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Thursday, June 25 2020 Volume 133 Number 10 Jasper, Georgia
Local News Published Weekly
County axes credit cards
after months of controversy
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
At their June meeting, the board of commis
sioners abruptly cancelled all county credit cards
that were issued to a handful of departments and
offices. The cancellation was “effective immedi
ately.”
Those cards have been at the center of heated
controversy since January. Problems began when
meal charges made by the county commission
chair were posted online, and later with former
Pickens Magistrate Judge Allen Wigington who
faces criminal charges due to purchases he made
on the card issued to him.
The cards cancelled were: two issued to the
commissioner’s office; one that was kept by the
former magistrate judge who could use it for the
entire courthouse; and five that were issued to the
sheriff’s office.
Before requesting the cards be cancelled, Pick
ens CFO Faye Harvey said, “As you know the
county credit cards have been a point of con
tention,” and added that the county has a reim
bursement system employees can use instead. She
referenced the local school system, which “has
twice the employees that we do and does not have
one credit card.”
This reimbursement system, Harvey ex
plained, will ensure they have proper documen
tation and verification for all purchases before
they are paid by the county. Under the reimburse
ment system, the employee would make the pur
chase with their own funds and submit a purchase
order to the department or office they work for to
be approved. That department or office would
then submit it to the finance department for final
review before the reimbursement is made. Harvey
said under this system the county is not obligated
to cover purchases as they were under the credit
card system until the purchase is verified.
“If you can, I would cancel them just as soon
as you leave this meeting,” commission chair Rob
Jones said after the vote was taken.
Commissioner Becky Denney was not in at
tendance due to family health issues, but Harvey
said she had been consulted regarding the matter.
When asked in a follow-up interview why the
county chose to cancel those cards, Jones said the
CFO presented the idea and “I felt like it was a
good idea so I seconded the motion. I think she
did the right thing.” Jones also said the cancella
tions would “give Mr. Stancil a fresh start.”
Kris Stancil secured the republican primary
nomination for commission chair over Rob Jones
earlier this month. Stancil will face Independent
candidate David Shouse in November.
Three Pickens Sheriff’s Office employees at
the meeting expressed issue with the move. Major
Mitch Yeargin asked for clarification, and called
the cancellation a step in the wrong direction.
“I have to buy See Credit Cards on 9A
Schools
budgeting
forCOVID
shortfall
Play time almost here
photo/ Angela Reinhardt
READY, SET, PLAY! Crews with Southeast Outdoor Solutions begin to erect the new playground equipment at
Jasper City Park on Monday. It should be complete later this week.
By Angela Reinhardt
staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Work got underway on new playground equipment at
Jasper City Park on Monday afternoon, June 22.
A representative of Southeast Outdoor Solutions on site
said they hope to have construction completed by Thurs
day, depending on weather. The substrate will be
“Engineered Wood Fiber” that is water absorbant, splinter 0 .
Students may be back on campus in
resistant, and that meets ADA accessability guidelines.
Earlier this year, Jasper City Council approved pur
chase of the new equipment not to exceed $55,000. The
old wooden playset was tom down in March.
Plans are to replace the equipment at the playground
for younger kids near the tennis courts later this year.
The new set features two ADA swings in addition to
two baby swings and other elements like slides, a rock
climbing wall, and monkey bars, according to an artist ren
dering.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
To prepare for an antici
pated decrease in revenue
due to economic impacts of
COVID-19, the Pickens
County Board of Education
and the school system’s fi
nance department are budg
eting for the shortfall.
Despite the anticipated rev
enue changes, system lead
ers say they can mitigate
losses through natural attri
tion of employees, by shift
ing expenses to reduce stress
on the general fund, and by
using some of the fund bal
ance to balance the budget.
For the upcoming school
year, the system will not
have to furlough teachers or
make cuts that will impact
the classroom and instruc
tion. There will also be no
cuts to specific programs
like art, music, and P.E.
The biggest impacts in
FY 2021 are an expected 11
percent, or $2.7 million, cut
to the system’s Quality
Basic Education (QBE) state
funding; as well as lower-
than-normal property tax
collections.
“I would like to com
mend [superintendent] Dr.
[Rick] Townsend and [CFO]
Amy Smith along with other
staff for their diligent work,”
board chair Tucker Green
told the Progress after a
budget meeting on Thurs
day, June 18. “A thorough
budget process is always
crucial, but this year even
See School Budget on 9A
Schools to open
August 3rd —
depending on
coronavirus
situation
By Christie Pool
Staff writer
christie@pickensprogress.com
The Pickens School Sys
tem on Monday released a
tentative three-tiered plan
for students return to cam
pus on August 3rd. Those
plans, said Superintendent
Rick Townsend, are contin
gent on the COVID-19 im
pact in Pickens as that date
gets closer.
Townsend said the
school system will commu
nicate often with parents
and community members
about plans for the re-open
ing of campuses. Local
school officials, he said,
will continue to work over
the next weeks with state
government and local health
officials as they determine
how to safely open schools
for students and staff.
“The state does a weekly
guidance for us and the gov
ernor’s office is working
with the state’s department
of health creating an official
guidance of the status for
each county as it relates to
COVID-19,” Townsend
said. “We are also working
with local public health of
ficials to see what spread
we are in here.”
As of Tuesday, June
23rd, the state’s daily
COVID-19 status website
showed Pickens with 80
confirmed cases, five deaths
and 16 hospitalizations.
The school system has a
task force that started work
ing a few weeks ago and
those members are develop
ing the plan for a return to
campus. He said the plan
ning will likely finish up in
a couple of weeks.
“Our biggest thing will
be disseminating informa
tion (to the community),”
Townsend said. “Our pri
mary concern, of course, is
student safety and instruc
tion. We are developing the
best plan for Pickens
County and at the end of the
day we’ve got to support
our students and staff.”
The “Preferred Plan”
with “Low or No Spread”
of the virus in our commu
nity, would have students
return to campus with pre
ventative measures in place
and plans for distance learn
ing for any students who be
come ill with short-term
health related absences. A
“Possible Plan” with “Min
imal or Moderate Spread”
of the virus here would have
“increased preventative
measures in place.”
If a non-traditional re
turn to school is required
because of increased cases
of coronavirus, Townsend
said there are different mod
els being considered
throughout the state and na
tion. They include, as in the
Pickens “Possible Plan”
having students on campus
on different days of the
week or even alternating
students on campus on dif-
See School Opening on 9A
photo/Damon Howell
LIONS’ FRESH FOOD HITS THE SPOT - All 960 boxes of free produce were
given away during a food drive-thru last Friday, June 19. The drive was held at First
Baptist Church, and was a joint project of the Georgia Lions Club and the Collins
Brother Produce of Forest Park, Ga. as part of the USDA Farmers to Families Food
Box Program.
The local Lions were on site to distribute the 20-pound boxes of produce, which
were available to anyone. The line began to form well before the start time and was
extremely busy during several parts of the day. All but a few boxes were handed out to
individuals. The remaining handful of boxes was donated to the CARES Food Pantry.
Inside:
Ball Ground
Fireworks
this Saturday
Page 6A
Tater Patch
plans return
to the stage
Page 3A
Rec. Dept,
announces
reopening
plans
Page 9A
• Katherine Boyd
• Teresa Deal
• Vernet Jarrett
Obituaries - 10A
Index
Editorial 4A
Letters to the Editor . 5A
Church 2B
Kids 8B
People 3B
Classifieds 6-7B
Legals 4-5B
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