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PAGE 6A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. TUNE 4. 2008
Group Moves To Get OK From EPD
To Allow Residents To Water Lawns
Jackson County water system
customers may get to water their
lawns with sprinklers and irriga
tion systems in the near future.
The Upper Oconee Basin
Water Authority which manages
the Bear Creek Reservoir that
supplies Jackson County voted
May 28 to prepare data so mem
ber water systems can appeal
to the Environmental Protection
Division for relief from the cur
rent drought restrictions.
That will allow the Jackson
County Water and Sewerage
Authority to apply to the EPD for
a relaxing of drought restrictions.
Bill Martello of Jordan Jones
& Goulding Inc., which manag
es the reservoir and water plant,
explained the options for getting
relief from the EPD.
Based on the current reservoir
level, stream flow in the Middle
Oconee River and the soil mois
ture content, Martello projected
that the authority would “qualify”
for any one of three relief sce
narios put forth by the EPD in
recent weeks.
Some 55 counties in North
Georgia remain under state level
four restrictions, the major fea
ture of which is limiting outdoor
watering to 25 minutes a day with
a hand-held hose and automatic
nozzle on an odd-even schedule.
The EPD now offers three alter
natives, levels 4A, 4B and 4C,
which offer watering one to three
days a week respectively, assum
ing water systems can demon
strate that their systems can han
dle the additional water usage.
The authority vote Wednesday
was to seek the 4A designation,
to allow watering with sprinklers
and sprinkler systems one day a
week.
“The Operations Committee
recommends one day a week
rather than three days a week,”
commented Gary Dodd, chair
man of the authority’s Operations
Committee.
Each of the water systems must
apply for relief individually, but
those using water from the Bear
Creek Reservoir will all use the
same data.
Other water departments, such
as those in Jefferson, Commerce,
Hoschton, Braselton, Maysville
and Nicholson, would submit
applications based on their own
data related to water storage and
usage.
Members of the county water
authority have repeatedly
expressed a desire to get the EPD
to relax its restrictions so the
authority can sell more water to
improve its cash flow.
Officials at the basin authority
agreed to leave it to utility direc
tors to work out a schedule by
which homeowners would be
assigned a day each week they
could water, based on address
es.
The Do's And Don'ts Of Outdoor Water Use
Georgia’s historic drought con
tinues. While local governments
(Commerce and the Jackson
County Water and Sewerage
Authority) are appealing to the
state for some relief to state-
ordered water use restrictions,
here’s a capsule of what is and
is not permitted.
Permitted:
•the watering or irrigation of
food gardens.
•hand watering of existing
landscaping using one gar
den hose, 25 minutes a day,
between midnight and 10:00
a.m., on designated days. Odd-
numbered addresses may hand
water Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Sundays. Even-numbered
addresses may hand water
Mondays, Wednesdays and
Saturdays. The hose must be
hand-held during watering and
equipped with a standard spray
nozzle that automatically turns
off when not hand-held.
•the watering of newly
installed landscaping which has
been in place less than 30 days
for up to three days a week from
midnight to 10:00 a.m. only for
10 consecutive weeks and dur
ing plant installation. The odd-
even address rule applies.
•Professionally installed new
landscaping may be watered
during installation and for 30
days following installation. This
watering may take place on any
day of the week at any time of
the day.
•The filling of swimming
pools is permitted. Plastic or
vinyl children’s play pools may
be filled.
•Any person watering newly
installed landscaping, including
overseeding of lawns, must reg
ister with the “Outdoor Water
Use Registration Program” at
http://www.urbanagcouncil.
com/ prior to watering newly
installed landscaping. Following
the completion of an online test,
a permit will be issued.
Not Permitted
•You may not use your allot
ted time for uses other than
watering plants.
•You may not perform any
outdoor washing or use water
for recreational activities (other
than pools). No kids playing in
the sprinkler, thank you.
•You may not wash your car,
truck or other vehicle, but you
can take it to a commercial car
wash.
•As a property owner, you
may not use sprinklers or irriga
tion systems except as noted
above.
•You may not pressure wash
your own property, but you can
hire a company to do it for
you.
•You may not use water to
clean your gutters or down
spouts.
Group Moves To Upgrade Water Plant Capacity
Nowhere near to using all of the
water to which they’re entitled,
Jackson County’s representatives
on the regional water authority
aren’t brimming with excitement
about increasing the water plant
capacity.
Delegates Pat Bell and Eric
Klerk were mum when the vote
was taken last Wednesday to
complete a preliminary engineer
ing report on upgrading the water
plant’s capacity by 5.5 million gal
lons per day (mgd).
While Jackson owns the right
to 25 percent of the water in the
reservoir, its ownership of the
water plant limits it to 9.3 million
gallons a day. Its current usage is
under 2 mgd.
Bell and Klerk didn’t vote against
the plan, which would provide
Jackson County another 2.4 mgd
of treatment capacity — possi
bly because that’s the cheapest
capacity they’re likely to be able
to add and because it will put
their treatment potential to 11.5
mgd — very close to their 13 mgd
entitlement share in the reservoir.
They just abstained.
But Bell couldn’t resist a dig at
the board.
“Did we not learn that the prob
lem was the reservoir?” she asked,
referring to the drought which last
fall had officials making monthly
predictions about when the reser
voir would run dry.
“That was your opinion,” coun
tered Gary Dodd, who chairs
the authority’s Operations
Committee, which recommended
continued work on the project.
“The rest of us felt that the reser
voir served its purpose. We got
into the winter months with 60
percent of the water left.”
“My point is that the reservoir
needs more attention than the
treatment plant,” returned Bell.
The vote authorized the further
expenditure of $30,000, but Dodd
noted that the authority will save
about $75,000 because the EPD
liked the results of the first half
of a high-rate study so much it
waived the need for the second
half.
The next step, said Dodd, is a
complete analysis of the plant to
make sure it can support treat
ment of an additional 5.5 mgd
from the standpoint of capacity
of its pumps, chemical feeds,
etc.
‘Gold Award’
In other business, Jack Dozier,
executive director of the Georgia
Association of Water Officials,
presented the authority its fourth
consecutive “Gold Award” for
completing the year without a
single permit violation.
“There are literally thousands of
opportunities in a year (for a per
mit violation),” he pointed out.
Chairman Melvin Davis pointed
to Kevin Williams, who manages
the water plant and reservoir for
Jordan Jones & Goulding.
“I think that’s the man that the
award needs to be presented to,”
Davis said.
Utility Directors Start Web Site
Jackson County’s utility directors now have their own Web site.
The site, www.jusal.webs.com, will be used to pass along general
information, reports Mark Dudziak of the Jackson County Water and
Sewerage Authority, who launched the site.
“We want the public to see that we’re organized, who is involved and
that we do meet every other month,” Dudziak said. “I would love to
have some suggestions as to what they want on there.”
The official sponsor is the Jackson County Utility Supervisors
Association.
Participants include the county water and sewer authorities and rep
resentatives of Commerce, Jefferson, Maysville, Nicholson, Hoschton
and Braselton.
“If they’re a water and sewerage provider in Jackson County, they’re
involved in it, Dudziak said.
The page offers information on water conservation, an overview
of wastewater treatment, links to information on rain barrels and
on how to get hooked up to the local water service. It will also offer
links to Jackson County, the EPA, EPD and the Water Environmental
Federation.
“Fridays After Five”
June 6
Christian CHiHf Care
OPENING SOON!
• Family Owned and Operated
• 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Monday - Friday
• 6 weeks - 12 years
• Before/After School
• Summer Camp
• A Beka Curriculum
NOW ENROLLING
Bring your lawn chairs
and blankets! Come
and enjoy a FREE
Movie in the Park at
Spencer Park in
downtown Commerce.
With the help of a
Georgia Council for the
Arts Grassroots Arts
Program Grant, the
Commerce Downtown
Development Authority
is showing Surf’s Up, a
G-Rated movie on a 20’
x 20’ inflatable movie
screen equipped with a professional sound system.
Food venders will be present.
Movies start at dusk (8:30 p.m.)
and the concerts start at 6:30 p.m.
June 6
“Surf’s Up”
F«B
First Commerce Bank
GRASSROOTS
A^TS
program
Call for details: 706-340-3654
or 706-983-9350
www.candycastleccc.com
370 Broad St., Nicholson, GA 30565
The Pepsi Bottling Group
[H United
P IT ^1 Community Bank.
The Bank That SERVICE Built."
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County Votes To Make
Heavy Equipment Purchase
By Angela Gary
New tractors, graders and
other heavy equipment will
soon be rolling through Jackson
County.
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners agreed
Monday night in a 3-1 vote
to purchase heavy equipment
for the road department from
Yancey Brothers Company.
Commissioners Bruce Yates,
Dwain Smith and Tom Crow
voted in favor of this, while Jody
Thompson voted against it.
The agreement with Yancey
Brothers calls for the heavy
equipment the county currently
uses to be traded in for the
new equipment. The county will
be able to obtain $4.6 million
worth of equipment for $1.8
million, after the trade-in allow
ance.
The equipment will come
with a guaranteed buy-back
value of $2.5 million after
three years.
Three bidders were disquali
fied because county staff said
their bids did not follow the
guidelines. Representatives
from one of the companies that
was disqualified, Tractor and
Equipment in Hoschton, were
at Monday’s meeting to air their
concerns.
Bert Blackburn of Tractor
and Equipment said the com
pany did provide a warranty,
although staff said they did
not. The guidelines asked that a
three-year warranty be offered.
The company’s bid included a
six-year warranty instead. Staff
also noted that the company
did not provide a buy-back
price on all of the equipment
that they bid.
Finance director John Hulsey
said that if the company’s
request was reconsidered, the
entire project should be re-bid
because two other companies
were also disqualified.
Blackburn said the problems
with his company’s bid were
“technicalities” and they could
be addressed. He added that
the county would save $150,000
by using a local vendor.
County manager Darrell
Hampton said it is the respon
sibility of the bidder, not the
county, to clarify any confusion
about the process.
Hugh Smith, one of the own
ers of Tractor Equipment, said,
“I wanted this bid to be fair. That
is all I ask for. ... To state I was
disqualified for my warranty
and it is right here in the bid ... I
don’t understand it.”
Chairman Pat Bell said, “When
staff tells me our bid process is
not flawed, I have to believe it.”
Other Action
In other action at the meeting
Monday night, the BOC:
• approved a request from rec
reation director Ricky Sanders
for a full-time maintenance posi
tion to mow grass and maintain
the 35-acre East Jackson Park.
The impact on the budget will
be $26,000.
• approved an agreement with
the Jackson County Water and
Sewerage Authority for the relo
cation of existing water lines
within the North/South Apple
Valley Road and State Route 15
Alt. intersection project.
•agreed for the chairman to
execute a contract with CSX
Transportation for the John B.
Brooks Road improvement proj
ect.
• renewed the contract
between the county and the
Georgia Department of
Corrections for the care and
custody of up to 174 inmates
housed at the Jackson County
Correctional Institute.
•agreed to purchase three
vans for the building and
grounds department. The
money will come from the fleet
reserve funds.
•agreed for staff to compile
a proposed intergovernmental
agreement for the county to use
for joint projects.
•after meeting in closed ses
sion, agreed to offer the owner
of a “piece of identified prop
erty” more than the appraised
value of the land. No further
details were given.
Jackson County
Needs A Change!
JIM
KEINARD
for Sheriff of
Jackson County
‘The Profess!
Formal Education
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Bachelor of Science in
Criminal Justice
Masters in Social Administration
Masters in Public Administration
Doctorate in Public
Administration (ABD)
Juris Doctor in Law
Georgia POST Certifications
Basic Police Mandate
#P710008000S
Police Management
#PA04860080S
onal Choice,
Awards
1991 Gwinnett County
Officer of Year
1990 Finalist Gwinnett County
Officer of Year
1986 Citation for Professional
Excellence
Law Enforcement Training
FBI National Academy
DEA National Training Institute
Traffic Institute, Northwestern
University
Georgia Police Academy
Macon Police Academy
Work Experience
Investigator, Gwinnett County Schools
Revenue Special Agent,
State of Georgia
Detective/Police Officer,
City of Macon
Air Police Officer, U. S. Air Force
(Over thirty-seven years of law
enforcement experience)
Personal Data
Lives in Hoschton with wife, Carol,
who is retired from Bell South.
They have two children and two
grandchildren.
Member of Hebron Baptist Church
Hoschton City Council Member
2003-2007
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