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THURSDAY. OCTOBER 12. 2023 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7A
Talking Rock Council
discusses infrastructure
needs; upcoming festival
Talking Rock Pottery artisan Heather Poole holds a
unique Talking Rock jug she hand- crafted from clay. The
studio is open Friday-Sunday and contains the works of
six other artisans and is one of several speciality shops in
Talking Rock.
By Max Caylor
Contributing Writer
The Talking Rock City
Council had a short business
meeting following their work
session last Thursday
evening. The official body
addressed various town is
sues and approved the Sep
tember meeting minutes and
financials.
Mayor Pro Tern James
Bryant, Jr. reported balances
in the city’s five bank ac
counts. He reported
$303,000 in General Operat
ing Fund, $3,400 School
House Museum, SPLOST
$18,741, FEMA $1,800 and
the American Rescue Plan
$26,000.
The council discussed en
tering a contract with a build
ing inspection company to do
residential and commercial
inspections for the town. It
was not voted on but an
nounced the service would
be in the 2024 budget follow
ing more discussion.
The elected body is still
seeking quotes for a new roof
for City Hall, addressing air
quality inside the building
and replacing all rotted win
dows. “We must maintain the
building for the future use of
the community,” Bryant said.
The group spent some
time considering a possible
contract with an engineering
firm to help design a layout
for sidewalks and street
lights to submit to DOT.
Also, they are in discussion
with North Georgia Regional
about finding a grant writer
to help with city projects.
A positive update was
presented on the upcoming
Heritage Days October 21-
22nd.
Council member Mary
Bregantini informed said
they had more financial
sponsors than last year and
had 77 vendors to participate.
Two other issues were
discussed which concerned
trash collection and alcohol
ordinances. The town dump
ster has been billed overage
fees because trash bags have
been left on the ground and
others thrown on top with the
container not being full.
Also, the city attorney is
looking at possible changes
to their local alcohol ordi
nances.
No “TAN” for second year means
county sees solid financial footing
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Pickens County will not
have to borrow any money
ahead of tax collections for
the second year in a row, ac
cording to announcements at
the Board of Commissioners
meeting Thursday.
Commission Chair Kris
Stancil opened the meeting
by saying he anticipates
“zero dollars pulled from
TAN” (Tax Anticipation
Note). He said with tight
management and tax revenue
already coming in, the county
“should be able to get it to the
finish line.”
In local politics, the TAN
has long been a sticking point
with county government. It
has been regularly used for
more than a decade where the
government borrows money
throughout the year until they
collect tax revenue at the end
of the year. Stancil came into
office with a goal of getting
rid of this practice.
As Stancil explained at the
meeting, the county’s budget
year and calendar year both
begin on January 1. But tax
bills are sent in the fall,
meaning all revenue is col
lected at the tail end of the
year. Previous critics of
county spending have made a
political issue of this man
agement, questioning
whether they are spending
next year’s tax money to
cover loans for current oper
ations.
Stancil said operating
without a TAN requires all
departments working to
gether and is an issue of
being “functional.”
Commissioner Josh Tip-
pens said this is an amazing
accomplishment to eliminate
this for two years running.
Public Works
director urges
caution in work
zones
Picking up a joke made
previously, Stancil noted the
summer paving schedule
began October 5th. Using
Atlatl making class at New Echota
Join professional educator
and primitive skills demon
strator Andrew Lee for a
hands-on, outdoor class, and
learn how to craft a tradi
tional atlatl, or spear thrower.
The class runs from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m.. Please bring a sack
lunch, as a period for lunch
will be provided. Participants
will be outdoors and working
with sharp objects. $50 per
person. Spots are very lim
ited; preregistration is re
quired by calling the office
(706)-624-1321. Ages 18+
only.
Admission to the class in
cludes outdoor grounds with
12 historic and reconstructed
buildings, nature trails, mu
seum, and 17-minute film.
Picnic tables are available on
site. New Echota is located
1211 Chatsworth Hwy. 225
N, Calhoun, GA 30701, just
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This project in Georgia is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), US Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $806,420.00 with
100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the US Government.
ELECT
JIM
LOONEY
state funds and contractors
work planned for summer
months is underway on Cove
Road with Jerusalem Church
Road set for paving immedi
ately afterwards.
Stancil said what drivers
see now on the eastern end of
Cove is only a prep-coat, not
a final coat. Cove is the
busiest road in the county and
Stancil asked motorists to be
patient and expect delays.
Public Works Director
Kirk Anderson expanded this
point, noting an incident in a
work zone recently where a
motorist, apparently impa
tient and not seeing activity,
went around the flag-person
with the stop sign causing a
“near miss.”
“If we have you stopped,
we have you stopped for a
reason, even if you don’t see
something going on,” he
said.
In other news:
•Pickens County will
begin bailing and selling re-
cyclables from Dawson
County in a new deal, mak
ing use of the state-of-the-art
recycling center here. They
are also expecting a glass
crusher to be functional
shortly and are experiment
ing with ways to use crushed
grass, including landscaping
and for asphalt. In after meet
ing comments, it was clari
fied there is no charge for
Dawson to bring the material.
The county will benefit by
having almost no extra ex
pense to bail the Dawson re-
cyclables but will get all their
volume to sell.
• The animal shelter re
ported a very busy month
with both dog-bite calls and
abandoned animals. “Busy
on the roads,” is how the di
rector put it.
Wells recognized for work in Tax Office
Kelly Wells was honored with three awards for her work
in the tax commissioner’s office. She won employee of the
quarter for the past two quarters and also a customer serv
ice award based on comments left by those paying tax bills
at the office in the administration building.
Tax Commissioner Daniel Reeves said she was a “really
good employee, ” does a great job in all that she does and is
accurate in her work.
METAL ROOFING
DAWSONVILLE
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Painted Galvalume Metal Roofing
18 Colors In Stock
Delivery & Contractor Referrals Available
82 Etowah River Road • Dawsonville
706-265-3099 • 800-519-4616
1 mile off 1-75 at exit 317.
For more information, and to
view upcoming events, visit
GaStateParks.org/NewE-
chota.
New Echota State Historic
Site is a designated National
Historic Landmark, has been
nominated as a Traditional
Cultural Property and is cer
tified site on the Trail of
Tears National Historic Trail.
The site has information
on maps and history concern
ing the Trail of Tears Na
tional Historic Trail and
efforts to mark the Trail of
Tears.
cMf/A/mi) -fffejpi/ifjj cAvu/A6qm
www.servepickens.com
One Great Day of Service to
our Pickens County
Non-Profits
Saturday, October 21,2023
HOW CAN YOU HELP:
• Volunteer individually, through
your business, or form a team
• Join the Steering Committee
• Sponsor the Event
• Register your non-profit's project
MORE INFORMATION
servepickens@gmail.com
READY TO GET INVOLVED:
www.servepickens.com