Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 3B
Commissioners discuss retirement, judicial change, ordinance
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Pike County commis
sioners discussed retire
ment plans for county
employees, showed
support for removal of
Fayette from Griffin Judi
cial Circuit and approved
ordinance changes
during their March 10
meeting.
County manager Bran
don Rogers informed the
board that the county
can get a free assessment
regarding employment
retirement plans. He
requested the board give
input on whether to as
sess the 457 plan which
is like a 401k or a defined
benefit like a pension
plan. He also said the
policy needs clarification
on full time and part time
employees, recommend
ing that it be updated to
say full time employees
are those who work 38
hours or more a week
and part time employees
are those who work 37
hours or less a week.
Commissioners heard
from chairman Briar
Johnson that District 131
Rep. has requested the
county’s support of a
study to remove Fayette
County from the Griffin
Judicial Circuit, leaving
Pike, Upson and Spald
ing as their own district.
It was noted that other
counties have provided a
resolution in support of
the study. Commission
ers voted unanimously
to provide a letter of
support.
Approved the second
reading of the Pike ordi
nance regarding Chap
ters 33, 153, 154, 155, 156
and 160.
County attorney Rob
Morton addressed the
board regarding mi
nor subdivision time
period between splits.
The planning commis
sion recommendation is
to leave the three-year
time period in place but
allow the discretion of
the zoning administra
tor or staff if a board
meeting is necessary.
For major subdivisions,
the planning commission
recommends moving the
qualifying number of lots
up to 7 lots or more to
be considered a major
subdivision. Interior
improvements regardless
of number of lots will
be considered a major
subdivision and will still
need to be approved by
the planning commission
and board of commis
sioners. Planning com
mission recommends
leaving the ordinances
as is with the special
exception provision for
any kind of multi-family
and not adding Chapter
156.124 which was an
option. The planning
commission recom
mends keeping Chapter
160 design requirements
in the overlay district as
they are codified now. As
far as the Environmen
tal Review Board, the
planning commission
recommends eliminating
the board and require a
certified environmental
report be submitted by a
third-party company as
part of the developer’s
application. The qualify
ing language for what
would dictate a need for
an environmental report
would be left as in the
code. Chairman Johnson
asked if in the overlay
would Item I be eliminat
ed. County attorney Rob
Morton stated that was
added based on discus
sions that took place
with the planning and
development department
and it is being recom
mended to eliminate that
item. Chairman Johnson
said he would like to
leave the number of lots
for a minor subdivision
at 4 lots and not 7 lots.
Commissioner Proctor
asked if Brad Vaughan
would have the author
ity to waive the fee on
splits. Morton stated the
board of commissioners
is the fee collectors and
they decide if a fee will
be waived. Planning and
development director
Brad Vaughan said there
will be a recording fee
for a new split, the GIS
contractor will charge a
$50 fee and a $25 bound
ary verification. Splits
would be treated like a
minor subdivision. Major
subdivision would be a
$500 fee and would have
to go before the board of
commissioners. Com
missioner Guy stated he
agrees with chairman
Johnson to leave the
number of lots for a mi
nor subdivision at 4 lots
and not 7 lots. Commis
sioner Jenkins agreed to
leave minor subdivision
at 4 lots. Commissioner
Daniel said he is fine with
4 lots or 7 lots. Commis
sioner Proctor said he
would like to see 7 lots
but will agree on 4 lots
if that is what everyone
decides.
County manager Bran
don Rogers recommend
ed more clarification on
the environmental review
and asked commission
ers to specify as to what
type of review and the
degree of review being
required. Rogers stated
more specifics need to be
added for the developer
as what to include in the
review before presented
to the board.
Commissioners ap
proved text amendments
not related to environ
mental review and the
motion carried 5-0.
THE COUNTY ALSO:
• Approved fire
department staffing for
the county to apply for
the Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response
Grant. County manager
Rogers noted that the
grant would help with
recruitment and reten
tion. The grant pays
100% with no match by
the county but the grant
does require the county
have a retention officer
which is a paid position
and the grant would allo
cate $10,000 toward that
position.
• Approved allowing
the Agribusiness Author
ity term to be extended
through the end of the
year in an effort to transi
tion from the old term to
new term dates.
• Approved a $22,000
reduction in impact fees
for K&K Manufacturing.
It was noted that K&K
and the IDA recently
installed a gas line from
Atlanta Gas Light into the
Industrial Park with K&K
paying $30,000 toward
the cost of having the gas
line installed.
• Heard work in the Hill
top area is progressing.
• Heard budget meet
ings have been sched
uled with department
heads in the county.
• Held a closed ses
sion to discuss personnel
in magistrate court and
reconvened to take no
further action.
Meansville delays internet contract with AirFi
BY BWAIN W. PENN
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Aaron “Ziggy” Clark
of AirFi (AF) returned to
Meansville for the March
8 meeting of council. He
wanted to explain a new
process necessary for
meeting requirements
to provide internet ac
cess and service to the
city. A contract with a
five year term was also
presented for approval
by mayor and council.
“The process is
a required system a
provider goes through
to approve the use of
WIFI radio transmission
over the airwaves,” said
Clark. “Approval is given
within 48 hours.”
“Getting the service
up quickly could take
from 15 to 45 days,” add
ed Clark. “The five year
contract would not take
effect until after the first
customer is installed,
initiating the lease pay
ments to the city.”
Clark shared how per
vasive AF services are in
the area, currently trans
mitting from the Patten
Road and Sullivan Road
water towers in Pike and
the city of Gay water
tower in Meriwether
County. Among other
owned or leased towers
are the Blalock tower
and the Spirit radio sta
tion tower. Councilman
Randall Parker noted
that everyone he knows
using AF has a posi
tive assessment of the
service.
It was corroborated if
the city provides elec
tricity, AF provides the
rest, access to depend
able internet with no cel
lular service available.
Council was ready to
approve the AF contract
when city clerk Jerome
Finley commented that
city attorney Rob Mor-
SPECIAL PHOTO
Meansville
council
members
postponed
a five year
contract with
AirFi during
their March
meeting and
will discuss it
again at the
April 12 coun
cil meeting.
ton, who was unable to
attend the meeting, had
some suggestions after
reading the contract.
Approval of the docu
ment was tabled until
the April 12 meeting.
Clark agreed to the ac
tion but expressed dis
appointment in delaying
much anticipated access
to internet another 30
days.
Council wanted to
make the decision on a
proper lease amount.
COUNCIL ALSO:
• Heard the GEFA loan
application was submit
ted in time for a May
response.
• Learned the city
used 528,000 gallons of
water in February.
• Heard the fire de
partment responded in
February to 12 medical
calls in the county, four
in the city and seven fire
calls in the county.
• Approved to install
no parking signs and
barricade the right of
way at the park after
safety concerns for
children entering the
road with limited sight
distance due to a large
commercial vehicle regu
larly parking there.
• Accepted a bid of
$11,700 from a local con
tractor to install a 6 inch
concrete pad in front of
the fire station.
• Discussed painting
the playground equip
ment and other improve
ments possibly paid out
of the Nelson memorial
fund. Committee mem
ber Scott Huckaby will
be asked if it is permit
ted.
• Urged city per
sonnel and the public
to contact 911 when
suspicious activity is
seen around the city in
particular parking after
dark.
Jason McMullen is Region 1, Pike County's new management forester
Jason McMullen re
cently joined the Georgia
Forestry Commission as
a management forester.
McMullen, 32, will ser
vice GFC Region 1 coun
ties which include Pike,
Lamar, Monroe, Butts
and Spalding.
McMullen graduated
from the University of
Georgia’s Warnell School
of Forestry and Natural
Resources in 2010 with
a Bachelor of Science
degree in Forestry. He
worked in landscaping
and as a procurement
forester at Gay Wood
Company in Toomsboro,
Ga. before joining the
GFC in January 2021.
As a management
forester, McMullen
provides landowners
with guidance on a
wide variety of forest
management practices,
including prescribed
fire, insect and disease
control, harvesting and
reforestation, and wild
life enhancement. He
also advises landowners
about the many assis
tance programs avail
able through the agency
that contribute to forest
sustainability in Georgia.
McMullen is a regis
tered forester in Georgia
and a member of the
Ocmulgee chapter of
the Society of American
Foresters.
He and his wife, Leah,
live in Milledgeville and
have two sons, ages
five and seven, who
are home-schooled.
The family enjoys the
outdoors, especially
camping and canoeing.
McMullen is a frequent
paddler on the Oconee,
Ocmulgee and Altamaha
Rivers, and says he’s
always anxious to “find
out what’s around the
next bend.”
For more about
services of the Georgia
Forestry Commission,
visit GaTrees.org.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Billy D. McDowell earned the level of 10th Degree Black Belt
- Grand Master in shinjimasu on Feb. 27, 2021 after working
toward the goal for 42 years.
Billy D. McDowell reaches 10th
Degree Black Belt - Grand Master
Billy D. McDowell of
Pike County recently
reached the level of 10th
Degree Black Belt-Grand
Master in shinjimasu and
has fulfilled the require
ments established by the
Grand Master Charles
Dixon, Chief Authority
of the System 1SKA. He
earned the honorable
level on Feb. 27, 2021 and
said he has been working
toward the goal for 42
years.
Billy D. has a love for
the pure martial arts,
achieving the ultimate
goal recognized for mas
ters. Billy D. McDowell
has been awarded the
certificate of Chinese
Goju-Ryu, Shaolin Goju
and Shinjimasu Karate-
Do Association.
Billy D. is a five time
USA Martial Arts Hall of
Fame honoree. He is also
a ninth degree in the style
of Tang-Soo-Do. He is
Master Instructor at Billy
D. Fitness Karate Center.
PIKE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
MONTHLY MEETING
6:30 P.M. April 8, 2021
The Pike County Planning Commission will conduct its scheduled monthly meeting on April 8,2021 at
6:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Pike County Courthouse located at 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon,
Georgia. The Planning Commission will conduct a PUBLIC HEARING on the following items:
(1) Rezoning application, REZ-21-01, Jennifer Gilow & Angie Woodall, applicants, and Cece
lia Carol McGuffey, owner, are requesting a rezoning from P-I, Professional-Institutional to C-2, General
Commercial for the property located at 3022 US Hwy 19, Meansville, GA 30256. The subject property is
2 acres in size with approximately 204 feet of frontage along US 19. It is located in Landlot 57 of the 71st
land district of Pike County. It is further identified by Parcel ID 071-058. The purpose of the rezoning re
quest is to develop an indoor event center to host birthday gatherings, bridal and baby showers, banquets,
and small business meetings in the main building and utilize the accessory building as office space. The
public is invited to attend to speak in favor or in opposition of the request. The Planning Commis
sion will forward a recommendation to the Board of Commissioner for final decision.
The Pike County Board of Commissioners will conduct a PUBLIC HEARING on this item on Thurs
day, April 27th, 2021 at 6:30 pm on the second floor of the Pike County Courthouse located at 16001
Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia. The public is invited to attend to speak in favor or in opposition
of the request.
*49 3/24,31
STAY UPDATED AT PIKECOUNTYGEORGIA.COM
On Call 24-7-365
Rough winter weather can be tough on your roof. We have crews on
standby with tarps ready to respond at any time of the day or night and
save your belongings if you experience a problem.
Call us and talk to a live dispatcher, not a recording!
Auett&ed & 'Itt&uwl OVER 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE!
CALL TODAY! 678-521-9747
www.advancedroofingandinteriors.com