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PAGE 12A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. DECEMBER 10. 2020
Early voting
for hotly
contested
Senate seats
opens
December 14
In an election year that
just keeps coming, early vot
ing for both of the state’s
U.S. Senate seats and one
Public Service Commis
sioner will open Tuesday. All
early voting in Pickens
County will be held at the
Recreation Center in Roper
Park 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
On the ballot will be:
U.S. Senate
• David Perdue, (incum
bent) Republican
• Jon Ossoff, Democrat
Special Election to fill
unexpired term of Johnny
Isakson U.S. Senate
• Kelly Loeffler, (incum
bent) Republican
• Raphael Warnock, De
mocrat
Public Service
Commissioner
• Lauren Bubba McDon
ald, Jr., (incumbent) Republi
can
• Daniel Blackman, De
mocrat
On Election Day, January
5th, everyone will vote at
their regular polling place.
While early voting will be at
the recreation center, ques
tions about ballots or regis
tration should still be
addressed to the main elec
tions office on Pioneer Road,
706-253-8781.
There will be no early vot
ing on December 23-Decem-
ber 25, December 31st, and
January 1st. There is no Sat
urday voting in this election.
From Jasper council meeting
Vehicle charging station,
year wrap-up, police
station improvements
•A request from applicant
Gary Copeland to annex
2.65 acres on Lower Dowda
Mill Road as C-2 in the city
limits.
•A request from applicant
Gary Copeland to annex
2.13 acres at 84 Lower
Dowda Mill Road as C-2 in
the city limits.
Year-end update
Council approved these two parking spaces, located
in front of the Atlantic Coast Conservancy on South
Main Street, to be utilized for electric vehicle charging
stations.
Angela Reinhardt
Staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
At their December meet
ing, Jasper Council unani
mously approved two
parking spaces along South
Main Street to be used as the
future site of electric vehicle
charging stations.
A private business owner,
Dr. Robert Keller of Atlantic
Coast Conservancy, ap
proached the city about des
ignating the two spaces in
front of his building at 80
South Main Street for elec
tric vehicle charging pur
poses. Keller, who spoke
briefly at council’s Decem
ber 7 meeting, said he would
fund the station and installa
tion, which he estimated to
be about $16,000.
City manager Brandon
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Douglas said it was unusual
for a private property owner
to request to put more strict
limitations on public park
ing. Douglas told council an
electric charging station
could make the downtown
area a destination for mo
torists who often find charg
ing locations online or via an
app. He called it a “well-ad
vised move” that could bring
more foot traffic to Jasper
businesses.
Dr. Keller said he was
“honored to participate” in
the project, and also felt the
spot was ideal to support the
downtown area.
Jasper Mayor Steve
Lawrence called it a “won
derful initiative.”
Rezoning moratorium ex
tended, annexations ap
proved
Council approved the ex
tension of a rezoning mora
torium until February 1,
2020. The original morato
rium was enacted in April of
this year for 180 days while
council performed a com
prehensive review of their
zoning ordinances. At that
time county and city offi
cials have said their zoning
ordinances have created a
variety of issues over the
years and needed a “thor
ough review.”
The one-month extension
was made in light of delays
created during the holiday
season. Douglas anticipates
the updated zoning map
from the North Georgia Re
gional Commission next
month and expects the
moratorium could be lifted
at the February meeting.
The moratorium does not
include applications for
parcels to be annexed into
the city limits. As part of the
annexation, Douglas ex
plained that council must se
lect a city zoning for the
property as county and city
zonings do not directly
align.
Council approved three
annexations at the Decem
ber meeting.
•A request from applicant
Gary Copeland to annex
4.27 acres on Worley Cross
roads as R-3 into the city
limits.
Bring the Simple Man
to your house for Christmas
Caleb Smith's new book
All I Hear is Banjos -The Ballad of a Simple Man
All
X hear
Is Banjos
The Ballad of a Simple
Man
His original
Ponderings of a
Simple Man
$15 each
(signed copies
available at the
Pickens Progress\
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. ■
wit and Wisdom from
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For a double-helping
of the Simple Man,
get both books for $25.
Mayor Lawrence and the
city manager gave a brief
year-end-wrap up of projects
that were either completed
or began during 2020.
Among those listed were
the addition of downtown
parking on North Main
Street, approval of an open
container ordinance in
downtown, software and
hardware updates at Jasper
City Hall, upgrades at Jasper
City Park, Phase I of work at
Peace Park (at North Main
Street), paving the way for a
brewery on Main Street with
updated ordinances, internal
work such as employee job
descriptions and organiza
tional charts to improve effi
ciency, hiring of an
economic development di
rector through an agreement
with Pickens County gov
ernment and the Pickens
Chamber of Commerce, hir
ing of a new city attorney,
and new turnout gear for
some emergency workers,
among several other items.
Other news from council:
•Council approved using
up to $40,000 in SPLOST
funds for improvements to
Jasper City Police Depart
ment on Dixie Street. Up
grades will include
renovations to an unused
portions of the building to
provide space for training
and other purposes, and
fencing in a portion of the
parking area.
•Council approved $250
bonuses for all employees,
to be funded from monies
raised during a recent sale or
surplus city equipment.
Council and mayor ap
plauded employees for their
hard work during a difficult
year. “They deserve every
penny,” said council mem
ber Sonny Proctor.
Senator takes time to
write excuse letter for
Jr. High student during
campaign stop
During a campaign
stop at Appalachian Gun
Range Monday, Senator
David Perdue, shook
hands and met Pickens
Jr. High 8th grader Jay-
den Greer.
Jay den’s father, Jerry,
asked Senator Perdue to
write an excuse letter to
the principal of PJHS for
Jayden missing part of
school after the father
pulled him early to meet
the senator.
“Mr. Perdue was more than happy to accommodate
me with my request; he actually invited Jayden into his
motorcoach to write the letter and talk with Jayden per
sonally, ” said Mr. Greer. “Jayden was thrilled and im
pressed with the senator’s kindness and interest to help
him.
Jayden has a keen interest in today’s politics and was
able to discuss this point with the senator, said the father.
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Notice of Called Meeting
Pickens County
Board of Commissioners
Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 5 p.m.
Conference Room - STE. 168
The Pickens County Board of Commissioners will
have a Called Meeting for the purpose described
below at the Administrative Office Building located
at 1266 East Church Street.
AGENDA:
I. Call to Order
II. Conduct a public hearing regarding
the following road:
A. Right-of-Way Abandonment at Henderson
Mountain Rd. and Jerusalem Church Rd.
III. Adjourn
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Inspiring true stories of uncommon valor
and sacrifice of unsung military heroes
1
4. i
To those who nobly answered duty's call,
To those who in the face of fire stood tall,
To those who on the battlefield did fall,
Especially those who sacrificed it all!
To those who served and gave more than their due,
I humbly dedicate these words to you!
— Larry William Cavender
Signed copies of the new book, Thank You for Your Service - A Trib
ute, are available at the Pickens County Progress office in Jasper,
Bell's Family Pharmacy in Tate, Ball Ground Pharmacy, and
Northside Pharmacy in Canton. Copies may also be purchased
on-line at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com
in either hardback or e-book formats.