Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 10A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. OCTOBER 19. 2023
Continued From 1A ■ Continued From 1A
Cameras
suits show the signage and
cameras are already working.
“Definitely about safety.
We saw nearly 2,000 viola
tions a day when we first
turned the cameras on, and
this was up from 1,200 a day
(in all the school zones com
bined) when we had done a
test three or four years ago,”
he said. “Now we are down
to 80 on some days. Obvi
ously it works.”
In Pickens, four of the six
school campuses have cam
eras in place:
• Refuge Road/ Junior
High, where during the test
period they recorded 221
speeding infractions in the
past month; the speed limit is
35 mph at all times.
• Harmony Road/Har
mony Elementary - 291 in
fractions in the past month;
35 mph speed limit normally,
25 during school times.
• Highway 53/Tate Ele
mentary - 820 infractions in
the past month. 35 mph speed
limit normally, 25 mph dur
ing school times.
• Highway 53 Hill City
Elementary - 304 infractions
in the past month. 55 mph
speed limit normally, 45 mph
during school timess.
When asked about the
wide range of speed limits,
the sheriff said it’s set by the
state, even on county roads.
Pickens High School is
not eligible for a camera as it
sits too far off Highway 53.
The state is very strict on
where and when the cameras
can be used. And despite re
quests from some members
of the public, they are ab
solutely not allowed any
where but in school zones
and only used during school
hours, he said.
At Jasper Middle School
on Stegall Drive, there
wasn’t the need for the cam
eras with the road there.
Craig said everyday a
deputy will review all the
videos that record a speeding
violation and then must ap
prove it before a ticket is
sent.
The owner of the car
whose license plate is shown
exceeding the speed limit by
more than 11 miles per hour
will get a ticket by mail. The
ticket will come from Red-
Speed in Atlanta. It will show
the basic information on the
ticket and have a link to the
same video the deputy re
views. The ticket contains
several payment options.
These are civil tickets, not
criminal and will not affect
insurance rates.
There is a place to dispute
it online and anyone may
have the case heard in magis
trate court. The sheriff’s of
fice will take questions at
their main number 706-253-
8901.
Responding to critics of
the cameras now widely used
across the state, Craig em
phasized this is an initiative
of the sheriff’s office for
safety, not revenue. The state
requires all fines be spent on
law enforcement, including
campus safety, but not
salaries. Craig said local peo
ple have argued they haven’t
had a serious accident in a
school zone in years so the
system isn’t needed. But
Craig said the numbers
showed there was a serious
problem with almost 2,000
speeding violations in front
of schools some days and it
would be irresponsible to
wait until an accident oc
curred to do something.
Under the deal, RedSpeed
gets 30 percent of all fines
but they maintain the system
and were responsible for set
up costs. The sheriff’s office
will receive 70 percent of the
fines.
The sheriff said he will
not project any revenue from
this as part of his yearly
budget for operations. The
initial plans are to use it to
enhance and expand their se
curity Flock cameras that
scan tags on vehicles going
down the road and notify of
ficers when anyone with a
warrant or has the wrong tag
or a sex offender passes a
Flock camera.
To be transparent, the
sheriff’s office will release
regular reports on tickets is
sued by this system in the
Sheriff’s Beat column of the
Progress.
Continued From 1A
Dollar Tree
The DDA had no details
about the lease agreement.
The building and 1.32
acres was most recently sold
in June of 2009 for $2.5 mil
lion, according to the Pick
ens County QPublic website.
Prior to that, the previous
sale was five years earlier, in
June of 2004, for $3.2 mil
lion. The current owner is
listed as Eman Inc. in Deer
field, Illinois. The applicant
on the building permit is
Ahmed Elahmady.
When asked if they feel
like the property is a missed
opportunity, the DDA said
when you pursue something
and don't succeed, “there is
the potential to look at it as a
missed opportunity; how
ever, without an owner moti
vated to sell a property there
is nothing the DDA can do to
obtain it. While we were not
able to purchase the property,
we do feel that an occupied
building is an improvement
over an empty one.”
The DDA, which is
funded through the city of
Jasper, explains their mission
as fostering and encouraging
“cooperative public-private
efforts to design spaces and
landscapes where people can
appreciate the jewels of
shared historic heritage in
order to sustain, grow, de
velop, and enhance eco
nomic prosperity and
community well-being.”
DDA members are now in
the process of developing a
5-year plan.
“We will attempt to out
line the steps we will take to
accomplish those items.
More information to come,”
they said.
In broader terms, we
wanted to know their
thoughts about government’s
role - if any - in business.
Some poll respondents said
those businesses were “pri
vate property, none of your
control.”
DDA leaders called gov
ernment’s role “an important
one,” and went on to outline
various ways governments
can impact private business.
“Governments can estab
lish zoning regulations and
land use policies that desig
nate areas for different types
of industries/businesses, en
suring compatibility with the
community's best interest,”
they said. “They can stream
line the process for obtaining
necessary permits and li
censes, making it easier for
businesses to set up and op
erate in their community.
Governments can also offer
tax incentives, grants, or sub
sidies to encourage busi
nesses to locate within their
jurisdiction. They can invest
in and maintain infrastruc
ture like roads, bridges, and
utilities, all of which are cru
cial for business operations.
They can partner with re
gional and/or state economic
development agencies to tap
into additional resources, ex
pertise, and networks that
can encourage business
growth. These are just a few
examples.”
The DDA plans to an
nounce details regarding
projects they hope to be in
volved in when the five-year
plan is finalized, they said.
Local Matters.
Support Community
Journalism
Subscribe to the Pickens Progress, a family-owned,
independent newspaper that has covered Pickens County
for the past 135 years,
Forum
critical of the current admin
istration as other new candi
dates.
Incumbent Post 4 candi
date Jim Looney also men
tioned the moratorium that
allowed the city to plan be
fore “we go into what’s going
to be tremendous growth.”
He mentioned water system
and infrastructure issues that
need to be, and are being, ad
dressed by the city.
Post 4 candidate Dorian
Gibson, whose responses
were the most unconven
tional of the evening, refer
enced the film
Koyaanisquatsi, which trans
lates to “life out of balance.”
He said Jasper is out of bal
ance with too much emphasis
in the “wrong direction,”
specifically parks.
When later asked about
his specific skill set from an
attendee he veered even fur
ther off standard politics and
discussed the importance of
learning to love himself, as
well as two dating websites
he is a member of where he
received messages from
women - from Russia,
Ukraine and other countries -
who have been abused. He
said he has become a mentor
for abused women.
John Foust (Post 5) is for
planned growth. He dis
cussed the city’s water short
ages and aged infrastructure
that needs to be addressed.
The city has a plan for
growth on Highway 515, he
said, and believes it is impor
tant the city follows their
master plan. He also wants to
see more young people come
to and return to town.
Post 5 candidate Anthony
Young, a 27-year-old who
called himself someone with
old-fashioned principles, is
for growth but in a controlled
manner. He said “the water is
going to come down the
river, but how are you going
to control it and how are you
going to make the river
flow?” He called for attention
to infrastructure, including
parking and traffic.
Post 5 candidate Shirley
Mitchell said Jasper, which is
in a county with no river, has
a “major problem” with
water needs. She said the city
should “be smart about let
ting people come in and
build.”
Post 4 candidate Bethsa-
dia Fernandez, who was not
in attendance due to illness
but submitted responses via
email, wants to keep Jasper
small, and does not believe it
has infrastructure for “ex
treme growth” or will “sup
port hundreds of new homes
in subdivisions, new malls or
amphitheaters.”
The amphitheater at the
corner of Main and Spring
streets that the city recently
received a $1 million grant
for was a topic where candi
dates diverged in opinion.
Challengers Gibson,
Young, Mitchell and Fernan
dez do not support the am
phitheater.
Gibson questioned park
ing and traffic issues and
called it a waste of money.
Young questioned appropri-
Post 5 candidates (l-r) John Foust, Anthony Young and
Shirley Mitchell. Bethsaida Fernandez was unable to attend
due to illness.
pressed hard about who it
was who didn’t do their job
and allow the duck pond to
get in such bad shape to start
with.
Early voting began Mon
day, Oct. 16. Voters, who
must live in Jasper’s city lim
its to vote, can go to the polls
Tuesday, Nov. 7. See more
election info on Page 7B.
Sample Ballots are on Page
2B.
photos/Dan Pool
Council candidates - Incumbents Jim Looney, left, and John Foust, Jr., right, listen as
challenger Dorian Gibson illustrates a point. Looney faces Gibson for Post 4 on the city
council.
ate infrastructure and be
lieves at this time the money
could have been spent more
wisely in another area.
Mitchell does not like the fact
that it will be next to a church
and questioned what kind of
bands would perform and
how often it will be used
since it will be weather-de
pendent.
Fernandez, via email, said
she likes downtown being vi
brant, but said an amphithe
ater will make it lose its
small-town feel.
Erdman believes it is a
good move, but did not want
to see taxpayers spend $1.3
million in matching funds for
it. Raffield clarified in his re
sponse that funding is from
SPLOST monies, which is
approved by voters.
Incumbents feel the am
phitheater is a positive move
for the city.
When asked about ideas
for plans outside of down
town, Erdman called for at
tention to parks and adding
“sensory areas” for kids, fun
centers and steakhouses fam
ilies can enjoy together.
Raffield said when down
town is revitalized “it spreads
like fire” into other areas of
the city. He mentioned
Jasper’s Downtown Devel
opment Authority, which has
planned events and helped
bring life downtown.
Hannah discussed the
heavy traffic on Hwy. 515
and said he wants to build up
that area for people to stop,
shop and eat while traveling.
Looney discussed groups
that worked together to create
successful areas/projects in
downtown, and said he wants
to see a group formed to eval
uate east Highway 53 where
there are several unused
buildings.
Gibson mentioned the
Delray Affair in Florida,
which over the last few
decades has become a huge
three-day event that draws
several thousand people.
“Let’s bring that kind of thing
and the whole of Jasper,
downtown and outside of
town will benefit.”
Mitchell wants to see
more restaurants, “a steak-
house, a Red Lobster...We
have to go to Canton to eat at
Red Lobster.” She wants to
see more restaurants on Hwy.
515, not in downtown Jasper,
which she said is “busting
wide open.”
Foust said the more suc
cessful the downtown area is
the more people will be at
tracted here and want to de
velop here. “The businesses
will be coming up 515. It’s
natural. It’s going to happen.”
He called for making sure
they have the infrastructure
to support it.
Young said Jasper will
grow, and called for attention
to the Jasper City Park
(known locally as the Duck
Pond).
Fernandez, by way of
email, said she does not want
to see Jasper become a Holly
Springs and would make
parks a top priority and is de
termined to keep “that home
town feel.”
The Duck Pond was a
sore spot for Erdman, Gib
son, and Mitchell as well,
who questioned how it got in
the poor shape it is in. All
candidates agreed parks need
attention, with incumbents
adding that the city has engi
neers assessing all city parks
at this time. Mitchell
Brandon Hannah run
ning unopposed for Post 3.
WORK SESSION AGENDA
PICKENS COUNTY BOARD
OF COMMISSIONERS
THURSDAY - OCTOBER 19, 2023 - 4:30 PM
1266 East Church Street - Jasper, GA 30143
Commission Conference Room - Suite 168
Items for Discussion:
1. Department Head Updates
2. General Discussion
3. Adjourn
NOTICE
PICKENS COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS
Notice is hereby provided that the Pickens County Board
of Commissioners will be conducting public hearings on
the 2024 Pickens County Budget as follows:
• Public-Hearing 1 - - November 2, 2023 at 4:30 PM
• Public-Hearing 2 - - November 16, 2023 at 4:30 PM
Both public hearings will be conducted in the BOC
Meeting Room in the Pickens County Administration
Building.
In addition, a printed copy of the full 2024 Pickens County
Budget will be available for public viewing beginning on
November 2, 2023 at 2:00 PM. The budget will be
available for viewing in the office of the County Clerk in
the Pickens County Administration Building.
The 2024 Pickens County Budget will be considered for
adoption by the Board of Commissioners on December
7, 2023 in its regular meeting scheduled to begin at 5:30
PM in the BOC Meeting Room in the Pickens County
Administration Building.
The Pickens County Administration Building is located at
1266 East Church Street, Jasper, Georgia 30143.
AGENDA
PICKENS COUNTY BOARD
OF COMMISSIONERS
THURSDAY - OCTOBER 19, 2023 - 5:30 PM
1266 East Church Street - Jasper, GA 30143
Commission Conference Room - Suite 168
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Call to Order
Opening Remarks
Prayer
Pledge of Allegiance
Amendments to Agenda
Consent Agenda
A. Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Proclamation
B. Red Ribbon Week Proclamation
C. Retired Educators Proclamation
Old Business
New Business
A. Quarterly Finance Report
B. Appalachian CASA Contract
C. City of Jasper Parcel 028 051 (34.25) Acres
- Deannexation
D. Talking Rock Fire Station Agreements:
* BOC Resolution - Talking Rock
Unincorporated Area Fire District
* Fire Station Lease Agreement - Town of
Talking Rock
* TTR PC Fire Services Interagency
Agreement
Action Items
A. Approve Minutes:
* Work Session - October 5, 2023
* Regular Meeting - October 5, 2023
Guests/Comments
Closing/Commissioner’s Comments
Executive Session
Approval of Executive Session Minutes
Adjourn