Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
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H Wednesday, October 19, 2011
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 137 NO. 19 54 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Ceremony held for
Jefferson streetscape
page 2A
•Jefferson candidates
attend Q&A forum
page 3A
Op/Ed:
•'Part 5: Back to
court and a merger
vote' page 4A
Sports:
•Jackson County to
host rival Jefferson Friday
page 1B
Features:
•Dog training at the
library page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 12-26C
•Church News
page 6B
•Obituaries
page 5B
•School News
pages 8-12B
O -S
BOC argues over unapproved expenses
Hardy says Crow ‘grandstanding
BYANGELA GARY
A LOT OF money on government
projects was spent by the county's former
manager without approval, according to
members of the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners.
The issue came up at Monday night’s
BOC meeting when the board went back
and approved money that former county
manager Darrell Hampton had already
spent.
County policy states that purchases
over $20,000 must be approved by the
BOC. But chairman Hunter Bicknell said
officials discovered “two or three months
ago” that Hampton had not always fol
lowed that rule. He said that $3.5 million
to $5 million in projects were approved by
the former county manager.
“It is history,” Bicknell said. “It hap
pened. There is noth
ing we can do about
it now....We need to
clean it up and put it
behind us.. ..and make
sure it doesn’t hap
pen again.. .1 hope we
can put it behind us.
Rehashing it won’t do
anything.. .We acknowledge the issues
and the problems that have existed in the
past.”
The issue came up when the board
voted to belatedly approve a $2.4 mil
lion upgrade to the county’s public safety
communication system. The upgrade was
authorized by the former county manager,
but was never brought before the full BOC
for a vote or discussion. Commissioner
Tom Crow questioned why the BOC is
being asked to fund this after the equip
ment has already been installed.
“This one tonight, it is all installed,”
Crow said. “How can we vote it down?”
Commissioner Chas Hardy asked Crow
why he wasn’t asking questions “months
ago.”
“Where were the red flags months ago.”
he asked Crow. “Why weren’t you asking
questions then... You enjoy the pleasures
of grandstanding and that you uncovered
it.. .It is time to move on.”
Crow also questioned the $2.4 million
cost and asked if it could have been done
for $1 million.
“Did we buy a Cadillac when we could
have bought a Chevy?” asked Crow.
Crow said other projects, including
$250,000 for road paving and $250,000 in
improvements at the I.W. Davis Detention
Center, were authorized by the former
county manager without BOC approval.
The new communication system pro
vides 99 percent communication coverage
for all public safety departments. Since the
late 1980s, the public safety communica
tions has been using a VHF High Band
System that only covered 75 percent of
the county. County officials said this sys
tem had many challenges, “such as cover
age, reliability and capacity.”
“This lack of coverage occurred in
some of the more populated areas of the
county.” according to a memo given to
commissioners. “With this, a ‘dead spot’
would require all first responders to use
a personal cell phone or not be in contact
with other units or the 911 center.”
In order to achieve county-wide cover
age, equipment and antennas were placed
at the following locations: South Jackson
Elementary School: Traditions; New
Liberty Road in Braselton; Lakeview Drive
in Nicholson; the Jackson County Jail;
and Georgia Power sites in Commerce,
Maysville and Talmo.
BICKNELL
MEGAFEST INCLUDES YEARONE CAR SHOW
Wade Martin and Catie Mae Martin, Jefferson, check out some of the vehicles on display at the
YearOne car show that was part of Megafest at Gresham Motorsports Park Saturday. See more
Megafest photos on page 13A. Photo by Mark Beardsley
Arcade would not supply water for development
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
IF PLANS FOR a 4,000-unit resi
dential development in Arcade ever
come to fruition, Arcade will not be
the water supplier.
That is the position staked out by the
Jackson County Water and Sewerage
Authority, a position reiterated at its
monthly meeting last Thursday night.
Last week, the Arcade City Council
tabled a request from Walton Georgia
LLC to annex and rezone the 1,604
acres, which would also include two
school sites and commercial develop
ment over the next 40 years along
U.S. 129, Holiday Cemetery Road, B.
Whitfield Road and 4W Farm Road.
The developers appeared to believe
that Arcade would provide water from
the project, purchasing it from the
county water and sewerage authority.
“This is not the first time they’ve
asked this,” explained authority man
ager Eric Clerk in reporting to the
authority about a meeting with the
developer. “Once again, I rejected that
request and I gave him, repeated to
him, why we’re against doing such a
thing.”
The area proposed for the develop
ment sits atop authority water lines that
Klerk noted represent “a huge invest
ment” already made by the authority.
“This project is going on top of
those water mains in the ground,”
he continued. “I don’t believe we’re
obligated to split any revenues with
any other entity. ... There are also
legal implications from our revenue
bonds.”
Klerk further pointed out that when
the developer presented the project
for state review as a “development
of regional impact,” the documents
indicated that the water provider will
be the authority.
“Arcade has no water system, has
no infrastructure, has no permit,”
observed chairman Randall Pugh.
“Did he explain that?”
Klerk responded that the developer
conceded that Arcade had no water
supply, no way to handle water and no
permit, “but they need some kind of
water supply before they move ahead
with the development.”
Pugh appeared skeptical.
“This has been discussed off and
on for 10 years,” he said. “The prop
erty has had multiple owners over that
period of time, all of whom had some
pretty ambitious plans to develop it.
Nothing has happened so far. With
the economic environment what it is
today, what is the chance it would hap
pen under any circumstance?”
Klerk said the company plans to
break ground in 2014.
Pugh asked if the company was
ready to install roads.
“Not until we get the water issue
resolved,” Klerk responded.
The authority’s engineer, Fred Alke,
pointed out that the company also
lacks a state discharge permit for its
sanitary sewer system.
According to the “service delivery
agreement” required by state law, the
development lies within Arcade’s ter
ritory for water service.
“They (Arcade) already defeated
the purpose of House Bill 489 if they
come in with a water system,” Klerk
said. “We have lots of water custom
ers in what they’re claiming as their
territory, and remember, we were not
party to developing those territorial
lines. We didn’t sign anything. I’m no
lawyer, but I don’t quite see how that
could be binding on us.”
As for the developer, Klerk said,
“I assured them we were absolutely
ready to provide the water.”
Tax bills sent out last week for Dec. 20 due date
THE 2011 Jackson County Property Tax Statements
were mailed last week. Taxes will be due December 20.
After the due date of December 20. interest accrues at the
rate of one percent per month. A onetime 10 percent pen
alty will be charged on the 91st day (March 21,2012).
Anyone who received a bill for property that they no lon
ger own (sold, bank foreclosure, etc...) is asked to forward
the bill to the new owner. Tax bills are sent to the owner as
of record of January 1.
Anyone who has an escrow account with their mortgage
company, the company will normally request a copy of
your tax bill from the county. The tax commissioner’s
office sends full file discs of all taxpayers in the county to
most major lenders and real estate tax servicing agencies. It
is recommended that taxpayers send a copy to their lender
with their loan number to make sure they do receive it.
All property owners received an assessment notice earlier
this year and taxes were based on those values.
If a taxpayer received a tax bill that was stamped
“appealed,” that means the office has not received a correc
tion for the bill. Taxpayers may elect to pay 85 percent of
the bill until the appeal is finalized. Once the bill is final
ized, taxpayers will either receive a refund for an overpay
ment or will be billed for the difference depending on the
value change of the property.
The county now has access for property tax bills to be
paid online or at the tax office with MasterCard, Visa or
Discover. A 2.2 percent plus $.30 per transaction fee will
be charged as a convenience fee. The fee is not collected by
Jackson County Tax Commissioner but allows the county
to provide this portal through Paypal. Debit cards are not
accepted. The website is www.jacksoncountygatax.com.
Jefferson School
System’s central
office moving
BYBENMUNRO
THE JEFFERSON School System central
office staff—or at least most of it — may soon
come together under one roof.
The city school board has made a $600,000
purchase offer for a building north of downtown
that it wishes to make its new central office.
Members of the Jefferson Board of Education
(BOE) voted unanimously Thursday to make
the offer at the recommendation of superinten
dent John Jackson.
If purchased, the school system would con
solidate its central office staff at property located
north of all of the school campuses at 345 Storey
Lane. 1.7 miles from Jefferson High School.
Jackson’s superintendent’s office is housed at
Jefferson High School, while other central office
staff work out of the Martin Institute on Martin
Street, just half a mile from the high school.
“We’ve all known at some point, it was going
to have to come together somehow, someway,”
Jackson said. - ,
continued on page 15A
STOREY LANE SITE
The Jefferson School System has
made a purchase offer for this build
ing on Storey Lane to house its cen
tral office.
Bicknell considers
run for Congress
JACKSON COUNTY Board of
Commissioners chairman Hunter Bicknell is
considering running for the newly-created 9th
Congressional District that covers a portion of
North Georgia.
Bicknell confirmed Monday night that he is
considering seeking the office but said he has not
yet made a final decision.
Bicknell has served as BOC chairman since
2008 and is a retired businessman.
The two candidates who have announced so
far for the seat are State Rep. Doug Collins and
Martha Zoller, a radio talk show host.
Jefferson election
Early voting under way
EARLY VOTING will be held through Nov.
4 at Jefferson City Hall between the hours of 8
a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Election day voting will be at the Jefferson
Fire Station at 129 Athens Street between the
hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
City clerk Priscilla Murphy is the city elec
tion superintendent.