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frzfr Region Roundup
Rezonng Request
For Industrial
Park Withdrawn
JEFFERSON - Developers
looking to locate a major
industrial development in
South Jackson have with
drawn their request.
The request for the pro
posed Jackson Park devel
opment was on the agenda
for this week’s meeting
of the Jackson County
Planning Commission.
However, county staff
reports that the request has
been withdrawn.
There had been a good
bit of criticism about the
proposal by Forestar Real
Estate Group for a zoning
change that would have
allowed the development of
a 701-acre industrial park
along Hwy. 129, starting 1.3
miles north of the Athens-
Clarke County line at Mary
Collier Road. The property
is a large tract of forestland
across from South Jackson
Elementary School.
Several area residents
have already opposed
the project and have spo
ken out against the plans.
Traffic volume, strains on
infrastructure and threats to
the air and water quality are
among the concerns some
South Jackson residents
have about the proposed.
The Northeast Georgia
Regional Development
Center has also said the
project would “not be in the
best interest" of the region
and state. According to the
Northeast Georgia Regional
Development Center, the
proposed development
conflicts with the county’s
future land use map which
designates the area as “rural
places."
Jefferson Eyes
Increases For
Water, Sewerage
Some major water and
sewer rate increases are
being considered by the
Jefferson City Council to
help balance the 2009 bud
get, which is expected to be
tight due to fewer tap fees
being sold.
Customers who use
less than 2,000 gallons of
water per month will see
no change to their water
and sewer bills. Those who
use less than 6,000 gallons
per month will see their
bill increase by $8.45 per
month, or about 16 percent.
Officials said two-thirds of
all users use less than 6,000
gal. per month.
The biggest increase will
be for major commercial
users. A commercial user,
such as a restaurant, that
uses 22,500 gallons per
month will see its rate
increase from $244 to $345,
a 41 percent jump.
A very high commercial
user that uses 975,000 gal
lons or more per month will
see its bill go from $10,618
per month to $13,912 per
month.
The water rate increases
are expected to generate
22 percent more in water
sales revenue to the city
next year to $3.2 millon,
up from $2.6 million in the
2008 budget.
The Jefferson water and
sewer budget also calls for
a five percent pay hike for
all water and sewer depart
ment employees.
The new rate schedule for
residential, commercial and
industrial was presented to
the Jefferson City Council
last week for consideration.
Action will be taken at the
next meeting, set for 6 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 24, at the
civic center.
County Still
Seeking Ways
To Trim Budget
JEFFERSON - Jackson
County leaders are still
working to cut budgets
while less revenue is coming
in for some departments.
One department that is
seeing a significant decrease
is building permit revenue,
which is down to $273,490
so far this year, compared
to $535,203 last year, a 49
percent decline.
As for cutting expenses,
four of the biggest depart
ments - court system, gen
eral government, public
safety and public works
— have already cut their
budgets by five percent or
more.
The court system budget
has been cut by $26,921; the
general government budget
has been cut by $55,721;
public safety has been cut
$53,011; and public works
has been cut $85,488.
Consultants
Doing OK
In Bad Economy
JEFFERSON - The financ
es may be tight in Jackson
County and other local gov
ernments, but one group
appears to not be hurting
too much in the downturn
— consultants.
So far in 2008, the Jackson
County government has
paid over $2.5 million to
consultants. In addition, the
county has retained its for
mer interim manager as a
staff employee even after
having hired his replace
ment.
Leonard Myers served
as interim manager before
Darrell Hampton was hired
as the county manager. He
has remained on the payroll
as a county employee to fin
ish projects that were begun
during his time as interim
manager, officials said. He
has also facilitated several
retreats for the board of
commissioners.
To tab for those duties
has come to a little over
$68,000 in 2008 on top of
the $112,000 salary being
paid to Hampton.
Another former county
employee who is now work
ing as a consultant for the
county is also doing well in
2008. Former planning direc
tor/engineer Don Clerici’s
company, BM&K PC, has
earned over $552,000 year
to date as a consultant to
the county. Clerici oversees
county capital projects,
including the fire training
facility, new jail, airport
expansion, senior center
construction and other bond
projects. He has an office in
a county building behind the
sheriff’s office.
Another major consulting
firm, Moreland Altobelli
Associates, has also earned
some large dollars from the
county in 2008. The firm
has garnered over $425,000
year to date for design and
engineering work on vari
ous county road projects
around the new jail.
The jail project and the
fire training center have also
netted Precision Planning
consulting $429,000 this
year in design and engi
neering work for the new
facilities.
Other fees paid to consul
tants during 2008 are:
•$47,136, David Sutton,
comprehensive land use
plan.
•$20,648, Venable and
Associates, boundary sur
vey for airport and other
survey work related to
roads.
•$12,500, Dorfman
Consulting, cost of services
study.
•$9,377, Allan Smith
Consultants, senior cen
ter project, Community
Development Block Grant
application.
•$5,956, THC Inc., prop
erty acquisition for airport.
•$11,834, ECS Southeast,
environmental survey for
historic courthouse.
•$9,221, Geo-Hydro
Engineering, soil and water
analysis at the new jail site.
•$27,683, Elliott, Leboeuf
& McElwain, construction
design work on fire training
facility and new jail project.
•$138,990, Heath &
Lineback, engineering of
various road projects.
•$16,549, Southeastern
Traffic Signals, design and
installation of traffic sig
nals.
•$196,930, Arcadis G&M
Inc., engineering of John B.
Brooks Road.
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•$6,734, Wilbur Smith
Associates, engineering
for Zion Church Road and
right of-way.
•$31,975, Mickie A.
Mcjunkin, real estate rep
resentative for land acquisi
tion for Zion Church Road
right-of-way.
•$1,564, The Develop
ment Group Inc., $1,564,
land acquisition for Zion
Church Road right-of-way.
•$10,720, NEAS, asbes
tos sampling for land acqui
sition for Zion Church Road
right-of-way.
•$296,689, Talbert and
Bright, grading, drainage
design and engineering for
airport extension project.
•$13,975, Beck, Taylor
and Beshara, stormwa
ter engineering for East
Jackson Park, horse riding
arena and jail project.
•$2,054, University of
Georgia, BOC retreat facili
tation.
•$63,371, Emergency
Billing LLC, outsourcing of
EMS billing collections.
•$74,031, Wood Brothers
and Scott, geodetic monu
ment marker survey and
replacement.
• $7,487, Patton and Boyer,
feasibility assessments for
various road projects and
portion of airport extension
project.
•$4,125, Brewer
Engineering, site plan civil
engineering drawings for
SR 98 entrance.
•$113,871, Traylor Busi
ness Services, auditing of
tax appraisals and parcels.
•$3,450, C&W Appraisal
Services, assessment of tax
appraisal appeals.
•$29,811, World
Marketing, Atlanta, process
ing of tag renewals.
YMCA Pitches
Location
In Hoschton
The YMCA wants to open
a facility in West Jackson —
and a mixed-use project in
Hoschton seems to be the
perfect spot, according to
those in favor of the proj
ect.
Kurt Stringfellow, presi
dent and CEO of the YMCA
of Georgia’s Piedmont area,
said he noticed on his
weekly drives to a Braselton
church that a 59-acre project
on Ga. Hwy. 53 in Hoschton
would be the right spot for a
YMCA
Stringfellow contacted the
project’s developers about
donating land for a YMCA.
Hoschton Properties LLC
is developing Creekside
Village, a mixed-use proj
ect next to West Jackson
Primary School that will
include 144 residential lots,
and retail space.
But to make it possible to
donate land to the YMCA,
the company said it needs
a financial tradeoff.
The company is asking the
city to approve several chang
es to its zoning conditions,
including converting several
lots designated for detached
houses in exchange for 12
townhouses.
“We have to make the
bank happy to even get the
YMCA done," said Chad
Stewart, a representative
for the company.
And while the Hoschton
Planning Commission
voiced its support for the
proposed YMCA Monday, it
didn’t favor plans to include
townhouses in the develop
ment.
The planning commis
sion recommended that the
requested zoning condi
tions be changed, except
for the townhouses.
The Hoschton City
Council will discuss the
planning commission’s rec
ommendations Thursday,
Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., and is
expected to vote on the pro
posal Monday, Dec. 8, at
7 p.m.
BOC Okays
Work To Make
Road Safer
Road improvements to
address safety issues at
Gum Springs Elementary
School will move forward
following action of the
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners Monday
night.
In a 3-1 vote, the BOC
agreed to spend $16,000
for sidewalks, a crosswalk
and signs from Magnolia
Pointe Subdivision to the
school. Commissioner Tom
Crow voted against this,
while Bruce Yates, Jody
Thompson and Dwain
Smith voted in favor of it.
The Jackson County
Board of Education will
spend $5,000 to continue
the sidewalks onto school
property.
County and school lead
ers have been concerned
about safety issues with
students walking and rid
ing bicycles to the West
Jackson school. District 3
commissioner Bruce Yates,
who represents the West
Jackson area, has been ada
mant in his support of these
improvements. But some of
the other BOC members
expressed concern that it
will set an expensive prec
edent for similar projects
near other county schools.
Crow has said that the sub
division residents or owners
should be responsible for
making the improvements.
He said the only children
using the sidewalk would be
those from the subdivision.
Yates said it is “an obliga
tion of government to solve
its own mistake" by making
the improvements.
VETERAN'S DAY...On November
11, ACS had a school-wide
assembly to observe Veteran's
Day. The program included songs
by some of our choral groups,
tributes to ACS Veterans and to
graduates now serving in the
Armed Forces. It was a very heart
touching time together.
It is very fitting that we honor the
past so that we can appreciate the
sacrifice and valor that has
purchased our precious freedom.
Our American values and our
Christian values are part and
parcel of the educational
programs at Athens Christian
School.
Please call for an appointment
for a tour of our modern facilities.
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
Happy 25th
Wedding Anniversary
Mov. 12, 1983 ~ Mov. 12, 2008
John Daniel Moore
end Cathy Ann Moore
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