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o 04 ^3* ■'3- O 04 OJ Vol. 141, No. 27 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, August 25, 2021 - $1.00 Local businesses feel the weight of labor shortages SHELLIE SMITLEY thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com A Facebook post last week for Brown’s Quality Seafood read, “Due to being understaffed we are no longer taking phone orders for the remainder of the day. We are sorry for the inconvenience... and thanks for understanding. We encourage you to use our online ordering or the Waitr app for delivery service.” McDonalds’ Customer Service Manager Sharon Cooper said the local fast-food restaurant is facing the same problem with staffing. They are continuously having to keep the lobby closed and service customers through the drive-thru only. The chain, known to offer college tuition incentives, typically pays its employ ees less than $ 15 per hour upon hire. “We don’t have the staff,” Cooper said and pointed out that many of the teenaged employees it attracts refuse to work weekends. “It’s mainly on the weekends, because nobody wants to work weekends. They feel like, I guess, that they are supposed to have every weekend off.” Restaurants here and all over the area are reporting the same problem. It’s not just the fast-food industry that is feeling the weight of the labor shortage that many feel pandemic- related closures and stimulus benefits propelled. As football season is right around the corner the Burke County Recre ation Department is seeking coaches, referees, and chain crews with all levels of experience in football. Successful candidates must pass a background check and be able to understand and enforce rules fairly and objectively, according to a recent Facebook post. The Rec Department utilizes volunteers for coaching posi tions and rarely faces problems with filling those positions. “Our community is great about helping us out,” Director Rolene Rowell said. “We are so grateful and blessed.” However, keeping paid positions filled is another issue. “We do have problems finding people to officiate our sports,” Row ell said. “The pay is good. We’ve found out that we can use one expe rienced official and then train high school athletes who play the sport. This has worked out well, however there is a lot of turn-over when those officials graduate.” The Rec Department has tried to fill a main tenance po- SEE sition for LABOR SHORTAGES, approxi- 14 General Manager Ryan Keller shows off a log-cabin style shed that could be used as a tiny home. Local business sees tiny houses working in other counties SHELLIE SMITLEY • thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com Oakland Structures, Hwy 56 S., regularly receives phone calls inquiring about the use of storage build ings as tiny homes in Burke County. “It’s been more and more prevalent,” General Manager Ryan Keller said. “We do it in other coun ties. Other counties have allowed it.” Oakland Structures takes the shell with the finished exterior and sets it up on a concrete and block foundation and the customers finish them under the supervision of inspectors. The buildings are anchored down. Agencies in other counties like Screven, Washington, Jefferson and Candler are inspecting the buildings to make sure electrical and plumbing meet code requirements. “A lot of times, obviously, they tend to be larger buildings,” Keller said. “I would say anywhere from 14 x 36 to 16 x 48, that is anywhere from 500 to 800 square feet. It makes a nice living space, it really does, and I have seen them finished out really nice.” Mainly, Oakland Structures constructs the buildings to be sold through dealers, but they also sell onsite. However, people in Burke County are not allowed to utilize storage buildings as a place to live. The buildings are constructed a lot like homes, Keller said. They are framed and built with similar materials. On average, the larger sheds sell for $20,000 to $30,000, far less expensive than purchasing a home. With 10% to 40% down payment, the buildings can be bought on a rent-to-own basis over four years, eliminat ing traditional 15 to 30 - year mortgages. Oakland Structures built rows of tiny homes, situated in Girard, to provide temporary housing primarily for transient Vogtle workers. They meet state fire escape and septic requirements. They were built specifically to be tiny homes SEE and not storage sheds, however there HOUSES is not a lot of size difference between 13 the 1-bedroom units and the average Mayor Carol Edmonds swore in Councilwoman Cile Campbell August 13, Sardis prepares for elections SHELLIE SMITLEY thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com The Sardis City Council appointed its newest member to the panel Au gust 13. Mayor Carol Edmonds swore in Cile Campbell to fill the seat vacated by John Arthur Long who resigned July 13 due to health issues. Camp bell will serve through his term, which expires December 31. She is not interested in running in this year’s election. “I am new to the position,” she said. “I have never filled a city coun cil seat before. Once I get into it and see how it is, I may be interested in the next election (in 2023).” In the meantime, she hopes to bring positive input to the council, most importantly on the topic of rec reational activities for Sardis youth. Providing kids with more to do is a popular theme in the city situated about 17 miles from Waynesboro. Most of the candidates running in November mentioned the need for a recreation center located nearer than the Waynesboro facility. The municipal government con sists of an elected mayor and five council members. Officials have four-year terms. This year’s election will be held on November 2nd. The city’s elections are held in odd years. The next one will be held in Novem ber 2023 at which time, Sardis will have three council seats open. This year, the mayor's term and the two council seats held by Campbell and Oliver expire December 31st, 2021. Council member Rog er Lane’s seat will also ®EE be up for grabs this year. SARDIS Lane resigned last week, 8 Rebuilding Gough one step at a time SHELLIE SMITLEY thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com The Gough Improvement Asso ciation is making a comeback with members who are motivated to bring vitality to the unincorporated com munity founded in 1905. The Association is not new. It was started back in the late 1970’s by Melvin Evans. Before all of the original members passed, Paul At well became the president. The group stayed together mostly focusing on cleaning up the area, and since 2010, holding festivals throughout the year designed to reconnect people born and raised in Gough. “But then that got weak,” Atwell said and added that when Manessa Stokes moved back to the area in 2018, she re-ignited a spark of en thusiasm. The group is beginning to pick up momentum. “When Manessa came back, she said, ‘we have to do more,’ and it opened my eyes that we needed to do more,” Atwell said. “She started building a new foundation for the Gough Improvement Association and everyone wanted to jump on board with her because her ideas are so strong.” Stokes relocated to Florida where she lived for approximately three decades, but Gough never left her mind. She attended the festivals but returned back to the Sunshine State disheartened. Even so, she knew she would return to her childhood home someday after she retired. “I would come every year (and think) ‘okay they are having this every year but what is there to come back to?”’ Stokes said. “So, when I did come back home in 2018, I wanted to do what I could to show the people who have left, the potential to come back home.” It’s not just Gough natives the group wants to see taking an interest in the community. The vision is to rebuild and restore Gough for past, present and future residents, she said. “We are setting goals, but right now we want to start with some smaller ones,” Stokes said. Members of the community recently selected officers and they are currently work ing on establishing a 501 (c) (3) status. Gough has seen more vivacious days. It once SEE had its own school, SHERIFF, funeral home and bank. g Secretary Manessa Stokes and President Paul Atwell. 2021 FORD F-150 STX SuperCrew 4x4 ~\ Sport Appearance Package Beginning At 330 US HWY. 25 NORTH, WAYNESBORO ■706-554-2114 - www.mizelHord.com