Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
iReporter
January 14,2009
County wants to re-open flood map
BY WENDELL RAMAGE
Under pressure from High Falls
residents, Monroe County commis
sioners are asking the state to
reconsider their new flood zone
maps.
Commissioners voted at their
Jan. 6 meeting to ask the
Department of Natural Resources
to re-open the process of changing
the county’s flood maps.
Commissioners had approved the
new FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency) flood map in
September after the DNR
(Department of Natural
Resources) went through a two-
year process of redrawing it. But
the new map has moved several
Monroe County homeowners into
the flood zone and now their mort
gage companies are making them
buy expensive flood insurance.
About 20 homeowners went to
commissioners meeting last
Tuesday and the commission
responded with a motion to write
the DNR and request that some
one from the department attend a
meeting at High Falls to show how
DNR came up with maps.
Anne Jones, a resident of Harbor
Shores subdivision on High Falls
Lake, told the commission that
DNR supposedly held a public
hearing to make residents aware
of what was going on. The adver
tisement for the hearing, she
added, had the tone of a reception
more than of a public hearing. As
a result, no one attended.
Jones said the current plan
appears to have no logical basis
for where those in the flood plain
are located. Calling the plain "non
existent," Jones said the arbitrary
placements are affecting people
"all around the county and
Georgia."
Another High Falls Lake home-
owner, Sonny Bartlett, said that
the minute a resident is placed in
the flood plain, he has to buy
expensive flood insurance. That
causes property values to go down
which also hurts local employment
and businesses.
Mel Suddeth and Rick Hewett
also spoke against DNR's current
flood zone. Hewett said he thinks
DNR should identify the basic
flood plain elevation and have it
confirmed that it is the flood level
of 1994. He added that it would
be beneficial to have contour flood
maps, to know the cost of elevation
surveys and to have access to
other information.
"We need to know if there is a
process we can go through again,
and we request you do it," the resi
dents agreed.
Commission chairman James
Vaughn told the Reporter he
thinks residents have a legitimate
gripe. Commissioner Jim Peters
motioned to arrange a meeting
with DNR and to invite neighbor
ing counties to be involved. The
DNR is developing new flood plain
maps in Lamar and Butts counties
but they haven’t been approved
yet.
Commissioner Jim Ham second
ed, and the vote was unanimous
for the four commissioners in the
chamber. Commissioner Mike
Bilderback had briefly walked out
of the chamber and was not pres
ent for the vote.
Pick
Your
We can help you
select a pair that fits
you perfectly.
From your first pair
to your last.
Dr. Tom Perry
OPTOMETRIST
9-5 Mon-Thurs/9-4 Wed* 9-12 Friday
(Closed Friday Afternoon)
994-2988
Here are the top MCR
vents from this week, as
ranked by our readers.
WHY does it seem the
NAACP and the SCLC in
Forsyth condone the drug
trade in Forsyth? rank: 17
DOES anyone else won
der why the City of Forsyth
and/or Monroe County has
n't tried to tap into obtaining
grant money from Obama's
stimulus plan? Always a day
late and a dollar short; why
is that? Warner Robins is
already after $217 million
with a list of improvements.
rank: 8
NOW that James Vaughn
has assumed the commis
sion chair it is time to
encourage public participa
tion by meeting in a larger
space and changing to a
time that does not coincide
with the Forsyth Council and
Board of Ed meetings. Just
the symbolism would be a
huge plus, rank: 8
NO need for a larger
space for the commission
meetings, they've already
split into their teams and
doing the same old thing.
Don't waste your time, rank:
6
WHY is it that the only
place to get a job in Monroe
County is at a fast food
restraunt, hotel, or gas sta
tion? The few jobs that are
out there have been filled by
the same people for years
and the younger people
coming of age have to move
or settle for flippin burgers,
rank: 6
AMERICAN people have
done what was desired - we
are driving less and buying
less gas - so we get reward
ed with a new gas tax? How
typical, rank: 5
MR. HARRY great man.
Christian first. Helped me
make a great change in my
life, rank: 5
I have been reading the
Sunday newspaper and it
seems that on every page
there is an ad for a coin, a
book, a plate, a statue, or
whatever they can think of
to put Obama's face on for
you to order. Give me a
break, the man has not
even been in office yet. Who
knows what tomorrow will
bring, but please wait till the
man does something first
before we immortalize him.
Just getting elected is not
enough, rank: 3
SORRY to hear about Mr.
Willingham. He was a good
man. rank: 3
BE careful if you drive
through Monroe County and
you have a tint on your win
dows. I have served on the
Grand jury several times
and everytime someone is
stopped on I-75 it is for win
dow tint. Personally I have
tint on my windows because
I am old and the sun makes
it hard to drive to work. Am I
going to get stopped too
and have my car searched
because I am protecting my
eyes and the cars around
my so I can see? Please get
a new reason to stop peo
ple. Many people have been
subjected to unusual search
and embarassment because
of it. Shouldn't driving too
fast be more of a reason to
stop people? I have people
racing around me all the
time with no sheriff car in
sight. What gives? rank: 0
Dr. Craig Caldwell
and
Dr. Jeremy Goodwin
“Committed to Patient Care & Health”
478-994-1010
97 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Forsyth. Georgia 31029
Monday thru Friday, 8:30am—5:00pm
^ Internal
V/ Medicine Associates
of Middle Georgia
MY BUSINESS
MY CHAMBER
I joined the chamber in 1991 when I opened the Animal Medical Clinic in Forsyth.
I joined for the networking opportunities it provided. I was new to town and
wanted to meet new people. The chamber really supports their members and helps
their businesses. Later, I joined the board and then really got to know a lot of
people and all that the chamber does. I love the way they spotlight their
businesses...with Business After Hours and helping downtown and Monroe County
businesses. We need to support our own. If you're a business in Monroe County,
you need to be a chamber member.
- Dr. Kevin Smith
Animal Medical Clinic
Forsytft-Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce
The Welcome Center
68 N. Lee Street, Forsyth, GA
994-9239
https://www.forsyth-monroechamber.com/
Contact us and join today!
