Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Pike appoints new
board members;
hears request for
response to letter
Pike commissioners
made several board
appointments and
heard from one citizen
requesting a formal
response to a letter
sent to the board on
Sept. 25.
Shannon Mullinax ad
dressed the board about
a letter that was sent
Sept. 25 to each com
missioner, the county
commissioner, planning
and zoning director and
county attorney.
“The letter was in
regards to the county’s
increase in impact fees
and it had 30 signato
ries on it - from home
builders to individuals
- including people who
already live here and
people who are looking
to build here,” she said.
“The county ordinance
was not followed when
these impact fees were
approved under chap
ter 157.1.1.”
She noted that any
changes must follow
the requirements of
the Georgia Impact Fee
Act which means the
county should have
held two duly noticed
public hearings prior to
the adoption of chang
es. She also noted that
the state requires that
a committee be ap
pointed that includes
developers and real
estate professionals
to review the changes
before they are made.
“We think this war
rants a response,” she
said.
Commissioners
voted to allow county
attorney Rob Morton
to send an official re
sponse to the letter.
THE COUNTY ALSO:
• Heard that there
will be a long period
of advertisements for
RFPs for impact fee
reassessment. County
manager Brandon Rog
ers noted that he only
knows of one company
that provides such
services in the state of
Georgia.
• Appointed Jan
ice Cairns and Susan
Goodwin to the J. Joel
Edwards Public Library
board and reappointed
Curtis Ward, with their
three-year terms set to
expire Dec. 31, 2026.
• Reappointed Gina
Earls to the Pike Family
and Children Services
Board for a five-year
term set to expire Dec.
31,2028.
• Reappointed Briar
Johnson to the Pike
Water and Sewerage
Authority to fill a five-
year term set to expire
Dec. 31, 2025.
• Appointed Keven
Sasser to the Pike
Water and Sewerage
Authority to fill a one-
year term set to expire
Dec. 31, 2024.
• Reappointed Todd
Goolsby and Rodney
Hilley to the Two Rivers
RC&D Council to fill
one-year terms, set to
expire Dec. 31, 2024.
• Reappointed Ric
Calhoun to the Three
Rivers Regional Com
mission Board to fill
an unexpired four-year
term set to expire Dec.
31,2027.
• Appointed Tim
Ingram to fill an un
expired term on the
board of tax assessors,
set to expire Dec. 31,
2027.
• Approved the
surplus of a 2017 Dodge
Charger on GovDeals.
com.
• Heard that GDOT
approved repairs over
Elkins Creek at Drip
ping Rock Road. It was
noted that it will be
shut down for some
time but when the
bridge (maintained
by Upson County)
was closed recently
for repairs, there was
very little impact on
Pike citizens. Commis
sioners approved the
detour routes planned
by GDOT.
• Recognized Jacob
Honea as a new animal
control employee.
• Held a closed meet
ing to discuss person
nel regarding the execu
tive head of an agency
but reconvened to take
no further action other
than adjournment.
WORKSHOP: Changes
discussed by county
FROM PAGE ONE
It was discussed that
mother in law suites
and guest quarters
could be a maximum
square footage of 1,500
square foot or 50% of
the heated floor space
of the primary resi
dence. Commissioner
Jason Proctor said he
thought 1,500 square
feet is too large for ac
cessory buildings.
“Basically the reason
why percentages come
into place, is when
you’re looking at a
structure already exist
ing on the site, when it
is cut to 50%, that en
sures it is an accessory
dwelling. If you cap that
house size to a percent
age of what the existing
home is, the chances
are they are not going
to use it as a rental later
on but it is truly used as
an accessory building,”
said planning and zon
ing director Jeremy Gil
bert. “In order to build
a 1,500 square foot ac
cessory structure, your
primary residence must
be 3,000 square foot or
larger. The majority of
homes built today range
between 2,200 to 2,600
square feet.”
Gilbert suggested
removing the 1,500
maximum and making
it where the accessory
building can only be up
to 50% of the primary
residence’s heated
square footage.
Other issues dis
cussed at length
included farm dwellings
for temporary workers
and the designation of
the county manager to
serve as planning and
zoning director in cases
when the planning
and zoning director is
absent.
Zoning director
noted that the change
to designate the county
manager as planning
and zoning director is
to identify who would
be able to administer
the county code - in
cluding signing plats.
“That reference was
put in place to allow
citizens not to have to
wait for potentially two
or three weeks in case
the planning and zoning
director is not available
due to an emergency or
vacancy and the board
of commissioners
would not have to call
special called meetings
to sign plats.”
Commissioners also
discussed barndomini-
ums and ways to regu
late their construction
in the county.
Chairman Briar
Johnson noted that no
one person would be
100% satisfied with the
completed code.
Zoning director Gil
bert agreed, noting that
the code is not written
to please any one per
son or group but to be
a guide for all citizens
and future growth.
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Third grade Students of the Month for November include (front row l-r) Beckham Hudson of Laurie Jones’ class, Kyland Rhodes
of Roberta Martin’s class, Clark Mayo of Emily Lewis’ class, Ava Burnham of Sarah Phillips’ class, Gunnar Barlow of Jennifer
Parker’s class, Jessa Harrison of Pamela Ashe’s class (back row l-r) Laken Turner of Kelli Bannister’s class, Waylon Follett of
Katie Gossett’s class, Raylan Goins of Eva Parker’s class, Arizona Freels of Molly Bruce’s class, Caylee Totzeck of Lindsey
Mathews’ class, Bristol Keiser of Cyndi Odum’s class and Finlee Johnston of Laura Zuke’s class.
November Students of the Month honored
Each month Pike Students of the Month chosen for their contri- caring, energetic stu-
County Elementary from each homeroom butions to the school and dents and good role mod-
School recognizes class. These students are community and for being els for other students.
Fourth grade Students of the Month for November include (front row l-r) Bentley Drinnen of Dana Sage’s class, Maggie Jo
Standridge of Amy McKemie’s class, Reese Warren of Bethany Todd’s class, Isabel Pate of Amber Dean’s class, Ryann Bates of
Erin Thomas’ class, Sam Brown of Carlie Kimbrell’s class, Pyper Valeich of Dawn McDevitt's class, Adriana Dominguez of Jenna
Williams’ class, Leila Price of Alii Bennett’s class and Carmen Ramirez of Tammy Taylor’s class.
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At left, fifth grade
Students of the
Month for November
include (front row l-r)
Laci Jones of Traci
Thompson’s class,
Layla Jo Lewis of
Meghan Lee’s class,
Temperance Smith
of Blaire Loveless’
class (middle row l-r)
Rhiannon LeFeuvre of
Lindsay McGuffey’s
class, Ady Hamlin of
Melissa Dennis’ class,
Isabella McDowell of
Jessica Austin’s class,
Mason Harrison of
Jamie Shaw’s class
(back row l-r) Stella
Mills of Jenny Fellows’
class, Luke Frazier of
Rebekah Stewart’s
class, Ava Veal of Kim
Carden’s class and
Declan Turner of Ash
ley Reeves’ class.
School board hears from concerned citizens
At their Dec. 13
meeting, school board
members heard from a
concerned citizen and
Ray Wilkerson of Pike
County Parks and Rec
reation and also recog
nized middle school Beta
Club members for their
accomplishments at the
state Beta Club Conven
tion.
Patricia Beckham of
the Pike NAACP chapter
addressed the board
first, noting concerns
about an incident that
happened in November
and how it was handled.
She requested that regu
lar roundtable meetings
with members of the
community and school
administrators continue
as they were held under
former superintendent
Dr. Michael Duncan.
Interim superinten
dent Ross Iddings said
once the new superin
tendent has settled in
some, they would like to
consider having a meet
ing in February.
Pike County Parks and
Recreation Authority
director Ray Willkerson
addressed the board
next, thanking the school
system for allowing
recreation athletes to use
their gymnasiums to play
basketball.
“Thank you for al
lowing us to use your
facilities or we would
have 209 students in the
community who would
be unable to play basket
ball,” he said.
He noted that the
PCPRA moved forward
with field improvements
on the field used by the
middle school baseball
team based on a verbal
agreement with former
superintendent Dr.
Duncan. He noted that
$15,000 had been spent
on upgrades to the field
to accommodate the
team as well as recre
ation baseball athletes.
Iddings said a formal
agreement was never
made and asked that a
formal letter be sent to
the board and the super
intendent so that they
could make a decision
based on the information.
“This is an important
partnership,” said Iddings
THE BOARD ALSO:
• Heard from finance
director Debbie Woerner
that the school is at
around 28% of revenues
collected with expendi
tures trending around
36% which is normal for
this time of year.
• Approved the board’s
2024 meeting schedule,
including four meetings
that are not on the second
Tuesdays. All meetings
will be held in the Ninth
Grade Academy Collabo
ration Room. Called meet
ings and workshops will
be held at 5 p.m., followed
by the 6 p.m. regular
meetings on Jan. 16, Feb.
13, March 12, April 16,
May 14, June 11, July 16,
Aug. 20, Sept. 10, Oct. 8,
Nov. 12 and Dec. 10.
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Pike County Journal Reporter
16026 Barnesville St. • Zebulon • 770-567-3446
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
jennifer@pikecountygeorgia.com