Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 8A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2009
The Year in Review continued from page 2A
the issues brought up by citizens
at a town hall meeting in Talmo.
•Dee Lavender was named
the Woman of the Year by the
Jackson County Chamber of
Commerce’s Women in Business
organization.
DECEMBER
•Maysville council member
Rebecca McNalley was arrested
on drug charges for allegedly
giving prescription pain medica
tion to a friend and asking him to
sell them.
•Pendergrass slashed its 2010
budget by 45 percent with cuts
including salaries for the mayor
and council and insurance for
city employees.
•Jackson County leaders con
tinued to negotiate the settlement
of a lawsuit filed against the
Upper Oconee Basin Authority
over the allocation of the water.
•The county’s sales tax rev
enue continues to decline with
$690,000 less than last year
reported.
•The Georgia Bureau of
Investigation is continuing its
probe of reports of wrong-doing
by city officials in Pendergrass.
GBI officials report that the
investigation should be wrapped
up by the end of the year.
•It was reported that the
Jackson County School System
has the fourth weakest financial
condition out of all 180 school
systems in the State of Georgia.
•Jackson County School
superintendent Shannon Adams
was named to continue to serve
after receiving a “satisfactory”
evaluation.
•Superior Court Judge Currie
Mingledorf ruled that former
police chief Darren Glenn’s
lawsuit against the city will go
forward.
•County leaders continued
to work on the update of the
comprehensive land use plan and
map.
—Compiled by Angela Gary
•The Jackson Herald filed
a lawsuit against the City of
Pendergrass over violation of the
state open records law and open
meeting law.
•The wife of Nicholson mayor
Ronnie Hopkins was slapped at a
city council meeting.
•The BOC approved 15 fur
lough days through 2010 in
an effort to save the county
$646,000.
•When qualifying ended, races
were set for mayor’s seats in
five Jackson County towns —
Jefferson, Nicholson, Arcade,
Braselton and Hoschton.
•The town of Nicholson hired
a firm to update its comprehen
sive plan.
•A Commerce man who was
charged with the murder of his
grandson pled guilty and was
sentenced to life in prison with
out parole.
•The City of Pendergrass hired
former Jefferson police investi
gator Robert Larocque as police
chief.
•Pendergrass residents seek the
recall of the mayor and council.
•The Maysville City Council
unanimously denied a proposed
beer and wife ordinance.
OCTOBER
•An early shipment of the vac
cine for HINI (swine flu) was
available at the Jackson County
Health Department.
•The Banks County and
Jackson County governments
came to the rescue of BJC
Medical Center to keep Bank
of America from calling in $1.6
million in 2003 hospital bonds.
•A woman was pulled from
a burning car in Arcade by
police chief Randy Williams and
MAYORS RE-ELECTED
Incumbent mayors (L-R) Jim Joiner of Jefferson, Doug
Haynie of Arcade and Ronnie Maxwell of Nicholson
were re-elected during November city elections.
but didn’t issue a final ruling on
the city’s mayor.
•The City of Pendergrass
agreed to follow the Georgia
Open Meetings and Records
laws in a consent decree with
The Jackson Herald.
•In a 3-1 vote, the BOC voted
to adopt the 2010 budget and
set the millage rate the same as
last year.
•The BOE set its millage rates
with both the maintenance and
operation and bond retirement
millage rates remaining the
same.
•Plans were made for the 911
center to move to the new jail.
•Arcade officials slashed
the town’s expenses by over
$280,000 for next year in an
effort to get a balanced budget.
•A veterans’ monument was
unveiled in Nicholson during a
special ceremony.
NOVEMBER
•Mayors in Jefferson (Jim
Joiner), Arcade (Doug Haynie)
and Nicholson (Ronnie Maxwell)
were re-elected in town elec
tions.
•A Superior Court judge ruled
against the citizens’ effort to
recall Pendergrass Mayor Monk
Tolbert.
•The Jackson BOE ended its
most recent fiscal year $908,600
in the red and now has to create a
plan for the state showing how it
will eliminate the deficit.
•The Pendergrass “whisde-
blowers” seek $1 million each in
a lawsuit filed against the city.
•A motorist on 1-85 near
Jefferson hit and killed a large
black bear.
•Citizens living in the City
of Pendergrass pay the highest
combined tax rate in Jackson
County.
•A zoning change that would
allow a family life center and
more parking at Jefferson United
Methodist Church was recom
mended for approval by the
Jefferson Planning Commission.
The request will now go to the
Jefferson City Council for final
action.
•A public hearing was held
on the proposed sale of BJC
Medical Center to Restoration
Healthcare. No citizens spoke in
opposition to the action.
•A year-long analysis of three
sites for a potential reservoir
in Jackson County ended. No
action was taken on selecting a
site and moving forward with the
project due to the economy.
•Former Pendergrass police
officer Bill Gamer filed a lawsuit
against the City of Pendergrass.
•Foreclosures in Jackson
County will end the year up 36
percent from 2008.
•Nicholson City Council
member Faye Seagreaves alleges
misuse of city funds. She doesn't
give any details.
•Property taxes, the 2010 bud
get and Agri-Cycle were among
H1N1 VACCINES GIVEN
The Jackson County Health Department received its
first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine in October and
began administering the vaccine. Theresa Jones, LPN
(L) is shown as she gives the nasal mist vaccine to
three-year-old Jacob Collins, South Jackson commu
nity, as Jessica Collins holds her son.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
motorists who stopped to assist
the woman.
•The BOC agreed to pay a
$4,500 fine to the EPD for a
storm water runoff violation.
•All schools in the Jackson
County, Jefferson City and
Commerce City school districts
made Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP).
•Maysville council member
Rebecca McNalley was ques
tioned at a city council meeting
about her attendance at a recent
training session in Savannah. The
mayor said the city received con
firmation that all of the council
members except for McNalley
had completed the mandated
training. The city paid $1,084 for
McNalley to attend the training
session.
•Faced with declining reve
nues, the Arcade City Council
cut its 2010 budget. Among the
cuts were council members for
feiting their salaries, eliminating
two part-time positions and cut
ting back time on a part-time
police department receptionist
position.
•Heavy rains led county offi
cials to go ahead and move into
the new jail earlier than had been
planned. Roof leaks in the old jail
led to the move.
•Early voting was held for the
upcoming town elections.
•A Superior Court judge tossed
out a petition calling for the recall
of Pendergrass council members
LAYING OF THE WREATH
LIVE NATIVITY IN NICHOLSON
Families of the fallen and East Jackson Comprehensive
High School JROTC cadets are shown during the lay
ing of the wreath at the newly unveiled veterans’ mon
ument in Nicholson in October. Photo by Katie Huston
Several members from Nicholson Baptist Church took part in the annual live nativity presented in Nicholson
in mid-December at the Nicholson Community Center despite the chilly temperatures. Shown are: Christopher
Fouche, Rebekah Lang and Randi Slizewski, wise men; Andrew Donaldson, Joseph; Courtney Mull, angel;
Charlotte Bryan, Mary; Chris Gregory and Susan Gregory, shepherds. Photo by Sharon Hogan
Jackson County takes over Hoschton water, sewer services
City operator resigns after
officials suspend him
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE DISCOVERY of
“deplorable conditions” in
recent weeks at Hoschton's
sewer treatment plant has
led to an emergency mutual
aid agreement with Jackson
County and the departure of
the city’s water/wastewater
operator.
Mayor Erma Denney said
Tuesday that the Jackson
County Water and Sewerage
Authority (JCWSA) took
over maintenance and opera
tion of the city’s wastewater
treatment plant and water
services on Monday, Dec.
21, after Hoschton officials
learned about “deplorable
conditions” at the facility.
Two independent inspec
tors, including one from the
authority, also visited the
plant.
“This was quite a sur
prise,” Denney said.
Hoschton also suspended
its water/wastewater opera
tor, Johnny Hill, without pay
on Dec. 21. He submitted his
resignation letter two days
later.
The issues came to light
on Dec. 18, when Denney
said she asked an inspector
to give a second opinion
about a planned $485,000
water tank conversion proj
ect at the facility, which the
city’s engineer said would
be needed to make the plant
work efficiently.
But during that visit, a
number of concerns were
raised about the operation
of Hoschton’s sewer treat
ment plant, she said. Council
members later visited the
facility separately over two
days and police chief Jeremy
Howell secured the plant on
Sunday, Dec. 20.
The sewer treatment plant
was following state permit
regulations, but it wasn’t
meeting the standards of
the new mayor’s standards.
Denney described the condi
tions as “operator neglect”
“This was quite a
surprise...We’ve not
sat down and fully
negotiated on this. ”
— Mayor Erma Denney
and city attorney Thomas
Mitchell said Hill wasn’t
performing his job.
In recent months, resi
dents have complained about
declining water quality in
Hoschton. Some residents
have said there are excessive
air bubbles in the water, or
that it’s discolored or that it
has caused damage to pipes
and equipment in house
holds.
In taking over opera
tion and maintenance of
Hoschton's water and sewer
services, the JCWSA is han
dling all aspects for the city,
Denney said. The county -
which has previously oper
ated the city’s water and
sewer services - also quickly
responded to a recent major
water line break on West
Jefferson Street.
The emergency mutual aid
agreement with JCWSA is
good for 30 days, she said.
“We’ve not sat down and
fully negotiated on this,”
Denney said at Tuesday’s
council work session.
Going forward, one of
the options city officials
will consider is whether
Hoschton should contract
its water and sewer services
with JCWSA.
In 2009, the city made a
push to use more of its own
well to save costs purchas
ing water from the coun
ty. It still spent $40,000 in
the year buying water from
JCWSA.
Hoschton also spent
$90,000 in contract services
for the wastewater treatment
plant in 2009, Denney said.
That doesn’t include salary
and benefits for its water/
wastewater operator.
The county could han
dle most of those services,
she added. The JCWSA is
expected to submit a bid to
the city for continuing to
provide its water and sewer
service.
And it’s possible that a
planned $485,000 water tank
conversion project at the
facility may not be needed,
Denney said.
The county has also said
that an estimated $100,000
venture to revamp an elec
tronic monitoring system for
the water and sewer services
should cost $50,000.
But, could the switch to
the JCWSA mean higher
utility bills for Hoschton
customers?
“At this point, we’ve not
looked at that in this emer
gency situation,” Denney
said.
The mayor said she has
heard numerous complain
ants about water quality. City
officials will have to find a
balance between improving
water quality and maintain
ing costs.
Already, some residents at
Tuesday’s council work ses
sion noted the changes.
“The water got clearer,
(there are) no bubbles, no
air in the lines — it’s abso
lutely terrific, it really is,”
said Chuck Fisk, a resident
in The Village at Hoschton.
“It’s like when we first
moved in in '05.”
Denney said water and
sewer service is a top issue
in Hoschton and has been
the crux of many financial
problems in the city.
In November, the city
received a settlement after
a long legal battle with its
former engineer over faulty
design of the wastewater
treatment plant. The prob
lems led the city to spend
an additional $3 million to
revamp the facility.
Hoschton has two state
loans totaling more than $6
million for expanding its
wastewater treatment plant
to handle 500,000 gallons
of sewage a day. The city
has 381 sewer customers and
677 water customers.