Newspaper Page Text
OFF!
Pack the stands for the first
Pirates football game this Friday.
See page 2A
pike co
REPORTER
ONE DOLLAR
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2023
WARNING
NO DUMPING
ALLOWED
VIOLATORS WILL BE
PROSECUTED
Report trash
dumped in
the county
Pike citizens are
asked to stop trash
from being dumped
along dirt roads and
other areas by calling
to report such activity.
“I’ve been living
here since 1970 and
I’ve noticed there’s
a lot more dumping
going on, especially
on some of the dirt
roads around Concord
and Molena,” said
Jim Nixon. “Hopefully
anyone who sees this
going on will call the
sheriff’s office so we
can put a stop to it. On
Bagwell Road, there’s
a dirt road that goes
to the back side of the
reservoir and some
one threw out two
giant mattresses and
toward the end there’s
a bunch of junk. If it’s
left there, it will just
get worse and worse
because people will do
it all the time.”
He said a boat was
abandoned on the side
of Highway 18 near
Flat Shoals Road and
now a bunch of trash
has been placed near
it as well.
“1 used to keep it
picked up but now
it’s just too much,” he
said. “1 can’t do any
thing with a boat.”
Investigator Maj.
David Neal of the Pike
County Sheriff’s Office
encouraged citizens
who see anyone
dumping trash on the
county’s roadsides to
call 770-567-8431 and
file a report so they
can stop the dumpers.
County approves SPLOST bond resolution
BY RACHEL McDANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
Commissioners ap
proved the county’s
General Obligation Bond
Resolution for SPLOST
projects during the
Wednesday, Aug. 9 meet
ing.
“The county can ac
complish more and faster
by borrowing and pay
ing for projects before
the costs go up. Pike
has seen around a 14%
growth in SPLOST collec
tions but over the past
seven months, that has
leveled out some. The
county is a public entity
and can borrow on tax
exempt status. The coun
ty held a referendum
and it was passed in May
2022 so you already have
cash in the bank that has
accumulated since then,”
said Bill Camp with
Raymond James who
noted the county will
have a fixed interest rate.
“When voters approved
the resolution, they
authorized the county to
borrow up to $14 mil
lion. In the future, if we
see additional growth in
the sales tax, the county
would have the ability
to borrow another $1.8
million if it makes sense
to do so.”
Commissioner Tim
Daniel made a motion to
approve the bond resolu
tion, noting that it was
done successfully by the
county seven years ago.
“This will fund the
county’s SPLOST proj
ects and these are some
very large projects that
are going to take a good
bit of time,” noted county
manager Brandon Rog
ers. “These may be some
of the biggest projects
the county has under
taken, including paving
some dirt roads.”
Commissioners also
discussed and then post
poned an intergovern
mental agreement with
the Development Author
ity relating to funding for
an Economic Develop
ment project.
“This is a longstanding
project we’ve been work
ing on and we sent the
IDA an intergovernmental
agreement in relation
to property off County
Farm Road and Highway
18,” said county manager
Brandon Rogers.
County attorney
Rob Morton noted that
the agreement sent to
the IDA on May 10 was
‘fundamentally different’
than the agreement that
was returned for approv
al by commissioners.
“There are some sig
nificant differences that
need to be discussed
in detail,” said Morton.
See COUNTY page 2A
SPECIAL PHOTO
Drew Allen Road is the first
LMIG and GITB project
completed. Commissioners
approved the GTIB grant/
loan at the Aug. 9 meeting
as well as the SPLOST bond
resolution which will mean
more road improvements.
PHOTOS BY RACHEL McDANIEL / PIKE COUNTY JOURNAL REPORTER
Citizens and visitors alike enjoy the peaceful waters of the Flint River although Pike County is
the only county that borders the Flint and does not have a public boat ramp.
Citizens sue county over access at
Flat Shoals; fishing dispute settled
Pike is bordered by 22 miles of the
beautiful Flint River and locals enjoy
floating, fishing and swimming, but for
those without river property, there is
no public access. The Flint has been
the subject of lawsuits regarding fish
ing and Pike commissioners and other
leaders are facing a lawsuit regarding
blocked access at Flat Shoals. Citizens
who used the access prior can join the
suit as complaintant.
Every other county in the state with
the Flint River running through it has a
public boat ramp for citizens to use.
FLINT RIVER WATER TRAIL:
The Flint River Water Trail group has
banded Georgia counties together in
the effort to ensure access to the river
and great strides are being made in
neighboring counties including Meri
wether, Upson and Spalding.
The Flint River is a total of 344 miles
long and the nearest boat ramps are in
neighboring counties such as Upson
(at Highway 36) and Meriwether (at the
Joe Kurz WMA in Gay).
According to members at the July
meeting of the Flint River Water Trail,
the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Grant
and other grants could help Pike fund a
boat ramp when the Flat Shoals bridge
is replaced in the next few years.
LITIGATION OVER RIVER ACCESS:
In February 2022, an ante litem notice
was filed against the county regard
ing the blocking of what was used for
decades as an access road to the Flint
River at Flat Shoals Bridge. The presi
dent of The Shoals subdivision’s HOA
applied for a permit and blocked the
access road with a driveway - complete
with a large culvert - in October 2021.
The blocked area was property of the
state when the bridge was built in 1958
and is now also under the control of
the county since they took over main
tenance of Flat Shoals Road. According
to information obtained in 2021, the
driveway permit was granted to Thom
as Morgan. A land easement (which was
A rare species of spider lilies grow in the Flint
River during early spring each year.
filed June 11, 2021) from Ark Builder Inc.
granted Morgan a 50-foot strip of land
across the southern boundary of the
lot adjacent to the access area for $10.
A home in the area would invalidate
the gated community by necessitating
a separate gate. A home has yet to be
built - despite the well-built driveway
blocking the access road which have
dubbed ‘the driveway to nowhere.’
Walker Chandler recently filed suit
over access in the Superior Court of
Pike County. Listed as respondents in
the lawsuit are Tom Morgan, Ark Builder
Inc. Carol Smith, Todd Goolsby in his of
ficial capacity as Public Works director,
commission chairman Briar Johnson
and commissioners Tim Daniel, Tim
Guy, Jason Proctor and James Jenkins.
“1 have finally filed a lawsuit to try to
make sure the public has an unfettered,
legal right to launch boats and other
wise access the Flint at Flat Shoals,” he
said. “I may soon be called upon to use
affidavits and witnesses to establish
the facts that 1 have set forth in my
Complaint. 1 am also calling for affida
vits to be gathered as soon as possible.
I want the court to understand that it’s
not just me who objects to what has
been done to block the boat ramp.”
To join Chandler’s efforts to ensure
river access, email him at walker@chan-
dlerandchandlerlaw.com.
See ACCESS page 3A
Community works
together for rec.
field upgrades
The Baseball and
Softball complex at
Pike County Parks and
Recreation is getting an
upgrade and local com
munity members are
the ones putting in the
hard work.
According to Pike
County Parks and Rec
reation board member
Chris Childress, Wayne
Epperson Jr. of Pike
Pools has spent many
days at the park over
the last few weeks
pouring concrete pads
for the baseball and
softball cages as well as
increasing the dugout
size for the 14U middle
school field.
“Wayne has donated
more than 30 yards of
concrete and all of his
crew’s time. What a
blessing for our com
munity,” said Childress.
“Many thanks to Wayne,
Graham Tatum and
Chad Proctor (Southside
Steel) for showing love
to their community.”
The dugouts on Field
5 are being enlarged to
accommodate middle
school ball. Southside
Steel stepped up to
the plate and is donat
ing steel dugout fram
ing and roofing so the
dugouts on Field 5 can
be enlarged to accom
modate middle school
baseball. The Pike
County Middle School
team was established in
2022 and they practice
and play at the recre
ation department since
the school does not
have a baseball field.
“Many thanks to
Graham Tatum for
donating his time doing
the necessary grading
for the concrete pads.
I believe he has spread
SPECIAL PHOTOS
A Pike Pools employee
smooths the concrete pad
of one upgraded dugout.
more than 15 dump
truck loads of dirt,” said
Childress. “There is no
way projects at the Park
are done absent com
munity generosity. The
park is still in need to
finish the Field 5 and
cage upgrades.”
The PCPRA needs
wheatstraw and seed
(or four pallets of sod)
to be placed around
the cages. The concrete
pads are being turfed so
baseballs and softballs
are not ruined in the
cage. The ground cover
prevents mud from get
ting on the turf.
“Monetary and/or ma
terial donations are more
than welcome. Donations
would be used for 50+
yards of concrete, turf,
dugout benches/bins,
bullpen/dugout fenc
ing, lumber for bullpen
mounds, pitching rub
bers, homeplates, cage
guidewires and a com
mercial edger for field
prep,” said Childress.
To help, contact the
PCPRA at 770-567-2027.
Wayne Epperson Jr. of Pike Pools, Graham Tatum and Chad
Proctor of Southside Steel have worked together to help
improve the softball and baseball facilities at the recreation
department. Help and donations are still needed to com
plete the projects. Contact the recreation department at
770-567-2027 to find out how to help.
