Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
/m'M
H Wednesday, February 9, 2011
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 136 NO. 35 56 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75c COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Jefferson woman
pleads guilty to Social
Security fraud
page 2A
Op/Ed:
•'School spending
decisions pathetic;
local economy still
struggling'
page 4 A
Sports:
• Local teams dominate
area wrestling tourney
page 1B
Features:
•Spelldown! Top spell
ers named for Jackson
County, Jefferson
page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-8A
•Legals
pages 6-28C
•Church News
page 14A
•Obituaries
page 15A
•School News
. . . .pages 9-13A, 16A
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BOC renews contract with Clerici’s firm
Smith votes
against action
BYANGELA GARY
THE JACKSON County Board of
Commissioners agreed Monday to
extend a contract with BM&K, the
company owned by Don Clerici that
provides engineering and construction
management services to the county,
through 2011.
Commissioner Dwain Smith had
asked earlier for a study on the cost of
providing these services with the firm
or handling it with county staff.
Smith said the county could hire two
engineers, as well
as support staff,
for $425,000. Last
year, the county
paid $1.2 million
to BM&K.
“Our consultant
does good work,”
Smith said. “But
we are relying too
much on him from
the first shovel of dirt to the last
end. Our people should know a little
about what is going on...Every time
something comes up, it's just more,
more. more. I think we can do better
(financially).”
Commissioner Hunter Bicknell
said, “If you don’t have the right
kind of professional oversight, you are
opening yourself up for possible over
costs, beyond what you are paying the
consultant for.”
Smith added, “I am going to stay
on top of this. This isn’t going to be
the last you are going to here from me
about this...I’m not saying we don’t
need a consultant. We are just carry
ing it too far. Some of this stuff can
be done in-house...I am just trying
to look out for the taxpayer’s money
because it’s my money too.”
Commissioner Tom Crow said, “I
have looked at some of this stuff. I
have the utmost confidence that it was
all done properly.”
Crow did suggest that BM&K only
submit invoices for their work and that
the outside vendors bill the county
instead of the billing coming through
BM&K.
Commissioner Bruce Yates said,
“The quality of work is outstanding.
I have the utmost confidence in the
company.”
Commissioner Chas Hardy said,
“BM&K is not doing anything more
than Jackson County has asked him
to do. The issue isn’t with BMK and
the contract. If we have issues, it sits
around this table. I don’t have a prob
lem with this contract and I don’t have
a problem with BM&K.”
Hardy made a motion to approve the
contract for the remainder of the year
and all of the commissioners voted for
approval except for Smith.
SMITH
Dragons win area title
PUNISHING THE OPPONENT
Jefferson’s Forrest Przybysz takes care of business in the 171-lb. finals Saturday at
the area wrestling tournament. The Dragons won the area title with 309.5 points.
Photo by Ben Munro
Three school superintendents
pitch case for E-SPLOST vote
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
THE superintendents of the
three school systems in Jackson
County used the Feb. 2 chamber
of commerce meeting to plug
the March 15 referendum on
extending the education special
purpose local option sales tax
(E-SPLOST).
The tax proposal is written in a
way that the schools could divvy
up as much as $100 million — although it
is generally anticipated that five years of
the tax would generate far less than that
amount.
“A significant portion of that will be used
to retire debt,” noted Commerce superin
tendent James E. “Mac” McCoy. “97 per
cent by Commerce, 47 percent by Jackson
County and 85 percent by Jefferson.”
McCoy added that money generated by
the tax could also be used to buy technol
ogy, repair or replace heating and air con
ditioning systems, to buy buses or make
facility improvements.
McCoy also pointed out that enrollment
in the three school systems had increased
by 3,700 students since 2001.
“It has slowed a little over the last couple
of years, but we are still growing,” he
said.
Shannon Adams, county school superin
tendent, made the point that the referen
dum is not for an additional tax or a new
tax, but for a continuation of the current
tax.
The revenue, he said, will be divided
among the school systems according to
enrollment. Were the tax to yield the full
$100 million, the county system would
collect about $62 million, Jefferson $24
million and Commerce $12 mil
lion.
Jackson County citizens have
paid the one-cent E-SPLOST tax
since 1997, Adams pointed out.
John Jackson. Jefferson superin
tendent. explained how his system
would use the money and remind
ed his audience that the tax must
pass countywide to be approved.
Jefferson voters will not only
cast ballots for the sales tax, but also for a
general obligation bond of $17.8 million.
The Jefferson system plans to build
classrooms, a kitchen and a cafeteria at
its elementary school, and a new gym,
classrooms and kitchen at Jefferson High
School.
“Jefferson Elementary School was con
structed in 1957. We feed children there
from 10:30 in the morning until 1:30 in the
afternoon.” said Jackson. “The kitchen at
Jefferson High School is the smallest in the
system and feeds the most children. The
gym at the high school opened in 1950 to
an enrollment of about 150 - now we have
800 in that building.”
According to Jackson, passage of the
March 15 referendum would enable the
Jefferson system to make all of those
improvements without increasing its prop
erty tax rate for bonds.
“We do not anticipate any changes to our
millage rates whatsoever,” he said.
Chamber president Shane Short weighed
in on the issue, as well.
“From an economic development point
of view, I can tell you that if we don’t have
quality schools, you won’t have quality
economic development in your commu
nity,” he said.
JACKSON
County receives $400,000
for historic courthouse work
BYANGELA GARY
JACKSON County
has received a
$400,000 grant for
interior work on the
restoration of the his
toric courthouse in
Jefferson.
The board of com
missioners discussed
the department of
transportation grant
at a meeting Monday
night in Jefferson.
The BOC will take
action at its Feb. 21
meeting to accept the
grant from the DOT.
The transportation
enhancement grant
will be used to locate
a welcome center in
the historic court
house.
At the meeting this week, the BOC discussed the grant and
heard an update on the project from Charlotte Mealor, a mem
ber of the historic courthouse committee.
“This news is most exciting to us on the historic courthouse
committee,” she said of the grant. “Our dedication and our
determination are as strong as ever. We are delighted to report
the exterior of the courthouse is finished.”
Mealor also reported that a group of citizens, led by Jack
Legg, are working on a preliminary landscape plan, which will
be presented to the BOC at the March or April meeting.
Plans of the committee for this year include a Heritage
Celebration on Oct. 15 and tours of the courthouse to be held
in conjunction with the completion of the City of Jefferson’s
streetscape project.
EPA cites landfill for
methane gas violation
BY ANGELA GARY
A FORMER landfill site
owned by Jackson County
has been cited by the Georgia
Environmental Protection
Agency for being out of
compliance with methane
gas emissions.
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners agreed
Monday night to a contract
with Moreland Altobelli and
Associates to conduct soil
testing and recommend how
to address the issue. The
landfill is located at 100
Landfill Drive (SR82 and
the Old Darnell Landfill).
The county has a deadline
of March 5 to address the
issue and report back to the
EPA.
In other business Monday
night, the BOC reappoint
ed Roger Brock to serve
another term on the Jackson
County Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board.
The BOC also held a
one-hour closed session
to discuss “pending litiga
tion.” After the meeting was
opened to the public, the
BOC voted to move for
ward with a recommenda
tion made by Kevin Norris
on the “Keith property.” No
further details were given.
Registration deadline
Mon. for March election
JACKSON COUNTIANS who are not registered but want
to vote in the March 15 election must register by Monday.
The March 15 election will be on a proposed special pur
pose local option sales tax for education.
County furlough day set Feb. 14
THE JACKSON County government offices and courthouse
will be closed on Monday, Feb. 14, due to a furlough day.