Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. APRIL 2, 2008 - PAGE 3A
New Formula May
Pay Jackson For
Oconee Water Use
Jackson County may finally
begin receiving payment when
Oconee County uses more Bear
Creek water than it owns.
Addressing a long-standing
Jackson County complaint —
at least partially — the Upper
Oconee Basin Water Authority
approved a new cost allocation
formula by which members will
be reimbursed when one county
dips into the water or treatment
capacity of the other counties.
Which is exactly what Oconee
County has been doing for
months, according to Jackson
County officials.
Oconee County owns 20.7 per
cent of the 21-million-gallons-per-
day (mgd) treatment plant at the
reservoir, but it has frequently
used more than its ownership
share of 4 mgd. Jackson County
officials have long argued that
Oconee is using Jackson County
treatment capacity without (a)
permission and (b) paying for it.
Under the proposal approved
last Wednesday, a county that
goes over its share would pay
$1.60 per $1,000 gallons to the
authority, which would credit that
amount toward the county or
counties who own the remaining
production capacity.
That cost is just for treatment of
the water. Jackson, Barrow and
Oconee counties all own much
more water than they have capac
ity to treat at present.
The action also requires that the
offending county, should its usage
result in a fine by the EPD, also be
responsible for paying the fine.
The change became effective
April 1.
Jackson County officials would
like to have the meters for the vari
ous counties read daily so officials
could keep a closer watch for such
encroachments, but basin author
ity officials say they cannot read
the meters daily.
It is conceivable that a county
could use more than its allocated
share several times a month, but
never pay a penalty if its monthly
average was not above its share.
“What this says to me is whoever
gets to the water first gets it," com
plained Pat Bell, chairman of the
Jackson County Board of Com
missioners.
UGA To Conduct
Reservoir Studies
The authority also voted to let
the University of Georgia School
of Forestry and Wildlife Manage
ment conduct an ongoing “lake
aging study" on the reservoir. Stu
dents will periodically access the
reservoir sediment levels, water
quality and ecology at no cost to
the authority.
Contributions Into
Replacement Fund Halted
In a cost-cutting move, the au
thority voted to suspend until Dec.
31 the monthly contributions from
member counties into a capital re
newal and replacement fund.
The move will save Jackson
County $9,074 per month.
“Your reserves may be where
they need to be already," said au
ditor Chris Edwards, who said the
authority’s cash flow has proven
sufficient to handle repairs and
replacement to date.
Rebate Coming
To Jackson Co.
Jackson County will get more
than $107,000 back from the au
thority following the annual bal
ancing of the authority’s check
book.
Members are assessed based
on a budget plus usage, and an
annual “settling up” occurs when
the books are reconciled. Barrow
and Oconee counties will also get
rebates.
— Out Of State Drought Plan
Cont. from Page 1A
drought management plan is bet
ter than the EPD’s state plan.
Drought responses for the four-
county group are determined by
the average of three scales. One
relates to reservoir level, another
to soil moisture and the third to
stream flow. Only the stream flow
level remains down, and the aver
age of the three suggests that the
Upper Oconee area should be in
level two of its drought manage
ment plan.
In a related move, the authority
confirmed an earlier edict issued
by the Operations Committee
to reduce its restrictions to level
three. That requires member coun
ties to show a 10 percent reduc
tion in water usage — which coin
cides with Gov. Sonny Perdue’s
mandate.
Following a lengthy discussion,
the authority agreed to use March
and April 2007 numbers as the
baseline for the reduction.
House Bill 1281
Legislation vesting all control in
water management decisions with
the state was also a topic of the
March 25 meeting, said Dodd.
Local water operators argued to
the EPD that they are in a better
position than the EPD to under
stand the needs and capabilities
of individual water systems — for
which EPD has already approved
management plans.
'The state approves our drought
management plan. Why don’t they
allow us to use our plan, which
they approved, and which is bet
ter than the state’s?" he asked.
Athens Mayor Heidi Davison
said her legislators have turned a
deaf ear to that position, saying
“why should there be different
provisions for different areas?"
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners Chairman Pat
Bell argued that, when consider
ing reductions in usage, a county’s
growth rate should be factored in.
“It should be considered," she
said. “We felt like it hadn’t been
considered in the past."
“We did get the EPD to look
at the growth," Dodd countered,
“and taking industrial and com
mercial use out and just using
residential."
— Repeal Of Auto Tax Doomed?
Cont. from Page 1A
legislation — would present chal
lenges.
“We’re levying 18.9 mills," notes
Jeff Sanchez, finance director. “If
they take $1 million away, I can be
set on 20 mills and still not get the
million back."
The removal of the tag tax would
amount to a $672 million tax cut
statewide if approved by the vot
ers. As the measure passed the
House with overwhelming bipar
tisan support (190-5), legislators
speculated that the state would
have little trouble covering the lost
revenue.
But assurances from Atlanta that
the state would reimburse schools
for the lost money are not exactly
comforting to those who have to
create school budgets. They point
out that the Governor’s “austerity
cuts" to education funding made
during a previous budget short
fall were never restored when the
economy improved, and note that
the General Assembly has never
funded public education to the
level required by its own laws.
Correction
A typographical error resulted in a significant mistake in last week’s
account of damage to vehicles in the March 15 hailstorm. The approxi
mate number of vehicles to be damaged at Wayne Neal Chevrolet was
160, not 1,600.
Community Calendar
To place events on the Community Calendar, call 706-387-5406 or e-mail mark@mainstreetnews.com
Thursday, April 3
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Monday, April 7
Commerce Council meets:
6:00 p.m., City Hall. This "work
session" prepares the city coun
cil for its regular meeting the
following Monday.
Nicholson Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Maysville Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Tuesday, April 8
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks
Crossing.
Thursday, April 10
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 1:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Monday, April 14
Commerce Council meets:
6:30 p.m., Commerce Room,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., Commerce High School
media center. The Commerce
Board of Education operates
the city's school system.
Tuesday, April 15
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, April 17
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00
p.m., First United Methodist
Church of Commerce. The
Pilot Club of Commerce meets
on the third Thursday of each
month.
Monday, April 21
Hospital autnority meets:
1:30 p.m., conference room,
BJC Hospital. The BJC Medical
Center Authority manages BJC
Hospital and Nursing Home.
Library board meets: 5:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
The Commerce Library Board
oversees the city library.
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients
and their families.
Tuesday, April 22
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks
Crossing.
Thursday, April 24
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 6:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Monday, April 28
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce
Planninq Commission makes
recommendations on zoning
requests and land use matters.
Tuesday, April 29
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, May 1
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Monday, May 5
Commerce Council meets:
6:00 p.m., City Hall. This "work
session" prepares the city coun
cil for its regular meeting the
following Monday.
Nicholson Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Maysville Council meets:
7:00 p.m., City Hall.
Tuesday, May 6
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Wednesday, May 7
Chamber breakfast: 7:30
a.m., location TBA. All mem
bers of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce
are invited.
Thursday, May 8
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., Commerce Elementary
School media center. This "work
session" of the Commerce
Board of Education is used to
prepare for the regular meeting
the following Monday night at
the same time.
Monday, May 12
Commerce Council meets:
6:30 p.m., Commerce Room,
Commerce Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00
p.m., Commerce High School
media center. The Commerce
Board of Education operates
the city's school system.
Tuesday, May 13
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks
Crossing.
Thursday, May 15
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 1:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Monday, May 19
Hospital autnority meets:
1:30 p.m., conference room,
BJC Hospital. The BJC Medical
Center Authority manages BJC
Hospital and Nursing Home.
Library board meets: 5:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
The Commerce Library Board
oversees the city library.
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients
and their families.
Tuesday, May 20
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
First United Methodist Church
of Commerce. The Pilot Club of
Commerce meets on the third
Thursday of each month.
Thursday, May 22
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 6:00
p.m., Commerce Public Library.
Monday, May 26
Memorial Day holiday: All
overnment offices and some
usinesses closed.
Tuesday, May 27
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m.,
BJC Medical Center cafeteria.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a
weight loss group. Weigh-in is
from 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks
Crossing.
Thursday, May 29
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon,
Commerce Civic Center.
But Mommy, didn't you say
that you can sell anything in
the classifieds?
Yes dear, but not
your little brother!
J
Yes, the Classifieds are a great place to buy or sell just about anything under the sun. Your $10 ad
runs in The Jackson Herald, The Commerce News, The Braselton News, The Banks County News,
The Madison County Journal and on mainstreetnews.com. And yes, you can make money cleaning
out those no longer used items from your attic, basement or garage and sell them for cash in the
Classifieds.
But please note: You cannot sell little brothers through the Classifieds. (For that you’d probably
have to take out a full page ad).
Call 706-335-2927 to place your classified ad
or on-line at www.mainstreetnews.com