Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Herald
VOL. 143 NO. 16
36 PACES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
Merged in 2017 with
The Commerce News
A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549
75c COPY
Warehouse
hearing
is Monday
By Alex Pace
A public hearing is set
Monday on a request for
another warehouse in Bra-
selton.
Ridgeline Property Group
is requesting annexation
and rezoning for a 1 million
square foot distribution/
logistics center on 76 acres
off Hwy. 53 after it failed to
get approved by the Jackson
County Board of Commis
sioners.
The Braselton Planning
Commission will consider
the rezoning request at its
Sept. 25 meeting. The Bra
selton Town Council will
hold a second public hear
ing on Oct. 5 with a possible
vote Oct. 9.
Since the property is cur
rently located within the
West Jackson Overlay dis
trict, it faces restrictions on
construction materials and
building size (to 150.000
square feet). The BOC pre
viously rejected several
variance requests that would
allow for concrete tilt con
struction and a larger build
ing size.
Ridgeline will now try its
luck with Braselton town
leaders. Mike Gray, who
spoke for the application
at the Jackson County BOC
meeting, said Braselton
staff spoke favorably of the
application.
But commissioner Ralph
Richardson Jr. (who is mar
ried to a Braselton Town
Council member) ques
tioned whether the town has
the “appetite” for another
large warehouse.
Two previous large ware
house requests in the town
— one off Hwy. 124, the
other off Jesse Cronic Road
— faced strong opposition.
Also at its Sept. 25 meet
ing, the Braselton Planning
Commission will consid
er a rezoning and variance
request from Mahaffey
Pickens Tucker. LLP, for 44
acres near the intersection
of Charlie Smith Road and
Thompson Mill Road for
the third phase of the Broad
moor Subdivision.
The group plans to devel
op 156 residential lots and
requested several variances
on lot size and setbacks.
BOC plans to cut tax rate
By Mike Buffington
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners plans to lower its
millage rates this fall. The incorporated area rate is slated to fall to
9.416 mills from 9.6 mills and the unincorporated rate to 10.945 mills
from 11.01 mills.
The rates and final budget are set to be officially approved Oct. 12.
Among the major items in the proposed budget, the BOC plans to
set aside $1 million to go toward the development of a county agri
cultural center. County leaders said they also plan to solicit private
donations to go toward the project.
A small part of those funds may be used in FY2018 to do initial
planning for the project, which was at the top of the county's “wish
list” following the BOC's planning retreat in the summer.
REVENUES SOAR
With the recession fading, the county is seeing a lot of new growth.
That growth and its impact on the tax digest is expected to bring in
an additional $2.4 million in property taxes for FY2018 and an addi
tional $500,000 in sales taxes.
Overall, revenues in the county’s general fund are expected to top
$42.4 million in FY2018 and $53.2 million overall. Of that. $24.6
million is expected to come from property taxes.
SALARIES TO CLIMB
Raises for county employees are expected to cost an additional $1
million in FY2018 with a total payroll countywide near $17 million.
Public safety employees are scheduled to get a 3 percent pay hike
January 1. 2018 and other county employees a 2.5 percent hike.
In other personnel moves, the county is also proposing to reor
ganize the Keep Jackson County Beautiful by putting that function
under the county’s public development department. Two additional
people are also slated to be hired by the county’s E911 system, which
is reportedly chronically understaffed.
ENGINEERING PROJECTS
Among special projects in the BOC’s preliminary FY2018 budget
is the engineering for intersection projects at Ednaville/New Cut
Roads at Hwy. 53; engineering for the intersection at Hwy. 60 and
Hwy. 124; and engineering road improvements for Hog Mountain
continued on page 9A
CREWS BATTLE BLAZE OF JEFFERSON HOUSE FIRE
A multitude of area fire departments were called to help put out a fire at a Jasmine Drive residence last week. A Jefferson
Police Department officer helped save a female resident and her dog from the house.
Officer saves Jefferson woman from fire
By Alex Pace
One area police officer is being hailed as a hero after he went into
a burning residence to save a woman.
The Jefferson Police Department, Jefferson Fire Department and
several other area fire departments were called to a Jasmine Drive
residence on Sept. 13 for a house fire.
Huge flames shot up through the house’s roof. The heat melted the
siding on a neighboring residence.
A 62-year-old female resident reportedly went back inside the
house to save a pet. JPD officer Joshua Kester went into the burning
residence to save the woman.
Kester, who’s been with the JPD for several months, was one of the
first on the scene. He recalls massive flames and smoke coming from
the house when he arrived.
Kester saw the female resident standing in the front door briefly
before she disappeared inside the house and smoke.
He followed the woman inside and saw her within the “thick, black
smoke.” He pulled her out of the house. Kester said she was insistent
on looking for her cat. but he later learned it had died in the fire.
After taking the woman to a neighbor, Kester returned to the res
idence, kicked in a gate in the backyard and retrieved the woman’s
dog.
Kester is being hailed as a hero for helping save the resident.
“His swift actions and bravery were responsible for the owner of
the residence making it to safety after she decided to disregard the
instructions from dispatch,” Danielle Capps and Jackson County
EMS wrote in a letter to JPD chief Joe Wirthman.
Kester said he knew the fire department would arrive shortly after
him. But after observing the fire, he knew it couldn’t wait.
“It was the right thing to do,” Kester said when asked why he went
into the house to save the woman.
The EMS letter continued to say Kester helped persuade the
woman to seek medical attention following the fire.
“His dedication to ensuring the safety of the female was refreshing
and noteworthy,” the letter read.
The woman was transported to the hospital and kept overnight for
observation.
The residence received major damage from the fire, which may
have been started by a candle. The official investigation has not been
completed.
Jefferson unlikely to
rollback millage rate
By Ben Munro
There are no apparent plans for Jefferson to roll
back its millage rate based on comments made at
last Tuesday’s council meeting.
Three council members favored maintaining the
6.185 millage rate, which would constitute a tax
increase due to growth in this year’s digest.
The city council will vote on the millage rate
and budget on Sept. 25.
Council members Don Kupis and Malcolm
Gramley said maintaining the millage rate will
generate the tax revenue the city needs to help
provide and maintain services and add person
nel. Kupis said what amounts to about a 93-cent
monthly increase (based on a $150,000 home) will
help cover the cost of public works, a fire depart
ment with an ISO rating of “3” and the police
department for a city considered one of the top 10
safest in the state. Jefferson also provides a brush
truck service. Kupis said most citizens are paying
about $30 a month in city taxes.
“I think that’s a heck of a value for what we
pay,” Kupis said.
Steve Kinney also said he favors maintaining
the current rate. The longtime councilman recalled
a situation two decades ago when the city raised
taxes 25 percent out of necessity following several
continued on page 9A
Commerce council mulls
options for former B&G Club
By Ron Bridgeman
A community gathering place? A
police substation or an exercise space
for first responders?
Some bathrooms and storage for some
ballfields and soccer fields for young
sters?
Commerce City Council members
tossed those ideas and others around
Monday when they visited the former
Boys & Girls Club building at 126
Ridgeway Street.
The building came up as an issue in
June when two men complained to the
council about the city's upkeep of the
building. A separate issue was the rela
tionship between the black community
and city government.
Nathan Anderson, a school board
member, and Lamar Jackson told the
board the city needs to maintain the
building better.
Jackson called for a volunteer board
from the community to help take care
of the site.
City Manager James Wascher said the
school system owns the land, the city
owns the building and the Boys & Girls
Club owns the playground equipment.
Wascher said in June that a communi
ty meeting would be held to discuss the
property after the city learns the history.
That meeting has not been set.
Council member Archie Chaney, the
only member of the black community at
the building Monday, said he would like
to see it used for a community gathering
place. He said community groups, at
least four, helped raise money to build
and maintain it.
He said he thought the building was
constructed in the 1970s.
Council member Johnny Eubanks said
he wants the BOE to vote to give up the
land or do something with it. He said he
would like to see public action taken by
the board.
The building would need a new “skin,”
Wascher and council member Bobby
Redmon agreed.
The inside has been neglected and
would require cleaning and probably
continued on page 9A
o