Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, April 21, 2021
COVID-19: Deaths
added, cases remain
low in Pike, schools
FROM PAGE ONE
There are currently
five students who are
quarantined for close
contact with COVID-19
positive people, down
32 students when com
pared to numbers from
April 2.
There is one CO
VID-19 positive student
at the pre-K school and
the other positive stu
dent is at the elemen
tary school.
The COVID-19 posi
tive adult is non-school
staff.
Since the 2020-21
school year started,
there have been a
total of 197 COVID-19
positive students and
84 adults. There have
been a total of 2,479
students who returned
from quarantine or hav
ing the illness and 188
adults who returned
from quarantine.
There have been 25
confirmed COVID-19
cases in Pike County
in the past two weeks,
an increase of five from
the previous two week
period.
The two most recent
deaths from COVID-19
in Pike County were
that of a 60-year-old
white female and an
81-year-old white male.
In the state of Geor
gia there have been
more than 5.3 million
citizens who have
received the vaccine
with 32% of the state’s
population having at
least one dose and 20%
of the state’s citizens
fully vaccinated.
PHOTO BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Employees with the city of Zebulon recently received a new backhoe to replace the city’s 24-year-old machinery. Pictured are
(l-r) Ralph McCrary, mayor Joe Walter, Adrian Pate, Alton Clowers, Devin Jones and public works/water director Rod Wilson.
City of Zebulon gets brand new backhoe
The city of Zebulon re
cently got a new backhoe
after council members
moved forward with a
USDA loan/grant combi
nation of $60,100 (loan)
and $49,900 (grant)
toward the purchase
of a new police car and
backhoe during their
March council meeting.
The loan repayment will
be $1,058 per month for
60 months.
The city received the
new backhoe the first
week in April.
“We are thankful that
the USDA continues to
work with the city of
Zebulon in providing
financing opportunities
for vehicles and equip
ment,” said mayor Joe
Walter. “The backhoe the
city currently has is 24
years old, so it definitely
needed to be replaced.”
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Major Tracy Vincent was honored for her 20 years of service at the Pike County Sheriff’s
Office during the April 14 meeting of the board of commissioners.
Sheriffs office employees honored
for 20-year and 10-year milestones
Tracy Vincent was
recognized by County
Manager Brandon
Rogers for 20 years of
service to Pike County
in the Sheriff’s Depart
ment.
Rogers stated Major
Vincent takes care of
the sheriff and they
work well together.
Sheriff Thomas said Ma
jor Vincent puts up with
all the ups and downs
sitting outside of his
office. He noted that Ma
jor Vincent does a great
job with the department
budget.
Sheriff Thomas
thanked Major Vincent
for being a great em
ployee and friend. Major
Vincent was presented
with a 20-year certificate
and pin. County Man
ager Rogers thanked
Major Vincent for her
service to Pike County.
Major Vincent said
the Sheriff is a great
man to work with and
he is fair. Vincent also
said the board of com
missioners is the best
board to work with and
county manager Rogers
is doing a great job.
Joseph ‘Garland’
Keller was recognized
by county manager
Brandon Rogers for 10
years of service to Pike
County in the sheriff’s
department.
Sergeant Keller works
the night shift. Sher
iff Thomas noted the
saying ‘firm but fair’
reminds him of Ser
geant Keller. The Sheriff
said Sergeant Keller is
a good employee and
thanked him for his 10
years of service.
Sergeant Keller was
presented with a 10-year
certificate and pin.
County manager
Rogers also thanked
Sergeant Keller for his
decade-long service to
Pike County.
SPECIAL HPOTOS
Pike County sheriff Jimmy Thomas (left) and county manager Brandon Rogers (right) con
gratulate Joseph ‘Garland’ Keller for meeting a 10-year milestone of service to the county.
BUDGET: Proposed, hearings planned
FROM PAGE ONE
Rogers noted the
contingency fund has
an increase of $25,000
due to the census has
not been finalized and
when the report comes
back, the county could
be in another population
bracket from the prior
year, causing elected of
ficials a pay increase.
Rogers noted the
registrar’s office has a
$16,501 increase due to
the county paying the
warranty on equipment.
The state will pay thru
December 2021, and the
county will pay for Janu
ary 2022 thru June 2022.
The commission
ers office will see a
$47,638.95 increase and
all COLAs were com
bined into the base sal
ary. He said the commis
sioners salary is based
on the sheriff’s base
salary and a big portion
of the office’s increase is
a change in the commis
sioners salaries.
The FY 2022 LM1G
schedule includes the
cost of paving on Vega
Road, Country Brown
Road, Blanton Mill Road
to Ward Road, Twin
Oaks Place and McDan
iel Road. The funding to
pave these roads is esti
mated around $611,000
and the county usually
spends $700,000. The
$100,000 left in LM1G
is subtracted out and
added to Public Works
to allow for additional
ditching and road work
maintenance. The aver
age ditching per mile
costs the county about
$20,000.
The recreation
department will see an
increase of $37,624.00 to
cover the expenses of
the expansion. Planning
and Development has
an increase of $87,099
to cover the compre
hensive plan that is due
next year, and some zon
ing issue that need to be
done. The fire depart
ment has an increase of
$74,156 to purchase a
vehicle like a 5500 truck
to make into a brush
truck.
Animal control has a
decrease of $67,685.00,
due to the completion
of the Animal Control
Facility. There will be
some extra costs to run
the facility but Rogers
said they will be very
minimum.
Meansville council discusses GEFA
grant issues, approves AirFi changes
BY DWAIN W. PENN
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Mayor Virion Rachels
convened the April 12
meeting of Meansville
council in the city hall
activity room with the
largest crowd since the
pandemic began over a
year ago.
All but one coun
cilor was present and
several visitors came
with business to dis
cuss. A couple, new city
residents, attended for
a second month just to
observe and learn what
the city was doing.
Kurt McCord from
Carter & Sloope gave
an update on the recent
Georgia Environmen
tal Finance Authority
(GEFA) application for
a $1,623 million water
improvement project.
“1 received a call
from GEFA expressing
concern on the funding
side of the application,”
said McCord. “There was
some uncertainty as to
if the service debt could
be recovered.”
On a sliding scale,
they stressed concern
about the city having a
low cash reserve even
though there is the avail
ability of a certificate of
deposit.
The application of
revenue stress rates was
considered and with a
hypothetical situation, if
residents don’t pay their
bill, how does the city
pay the debt? COV1D
could sidetrack success
with collection of 90% of
billed water accounts.
Councilwoman Brit
tany Miller proposed a
solution by reducing the
scope and cost of the
project.
But, according to
McCord, if that happens
the city will lose its
principal forgiveness of
40%. That along with the
historically low interest
rates were incentives to
find ways to make the
current financial condi
tions secure enough to
be underwritten.
An encouraging fact
McCord focused on was
the projected water
system income based
on old meters. Those
inaccuracies could be
a cushion to afford the
debt. To verify the data,
water superintendent
Scott Huckaby will test
10% of the city meters
for accuracy. If replac
ing all the meters will
generate more revenue,
it can be projected into
the data to support the
numbers.
Showing evidence of
vital and accurate data
is critical to success
since GEFA will not want
to approve something
that they are not com
fortable with.
COUNCIL ALSO:
• Heard from Mar
cus Flemister who has
been parking his large
rig at the park due to
necessity. Safety was
the concern of council
in parking too far out in
the road on rainy days
to avoid getting stuck
in wet ground. A bed of
gravel was suggested
but due to the weight of
the truck it would have
to be large stone gravel
which is treacherous to
pedestrians. The parties
will work together to
find a solution.
• Heard complaints
about late traffic at
walking track which may
require the posting of a
sign.
• Received the month
ly fire department report
from assistant fire chief
Tim Lane. Thanks were
expressed for the con
crete pad at the station.
Council was informed
the old fire truck at the
station belongs to Stefan
Huckaby. COV1D has
shut down fire academy
training. A new recruit
needs $3,000 in turn
out gear and to receive
training. The county will
be contacted for assis
tance through their fire
department.
• Heard from Huckaby
the city used 50% more
water than usual in
March (786,500 gallons)
due to leaks at the fire
station.
• Approved changes
to the AirFi contract by
estimating cost to city
and cover that amount
with a $200 a month
lease fee. Also the ter
mination clause should
be the equitable to both
parties.
• Appointed council
man Chet Ward as a
member of the county
wide water planning
committee.