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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 10. 2022
Continued From 1A
Broadband
The high-speed broad
band initiative for rural Geor
gia was the result of the
leadership of the House Rural
Development Council cre
ated in 2017 by Speaker Ral
ston, Rep. Terry England
(R-Auburn) and the late Rep.
Jay Powell (R-Camilla). Also
active on the project was
Senator Steve Gooch (R-
Dahlonega) and Rep. Rick
Jasperse (R-Jasper).
The Joint Development
Authority of Gilmer and
Pickens County is partnering
with Ellijay Telephone Com
pany (“ETC”) and leveraging
a portion of their existing
fiber network and resources,
to build approximately 574
miles of high-speed fiber op
tics to serve 4,259 customers
in 334 unserved census block
groups. To serve these loca
tions maximizing cost effi
ciencies, this partnership is
using ETC’s existing net
work that has already been
deployed into many areas of
Gilmer and Pickens Coun
ties, totaling 100s of millions
in investment value. The
Joint Development Authority
of Gilmer and Pickens
County is also leveraging
their recently announced
partnership with Amicalola
EMC that will provide more
than 220 new miles of fiber
optics across North Georgia.
“ETC is excited for this
new opportunity to continue
serving communities across
north Georgia. We will be
leveraging our recently an
nounced partnership with
Amicalola EMC, which is al
lowing us to construct main
line fiber optic infrastructure
near many of these unserved
census blocks. This new
fiber, along with these state
grants, now make these loca
tions feasible. We also want
to thank the Joint Develop
ment Authority of Gilmer
and Pickens County for al
lowing us to partner with
them on their application and
all those community mem
bers who wrote letters of sup
port for this application.”
states Jason Smith, COO of
ETC.
The project proposal
states that “Gilmer and Pick
ens County has 27% and
17%, respectively, (Georgia
Broadband Availability,
2021) of our population
deemed to be unserved by the
FCC’s minimum broadband
definition of 25/3Mb. We be
lieve the percentage is greater
as our counties have seen an
influx of new residents influ
The areas of the county that will be covered by the new broadband are highlighted.
enced to move by elements
of COVID-19 and its vari
ants. This lack of access to
broadband creates problems
within the counties in the
forms of lack of access to vir
tual classrooms for K-12 and
higher education, ability to
work remotely during the
COVID-19 pandemic and be
yond, efficient business oper
ations for processes being
conducted over broadband
connections, and access to
telemedicine.”
The Joint Development
Authority of Gilmer and
Pickens County’s broadband
project is seeking to resolve
these problems by:
•Reducing the number of
unserved broadband loca
tions in our county
•Building fiber-optic
broadband network capable
of symmetrical 2Gbps down
load and 2Gbps upload serv
ice
•Share and promote our
fiber broadband infrastruc
ture benefits to visitors,
prospective residents and in
dustries
The project was awarded
$21,418,727 ARPA grant
funds, along with matching
funds of $3,996,350 from
ETC, for a total of
$25,415,077.
The project should com
mence shortly and will be on
going through at least 2026.
About Ellijay Telephone
Company: Established in
1903 as Ellijay Telephone
Company (ETC), today ETC
is a diversified communica
tions company providing in
ternet, telephone, cable
television and security serv
ices. ETC serves residents
and businesses in north Geor
gia and Tennessee. ETC ac
tively evaluates opportunities
to expand broadband in and
around its service area. Cur
rently, ETC has 2,708 miles
of copper lines, 2,010 miles
of coax cable and 652 miles
of high-speed fiber.
About Amicalola EMC:
Amicalola EMC is a not-for-
profit electric cooperative
serving over 52,000 locations
in north Georgia in portions
of Bartow, Cherokee, Daw
son, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer,
Gordon, Lumpkin, Murray
and Pickens counties.
Founded in 1940, Amicalola
EMC has provided electricity
and related services to north
Georgia for 80 years.
Continued From 1A
Water
for the project recently com
ing in at just over $6 million.
“It’s tripled in price from the
original estimate. The reason
I...bring that up...the cost to
treat [then sell] 1,000 gallons
at these rates, just to pay
these back over a 20-year
window, that would be $5.10
cents per 1,000 gallons of
water.”
To put that price into per
spective, the highest rate the
county currently pays for
treated water is $2.45 per
1,000 gallons.
Stancil said he thinks the
county should “pump the
breaks” on the bids and proj
ect “and look at all avenues
to see if there’s a way we can
get that more affordable.”
The Pickens County Road Department was recognized for their hard work, long hours, and for enduring extreme temperatures during recent winter
weather. Pickens Public Works Director Kirk Anderson applauded their dedication and Pickens Commissioner Kris Stancil read a proclamation to
honor their service to the community. (L-R) Pickens Commissioner Jerry Barnes, Harold Foust, Lane Godfrey, Kirk Anderson, Stanley Mulkey, and
Jason Tanner. Some members of the department were not in attendance.
The commission chair
noted that the lake is in the
city of Jasper’s water service
delivery area and that the
county would need to run
water through city waterlines
- which were extended spe
cially to tie onto this project
- and “have them purchase
[water] at that rate.” Stancil
noted that in preliminary dis
cussions with the city leaders
they said it would be difficult
for them to agree to that pur
chase price.
“I understand cost in
crease, but triple is hard to
swallow,” he said.
Less than two years ago
the city of Jasper began pur
chasing raw water from
Grandview Lake by way of
the county. There is a meter
below the dam spillway
where raw the water is with
drawn, then flows down
stream to Long Swamp
Creek to the city’s water in
take. From there, the city
transports the water to their
own facility and treats it.
Cost to purchase raw water
from the county is around .40
cents per 1,000 gallons.
The higher-than-expected
bid price issue surfaced
around the same time Grand
view Lake shareholders ex
pressed deep concerns with
engineering plans for the raw
water intake. Current engi
neering plans call for a t-
shaped walkway to extend 40
feet into the lake, in addition
to two motors to be housed at
the end of the platform. Some
shareholders and leaders with
Grandview Lake Company
argue that plans for a walk
way were not shared until re
cently, and that it will be
unsightly and create un
wanted noise. Grandview
Lake Company leadership
believes there are alterative
solutions to the platform that
would preserve the lake’s
aesthetic.
Pickens Tax Commis
sioner Daniel Reeves recog
nized employee Emily Leslie
for winning their quarterly
productivity competition.
“She has been a very pro
ductive employee in the of
fice,” Reeves said, noting
Leslie also won the last three
quarters.
Pickens Recreation De
partment Assistant Director
Seth Boyd was recognized
for 10 years of service with
the county.
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Pickens Human Re
sources Director Paula
Peace was recognized for 20
years of service with the
county.
Pickens Sheriff Detective
John Cagle recognized Det.
Joe Price for taking over
fraud and scam investiga
tions, “...a type of investiga
tion that is extremely
difficult” and “heartbreak
ing when we have to tell vic
tims there’s nothing we can
do.” Cagle said Det. Price
goes above and beyond in
his line of duty, working
after hours if need be.
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