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PAGE 8A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
Jefferson to consider beauty shop request
BY SHARON HOGAN
THE JEFFERSON City
Council will consider a rezon
ing request for a beauty shop
at its monthly meeting on
Monday, Sept. 28.
Barbara Baxter appeared at
the work session on Monday,
Sept. 14, requesting to have
a 1.439-acre tract located at
1301 Athens Street rezoned
from R-2 (Medium Density
Residential District) to C-l
(Neighborhood Commercial
District) to locate a beauty
shop.
Baxter plans to open the
beauty shop in an existing
building on the property.
There are two roads to
access the property, one off
Jack Little Road and one off
Canter Way. No access to
the property will come off
Highway 129, unless a drive
way permit is obtained from
the Georgia Department of
Transportation (DOT).
Jefferson City Manager
John Ward advised the council
that Baxter has already done a
lot to clean up the site.
“I have already removed an
old trailer that has been there
for 40 years,” Baxter said.
OTHER ITEMS
Other items discussed at the
Sept. 14 work session were:
•an ordinance to amend
the text of the Quad Cities
Planning Commission Land
Use Management Code of the
cities of Jefferson and Talmo
to change the name and com
position of the planning com
mission. Jerry Weitz, city plan
ner, stated the text amendment
ordinance is clean up work
after the City of Arcade with
drew from the Quad Cities
Planning Commission. The
name of the commission will
be changed to the Jefferson-
Talmo Planning Commission
and the composition of mem
bers would be five members
from Jefferson and one from
Talmo. The proposed ordi
nance deals with the terms of
office for the chairperson and
vice-chairperson. The council
will also consider this at the
meeting on Sept. 28.
•Amie Vaughn, finance
director, presented the August
financial report showing $4.3
million in revenues collect
ed in the general fund and
$3.9 million in expenditures
to date. Vaughn advised the
council she is working with
the auditing firm of Mauldin
& Jenkins to clear up ques
tions concerning the finalized
audit.
•Ward advised the council
that the county is close to set
ting the digest. “We will be
coming to you soon to set the
millage rate,” Ward said.
•Jeff Killip, public works
director, presented reports to
the council on the water and
sewer projects, road projects,
water and sewer rates, billing
cycles and irrigation meters.
Killip reported work contin
ues on the John B. Brooks
Road project. The Lakeshore
Drive project is complete.
•Police Chief Joe Wirthman
reported the Jefferson Police
Department recently conduct
ed a drunk-driving simula
tion course for Jefferson High
School students. The students
had to put on a pair of “fatal
vision” goggles that simulat
ed various stages of intoxi
cation and drive a golf cart
through an obstacle course.
The goal of the driver edu
cation course is to help the
students become safer driv
ers. Wirthman advised the
council that the goggles were
purchased with drug money
and money donated by Corey
Smith. “We currently have
around $150,000 in drug
funds,” Wirthman said.
•Ward reported the Jefferson
Public Library is now using
HelpNOW, an online tutor
ing service provided by the
Brainfuse company. The ser
vice can be accessed from
library computers and remote
computers from 2 to 11 p.m.
each day. The service is avail
able for children in grades
3-12. The service is free with
a Piedmont Regional Library
card.
•resolutions were presented
to honor several Jefferson
youth for their accomplish
ments in swimming and base
ball.
•Ward advised the coun
cil that the City of Jefferson
has received City Manager-
recognized local govern
ment recognition from the
International City Managers
Association.
•Ward advised the coun
cil that the city is required
to participate in the federal
Systematic Alien Verification
for Entitlements (SAVE)
Program.
The regularly scheduled
council meeting will be held
at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept.
28, at the Jefferson Civic
Center.
Darby Building to be moved again
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
ANOTHER MOVING day is on the horizon for
a century-old building now resting in a temporary
spot in downtown Hoschton.
The Hoschton City Council agreed Monday to
use $500 of Special Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax (SPLOST) funds earmarked for recreation to
make a slight move of the Darby building, located
next to a playground near the depot off Ga. Hwy.
53. Council member Jim Jester voted in opposition
to the proposal.
The Hoschton Historic Commission — which
has spent at least three years raising $15,000 to
move and renovate the building — will be expect
ed to raise an additional $500 for the upcoming
move.
The $1,000 move won’t be the first recent relo
cation of the single-room building.
In January, the building was moved from behind
the Hoschton Church of God of Prophecy on Ga.
Hwy. 332 to the newly-named “Hoschton Historic
Commons” near the depot in downtown.
But when the Darby building was placed on the
spot, a nearby property owner later raised concerns
that the structure was located on his land.
That land dispute centers on decades-old land
records tying back to when a railroad company
owned the property. Rail service in Hoschton
ended in 1947.
City officials and property owner Horace
Johnson didn't setde the land dispute, but the latest
proposal calls for the Darby building to be moved
out of the disputed area.
Council member Theresa Kenerly said the prop
erty line dispute with Johnson was one of three
main concerns after the Darby Building was
moved to the area.
The Darby Building also seems larger in its
new spot — right next to a playground — than it
did when it was located behind a church, Kenerly
said.
The council agreed in February to install a tem
porary fence around the building, after some safety
concerns were raised. The building is resting on
temporary piers with two steel beams lifting the
structure, leaving an open crawl space beneath it.
Kenerly said the man who moved the building
in January wants the steel beams back. Once the
building is moved again, permanent piers will be
placed under it, and it can be painted.
In turn, the city will donate the playground
equipment to the Jackson County Parks and
Recreation Department — which is construct
ing a new park on Ga. Hwy. 53, next to West
Jackson Primary School. That park is expected
to be completed in spring 2010.
SIGNING
AUTOGRAPHS AT
YEARONE
Chip Foose — automotive
designer and star of TLC’s
“Overhaulin’” — signs
autographs at Saturday’s
YearOne Chip Foose
Braselton Bash. Fans
lined up inside YearOne’s
facility on Cherry Drive
to meet Foose. The event
benefited the Progeria
Research Foundation.
Photo by Jessica Brown
Bills cont’d from JA
that mean? The old meters
were terrible?”
Ward, however, contends
that citizens simply do not
realize the amount of water
they are consuming. He has a
simple response for those who
think they've not increased
their consumption.
“I would disagree with that,”
Ward said. “Because water
coming through the meter is
being recorded.”
Ward said that immediately
after the governor lifted the
state-wide water restrictions,
huge increases in water con
sumption were seen. He said
that in June and July, the city
saw jumps in usage across
the city.
“It all revolves around irri
gation,” he said. “We're see
ing large spikes because it’s
been a year and a half since
people have been able to irri
gate outside due to the state
water restrictions.”
In addition, water rates
were adjusted in December of
2008 to a new tiered system
of water and sewer billing that
was promoted by the state and
municipalities were encour
aged to adopt it. The system
is based on conservation and
results in higher charges for
higher use.
Nachman doesn't see the
relevancy to rates, when it’s
his consumption that seems
erratic.
“I don’t care what the rates
are,” he said. “The usage is
the big deal. That’s where the
problem is. I don’t think the
rates have anything to do with
that.”
Ward said that water pres
sure is a factor residents some
times forget to consider.
“If you’re setting a hose out
that irrigates at 15 gallons per
minute and it’s running from
anywhere from 30 to 60 min
utes per day up to three days
a week, it’s easy to see how
that’s adding up to thousands
and thousands of gallons of
water.”
In addition, there’s some
delayed billing.
“If you stop when you get
the high bill, you will still get
some of the previous charge
on the next bill,” he said.
The third bill after an
attempt to decrease usage is
when residents can typically
see a drop in use.
“Residents are just seeing
the effects of when they do
choose to irrigate,” Ward said.
“So there are valid concerns.”
He said that residents
could definitely expect to see
decreases if they cut back.
“If you use less water,
you’re going to get charged
less money,” he said.
Ward also said that annual
checks are done across the
city on meters.
PROBLEMS LINGER
Kristen Nations and her
family recently moved to the
Fountainhead neighborhood
from California. The couple
lived in the city for 10 days
when they received a bill for
$85, a sum that seemed too
large for them, considering
they didn’t even have a clothes
washer yet.
“When we questioned it, we
were just really concerned that
we weren’t getting anywhere
even with them being willing
to work with us to even reread
the meter,” Nations said. “The
only response we got was to
check for toilet leaks, all the
traditional stuff, and that we
could hire someone indepen
dently.”
Ward said that typically
when complaints arise, a tech
nician is sent out and they
check the meters for leaks.
There’s a radio read on the
meter that eliminates human
error. If they still think there
is a leak, then there’s another
disk with a triangle and if
it’s moving at all, that means
there’s a leak.
What is typically required
for a leak adjustment, is docu
mentation of the leak, such as
receipts for repair materials or
professional services. When
a leak is not detected but the
meter is working properly, it is
then concluded that the water
is being used for irrigation.
Many residents said that
they had been irrigating, but
that they did not have leaks.
Ward said that for those who
continue to irrigate, they may
install an irrigation meter. The
separate meter can identify
water being used by irrigation
or water that enters the sewer
system. No irrigation meters
are charged sewer charges.
“Irrigation meters are not
coded for sewer, so you’re
just paying for the water,” he
said. “Sewer rates are based
on the assumption that, since
we don’t know the total value,
it’s based on water usage. The
easiest way to avoid any sewer
(charges) that you’re not using
is to install an irrigation meter
so that it totally bypasses the
sewer system and that option
is up to the developer at the
time or the land owner after
purchase.”
Ward said that only a cou
ple dozen citizens in Jefferson
have installed the irrigation
systems.
Despite residents’ insistence
that consumption cannot be
as high as indicated on their
bills, Ward contends that it’s
the best explanation.
“Almost every single per
son that I’ve talked to we’ve
either determined that they
had a leak or that they were
using that amount of water,”
he said. “I don’t know how to
defend the perception when
the meter’s 99.8 percent accu
rate. We’ve done cross checks;
we’ve tested.”
Another resident who met
with Ward, Margaret Philips,
said he was more helpful than
others in the city she spoke
with, but she still feels defeat
ed.
“I felt like when I walked
away (from Ward), I didn’t
really get an answer,” she said.
“So I came away from that
meeting feeling like there’s
probably nothing to do about
it.”
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PUBLIC HEARING
The Jackson County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 6:00 p.m. on
Thursday, September 24, 2009, at the Jackson County Administrative Auditorium, 67
Athens Street, Jefferson, Georgia, to consider the following matters:
Old Business
None
New Business
1. RZ-09-09 - John C. Buchanan requests a rezone on approximately 4.11 acres
located at 1032 & 6036 Hwy. 124 West from Agricultural Rural Farm District (A-
2) to Community Retail Commercial (CRC) for commercial development. (Map
105 Parcels 003F & 003G)
2. Also, the purpose of the public hearing is to brief the community on the
contents of the Comprehensive Plan Community Participation Program and
Community Assessment, obtain additional input, and notify the community of
when these documents will be transmitted to the Northeast Georgia Regional
Commission for regional and state review. A copy of these documents will be
available for public inspection no later than September 11, 2009, in the
Department of Public Development, in the Administrative Building at 67 Athens
St, Jefferson, 30549. All interested persons are invited to attend the public
hearings and to review the draft document. These documents will also be
posted on the Jackson County Government website at http://
www.jacksoncountygov.com. Comments and remarks on the drafts will be
accepted by the Department of Public Development in writing at 67 Athens St,
Jefferson, 30549, or via e-mail to: tsmith@jacksoncountygov.com until 5:00
p.m., October 31,2009. For more information, call 706-367-5908.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will address the recommendations of
the Planning Commission at a public hearing on October 19, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at
the Jackson County Courthouse at 5000 Jackson Parkway.
Complete applications, plats, texts, maps, and public hearing procedures are
available for review in the Planning Division Office, of the Department of Public
Development during regular office hours. All interested persons are invited to
attend.
Anyone desiring to speak in opposition to one of the above cases shall file a
Campaign Contribution Disclosure form at least 2 business days prior to the
September 24, 2009 Public Hearing.