
•resolutions honoring
Lynda Kesler and Cathy
Evans, who recently retired
from the tax commissioner’s
office were approved.
•a proclamation recogniz
ing Silver Star Banner Day,
the annual day to honor the
wounded and ill soldiers
of Jackson County, was
approved.
•a letter of support for
Action Inc. was approved.
Action is a non-profit agen
cy that provides support to
people who are seeking and
retaining employment.
Yates to hold town hall meeting
JACKSON COUNTY Commissioner
Bruce Yates will hold a town hall meeting on
Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m., at the Hoschton
Depot.
Among the items on the District 3 commis
sioner's agenda is an update of a new park
in Hoschton, Jackson County’s budget cuts,
property appraisals and the county's compre
hensive plan. County staff members will be
available to respond to questions.
YATES
Correction
It was incorrectly reported in the July 1 edition that Habersham
Bancorp was under an FDIC “cease and desist” order.
The bank is actually under a Georgia Department of Banking order,
not the FDIC. In addition, Habersham Bank in Braselton is located
inside Gwinnett County, not Jackson County.
We regret the error.
Casa training coming up
TRAINING FOR volunteers interested in serving the Court
Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program five to 10 hours a
month will be held Aug. 18-Sept. 29.
The training class meets every Tuesday evening from Aug. 18
through Sept. 29 from 6 to 9 p.m.
For more information, contact Raymond at 706-387-6375.
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