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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017
Maxwell continued from 1A
Paving it had “no public benefit whatsoever,” Trifiletta
said.
“Democracy works only when the public’s trust in pub
lic officials to have the public’s interest at heart,” he said.
The assistant DA called for jail time for Maxwell
because spending the SPLOST money for private pur
poses was “much more serious than the absolute money
amount involved.”
Trifiletta said the “theft of public money” deserved the
stronger sentence with a jail term.
Harvey emphasized Maxwell’s health and age in asking
for no jail time.
Maxwell, 68, has diabetes and heart problems.
Maxwell had more than 40 people in the courtroom to
show support for him.
Maxwell’s wife said her husband is “an honest man. He
made a mistake.”
She also said the couple are caregivers for Maxwell’s
mother, who is 91. They do a lot of cooking for her,” she
said.
“There’s never been a time when he didn’t accept
responsibility,” his attorney said. “The state would have
us believe because he held public office, somehow, he’s
more culpable.”
Harvey pointed out “much community support” for
Maxwell. He said putting him in jail would not be of “any
benefit to the community.”
The defense attorney praised Maxwell for “faithfully”
executing his public duties as mayor.
Testifying on Maxwell’s behalf were Bobby Crawford,
former Nicholson council member; Ronald Johnson, the
Jackson County chair of the Republican Party who lives
in Hoschton; and David Jones of Homer, whose daughter
married Maxwell’s son. and current municipal judge for
Nicholson.
Johnson said he met Maxwell when he was a council
member from Sugar Hill. He praised Maxwell’s service
as mayor, pointing out Nicholson does not have a city tax
and no debt. That is unusual “almost statewide,” he said.
He said Maxwell has “always been honest.”
“In 20-plus years. I’ve never heard the man raise his
voice,” Johnson said.
Jones praised Maxwell for loving kids and taking in his
granddaughter because Jones’ daughter is not a full-time
mother.
“He’s somebody that I respect,” Jones said. “He’s what
everybody should be like.”
Trifiletta asked Jones, “Do you think the whole world
would be a better place if everybody stole public money?”
Jones said Maxwell and his wife are in the process of
adopting his granddaughter, who is 4. The girl also is
Jones’ granddaughter, the daughter of his daughter.
“This baby needs a chance,” he said. “This man’s giving
her a chance.” Maxwell’s wife said their granddaughter “is
a daddy’s girl.” referring to Maxwell.
“I’m 68 years old and I don’t have a speeding ticket,”
Maxwell said. “I have no intention of turning into a crim
inal over this.”
Braselton continued from 1A
Several opponents voiced their concerns to the planning
commission at its Monday meeting.
Many fear the increase in traffic, both from truck traffic
and employees going to the site in passenger vehicles.
“The traffic is an issue,” said Steve Wittry. “Hwy. 53 is a
mess. Hwy. 53 at Braselton Parkway is a disaster.”
Wittry"s also concerned about the county’s workforce. He
explained while “you can’t have too many jobs...you can
have too many jobs that you can’t fill.”
“Everybody’s looking for help,” said Wittry. “We can’t fill
the jobs that we have now.”
Others said the town has enough warehouses and vacant
space.
“There’s plenty of warehouses here.” said Richard
Mayberry. “There’s warehouses that need to be filled. And
yet we’re about to put a million square feet in this area here.”
Planning commission member Stephanie Williams was
also concerned about landscaping at the property after learn
ing Ridgeline developed the nearby Williams-Sonoma site.
“I’d like to see higher standards than chain-link fencing
and Charlie Brown Christmas trees that they’ve used for
landscaping (at Williams-Sonoma),” said Williams. “...To
me, that’s one of the biggest eyesores in Braselton.”
Later in the meeting, Williams said she’d be willing to
work with the developers on a landscape plan. Still, she
stressed that landscaping wasn’t her main concern.
“A berm and the building will certainly look nice, but at
the end of the day, it’s not going to save lives,” Williams said,
referring to the track traffic on Hwy. 53.
Williams also cited the rising warehouse opposition and
said citizens’ requests has fallen on deaf ears.
“It’s just a very unfortunate time,” said Williams. “These
people deserve to be listened to.”
She stressed the need for the town to address safety con
cerns before moving forward with any new warehouses.
“Braselton is always where they come because they always
feel like they’re going to get the green light,” Williams said.
“.. .1 just don’t think that’s the reputation that we need.”
Williams was the lone “nay” vote against the request.
‘COULD BE WORSE’
Other planning commission members stressed the proper
ty has long been zoned for industrial use.
“I think this is a portrait of, ’Be careful what you wish
for,’” said chairman Allan Slovin. “It could be a lot worse.”
Slovin noted currently in Jackson County, developers
could construct multiple small warehouse buildings. He
cited a traffic study which showed the large facility result
ed in the lowest traffic in the area compared to any other
allowed scenario.
Gray also stressed the property will be developed for
industrial use and said it’s just a “matter of what form.”
The request was approved with several conditions, many
of which dealt with buffers, landscaping and decel lanes.
Planning commission members added two new conditions,
requiring traffic-control signs at the property and additional
landscaping around the trailer dock area.
BROADMOOR REQUEST
Also at its meeting, the commission unanimously
approved rezoning and variance requests for 44 acres near
the Broadmoor Subdivision.
Developers plan to use the site as phase three of the subdi
vision. which would include 156 lots.
Re-worked sign ordinance gets OK
By Ron Bridgeman
The Commerce Planning Commission voted unani
mously Monday to recommend an updated sign ordi
nance to the city council.
The council will have the new ordinance on its agenda
Monday. Oct. 16.
The new ordinance is part of the city’s move to put the
code enforcement for the city under Police Chief Zach
Ardis.
He said he is aware the job is “very delicate.”
“What we’re asked to do and what we’re trying to do
has never been done here before,” he said.
Planning Commission Chairman Joe Leffew said the
city has had a sign ordinance for about 15 years and it
was reworked several years ago. Enforcement has been
inconsistent or non-existent, he and others agreed.
Ardis said he was in charge of code enforcement in
Douglasville, where he was police chief before coming
to Commerce.
Ardis told the commission the ordinance is intended
to address four areas. They are: establishing that signs
must be 12 feet from the road, abandoned signs when
businesses close, banners that would be limited to 30
days and one every 90 days and non-conforming signs
that exist now.
Ardis said the distance could be from the curb or from
the asphalt, but he emphasized the sign placement of 12
feet back.
He also said one sign per parcel of property would be a
limit. That limit would not apply, he said, “during polit
ical season,” which would be from the end of qualifying
time to the end of election day.
Ardis said property owners could put as many signs as
they want on a parcel of property during political season,
including non-political signs.
He emphasized that code enforcement will focus on
the distance from the road and a single sign, “not the
content.”
Leffew and commission member Melinda Cochran
strongly supported the abandoned signs section of the
ordinance. Cochran said she would like to “put gold stars
around” that section.
Ardis emphasized throughout the meeting that code
enforcement staffers would seek to talk with property
owners.
He noted the city has sent out about 200 notices of
violations since July 10 when his department took over
the job. “We haven’t written a citation,” he said.
The main complaint to code enforcement over the
summer was high grass, Ardis said.
The ordinance is expected to take effect Nov. 1. Ardis
said the staff will “work with” businesses that have
non-conforming signs.
Those that now exist, he said, will be left and can be
maintained. Signs would have to meet new specifications
if a new business moves in or the current business wants
to make a change in the sign.
Ardis said employees who have worked in code
enforcement have not been functioning as police officers
and have not worn any of the accoutrements of that job.
He said the department now has a full-time person
who is assigned to that work.
Education about signs is the department’s goal, Ardis
said, not writing citations.
Council approves Culver’s drive-thru in split vote
By Alex Pace
Braselton leaders gave the green light for another
drive-thru restaurant two weeks ago. In a 4-1 vote, the
Braselton Town Council approved a conditional use for
a drive-thru at the future Culver’s restaurant.
Developers plan to construct the restaurant within the
Highpointe Development off Hwy. 211.
Town leaders voiced several concerns during the proj
ect’s public hearings.
During the Braselton Planning Commission meeting
last month, Billy Edwards and Stephanie Williams voted
to defer the vote until a traffic study could be completed
to see if a stoplight is warranted at the intersection of the
development on Hwy. 347. Edwards argued that without
that stoplight, patrons would likely use Thompson Mill
Road (which is largely residential) when traveling to the
Spout Springs Road area.
But attorney John Stell, who spoke for Culver’s,
told the Braselton Town Council that a traffic study
is “premature.” He said the Georgia Department of
Transportation may want to see the effects of the future
Hwy. 211 widening before adding any additional traffic
improvements.
He also stressed Culver’s shouldn’t be solely respon
sible for a study since other businesses and medical
centers contribute to the traffic.
Area restaurant owners Jack Ansley and Hollie
Hutchinson also voiced their concerns at the Braselton
Town Council’s public hearing.
“I don’t want the area developed the same way as
(Hwy.) 53,” Ansley said.
He noted that road is a “horrible traffic situation that’s
full of drive-thrus” and questioned why the town would
want Hwy. 211 to be the same.
“We welcome restaurants. The more restaurants there
are in this area, the better our business will be,” Ansley
said. “But I think there’s a place for each kind of restau
rant. And I don’t think continuing to approve drive-thrus
in the (Hwy.) 211 corridor is the proper use for that
property.”
Council members Rhonda Stites and Peggy Slappey
voted to defer the decision last week, but were defeated.
Stites was the lone “nay” vote on the request.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its September meeting, the council approved:
•a zoning condition change for Kaival Krapa Land
Holdings for 30 acres on Hwy. 53. Developers were
granted an impervious surface buffer reduction (down
to 30-feet).
•a demolition request for 9630 Davis Street.
•appointing Clifton. Lipford, Hardison and Parker as
the town’s new auditing firm.
Jackson County BOE makes personnel moves
Jackson County’s Board of Education approved the
following personnel moves at its September meeting:
HIRES
•Mark Allen, bus driver, system
•Jessica Bingham, special education paraprofessional,
Maysville Elementary School
•Pamela Black, parent engagement coordinator/aide
(Title I funded), East Jackson Middle School
•Kathleen Deans, counselor (50%), East Jackson Ele
mentary School
•Shonna Duffy, kindergarten paraprofessional. West
Jackson Elementary School
•Felicia Hodges, kindergarten paraprofessional, WJES
•Stacey Holt, PE paraprofessional, EJES
•Velma Kyte, custodian. West Jackson Middle School
•Michael Lindsey, Pre-K paraprofessional, North
Jackson Elementary School
•Melissa Mayberry, special education paraprofession
al. NJES
•Sara McGrath, kindergarten paraprofessional, WJES
•Misty Phillips South, bus driver, system
•Wynonna Studer, clinic aide. South Jackson Elemen
tary School
•Kimberly Tillery, bus driver, system
•Amanda Tritt, bus driver, system
•Randy Warwich, media tech. East Jackson Compre
hensive High School
•Tara Wood, special education teacher (50%), EJES
•Pam Menard, special education paraprofessional.
Gum Springs Elementary School
TRANSFERS
•Tammy Cain, from food service assistant at WJMS to
cashier at NJES
•Chris McCoy, NJES, from Pre-K paraprofessional to
second grade teacher
•Linda Stephens, special education paraprofessional,
from NJES to WJES
•Josh Patton, from maintenance supervisor to plant
service coordinator
RESIGNATIONS/TERMINATIONS
•Tara Anderson, media tech, WJES
•Liza Davis, migrant aide, system
•Nikki Garrett, bus driver, system
•Jessi Heath, special education paraprofessional, NJES
•Debra Murphy, cashier, NJES
•Jennifer Robach, special education paraprofessional,
MES
RETIREMENT
•Verdi Huffman, music teacher, MES/NJES
Airport authority
leases hangar to
Ridgeback Farms
Jackson County’s Airport Authority recently
entered into a three-year hangar lease with Ridgeback
Farms’ LLC of Maysville, a commercial cattle and
poultry production business.
Ridgeback will be taking over the former Emory
Flight Support hangar and most of the attached offic
es on November 1. Initially, Ridgeback will base a
citation jet at the facility and have expressed a desire
to add additional aircraft to support its family of
businesses.
Ridgeback’s owner Jim Pritchard and airport
authority chairman Stan McClain signed the agree
ment on August 29. McClain said that he hopes
the addition of the Ridgeback group to the airport
will “spur further economic development and air
port funding possibilities through state and federal
grants.”
A ribbon cutting is planned and will be set at a
later date.
Vote
Donald Wilson
Ward 2 Councilman
The Peoples Choice
November 7th
I want to ask if I could please take a minute of your time and
tell you a little about myself....
• I am qualified and experienced.
• I am a man that will stand up for you and listen to your
problems.
• I have worked hard for the people of Ward 2 and I
promise I will never be too busy to listen to you.
• I have supported and will continue to support the
Commerce Fire Dept., our local schools, our football
team, The Rec. Dept, and our local law enforcement.
1/1/e have a great city to live in and
I want to keep it on the right track.
I am trying to see and meet everyone in Ward 2.
Home: 706-335-3429 . Cell: 706-870-6637
Please Vote and Elect
Donald Wilson
November 7th
Romans 8:31
If God be for us, who can be against us?