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PAGE 6A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 30, 2008
—BOC On Retreat
Cont. from Page 1A
on the building and grounds
department, which he said has
become more “self reliant" in the
past few months and to which a
heating and air conditioning tech
position has been added.
'The staff is doing a lot of work
in house," he said. “We are being
more proactive. We are also work
ing on maintaining our buildings
in a more cost effective way."
Hampton also reported improve
ments in the emergency services
department. Steve Nichols has
recently been hired to head this
department.
When I came here the first day,
I heard about problems," he said.
“We’ve filled part-time positions.
We’ve reduced overtime. We’ve
brought training in-house. We’ve
put sound equipment in place.
We are looking into what equip
ment we need to buy."
He added that the county
changed to a local firm to handle
the collections for emergency ser
vices.
We anticipate we will see an
increase in volume of revenue
collected," he said.
Other reports from Hampton
included the following:
•Shop: “We are keeping inven
tory more up to date. We only
have what we need.”
• Human Resources: “The coun
ty has adopted a pay plan. We
are getting evaluations done. We
will have this finished in the next
two months. This will give a base
evaluation to begin with."
• Recreation: “We have the great
est volume this year than in the
history of the program." Hampton
added that a riding arena and
miniature golf course are planned
for Hurricane Shoals Park and
fishing will soon be offered at
Bear Creek.
•Transportation: “The county
has resurfaced 22 miles of road
and built two and a half miles of
new road.”
County Finances
Finance director John Hulsey
reported that the county is operat
ing “very healthy fiscally."
“All of our funds are very
healthy," he said.
The county has maintained
a 15-25 percent reserve fund
despite several unbudgeted items
during 2007. This included salary
increases due to a wage study and
the salary for an interim county
manager.
Hulsey added that revenues
from the local option sales tax
and special purpose local option
sales tax have been more than
had been budgeted.
“Going into the 2008 fiscal
year, the staff will closely moni
tor monthly collections for any
changes that might cause nec
essary revisions to the budget,"
Hulsey said.
At The Retreat
Those in attendance at the
retreat include BOC Chairman
Pat Bell, commissioners Dwain
Smith, Tom Crow and Bruce
Yates, former interim county man
ager Leonard Myers, county clerk
Ericka Johnson, public works
director Don Clerici, Hampton
and Hulsey. Gordon Manor with
the Carl Vinson Institute at the
University of Georgia is the mod
erator. The retreat is being held at
the Fairfield Inn at Macon.
Before Hampton and Hulsey
gave their reports, the facilita
tor asked the commissioners why
they ran for office, what they
hoped to be remembered for and
what they want to accomplish
at the retreat. Their comments
included the following:
Crow: “There was a lot of dis-
sention in the county. I was at a
point where I thought I should be
giving back to the community ... I
would like to be remembered for
identifying all of the good things
about Jackson County that make
people want to move here and
work to preserve those in a way
that we can embrace growth ...
I would like to get direction on
these items we have been talking
about. I would also like to get
common ground.”
Bell: “I ran for office because
I didn’t like the way things were
going ... I’d like to be remem
bered for helping those folks that
didn’t have anywhere else to turn.
Personally, I am what I seem to
be. I say it like it is and I don’t
vary from that ... I would like
us to finish projects that we’ve
already started instead of adding
more and more and more. Let’s
get something accomplished. I’ve
been trying to get a transporta
tion plan for three years. That
should be on the front burner
somewhere."
Yates: He said he ran for office
because he saw the growth going
on in the county and wanted to
help plan for it. “I want it remem
bered that we planned for the
future and took care of our needs
... I think we need to see what we
can do as a board to get input
from all people on the compre
hensive plan."
Smith: He said he was retired
and had the time to devote to
serving the county. “I’d like to
be remembered for being fair in
the decisions we make and for
advancing for some of our depart
ments and our county ... We need
to get good employees and keep
them. I’d like to see us take care of
our county employees and keep
good ones."
Allan Bums Joins Army
In Delayed Entry Program
Allan J. Burns has joined the United States Army under the Delayed
Entry Program. The program gives young men and women the oppor
tunity to delay entering active duty for up to one year. He is the son of
Martha J. Dean of Stone Drive, Gadsden, AL, and Jeffrey A Burns of
Kensington Court, Commerce.
The recruit qualifies for an $11,000 enlistment bonus.
Burns, a 2007 graduate of Hokes Bluff High School, Gadsden, AL, has
reported to Fort Sill, Lawton, OK, for basic training.
DA Seeks To Clear Court Backlog
District Attorney Rick
Bridgeman expects his office to
clear the backlog of uncharged
criminal cases by the end of
March. Bridgeman said in a
recent report that his office
filed accusations or indictments
in 952 cases from October to
December 2007 in an effort to
clear the backlog.
Bridgeman took office as
DA in the Piedmont Judicial
Circuit in August, having been
appointed to the position by
Gov. Sonny Perdue following
Recycling
Center Is On
Front Burner
By Angela Gary
If plans made at a three-
day retreat come to fruition,
Jackson County could soon
have a recycling center.
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners decided to
pursue the development of a
recycling center and improve
ments to the transfer station.
During its retreat in Macon,
the commissioners heard from
staff how there had been dis
cussion for several years about
the condition at the transfer
station but no action was ever
taken. Staff believes it is time
to do something and the com
missioners agreed to move the
project to the “front burner."
County Manager Darrell
Hampton and finance direc
tor John Hulsey plan to meet
with solid waste manager Tom
Page to develop a plan for a
recycling center and the trans
fer station. Their recommen
dation will be presented to the
commissioners in April.
Hampton said the recycling
center would be a benefit to
the county.
“It may not make money but
it keeps those items out of the
landfill and it is beneficial,"
he said.
The commissioners had
looked into opening a C&D
landfill to handle debris from
construction sites, but these
plans have been shelved and
the money that would have
been used to build it will fund
the recycling center.
A A Chapter Meets
5 Times Weekly
The Breezy Knob chapter
of Alcoholics Anonymous
meets five times a week at
69 Central Avenue (across
from First Commerce Bank) in
Commerce.
Meeting times are at 8
p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays and
at 6:45 p.m. Sundays. Meetings
consist of open discussion.
NEED PRINTING?
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706-367-5233
the resignation of Tim Madison.
The Piedmont Circuit covers
Jackson, Barrow and Banks
counties.
In his report covering the last
quarter of 2007, Bridgeman out
lined several policy changes in
the DA’s office, including the
following:
•the pursuit of bond forfei
tures when a defendant fails to
appear in court. During the last
quarter, $200,000 in appearance
bond hearings were scheduled.
The money from the bond for-
By Angela Gary
The Georgia Supreme Court
has denied Agri-Cycle’s lat
est effort to re-open its Talmo
waste processing facility. The
facility caught fire in early
September 2007 and was sub
sequently closed by the state
following a court hearing.
Agri-Cycle has been closed
since a ruling by Superior Court
Judge David Motes in October
2007. Motes said evidence
presented during the 10-hour
hearing showed that the Talmo
company had violated its state
permit and the state’s water
quality control act by modifying
its treatment processes without
obtaining a permit to do so.
Agri-Cycle appealed the rul
ing to the Georgia Supreme
Court and asked to be able to
reopen. In a one sentence rul-
Free Services
Available To
Elderly & Poor
Free legal services are avail
able to senior citizens and
low-income clients in the
area.
Services are based on case
type and financial eligibil
ity. Georgia Legal Service
Program does not handle
criminal cases.
For an appointment, call
1-800-745-5717 or 770-535-5717
between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.,
Mondays through Fridays.
feitures will go to the county
where the case is being pros
ecuted.
•accusations will be filed in
felony cases rather than tak
ing all cases to the grand jury.
Bridgeman estimated that this
move will cut the number of
cases heard by the grand jury
by half.
• having more contact with
victims and arresting officers
before plea negotiations are
begun.
•moves to have speedier
ing issued Jan. 22, the Georgia
Supreme denied Agri-Cycle’s
appeal.
In the October court hear
ing in Jackson County Superior
Court, Motes also ruled that evi
dence was given that the com
pany had expanded its capacity
without getting approval from
the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division. He added
that the company also “hydrau
lically overloading its spray-
field."
Motes said continued oper
ation of the business would
“cause continued pollution of
Allen Creek and would cause
build up of flammable wastes
on the property which have
already proven to be a major
hazard to the community."
The judge ordered that the
company remain closed until
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indictments to reduce pretrial
detention costs for the coun
ties.
Bridgeman said he will be
available one Saturday each
quarter to meet with the pub
lic about his office. He will
meet Feb. 16 from 8:30 a.m.
to 9:30 a.m. at the Jefferson
House Restaurant in Jefferson
and from 10:30 to 12 noon at
the Winder Police Department
training room. A date and loca
tion for Banks County will be
announced later.
“it can operate in accordance
with the law and without posing
a threat to human health, safety
and welfare."
Agri-Cycle was shut down
by the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division in
September 2007 following
a fire at the business’ hold
ing pond. At that time, Judge
Motes ordered that Agri-Cycle
could not receive any addition
al waste at its Talmo facility for
30 days, or until the company
could demonstrate that it is in
compliance with the law and
poses no threat to the public
health.
The facility has been the
source of a large public outcry
in the Talmo area over odors
coming from the waste treat
ment spray fields and holding
ponds.
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High Court Rejects Company's
Bid To Re-Open Waste Facility
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