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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2023
Braselton plans development
code update open house
Braselton residents
will have an opportunity
to ask questions and of
fer comments about the
town’s development code
update during a Nov. 1
(open house (5-6:30 p.m.)
in the community room of
the Braselton Police and
Municipal Court building
at 5040 Hwy. 53.
A drop-in open house is
planned.
“Stop by to comment on
the proposed changes to
Braselton’s regulations,”
town leaders said.
For more information,
visit www.braseltonde-
velopmentcodeupdate.
com.
Commerce continued from iA
of years,” Hill said.
Both water and wastewa
ter capacity are a major is
sue in the city.
Hill added that now that
there’s a clearer path on
wastewater upgrades, the
city can work on its water
capacity issues.
City Manager James
Wascher said in an email
that the city is working with
its engineers to “narrow
potential site areas” for the
new plant.
“We hope to get them
identified quickly so we can
start the purchase process,”
Wascher said.
He added that the grant,
funded using American
Rescue Plan Act money, is
“significant” for the city.
“This grant is significant
for us as it allows us to build
a second facility with far
less impact than having to
finance the entire project,”
he said.
MILLAGE RATE
APPROVED
Also at its meeting, the
council set its 2023-24 mill-
age rate at 4.36 mills. That
rate is the same as it was last
year.
Dining discussions earlier
this month, Wascher high
lighted a couple reasons for
the city keeping its current
rate.
Specifically, Wascher cit
ed decreased LOST (local
option sales tax) revenues
and an unexpected hike in
city government health in
surance premiums.
FLOCK CAMERAS
APPROVED
The council also voted
to approve a grant that will
allow stationary tag readers
to be located in the City of
Commerce.
The Commerce Police
Department received a
$79,000 reimbursable grant
for Flock cameras. The
cameras — which are not
speed cameras — will read
tags of vehicles that travel
in the area.
Commerce Police Chief
Ken Harmon told the coun
cil earlier this month that
these devices will sit on
the side of the road and run
every tag that travels past.
That information is then run
against law enforcement
databases and provides of
ficers with information on
wanted vehicles or wanted
people that are traveling in
the area. The technology
can also help the department
develop and find suspects
for various crimes.
Harmon says they expect
to have some of the cameras
installed in the next 90-120
days.
Several surrounding mu
nicipalities — Hall, Clarke
and Jackson counties and
the City of Jefferson — al
ready have Flock cameras in
place.
Those cameras have been
instrumental in helping Com
merce police find suspects in
two recent major incidents.
The first was the robbery
shooting at the former an
tique store at Banks Crossing
in July 2022. One man was
shot during the robbery and
his wife was able to recall a
few letters from the suspects’
license plate. Authorities en
tered that data entered the
Flock system and matched it
to the type of vehicle that wit
nesses/video saw. That helped
police identity the suspects
and detectives were able to
find them and make an arrest.
“We wouldn’t have been
able to do that that quickly
without the information that
we got from the Flock camer
as,” Harmon said earlier this
month.
The second incident was
the recent murder outside of
Hardee’s. Flock cameras alert
ed authorities that the suspect
had crossed back into Jackson
County and police were able
to arrest him before he made
it back to Commerce.
The reimbursable grant will
cover the costs of the cameras
for four years. City leaders can
decide if they want to continue
the program after that.
SK battery America has
also said it’s willing to help
fund additional cameras.
UDC GETS FIN AL
APPROVAL
It’s been a long time com
ing. The council voted Mon
day, Sept. 18, to approve its
Unified Development Code
(UDC) after months of study
and hours-upon-hours of dis
cussion. Numerous articles
have been published in The
Jackson Herald over the past
year describing the details of
the UDC.
No one from the public
spoke during a public hearing
on the UDC proposal on Mon
day.
The UDC is effective im
mediately.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its meeting, the
council approved:
•reappointing Jon Massey
and John Freeman to the city’s
rec advisory board.
•two requests for beer/
wine licenses at the Cor
ner Station, 9195 Jefferson
Street, and Warrens Pack
age, 2715 Old Maysville
Road.
•an annexation request
and R-l zoning for a little
over an acre at 687 De
lia Drive. No changes are
planned on the property,
which has an existing resi
dence.
•rezoning of 562, 580 and
600 Homer Road to C-2 to
allow a company to use the
property for sales/repairs
of tractors/lawn equipment.
Lanier Outdoor Equipment,
currently located beside
Hardee’s, plans to relocate
to the site. Owners of the
business said they have out
grown the current facility.
•a three-way stop at Clay
ton and Oak streets. There
have been complaints about
speeding in the area.
•revised permitting fees.
Jefferson slated to approve
budget, millage rate
By Mike Buffington
mike@mainstreetnews. com
The Jefferson City Council is slated
to approve a $15.7 million general fund
budget and set its millage rate during its
Sept. 25 meeting.
The council is poised to set a millage
rate of 4.522 mills, down from 5.262
mills in 2022.
Due to growth, the city anticipates
gaining $479,000 in additional property
tax dollars this year for a total of $5.5
million in property tax revenues.
The rest of the city’s budget is funded
from sales tax income and a variety of
fees and fines.
FEES GOING UP
In addition to its general fund, the city
is also poised to set new utility fees for
2024. Among those are higher water, sew
er and garbage fees.
The actual amount of water and sewer
increases will depend on how much water
is being used and the size of the water line
(residential lines are smaller than com
mercial and industrial lines.)
Updated building permit fees are also
slated for approval by the council.
ZONING ISSUES
In addition to budget issues, the council
is also slated to take action on several zon
ing-related issues, including a controver
sial proposed modification to a previous
rezoning condition for 8 acres between
Storey Ln. and Business Hwy. 129. De
velopers are seeking to have the 2009
rezoning condition for a 55+ community
modified to remove that age restriction.
Some 55 townhouse condominiums are
slated for the property.
Piedmont partners with Hi-Hope to
offer interns for adults with disabilities
Piedmont Athens Regional, in partner
ship with Hi-Hope Center, is launching
Project SEARCH, an internship program
for adults with intellectual and develop
mental disabilities.
The Project SEARCH program is a
nine-month internship program that al
lows the interns to explore different career
paths. Participants in the program will
acquire transferable job skills while also
learning how to fill out applications, com
pile a resume and interview for positions.
“We’re looking forward to starting this
initiative and meeting the newest mem
bers of the Piedmont Athens Regional
family,” said Piedmont Athens Regional
CEO Michael Burnett. “We are thrilled
when we can introduce others to our
culture and the possibility of a career in
healthcare.”
Piedmont Athens will have an onsite
classroom for the interns in the program.
After classroom time each day, they will
participate in their internships in depart
ments throughout the hospital. Leaders
and staff members in each of these depart
ments will serve as mentors.
“We are proud to have an opportunity
to make a positive difference in the lives
of these special interns and provide them
with a rewarding experience,” said Bur
nett. “It is our hope that this experience
will benefit them in the workforce now,
and well into the future.”
Hoschton continued from iA
passed the annexation and rezoning. The
project had drawn considerable pushback
from residents during two packed pub
lic hearings earlier this year. Those who
spoke against the project feared the im
pact of the large development on the city’s
infrastructure — particularly water and
sewer — and on local law enforcement,
schools, police, fire service and traffic.
Rocklyn representatives during public
hearings said that they are in negotiations
with Jackson County school leaders to
sell the school system property at a be-
low-market price for a future school site.
City planner Jerry Weitz, during public
hearings, had recommended denial of the
project.
Monday’s approval came with 21 con
ditions, which were not discussed before
the vote.
A late August arbitration hearing be
tween Rocklyn and Jackson County re
sulted in a condition requiring Rocklyn to
pay county impact fees, in addition to city
impact fees, for each building permit.
The Hoschton City Council held public
hearings over the annexation and rezon
ing request in May and June but took no
action at its June voting session after the
county formally opposed the annexation
request, leading to arbitration.
During public comment at Thursday’s
(Sept. 14) work session, residents again
expressed concerns about the scope of the
project, its impact on the city’s infrastruc
ture and they city’s residential growth.
One resident asked that the vote be
postponed until a permanent mayor
and full city council are in place. The
council is operating with four mem
bers, including an acting mayor, James
Lawson.
Stay informed throughout the week, visitJacksonHeraldTODAY.com.
BOC continued from iA
HUGE AUCTION in Northeast GA!
Overall, the county ex
pects to. have a 22.4% in
crease in its general fund
revenues. Total general fund
revenues are expected to
be $84.4 million. The total
budget for all the county’s
funds is around $125 mil
lion for 2024.
That number is somewhat
inflated, however, due to
the $13.5 million PILOT
payment from SK Battery
to the county. That PILOT
payment was a negotiated
amount for the company to
pay in lieu of regular prop
erty taxes as part of an in
centive package for the firm
to locate in Jackson County.
Most of those PILOT funds,
around 75%, are flow
through dollars that go to
the Commerce School Sys
tem and City of Commerce.
While the county will
have an increase in overall
revenues, the budget proj
ects more overall expens
es than revenues for 2024.
That is largely due to a
broad slate of capital proj
ects totaling $7.5 million
planned for the year.
To balance the general
fund budget and make up
for the shortfall, the county
projects using $5.3 million
from its reserves next year.
EXPENSES
On the expense side, the
county projects total gen
eral fund expenses at $89.7
million, up 32% over 2023.
(That number includes the
transferring of general fund
dollars into other county
funds that are accounted for
separately and the transfer
of the SK Battery funds.)
Public safety continues
to be the largest single area
of county spending at $21
million, followed by gener
al government expenses at
$11.2 million.
The sheriff’s office and
jail make up the largest part
of public safety spending at
$9.4 million and $7.1 mil
lion respectively.
Debt service continues to
be a large share of the coun
ty’s expenses at $13.4 mil
lion total. Of that amount,
$2 million will be paid for
by SPLOST 6 funds that go
to pay for the county’s new
public safety radio system.
HIGHLIGHTS
Some highlights of the
FY2024 budget include:
• County employees are
slated to get a 5% pay hike
with some other adjust
ments as well.
• More overtime pay is
included in the budget for a
variety of departments due
to being short-staffed. That
has especially been true of
public safety departments.
• Around 20 new or up
graded positions are includ
ed in the budget.
• Capitol projects are a
big part of the FY2024 bud
get, including a number of
new fleet vehicles spread
across various departments.
Among those is a new am
bulance ($280,000) and
eight electric hydraulic lifts
for ambulance stretchers
($550,000.)
• Land and improvement
projects are also a big part
of the budget. Among the
largest of those projects are:
-New fleet maintenance
and public works building
$3 million
-Expansion of the coun
ty transfer station $3 mil
lion
-Upgrading the athletic
fields and facilities at the
Empower center $2 million
-Acquisition of greens-
pace property $2 million
-Various park and recre
ation facility upgrades $1
million
-Hurricane Shoals
footbridge improvements
$500,000
-Phase II of animal shel
ter expansion $500,000
-Renovations to historic
courthouse $500,000
-Relocation of EMS
headquarters and ambu
lance station #2 $500,000
—A fire training center re
lief building $250,000
—Expansion of the se
nior center $200,000
—Fairview community
center upgrades $200,000
—Furnishing for new
administrative building
$480,000
Come out and
join us!
Live Public
Auction starts
at 10am!
Friday September 22 1 " 1
Located at 123 Outlet Dr Commerce GA, 30529
Featuring Paving Equipment, Horizontal Grinders,
Late model Trucks, Trailers and so much more!
