Newspaper Page Text
Q
04
^3*
O
OJ
OJ
Vol. 139, No. 44 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, December 18, 2019 - $1.00
Special election to determine additional TSPLOST
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
Burke voters will not only decide
in March 2020 their presidential
favorites, but they’ll also see a
question on the ballot that affects
current and future highway projects
for the county.
During the March 24 presidential
primary, Burke County citizens
will also vote in a special election,
answering the question: “Shall Burke
County’s transportation system and
the transportation network in this
region and the state be improved
by providing for a 1 percent special
district transportation sales and use
tax for the purpose of transportation
projects and programs for a period
of ten years?”
According to Andy Crosson,
executive director for the CSRA
Regional Commission, the 13
counties in the Central Savannah
River Area have recently passed
resolutions calling for the renewal
of the Transportation Special
Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
(TSPLOST). Should local voters
approve the special tax, which was
first introduced and favored by
the majority in 2010, three Burke
County projects on the list totaling
just over $10 million will be covered
by the tax with expected completion
by 2032.
One of the projects calls for the
replacement of the Quaker Road
Bridge over Walnut Branch which
is described as an “unsafe narrow
bridge on an agriculture and forestry
corridor.” The projected cost is $1.2
million.
Also making the list is a proposal
to enhance the Highway 25 bypass at
Highway 25 by adding lighting and
realigning the intersection to address
numerous motor vehicle accidents.
The cost estimate is $1.35 million.
The third proposal, titled the
“Vogtle Parkway Project,” would
consist of intersection realignments
and new road construction in
order to connect Plant Vogtle to
Waynesboro. The project, estimated
at $7.5 million, would use 7.3 miles
of existing roadway and includes
4.2 miles of new construction,
connecting Highway 56 at Cates
Mead Road to the entrance of Plant
Vogtle on River Road.
If voters opt for the 1 percent
TSPLOST, all three projects will be
covered.
Anyone not registered to vote
in the March primary has until the
close of business on Feb. 24, 2020
to do so. The Burke County Board
of Elections and Registration Office
is located on the first floor of the old
courthouse in Waynesboro.
JUaratt for
hippi&s
Saturday’s march through downtown Waynesboro was nothing short of groovy. The 60s Hippie Christmas Parade was one of
the biggest in years, with Downtown Development Authority Director Don Lively saying the lineup had more than 50 participants,
including tie-dyed floats full of flowers and love decorated by schools, churches and local organizations, businesses and law
enforcement. Others joining in on the fun included the Pride of Burke County marching band, a few car clubs, community and
government leaders as well as the 2020 Census committee, to name a few. Prizes were awarded in three categories: the Groovi
est Float — Blakeney Elementary School, as shown above; the Most Christmas Spirit — Edmund Burke Academy; and the Most
Peaceful — Queensborough National Bank.(Photo by David Royal)
Vogtle Unit 3 main control
room begins operations
The main control room for
Georgia Power’s Vogtle Unit 3
is now in operation and testing
plant systems, marking another
significant milestone at the Vogtle
nuclear expansion near Waynesboro.
Staffing the main control rooms
24/7 year-round for both units 3 &
4 requires approximately 70 highly-
trained nuclear operators.
From the main control room,
operators will monitor and control
the technology and equipment
essential for testing the unit’s systems
and safely starting the plant.
“Bringing the Unit 3 main control
room online is another major step
in the project’s transition from
construction to system operations,”
said Vogtle 3 & 4 Construction
Executive Vice President Glen Chick.
“The main control room allows us to
conduct systems testing of the unit in
preparation for initial start-up.”
To begin testing, the main
control room has been staffed with
highly-trained nuclear operators
that have completed multi-year
training which culminated with
successful completion of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC)
license exam.
During testing, operators will use
the main control room to monitor
the plant to ensure that systems
are operating as designed for the
technologically-advanced AP1000
units.
City set to okay budget
awards city hall contract
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
The City of Waynesboro held its
first public hearing on Monday as
part of its process to adopt the 2020
budget.
At just over $300,000 more than
2019, the $9,847,300 proposal for
fiscal year 2020 carries little change
into the new year. The biggest of
those changes is a $146,900 increase
in the cemetery and beautification
department, which jumped from
$164,100 to $311,000. City manager
Jerry Coalson explained that the
increase is to support a full staff. A
total of $ 1,164,300 has been budgeted
for administration, approximately
$23,000 less than 2019, and the
police department saw an increase of
about $110,000 with a total budget
of $1,999,300.
Expected revenue for the city
in 2020 includes $1.4 million in
property taxes and another $1.5
million in SPLOST (Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax).
The budget also saw a decrease
in the amount designated for gas
department, decreasing from
$1,014,100 to $901,900. Coalson
explained to council that this is
because the city will be relying on a
new natural gas fill station that will
help the city save about $18,000 a
year just to fuel one garbage truck.
Coalson said they hope to start
adding other vehicles to this system
and that using the natural gas, which
costs cents per gallon, means the
equipment will eventually pay for
itself considering how much the city
will save in fuel costs.
The city will hold the first and
second readings of the proposed
budget in January prior to its
adoption.
Also during Monday night’s
meeting, city council awarded the
new city hall renovations on the old
Capital City Bank building to MMI
Construction, under the condition
of a slight change in the final cost.
The original total of $1,049,400
was increased to $1,067,480 and
included the installation of Yanmar
VRF Natural Gas HVAC Systems
throughout the entire building as
opposed to just in the new council
room. Coalson explained installing
the system throughout the building
allows them to take advantage of the
most energy efficient system for the
money and to qualify for $48,000
in rebates from the Municipal Gas
Authority of Georgia. Renovations
also include the installation of a
new roof over the entire building,
electrical system changes, a smaller
back-up generator and extra roof
support for the HVAC system.
“We are also considering the
replacement of all the remaining
existing lights in the building with
LED lights,” Coalson said. “The
ballasts in the existing lights are
likely to start failing over the next
few years. It would be cheaper to
replace them now and take advantage
of more energy efficiency now.
These issues will be addressed in
January.”
A CHRISTMAS CARD FOR YOU
This week’s True Citizen includes our 41st annual Magic of
Christmas edition. We appreciate the support of the Burke County
businesses that make this special publication possible and the
families who took the time to include photos of their children in
the issue.
This is a special time of year when communities come together
in unique ways to celebrate long-held traditions. We are glad our
Magic of Christmas has become one of those traditions.
Because of the holidays falling on Wednesdays this year, The
True Citizen will be published early and distributed on Tuesday,
Dec. 24, and Tuesday, Dec. 31.
We wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and a very Happy
New Year.
ijiiiikj jii
Slackrf 15272
330 US HWY. 25 NORTH, WAYNESBORO - 706-554-2114 - www.mizellford.com