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PAGE 6A -- THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 14. 2007
Water Authority Eyes Moving
Forward On Building Reservoir
There’s no time like the middle
of the most severe drought in
state history to start looking for
new water sources.
Two weeks ago, the Upper
Oconee Basin Water Authority,
owners of the Bear Creek
Reservoir, agreed to put on future
agendas discussion of whether to
build a second — backup — res
ervoir.
And, last Thursday night, the
Jackson County Water and
Sewerage Authority laid out the
steps — and agreed to take the
first one — toward building one or
more Jackson County reservoirs.
“You couldn’t come up with a bet
ter time to do this,” advised Prime
Engineering’s Rob MacPherson.
“The sensitivity to the need is at
an all-time high.”
But the authority was quick
to note that it can’t even take
baby steps without the consent
of the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners, which holds
ownership in the regional reser
voir and would own any future
county water source.
The authority asked MacPherson
to come up with a cost estimate
for the first two preliminary steps,
which include the recommen
dation of up to three reservoir
sites and a visit with the Georgia
Environmental Protection Division
to get the EPD’s blessings.
Then, assuming the EPD gives its
consent and the commissioners
are on board, Prime would con
duct a multi-step feasibility study
that would include the analysis
of key potential reservoir sites,
development of cost estimates
and conceptual designs, deter
mine ownership and calculate
costs of permitting and wetlands
or other mitigation. The end result
would be a recommendation as
to which of 13 potential reservoir
sites the authority should pursue.
Prime recently completed a
“water resources master plan” that
identified 13 potential reservoir
sites and concluded that by 2025
the county will have outgrown
its sources of treated water. The
study was a joint project of the
board of commissioners and the
water authority. Any further work
will also be a joint venture, if
only because the authority lacks
the financial ability to start the
process.
“The initiative started with the
commissioners,” noted Chairman
Hunter Bicknell. “We need to keep
them up to date ... they can move
forward or at any time, pull the
plug.”
One of the major questions
in reservoir development, said
MacPherson, is the role of the
state. Because of the severity of
the drought, there is speculation
that the General Assembly will
take some kind of action.
“The big question is what is the
state going to do?” MacPherson
said. “Is it going to be able to
financially help communities?”
Bicknell called it a “pipe dream”
to assume that the General
Assembly would provide any
grant money.
But the state could offer low-
interest loans. It might also focus
on encouraging larger regional
efforts like the Bear Creek project
as opposed to reservoirs owned
by single entities.
The first step is to get “concur
rence” of the strategy from the
EPD, after which key sites can be
examined more closely.
In other business, the authority
heard updates on its plan to buy
water from Gainesville. Manager
Eric Klerk said the draft con
tract is almost completed, and
MacPherson said supplies for the
connection could be ordered next
week.
Klerk also reported that EPD
approval is expected any day on
the authority’s plan to add re-
chlorinators to its Apple Valley
Road and Galilee Church Road
pump stations. Although pricy at
$50,000, the devices would help
the authority maintain proper
chlorination levels and reduce the
amount of water it must flush
(currently more than a half mil
lion gallons a month). The water
saving move is a direct result of
the drought.
Hydrant Maps
Klerk announced that the
authority now has maps show
ing the location of all 3,000 of
its fire hydrants, which are also
on its GIS (global information
system). The authority will make
a presentation of the maps at an
upcoming meeting of the Jackson
County Firefighters Association.
As part of the process, the
authority is also entering its valves
into the system so they too can be
located by GPS devices.
Jackson Citizens Cool To Idea Of
Transferable Developmental Rights
By Angela Gary
The potential for corruption
and decreased property values
were among the concerns citi
zens had about “transfer of devel
opment rights” at a program on
the subject last week.
More than 75 developers, farm
ers and interested citizens attend
ed a meeting last week on trans
fer of development rights (TDR).
Jackson County commissioner
Tom Crow planned the meeting
and has encouraged his fellow
commissioners to take a look at
this method of development. But
most of those who spoke at the
two-hour meeting had concerns
about the program.
TDRs allow increased develop
ment in some areas of the county
in return for less development in
other areas.
Richard Pruetz, a consultant
who specializes in TDR, present
ed a one-hour program and then
answered questions from the
audience. No action has been
taken by the BOC on the matter.
Pruetz said the time is “ideal” to
look at implementing TDR since
the county is about to update its
comprehensive plan.
A man in the audience, who
said he lived in a county where
TDRs are in place, said the pro-
Family Haircare
Owner
Walk-Ins Welcome
Wood Barber Shop
581 Ila Road, Lot #1, Commerce
(706) 335-5392 • Mon.-Fri. 8-6
The family of
CARLTON HART
would like to express their sincere thanks for the kindness
and love shown to them during their time of loss.
Sincerely,
Janie Hart,
Darrell and Heather Hart,
Greg and Andrea Hart,
Matthew and Tanner Hart
\
THANK YOU
I would like to take this
opportunity to say “Thank You”
for all of the support that I
received during the recent
November 6th election. I am
honored to serve as the Board
of Education representative for
Ward 4. I look forward to
serving our school district and
it's children.
I will work with and support our
professional administrators and
educators as they advance their
instructional programs ensur
ing that we achieve continued success in the Commerce
City Schools. It is my hope to see our schools provide
quality education to help students become lifelong
learners and become successful members of our society.
Thank you again for your support. I look forward to the
opportunity to serve as your representative for Ward 4 on
the Commerce City Schools Board of Education.
Sincerely,
Rodney Gary
V /
gram has been “abused by devel
opers.”
“It’s easy to go wrong,” he
said .
Another woman added that
TDRs allow for developers to
“overbuild” and “slums and ten
ants” to be built.
“It doesn’t do what it says it will
do,” she added.
Developer Keith Hayes said he
is concerned that the program
would lower property values.
“I think it is too much govern
ment,” he said.
Crow said the current rezoning
process already has problems
and could also be open to cor
ruption.
“We need to be thinking outside
the box,” he said. “This is just one
tool. We hope to keep looking ...
This may not work, but we need
to explore it.”
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SCRAPBOOKING
OPEN HOUSE
Creative Memories’ New Christmas Products
Common Road Bakery, Commerce
Thursday, November 15, 6-8 p.m.
Free Cider, Hot Chocolate and Cookies
For more information call
706-423-0004
Weekly Health Tip From Kim Bost
Pharmacist - Owner
Sudafed® or Sudafed PE®
We are all familiar with Sudafed®, but did you
know that Sudafed® and Sudafed PE® do not
contain the same drug? All products containing
pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) must be kept
behind the counter. The manufacturers of
many products containing the ingredient
pseudoephedrine created new products
containing phenylephrine (Sudafed PE®). The
packages look similar, but the drug and the
' dose is different. The usual dose of Sudafed® is
two 30-mg tablets and the dose of Sudafed PE®
is one 10-mg tablet. Many experts agree that
Sudafed® is more effective than Sudafed PE®
for relieving nasal stuffiness. You should talk
to your pharmacist before taking a nasal
decongestant if you have high blood pressure,
diabetes or a thyroid disorder. Contact our
pharmacists at Tiger Town Pharmacy or
Homer Drug Co. for more information about
decongestants.
706-335-0099
1939 Homer Rd., Commerce, GA
Intersection of 441 By-Pass and Homer Rd.
In Commerce Professional Park
Monday-Friday 9 - 6; Saturday 9 - 12 Noon; tigertownpharmacy@alltel.net
Jackson Urged To
Become Certified As
'Work Ready' County
A top state official wants local
businesses and industries to join
the state’s newest workforce
development program.
Debra Lyons, director of the
Governor’s Office of Workforce
Development, encouraged mem
bers of the county chamber of
commerce to participate in the
new “Work Ready” incentive. She
was the speaker at the chamber’s
Nov. 1 breakfast meeting.
The program is designed to
both improve worker training
and to help business and indus
try quickly determine the skill
level of job applicants.
The Jackson County Area
Chamber of Commerce has
already started the program. Bill
Burns of Jackson EMC heads
the local effort.
Basically, the program provides
various “job profiles” and tests
willing workers or applicants to
determine their skill levels.
“Work skills testing gives
employers a good idea of what
the skills are,” said Lyons.
The initiative came out of feed
back from Georgia business peo
ple, who told Gov. Sonny Perdue
“repeatedly that we need better
workers,” said Lyons. “The only
way we can communicate what
labor pool we need is for you to
take Work Ready and make it
work for you.”
The idea is that the program
— and the information it gives
potential employers — will give
Georgia a leg up in competition
for new business.
“The number one thing com
panies want to know is where is
the work force coming from and
what is its work ethic?” Lyons
told her audience.
Key elements of the program
are certificates awarded to work
ers who undergo a Work Keys
test and are certified at four
levels from bronze to platinum;
and the profiling of jobs for the
purpose of doing the testing.
The result is expected to be a
countywide and/or regional tal
ent pool aligned with the identi
fied industries. The program also
provides employees with oppor
tunities to increase their skills.
The tests will be useful to both
the employee and the employer
in identifying areas where work
ers have strengths or weakness
es, she continued.
“We can help them develop
the kinds of skills they need to
bring to the workplace,” Lyons
advised “The ability for us to
help people make themselves
better — that’s huge.”
So far, some 360 jobs have
been profiled and another 400
are “in the pipeline,” Lyons said.
It is envisioned that employ
ers will use the Work Ready
certificates to screen applicants.
In some cases, companies may
test workers they know are com
petent to establish benchmarks.
One result, Lyons predicted, will
be to lower companies’ costs in
hiring personnel.
Jackson County is working to
be Work Ready certified. To do
that, three percent of the existing
work force and 25 percent of the
potential workforce (high school
graduates and unemployed)
must be certified. To date, 2,254
people have become certified
statewide, and Lyons said the
number is increasing rapidly.
Jackson County is also part
of the “innovative crescent,” a
group of counties targeting skills
in the life sciences area. The
group hopes to win a $500,000
state grant to develop job pro
files and create certified Work
Ready employees in that area as
a means of attracting biotechnol
ogy industries.
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THANK YOU!
I would like to thank everyone for their support in electing me to the city
council. I don't want your support to end there. I ask that you continue to
participate in helping me and the other officials in decisions that will affect
Maysville’s future. We are there to be your voice, so please let us know.
Congratulations to everyone who ran for office, regardless if you won or not, we
always need people who are willing to take on the challenge. Special thanks to
all of you who voted in our city election.
Sincerely,
“Shag" Stephan M. Lewis
v /
Help Us Feed The Hungry!
For Your Health
For Your Future
Dr. Kevin L. Strohman
30346 Hwy. 441 S.
Commerce, GA 30530
New Patients
1st Visit Free For The Entire Month
of November
(with your can goods donation)*
Existing Patients
November 20, 2007
Free Adjustments
(with your can goods donation)*
Donations Will Be Given To The
Local Food Bank! All You Have To
Bring Is Family, Friends and
Food For The Needy!!!
(A Minimum of 5 Canned Goods or Non
Perishable Items) (Easy On The Corn
And Green Beans)
Make Your Appointment
While They Last!
Phone: 706-335-2225
Fax: 706-335-2231
www.bulldoghealthcenter.com
* Due to insurance regulations,
Medicare and some other insurances
may be excluded from this offer.