Newspaper Page Text
Regular County Commission Meeting
PAGE 2—THE MONTICELLO NEWS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024
Obituary
Jerry Ann Waits Padgett
Jerry Ann Waits
Padgett, age 87, of Macon,
passed away Sunday, Jan.
7, 2024, at PruittHealth-
GrilTin.
Jerry Ann Padgett was
bom on April 1, 1936, in
Monticello to the late Mel
vin R. Waits and Thelma
Virginia Carey Waits. She
moved to Macon in 1956
and worked as a book
keeper for Rhodes Furni
ture for over 12 years and
retired from Mutual Of
Omaha Insurance Com
pany.
Jerry Ann was a mem
ber of Hillsboro Baptist
Church. She loved the
Georgia Bulldogs, Elvis
and enjoyed cooking.
She was preceded in
death by her husband,
Robert Nelson Padgett,
Sr.; daughter-in-law, Don
na McElheney and sisters
MRS. PADGETT
and brother, Nellie Waits
Bowden, Betty Waits
Tillman and Melvin Ran
dolph Waits.
She is survived by
her children, Charles A.
“Chuck” McElheney of
Macon and Lynne (Bob
by) Suarez of Sharpsburg;
grandchildren, Jessica
(Chase) Williams, Bran
don (Kristyn) McElheney,
Zachary (Danielle) Suarez
and Carley Ann (Matt)
Fabiano; great-grandchil
dren, Holt McElheney,
Asher McElheney, Parker
Williams and Paisley Su
arez; sister, Virginia Waits
Wynens of Hillsboro; and
a number of nieces and
nephews.
A memorial service will
be held at 11 a.m., Satur
day, Jan. 13, 2024, at the
chapel of Jordan Funeral
Home. Pastor Len Wood
ard will officiate.
The family will receive
friends from 10 a.m. until
11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 13,
2024, at Jordan Funeral
Home.
Jordan Funeral Home is
in charge of arrangements.
Visit our website at www.
j ordanfuneralhomemonti-
cello.com.
Continued from Page 1
with working with the
firm, but said to be fair
they would do a RFP.
Commissioner Gray said
he knows it’s the correct
thing to do, but said you
may not get the best ser
vice at the lowest bid.
Commissioner Henry
said it is the proper ap
proach to put it out there.
Commissioner Jernigan
said he wanted to keep the
group, not interim. Then,
Commissioner Jernigan
nominated Sheila Belcher
as County Clerk with a
$5,000 raise. That pro
duced much discussion,
as Commissioner Jernigan
said she started doing the
Human Resources job ear
lier but now that the clerk
job is added she deserves
more pay. Commissioner
Jones said she is going to
do human resources and
clerk, and that’s a lot. She
is doing a lot that should
have been done previous
ly and was not done.
County manager Mike
Benton said he thought
her current compensation
was to cover the clerk’s
job. Commissioner Gray
said he thought it was pre
mature to give a $5,000
raise. They finally voted
to name Ms. Belcher
county clerk and agreed to
discuss the raise during an
executive session.
Commissioners heard a
report from Steve Jordan
with the Joint Develop
ment Authority (JDA)
of Jasper, Morgan, New
ton and Walton Coun
ties. He explained how
much money the JDA
had already given to Jas
per County and talked
about future revenues.
He explained the ini
tial investment of Jasper
County was $900,000,
He explained that the
county had received its
investment back, that it
was paid in full in 2021.
Since that time the county
and school have received
monies from JDA.
He said the JDA sub
mits a budget to the Jasper
County Commission each
April, and that they are
working on that now. He
talked about maintaining
the parkway on the north
side of the property which
initially the JDA was go
ing to have to build, but
the state has taken that
over, so the JDA is only
responsible for upkeep.
He invited the interested
commissioners to arrange
a visit to the JDA proper
ties.
Commissioner Gray
responded to the pre
sentation, saying that “it
smells.”
The commissioners
spent considerable time
discussing a proposed res
olution on reforming and
improving mental health
services in the state.. Dave
Wills, the executive direc
tor of ACCG, and Henry
Craig, the ACCG chair
and a Baldwin County
commissioner approached
the county about the reso
lution.
Mr. Craig’s father was
the superintendent of Cen
tral State Hospital some
years ago, which has been
closed down. He talked
about the disservice we do
people with mental health
problems by not having
more resources available.
They stressed that the in
tent of the resolution is
for the state to take up
some of the slack in men
tal health resources. They
explained when Central
State was open, the state
bore much of the cost of
mental health services
which now are borne by
the county. Commission
ers expressed concern
about the actual wording
of the proposed bill that
would be introduced to
the legislature. They spent
much time discussing the
possibility of unintended
consequences. Ultimately
they tabled it to Friday’s
meeting.
The county last month
postponed renewing Tur
tle Cove Property Own
ers Association (TCPOA)
2024 alcohol license
as the application had
the wrong name on it; a
board member that was
no longer a board mem
ber. Planning & Zoning
Director Doug Attaway
asked Monday that it be
extended til the February
meeting, as he had made
a mistake on the name in
the advertisement. Com
missioner Gray said he
was aware of a fight at
the clubhouse involving
several board members.
He said, after last month’s
meeting someone had left
a packet for him, and it
had the police report and
other information. He said
he has since seen a video
of the fight.
After discussion, com
missioners agreed to
postpone the new license,
grant the extension, and
address the situation then.
They spoke with Sheriff
Donnie Pope, who was at
the meeting, briefly about
it. Commission Chair
Henry asked Commis
sioner Gray to share his
information with the other
commissioners.
Commissioners agreed
to ask the Department of
Transportation for “No
Thru Trucks” signs to be
put on the state routes
before county roads that
are being used by truck
ers. Those roads, initially,
would include Bethel
Church Road, Jackson
Lake Road, and Harvey
Lane Road. The commis
sioners are requesting the
signs because trucks are
already on the road, when
the driver sees the no thru
trucks sign on the county
road. They are asking for
the state to put signs on
Hwy. 16, 212, and 11.
The commissioners
discussed the Capital
Improvement Element
(CIE) of the Comprehen
sive Plan, which basically
leads to updating the Im
pact fees. The commis
sioners met in a work
session last Friday to
discuss impact fees, and
suggested adjustments.
In addition, they are in
terested in increasing the
overall fees, as well as
updating where the mon
ies are spent. The county
manager explained there
is a process by which im
pact fees are set, and they
agreed staff would begin
work on updating those
fees.
During citizen com
ments, David Thompson
of Monticello suggested
to the commissioners to
index the fees, so that
they can keep up with in
flation without having to
revisit the formula every
time updating is needed.
He also said the commis
sioners should extend the
zoning moratorium. The
commissioners agreed to
discuss both the zoning
and building moratoriums
at Friday’s meeting.
Others who commented
during citizen comments
included:
Dan Bom who spoke
about the culvert replace
ment on Greer Road. He
showed photos and ex
plained what progress had
been made, and asked the
county to withhold final
payment until the damage
is repaired.
Dan McIntyre spoke
about the mental health
resolution the commis
sioners would discuss and
asked the commission
ers to protect its residents
from overreach.
Phillip Johns said he is
against the mini-subdivi
sions the county is allow
ing, referring to a conser
vation subdivision which
allows 1.2 acre lots. He
said green space doesn’t
get taxed, so the county
loses money. He said
he is not against the five
acre lots, but doesn’t like
it when contractors come
in, make their money and
leave.
Mary Patrick spoke
about the JDA, and the
money it spends. She said
that Rivian plans to build
on top of a groundwater
re-charge area. She said
JDA is holding back mon
ey the county should be
getting, and criticized the
entity for hiring a public
relations firm.
Cathy Benson asked
why Mr. Attaway told her
neighbor that he could
build a house on a 50 foot
lot. She said that there are
over 100 lots in Alcovy
Shores that are 50 ft. She
said that was the same as
R-2 zoning. She asked
where is the oversight for
Mr. Attaway.
Suzy Moore said she
was going to review a
long e-mail she sent to
the commissioners in De
cember. She basically was
speaking against the high
density plat presented by
Mr. [Brian] Cagle. She
said it’s nothing more
than an R-2 subdivision.
She said it doesn’t have
two entrances, and the
people don’t want it. She
said make it R-l zoning
allowing three acre lots
and 1800 sq.ft, minimum
homes. She also said the
county should enforce
permitted uses, and not al
low short term rentals and
pointed out a $2 million
property that is rented out
for events.
In other action, com
missioners:
Adopted the Joint Com
prehensive Plan update
Set qualifying fees for
2024 elections.
Opened a bank account
for Special Purpose Lo
cal Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) proceeds. The
new tax begins in April.
Voters approved for the
one penny tax to continue
when the previous one ex
pires.
Adjourned the meeting,
which didn’t start until
6:15 p.m. at approximate
ly 8:45 p.m. Commission
er Jones was not feeling
well and left about half
way through the meeting.
Jordan Funeral Home
Monticello 706-468-6303
Website
www.JORDANFUNERALHOMEMONTICELLO.com
Subscribe Today! 706-468-6511
DISTRICm
TOWN HALL MEETING
MONDAY, JANUARY 22,2024 AT 7:00 PM
Besley’s Event Center
359 Forsyth Street, Monticello, CA
At our town hall meeting, you'll have
the opportunity to:
Q Discuss issues that matter to you
0 Share your ideas and suggestions
February 10th
9am-12pm
14477 Highway 11 N
Monticello, GA 31064
JCCS will be hosting a job fair for
certified and classified positions
on February 10,2024. Positions
available: certified teachers,
paraprofessionals, bus drivers,
custodians, cafeteria staff,
clerical, etc. For more
information scan the QR code.
JASPER COUNTY
PRESCHOOL
JASPER COUNTY
PRIMARY SCHOOL
WASHINGTON PARK
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JASPER COUNTY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
JASPER COUNTY
HIGH SCHOOL
706-468-6350 ext 132
www.jasper.kl2.ga.us
Committed to small class sizes
Contracts available
Signing bonuses for certified staff
