Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 3A
Concord councils discusses upcoming projects for 2021
BY DWAIN W. PENN
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
January is traditionally
when individuals, busi
nesses and municipalities
look back on the old year
in review of accomplish
ments and use that list as
a foundation for establish
ing goals for the new year.
The pervasive practice is
the sole reason January is
named for the Roman god
Janus who had two faces,
one to inspect the past
and the other to antici
pate the future.
With expressions
of gratitude, Concord
mayor John Strickland
led council at its January
12 meeting with enumer
ating accomplishments
during 2020 and setting
2021 goals resulting in
an impressive past and
formidable future. Two
projects were started last
year and expectations are
for completion very soon.
“Main Street repairs
and paving tops out list for
2020,” said Strickland. Part
of that work was benefi
ciary of the new restaurant
process. “Repair of the
north wastewater pond
is next, followed by new
water meters plus new
and replaced water valves
system-wide. Finally is the
new fire station. The pro
ductive year has brought
a lot of compliments,”
added Strickland. “Things
look good and residents
are pleased that we’re do
ing something.”
The two carry-over
projects are WIFI broad
band and remodeling
of city hall. Projections
to have the internet
service operational by
Christmas fell short but
contractors are confident
mid-February is feasible.
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Remodeling of Concord City Hall will continue in 2021.
Creating new offices in
the old fire station behind
city hall started before
the new Lee Street station
formally opened. Most of
the remodeling work is
being done in-house at a
substantial savings. The
project will allow the city
government to literally
spread out and with a
larger council chamber
able to host more visitors
at meetings.
Other plans for 2021
rival the past for appeal.
The Strickland building
will have a larger parking
lot and new upstairs win
dows and doors. Green
Street will be repaved.
The city park and walking
path will be improved.
And to warmly welcome
visitors, new signs will be
posted on GA 18.
Financial goals are
paramount to success of
the projects. The city will
incorporate fiscal policies
to pay bills along the way
and tighten up elsewhere
“through creative and in
novative ideas to reduce
expenses.”
COUNCIL ALSO:
• Heard the new
meters will send out a
distress call when it stops
working.
• Learned work to im
prove drainage problems
have started on Roberts
Quarters Road at Concord
Estates paid by SPLOST
funds.
• Approved the reap
pointments of councilman
Ric Calhoun as mayor pro
tempore, Scott Mayfield
as city attorney and Sha
ron Casey as city clerk.
• Entered into closed
session to discuss real
estate, reconvening to
approve the creation of a
resolution for the swap
ping of property on Lee
Street behind The Wood-
yard owned by the city
with seed house property
(building on stilts) behind
the Strickland building,
owned by Rick Wood.
MORTON: Reaches incredible 72 years of service as an attorney
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Tom Morton has been very involved in the Pike community for nearly 30 years and helped create the Pike Firefighter’s Museum.
At left, attorney
Tom Morton holds
Civil War relics which
were returned to
a family after he
completed one of
his many interesting
court cases.
At right, Rob (left)
and Tom Morton
have served as attor
neys for the county
and two cities in Pike
for many years.
FROM PAGE ONE
Tom also helped estab
lish the Good Citizenship
Recognition and Award
Program with the city of
Zebulon in 2016.
“The purpose behind
the citizenship program is
to recognize good citizen
ship activities to counter
some of the negative
behaviors we are seeing
in society today,” said
county attorney Tom
Morton who drafted the
resolution. “It’s an ambi
tious program but it is
doable and the mayor and
council were enthused
about it.”
In 2016, Tom was
honored by the commu
nity and the Pike County
board of commissioners
during the Nov. 9 commis
sion meeting.
“There are great people
in this county, state and
nation but Tom’s life is
a testament to what you
want to do with your life.
He is a great American and
a great Pike Countian who
serves as County Attorney
and does an unbelievable
job,” said county manager
John Hanson. “He is a
great individual, a great
asset to this county and
today it is our honor to
recognize Tom Morton for
his influence on so many.”
After the proclama
tion honoring him was
read, Tom addressed the
citizens and city repre
sentatives, saying he
does not get surprised
very often, but the board
pulled a fast one on him.
He told everyone if they
thought this proclamation
is a subtle hint to retire,
it is not going to happen,
because at age 94, he is
still kicking. He said he
and Rob and his staff
have enjoyed working as
county attorneys and as
the attorney for the city of
Zebulon since 1992.
The proclamation in
his honor shared the fol
lowing information about
him and more. Thomas
H. Morton was born on
May 29, 1922 to Lydia Ann
Shuttleworth Morton and
Russell Neely Morton in
Fall River, Massachusetts
and he was raised in New
York City. He attended
Mercer University and
Walter F. George, School
of Law in Macon where
he graduated in 1949 with
an AB Degree as well as a
Law Degree.
He married Mary Eliza
beth Mowell of Decatur on
April 10, 1942. They were
freshman together at Mer
cer University. She passed
away from cancer and he
is now married to Sonya
D. Morton. Tom and Mary
had four children, Thomas
H. Morton Jr., Cherry Lynn
Morton (deceased), Janice
Gail Morton and Robert
Lamar Morton.
In his younger days,
Tom was active in several
sports, sailing, basketball,
track, boxing, bowling,
handball, tennis, golf and
volleyball.
Tom served in the U.S.
Navy from 1942 to 1945
as TM2C and in the U.S.
Army from 1949 to 1955 as
Captain. He was involved
with five major campaigns,
29 engagements with the
enemy and earned eight
Battle Stars for WWI1
while in the Navy. He was
a recipient of the Navy
Ribbon of Commendation
for Valor in the battle of
Okinawa WW11, Recipient
of the Letter of Com
mendation from the U.S.
Army for negotiating an
agreement with the French
and Arab Governments
for establishing Air Force
bases in North Africa, a
recipient of the Letter of
Commendation from the
U.S. Army Judge Advocate
General’s School, Univer
sity of Virginia, Charlot
tesville, Virginia, and was
a recipient of a Letter of
Commendation from the
U.S. Army for establishing
the Procurement Division
at the Judge Advocate
Generals School.
He also is the recipient
of the following Campaign
Ribbons: National Defense
Service Medal, Asiatic -
Pacific Campaign Medal,
Philippine Campaign
Medal, Good Conduct
Medal and the American
Campaign Medal.
Tom opened his first
law office in 1949 in Doug-
lasville, Georgia. In 1950
was commissioned in the
Judge Advocate General’s
Corps of the U.S. Army as
an Attorney and in 1955
he joined the law depart
ment of Firestone Tire and
Rubber Company, his area
of responsibility included
10 western states and
three eastern states.
He has handled legal
matters in every state
except Vermont and has
also handled legal matters
in Zurich, Switzerland,
Canada and in Japan.
Rob Morton said his fa
ther has always, first and
foremost, loved God and
his family and he thanked
his father for that. He said
he remembered his dad
being his Sunday School
teacher. He said he played
eight years of football in
high school and college
and his father made every
game except one even
though he was the west
coast legal counsel for
Firestone Tire and Rubber
and was constantly on the
road. He said it has been
an honor and privilege to
work with his father over
the years.
Among countless
interesting cases over the
more than seven decades
he has served as an at
torney was a 2017 case
in which he helped his
client retrieve a Civil War
heirloom. The client was
the great great grandson
of Squire Parker who was
shot to death during the
time of the Civil War and
the heirloom was the two
musket balls he was shot
with as well as a piece of
his shirt with blood on
it and his wooden tooth
brush. The items had
been passed down from
generation to generation.
The facts as related to
the Morton Law Firm by
their client are as fol
lows: “Great Grandfather
Squire Parker at the time
of the Civil War was living
in Habersham County,
Georgia. He was known
locally as having owned
some horses including
two white horses and one
black stallion. He had hid
den the horses. Union sol
diers and carpetbaggers
came to Squire Parker’s
property and demanded
the horses. He refused to
give them his horses.
Squire Parker was then
shot in the hand by a
Union soldier but he still
refused to surrender his
horses. He was then shot
in his heart and died from
his wounds. At some point
in time, the heirloom had
become separated from
the Parker family blood
line and Tom and his son
Rob were hired to return
the historic items.
IMPACT: Fee ratio schedule changes for various county departments
FROM PAGE ONE
The old commercial im
pact fee ratios were 13.8%
for the sheriff’s office,
23.3% for the jail, 31.8% for
the fire department, 2%
for E-911, 23.9% for roads,
3% for administration and
2.31% to C1E prep. The
new commercial impact
fee ratios are 11.01% for
the sheriff’s office, 32.73%
for the jail, 21.1% for the
fire department, 7.32% for
E-911, 27.83% for roads,
3% for admin and 2.31%
for C1E prep.
Commissioners also
approved reducing the
speed limit from 35 to 25
miles per hour on three
county roads, including
Old Chapel Hill Lane,
Woodard Road and on a
portion of Blanton Mill
Road with chairman Briar
Johnson in opposition. He
noted that he was op
posed to the change on
Blanton Mill Road only.
“Commissioners can
drop the speed limit by
10 miles per hour but
anything more than that
would require extensive
research,” said county
manager Rogers.
He noted the reduced
speed limit would reduce
the wear and tear on the
roads. He said there were
safety issues on Old Cha
pel Mill Road with Wood
ard Road having large
trees in areas where there
are sharp turns.
THE COUNTY ALSO:
• Elected commissioner
Tim Daniel as vice chair
man for 2021.
• Appointed Jeremy
Craig to a five-year term
on the Pike County Water
and Sewerage Authority,
set to expire Dec. 31. 2025.
• Approved a memo
randum of understanding
with the Orsted Solar
Farm project leaders to
allow a tax abatement that
requires no taxes be paid
in the first year with 75%
reduction for 15 years of
the 20 year agreement
with the stipulation that
just under $15 million be
paid in permit fees up
front in addition to taxes
in later years. Commis
sioners also stipulated
that the agreement be
presented in writing to
the Development Author
ity and Orsted about the
stipulation.
• Approved an agree
ment with the Pike County
Parks and Recreation
Authority to move for
ward with Phase I of the
improvement plan at the
soccer fields. County man
ager Rogers noted that
they were only showing
support for the project so
the bank would allow for
the up to $800,000 loan -
not that the county was
sining as a guarantor.
• Approved water lines
for Peach State Airport
which would allow the
county to eliminate some
of the credits owed to own
er Kevin Sasser as well as
improve the infrastructure
and service of Pike County
Water and Sewerage.
• Voted not to close
Nazareth Church Road
as requested by a citizen
because the county spent
$27,000 replacing a culvert
on the road in 2017 and
there are nine homes on
the road with the possibil
ity of more in the future.
• Approved an increase
of $4,500 for renovations
at the J. Joel Edwards
Public Library with the
stipulation that the funds
must be used on the proj
ect and those not used
returned to impact fees.
• Authorized the Pike
County Fire Department
to join a regional grant ap
plication for the purchase
of ResQCPR and Lucas
Devices. The items would
cost up to $122,500 if
purchased outright but
the county would pay
only $24,000 if the grant is
awarded. Commissioners
stipulated that two of the
Lucas devices would be
loaned to Veterans Am
bulance Services so they
will be available at wreck
scenes in the county.
• Approved preliminary
and final plat approval for
a 13-lot major subdivision
to be named Vaughn Es-
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