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Authority To
Cut Rates To
Boost Cash Flow
By reducing its wholesale water
rate, the Jackson County Water
and Sewerage Authority hopes
to entice Braselton to buy water
from it instead of from Gwinnett
County.
The authority is expected to act
Thursday April 17, on a proposal
by its chairman, Hunter Bicknell,
to reduce its wholesale rate to a
flat $3 per 1,000 gallons.
Currently, the rates differ with
virtually every customer. The
authority sells water to both
Braselton and Hoschton, as well
as to Jefferson at rates ranging
from about $3 to $4.50 per 1,000
gallons.
Bicknell hopes the rate reduc
tion will allow the authority to sup
plant Gwinnett County as a water
supplier to Braselton, a move that,
he says, could bring in $30,000
a month in additional revenue
based on the sale of about 11 mil
lion gallons per month (mgm).
To do that, however, the author
ity would have to beat Gwinnett’s
price, which Bicknell said is $3.60
per 1,000 gallons.
Driving the proposal is the
authority’s cost for water from the
Bear Creek Reservoir, a cost that
declines (per 1,000 gallons) as it
takes more water. Selling an extra
11 (mgm) to Braselton would not
only generate more revenue for
the authority, but it would also
lower the authority’s overall cost
per 1,000 gallons. During 2006,
the authority’s average cost per
1,000 gallons was $1.50 as it sold
an average of 61.8 mgm. But in
2007, with sales restricted by the
drought, the cost rose to $2 per
1,000 gallons for the year and
peaked at $4.15 per 1,000 gallons
in November when water restric
tions reduced usage to 19.2 mil
lion gallons.
“We need to sell all the water
we can sell and drive down the
cost of water from Bear Creek,’’
pointed out manager Eric Klerk.
According to Bicknell, Braselton
buys about 11 mgm from Gwinnett
County. It also buys 700,000 gal
lons per day from Barrow County
at $1.60/1,000 gallons — a price
the authority can’t match.
The authority has apparently
made overtures to Braselton about
switching to Bear Creek water.
'They have indicated a price
they would like to get it for — less
than $3,’’ said Bicknell, who sug
gested that the authority could
probably do better. “If it is cheap
er from us, that 11 million gallons
a day would come from us, not
Gwinnett County,’’ he added.
Under its current tiered struc
ture, the more water a customer
buys, the more it costs per 1,000
gallons. Bicknell wants to do away
with that “conservation rate.’’
“We shouldn’t have conserva
tion pricing on our wholesale
sales,’’ he said. “Conservation
pricing should be handled at the
retail level.’’
While the change could ben
efit Braselton, it would have little
effect on Hoschton and Jefferson,
which also buy from the author
ity. Hoschton already pays about
$3/1,000, while Jefferson has
a long-standing contract under
which it can buy 200,000 to
250,000 gallons per day at well
under $3/1,000.
You Have To
File A Return To
Get Federal Check
By Allie Byrd
The U.S. government is giving
money away this summer. But to
be eligible for it, people must file
a 2007 tax return.
As part of the Economic
Stimulus Act of 2008, the U.S. gov
ernment plans to return money
to U.S. citizens in an effort to
bolster the country’s economy,
which is teetering on the verge of
recession.
Eligible people will receive up
to $600. Parents will get $300 per
child under 17.
“The stimulus is targeted to a
broad number of consumers, so
there are a lot of people who are
eligible for at least some portion
of the stimulus payment,’’ said
Michael Rupured, a University of
Georgia Cooperative Extension
consumer economics specialist.
“For most people, all you need
to do is file your 2007 income
taxes.’’
You must have a valid Social
Security number to receive a
check, he said.
People who are not normally
required to file a federal tax return
will not receive a stimulus pay
ment unless they take the extra
step and file, Rupured said.
“As long as they have more than
$3,000 in income they’ll need to
file to make sure they get a pay
ment,’’ he said.
Some people are not eligible, he
said. If you have less than $3,000
in income or if you have income
above a certain level, you are not
eligible.
The Internal Revenue Service
web site, www.irs.gov, has a calcu
lator to determine how much you
will receive. You will need your
2007 federal income tax return to
use it. The payment schedule is
there, too.
Allie Byrd is a student writer with
the University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.
PETCO To Locate
Distribution
Center In Braselton
PETCO, a national retailer of
pet food, supplies and services,
plans to open a large distribution
center in Braselton.
The San Diego-based company
is slated to open its distribution
center in a vacant 506,200 square-
foot facility on Ga. Hwy. 124,
near Ga. Hwy. 211. The building is
located in the Braselton Business
Park in Barrow County.
“We are delighted that PETCO
has chosen Braselton as the loca
tion for their new distribution facil
ity,’’ Braselton mayor Pat Graham
said in a statement Monday. “We
appreciate their investment and
the new jobs they are bringing to
Braselton.’’
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s office
reported Monday that PETCO is
expected to invest $33 million in
the Braselton distribution center
that will serve the Southeast. At
full capacity, the company plans
to have up to 277 employees,
according to a statement from the
governor.
“Georgia’s strength in logistics
makes it a top choice for national
retailers like PETCO,’’ Gov. Perdue
said in a statement. “Our robust
transportation network and ready
workforce are a natural fit for dis
tribution centers.’’
Dave Watson, senior vice presi
dent of Grubb and Ellis Company,
said he expects PETCO to move
into the building in 120 days.
PETCO signed a 12-year lease for
the facility, he added.
The building was occupied by
Sears, before Sears relocated to
Pendergrass in 2007.
Watson said PETCO’s Braselton
building cannot be expanded.
Tractor Supply is located a short
distance on Hwy. 124 from the
facility.
Other major distribution centers
in the area include Haverty’s, The
Home Depot, Whole Foods and
Mayfield Dairy.
PETCO operates more than 850
stores in 49 states and the District
of Columbia, and has more than
100,000 pet-related products,
according to the company’s web
site.
Water District
To Promote
Conservation
The Oconee River Soil and
Water Conservation District is
asking residents to take personal
responsibility to be good stew
ards of the natural resources,
including water, during its annual
Stewardship Week celebration.
The National Association of
Conservation Districts (NACD)
has proclaimed April 27-May 4,
as Stewardship Week with the
theme, “Water is Life.’’
Current population trends and
prevailing drought conditions are
impacting significantly the water
resources within the area. District
officials say water conservation
is key.
The Oconee River Soil and
Water Conservation District pro
vides all interested members of
the community with an opportu
nity to learn more about efforts in
promoting natural resources con
servation and a way to actively
become a part of it. With educa
tional programs related to conser
vation in farming, forestry, urban
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and wildlife areas, the district
can help citizens achieve a bet
ter understanding of sustainable
ways of conserving soil, water, air,
plants and animals.
David Jackson is the chairman
for Oconee River Soil and Water
Conservation District. The dis
trict was formed to assist people
in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and
Oconee counties.
During Stewardship Week, the
Oconee River Soil and Water
Conservation District will con
duct a poster contest through 4-H
to all fifth graders in the district’s
four-county area.
The district will also hold a photo
contest in the four counties. The
photo contest will be opened to
the public (all ages). Both contests
will be held in the spring.
The district is encouraging high
school students to attend a 2008
natural resources conservation
workshop that will be held at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural
College in Tifton June 8-12. The
student attending from Oconee
River SWCD that receives the
highest score on behalf of the dis
trict students will receive a $200
scholarship.
The Oconee River Soil and Water
Conservation District is a mem
ber of the National Association
of Conservation Districts, which
oversees the Stewardship Week
program.
Rep. Benton Brings
Home State Funds
For Local Causes
Rep. Tommy Benton announced
this week that he has acquired
local assistance grants for several
projects, including the following:
• $3,000 for the South Jackson
Fire Department to purchase
imaging camera equipment.
• $4,000 for the Commerce Fire
Department for personal protec
tion equipment.
•$5,000 to the Jefferson Fire
Department for extraction tools.
• $3,000 to the City of Braselton
for library equipment.
County Considers
Environmental
Health Lee Hikes
The Jackson County Board of
Commissioners reviewed several
proposed fee increases Monday
Public Notice
The Annual Report of the
Harmony Grove Foundation,
Inc. is available at the office
of First Commerce Bank for
inspection during regular busi
ness hours, by any citizen
who requests it within 180
days from April 15, 2008. The
address of the Harmony Grove
Foundation, Inc. is 1731 North
Elm Street, Commerce, GA.
Harmony Grove Foundation,
Inc.
Charles W. Blair, Jr.
Secretary
for the environmental health ser
vices offered by the health depart
ment. Action on the increases will
be taken when the BOC meets at
6 p.m. Monday, April 21, at the
courthouse in Jefferson.
Most of the proposed increases
range from $25 to $100.
In other business at Monday’s
meeting, the BOC discussed sev
eral items that will be acted on
at the April 21 meeting, including
the following:
• a request from Sonny Pruitt
to allow an additional house to
be located at 11612 Hwy. 124 due
to a medical hardship. Pruitt is
attempting to divide his property
and the location of a house makes
the division difficult.
• a request from Double Oaks
Golf Course, located at 3100
Ila Road, Commerce, for an
alcohol license. The license is
necessary due to a change in
ownership of the golf course,
formerly known as Sandy
Creek Golf Course.
•a request from Publix Super
Markets for an alcohol license for
its new store located at 6055 Hwy.
124 West, Hoschton.
•a recommendation to name
New South Construction as the
construction manager for the new
jail project and to approve $20,000
for pre-construction services.
• a proposed policy for the
acquisition of right-of-way that will
allow the process to proceed more
quickly. It will take out the require
ment that appraisals be conducted.
A policy will be in place outlining
how the “fair market value’’ of a
property is determined and the
property owner and county must
agree on the price.
•a recommendation to award
a bid to Green South Equipment
for $69,125 and to Presley’s Farm
and Garden for $7,039 for tractor
and mowing equipment.
• a proposal to declare four trac
tors and four mowers as surplus
property.
•a proposed amendment to
the budget to move $76,164 from
property and liability insurance
for 13 departments to the road
department’s major equipment
line item.
•a recommendation to extend
the 10-year solid waste contract
with Waste Management.
• a recommendation on how the
five percent victims assistance
funds should be distributed.
The proposal calls for allocating
the money for The Tree House,
Peace Place, the Court Appointed
Special Advocates for Children
program and the Piedmont Rape
Crisis Center.
•a proposed intergovernmen
tal agreement with the City of
Commerce to utilize the county’s
geodetic services contract with
Wood Brothers to set 12 monu
ments up in the city. The city will
reimburse the county $800 per
monument.
• a proposed resolution con
cerning the financing of coun
ty road and sewer projects
through the issuance of rev
enue bonds.
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