Newspaper Page Text
February 14, 2018
Page 3C
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Exporter
Piedmont
Hills
OFFICE-
.
$7 million facelift planned for
Piedmont Hills Apartments
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
The company that
owns Piedmont Hills
Apartments in Forsyth
is planning about $7 mil
lion in renovations. All
it needs from Forsyth
is a resolution from its
Housing Authority sup
porting the project and
the subsequent blessing
of city council on that, res
olution. But that, is prov
ing harder than might, be
expected.
City Attorney Bobby
Melton explained to
Forsyth council on Feb.
5 that, the most, pressing
reason Forsyth’s Housing
Authority needs to meet,
is to pass that, resolution
so the project, can move
forward. But. the Housing
Authority has repeatedly
had problems getting
together a quorum of its
five members to hold an
official meeting.
Piedmont. Hills, at.
1001 W. Main St.., is a
52-unit, complex built, in
1993. It. was built, in part,
with financing obtained
from the Low Income
Housing Tax Credit, proj
ect. through the Macon-
Bibb County Housing
Authority. Rent, for at.
least, part, of its units
is based on household
income, targeting those
who earn 60 percent,
or less of Area Median
Income. Other units
may be rented at. market,
rate. Even though it. is
under the auspices of
the Macon-Bibb Housing
Authority, it. needs the
resolution showing
approval of the Forsyth
Housing Authority
and the city of Forsyth
because it. is in city limits.
The whole project, that,
includes the renova
tions to Piedmont. Hills
Apartments totals about.
$65 million, according
to Melton. It. involves
upgrades for about. 15 dif
ferent. complexes owned
by the same company.
Council decided to
reactivate its Housing
Authority in 2017; the
Authority had existed for
several years in name but.
did not. meet, or function.
At. that, time Dana Lynch,
Rob DeRieux, Jane
Pennington and Freida
White were named to
the Authority with Chris
Hewet.t. as the council’s
representative. Otis
Ingram and Steve Harbin
said they were not. be
able to serve.
The Housing Authority
met. in April, May, July,
August., September,
October and January,
and it. set. dates to meet,
on June 1, July 27, Nov.
2, Dec. 7 and Feb. 1 but.
did not. have a quorum.
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Lynch has attended all
12 meetings, DeRieux
attended seven meet
ings, Hewett. attended
six of the meetings and
Pennington and White
went, to four each.
At. its January retreat.,
as part, of its intention to
make affordable housing
a priority, council decided
to name additional
members to the Housing
Authority and added
council member Dexter
King, realtor Kathy
Rowland, insurance
businessman Tommy
Johnston and financial
businessmen Wes Cone
and Keith Armstrong to
the Authority, assuming
they would be willing to
serve.
However, at. the Feb. 5
council meeting county
manager Janice Hall
said that, she had given
council incorrect, infor
mation when she told it.
there was not. a limit, on
the number of members
it. could appoint, to the
Housing Authority and
the appointments were
not. for limited terms.
Attorney Melton said that,
by state law there must,
be at. least, five members
on the Authority but. not.
more than seven; the
mayor can appoint two
more members at. the
request, of the Authority,
but. one of them must, be
a resident, of a housing
project.. The five current,
members have staggered
terms that, expire on May
1 of each year from 20lb-
22. None of the five cur
rent. members or five new
members appointed by
council are residents of a
housing project..
Council member Mike
Dodd asked why the
Housing Authority cannot
get. a quorum (at. least,
three members out. of
five) to attend meetings.
Hall said that, members
are called and emailed
before meetings.
‘They say they will
come,” said Hall. “Some
of the problem may be
the 2 p.m. Thursday
meeting time, but. we
can’t, get. a quorum there
to change the meeting.”
Melton, who has attend
ed most, of the Housing
Authority meetings,
cautioned that, if council
increases the number of
members to seven, four
members would have to
be present, to constitute a
quorum. Council unani
mously voted to keep the
Housing Authority with
the same five members at.
least, until it. can change
its meeting day and/or
time and see if atten
dance improves.
Dana Lynch, who chairs
the Monroe County
Housing Authority, said
that, members have
discussed changing the
meeting time and/or day,
but. no one says that, is
the problem. They say
they are coming, even on
the day of the meeting,
but. don’t..
She said the group has
had some good discus
sions when members are
present., like at. the Jan.
4 meeting. They would
like to be accepted into
the Georgia Initiative
for Community Housing
(GICH), a Department,
of Community Affairs
program, that, has
resources for housing
and training on how to
get. the process going on
what, you would like to
accomplish. The Regional
Commission helped the
Monroe County Housing
Authority with the appli
cation. They didn’t, get. it.
in by the August, deadline
last, year but. hope to do
so this year.
Being accepted into
GICH could jumpstart
the Housing Authority
that, has been dormant,
for so many years. Lynch
said that, the last, thing
she can find that, the
Monroe County Housing
Authority did before it.
was re-activated last, year
was involvement, in the
renovation of Union Hill
Apartments in 2000.
Russellville , , , 3
Baptist _= /
Church hosts » * * dSj
SouthemStyle Quartet
SoufhernStyle Quartet will be in
concert at Russellville Baptist Church
on February 18 during the morning
worship hour.
The quartet consists of Terry Baker
of Forsyth, Roger Freeman of Gray,
and Kristin and Danny Fitzgerald
of McDonough. All have performed
gospel music for many years with
other groups before coming together
as the SouthenStyle Quartet.
The concert will be during the 11
a.m. worship service. A love offering
will be taken for the group. Rus
sellville Baptist Church is located on
Russellville Road just off Georgia
Highway 42 south, aout 15 minutes
from downtown Forsyth.
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CALL FOR SPECIAL ELECTION
GEORGIA, MONROE
Monroe County Board of Elections, SUPERINTENDENT OF ELECTIONS for the above State
and County, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT:
WHEREAS, in the 2010 Georgia General Assembly, the House and Senate passed
House Bill 227, known as the Transportation Investment Act of 201, to provide 12 special tax
districts across the State and to provide for a special district transportation sales and use tax in
such special districts; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Code Section 48-8243 of the Transportation Investment
Act of 2010, the Middle Georgia special district Roundtable, of which Monroe County is a part,
officially approved a Final Investment List to be funded through the special district transportation
sales and use tax; and
WHEREAS, the special one percent (1%) sales and use tax will not exceed a projected
revenue generation amount of $637,746,847 for the Middle Georgia special district, and shall not
exceed ten (10) years in duration commencing October 1,2018; and
WHEREAS, Seventy-Five percent (75%) of the projected revenue generation amount
will fund the approved Final Investment List of the Middle Georgia special tax district and Twenty-
Five percent (25%) of the projected revenue generation amount will be directly distributed to the
cities and counties of the Middle Georgia special tax district by formula for local transportation
uses; and
WHEREAS, the Middle Georgia Roundtable has made a resolution to the Superin
tendents of Election of the Middle Georgia special tax district, as specified in the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated 48-8-244, to notify the election superintendent to issue the call for election for
the purpose of submitting to the electors of the county the question of whether such sales and use
tax shall be granted for approval or rejection; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Code Section 48-8-244, the election results will be
tabulated per district and if more than one-half of the votes cast throughout the special district are
in favor of levying the tax, then the taxs will be levied in said special district as specified; and
WHEREAS, the Final Investment List to be undertaken and completed utilizing 75% of
the projected revenue generation amount in the Middle Georgia special tax district are as follows:
County
Project Name
Baldwin
Kings Road Safety Enhancements
Baldwin
Log Cabin Road Widening
Baldwin
Widen and Resurface North Jefferson Street
Baldwin
Widen and Resurface Dunlap Road
Crawford
East Agency Street Resurfacing
Crawford
Construct Passing Lanes on US Highway 80 E
Crawford
Pave Matthews Road
Crawford
Sandy Point Resurfacing
Houston
Collins Avenue Sidewalk Addition
Houston
Perry Houston County Airport Terminal Expansion
Houston
Perry Houston County Airport Hangers
Houston
SR 247 widening from SR96 to the SR 247 Spur
Houston
St. Patrick’s Drive Extension
Houston
US 41/SR 11 widening from SR96 to SR 247C
Houston
247C widening and operational inprovements from US 41 to Carl Vinson parkway
Jones
Bridge Replacement on Folendore Road at Comissioner Creek
Jones
Chehaw Creek Bridge Replacement
Jones
Pave Old Highway 18
Jones
Construct Griswoldville Industrial Park Rail Spur
Jones
Henderson Road Resurfacing
Jones
Safety Improvements to SR 49 rail road Crossing (733415H)
Macon-Bibb
Tucker Road Bridge Replacement
Macon-Bibb
Construct 7th Street Truck Route
Macon-Bibb
Design and Right of Way Acquisition of Sardis Church Road Extension to 1-16
Macon-Bibb
Resurface Riggins Mill Road from Emery Highway to the Twiggs County Line
Macon-Bibb
Resurface Upper River Road from the Jones County Line to Clinton Road
Macon-Bibb
Wesleyan Drive, Bowman Boulevard and Bowman Road Intersection Improvements
Macon-Bibb
Transit Capital Acquisition
Macon-Bibb
Bass Road Widening: I-75, Bowman Road to New Forsyth Road
Macon-Bibb
Bass Road Widening: Bowman Road to near Westchester Drive
Monroe
Bridge Replacement on Johnstonville Road at Rocky
Monroe
West Main Side connection
Monroe
Study of Forsyth truck bypass
Monroe
Indian Springs/L.Carey Bittick Drive/GPSTC Intersection Improvement
Monroe
Widening and Resurfacing Montipelier Road and Thornton Road
Peach
Woodland Drive Radius Improvement
Peach
Chapman Road Widening
Peach
Taylors Mill Road Resurfacing
Peach
Construction of SR 49 Conn. Extension to SR96
Peach
SR 96 Widening from CR 107/Fire Tower Rd to CR 83/Housers Mill Road
Pulaski
Passing Lanes SR 247
Pulaski
Sidewalk construction on SR24
Putnam
Sidewalk construction on SR24
Putnam
Harmony Road Safety Improvements
Putnam
Eatonton NE Bypass and Roundabout
Twiggs
Williams Road Widening and Paving
Twiggs
Sidewalk Construction on Highway 80
Twiggs
SR 96 Widening (1-16 to SR 87/US 231
Twiggs
SR 96 Widening (Thompson Mill Road to SR 87/US 23
Wilkinson
Resurface Allen Avenue
Wilkinson
Hwy 57/Old 441 Intersection Improvements
Wilkinson
Resurface Pinebluff Drive
Wilkinson
Resurface Vinson Road
Wilkinson
Resurface Shepherd Street
Wilkinson
Resurface Papermill Road
Wilkinson
Gordon McIntyre Road Full Depth Base Reclamation
NOW, THEREFORE, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY VIRTUE OF
O.C.G.A48-8-244 AND O.C.G.A21-2-540, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
(1) That a call for a special one percent (1%) sales and use tax in the Middle
Georgia special tax district, of which Monroe County is a part, in an amount not
to exceed $637,746,847 and for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) years
duration commencing October 1, 2018 subject to the approval of the voters of
said special tax district is hereby issued.
(2) That said Special Election shall be held on May 22,2018, between the hours
of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; that all persons who are not registered to vote and
who desire to register to vote in the special election may register to vote through
the close of business on April 24,2018.
(3) That the question to be put before the voters of Monroe County, as part of the
middle Georgia special tax district, shall be placed on the ballot and read as
follows:
SAMPLE BALLOT
Shall Monroe 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 fora period often years?
(YES)
(NO)
I hereunto set my hand and affix the seal of this office at the Monroe County Board of Elections,
38 W. Main Street, February 2,2018.