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PAGE 6A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 4, 2009
DDA Wants Ordinances Made
More Available To Business Owners
Utilities Having to
Work With Customers
On Overdue Accounts
By Mark Beardsley
Downtown Commerce’s
new design guidelines
— including its new sign
and demolition ordinances
— will be completed soon,
but will people supposedly
governed by them actually
read them?
That’s an issue con
fronting the Downtown
Development Authority
that, while not the enforcing
agency for the ordinances,
is in charge of the redevel
opment — and appearance
— of the downtown area.
“Everybody always says 'I
didn’t know; nobody told
me,”' complained DDA
member Dr. Clark Hill at
the group’s Jan. 28 meeting.
Hill proposed that anyone
who buys or leases a down
town building should be
given a packet containing
the ordinances at the time
they seek an occupancy
permit.
By Angela Gary
The move of the voter
registration office to the
Administrative Building in
Jefferson and the opening
of two satellite offices led
to a smoother election sea
son last year, say county
officials.
Brenda Fulcher, supervi
sor of registration, spoke on
improvements and needs
of the department at the
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners meeting
Tuesday night. She said the
move of early voting out
of the historic courthouse
and into the Administrative
Building improved the vot
ing process.
“Because of the move, we
went from voting people in
the hall to voting people
in an auditorium equipped
with seating, a PA system
Peace Place
Plans Dance
Peace Place will hold its
eighth annual Valentine’s
Ball and silent auction at
7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14,
at the Winder Community
Center, 113 E. Athens
Street, Winder.
All proceeds will go to
the Peace Place shelter’s
operation budget and tran
sitional housing facility.
The fund-raising event is
black tie, optional, and will
include music for danc
ing by Shaken Not Stirred.
There will be a buffet din
ner and a cash bar.
Tickets are $50, and a
table for eight is $500 and
includes a gift basket, a
bottle of wine and recogni
tion in the event program.
Reservations are required
by Saturday, Feb. 7.
Contact Christine
Smith at 678-350-6381 or
peaceplace_events@wind-
stream.net.
According to DDA execu
tive director Hasco Craver,
City Hall gives a one-page
document containing all the
contact numbers, “every
thing they need to know’’
to anyone making inquiries
about starting a business in
the city.
Hill suggested changing
the document to require
prospective business oper
ators sign their names to
acknowledge receipt of the
information.
“I just don’t want to see us
spend a lot of money (on
the ordinances) and it not
be put to use,’’ Hill said.
Craver indicated he will
work to have the DDA’s cur
rent sign off sheet presented
to those seeking occupancy
permits.
DDA Get Final
OK On Info Center
The United States
Department of Agriculture
has approved the plans for
and plenty of room for poll
workers and voters,’’ she
said.
Another improvement was
opening satellite offices in
East and West Jackson.
“In 2004, we voted 3,417
during the presidential gen
eral election,’’ she said. “In
2008, we voted 14,797 dur
ing the presidential general
election. This was accom
plished because we now
have two satellite locations
up and running’’
Other improvements
included having easi
er access to the voting
machines, purchasing new
voting machines and hiring
extra personnel during the
elections.
Among the needs for the
voter registration office
Fulcher mentioned were the
following:
By Angela Gary
A citizen’s committee
overseeing restoration of
the historic courthouse
in Jackson County wants
the 1966 addition removed
from the structure.
That was among the
requests made by Charlotte
Mealor Tuesday night when
she gave the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
an update on the project.
The BOC took no action on
the request or on a request
to approve a $1.7 million
construction budget for the
project.
The courthouse was built
in 1879 and there have been
four major additions. Three
were in 1907 when the clock
tower and two side wings
containing vaults were
added. In 1966, an office
for the clerk of courts and
a civil defense area were
the renovation of the old
Collins Cleaners building
for a business development
center as well as the DDA’s
bid packet. That clears the
DDA to put the project out
for bid.
The city has a $70,000
USDA grant and has bud
geted $40,000 in city funds
for the project, a primary
purpose of which is to pro
vide public rest rooms to
support activities in Spencer
Park.
Because the USDA
requires any project over
$100,000 to be bonded, the
DDA will break the project
down into smaller compo
nents to try to avoid the
expense of bonding, which
could add $5,000 to $10,000
to its cost.
The goal is to get the work
done before the City Lights
Downtown Festival in late
spring.
“I’m not as worried about
•more voting machines
are needed due to the
growth of the county.
• newer laptops are
needed to keep up with the
demands during the voting
process.
•the two satellite loca
tions need to be utilized for
more than the two major
elections.
•part-time people should
be hired earlier in order to
complete the necessary
training before the election.
• more storage room is
needed for the retention of
mandated election material.
•improved handicapped
parking signs are needed
to show the elderly and dis
abled where to park.
•voting signs need to be
placed in a more visible
location.
• fireproof filing cabi-
added.
“It is the 1966 additions
that have caused us many
hours of discussion since
our first meeting,’’ Mealor
said. “Reasons to remove
the 1966 addition far out
weigh the reasons to keep
them.’’
Mealor said one of the
reasons to remove the addi
tion is because of structural
problems.
“The extent of damage
to the older walls dur
ing the 1966 construc
tion need to be correctly
assessed,’’ she said. “We
know already that there
are leaks where the two
additions are attached.
Also, the additions have
NOTE...from an ACS parent.
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wonderful spiritual atmosphere in
which to receive it. We appreciate
all the hard work of the ACS
faculty and staff. I would like to
thank you for providing
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We certainly appreciate this
encouraging note from one of our
parents. Yes, our goal is to provide
a "Quality Education in a Christian
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transportation from most areas.
You can find out more about
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the bidding and the con
tractor as the government
entities,’’ said Bob Sosebee,
chairman. “That’s where I
see we can get screwed up.’’
The city’s Public Works
Department has already gut
ted the building. The best-
case scenario for getting the
construction started is the
end of March.
“We’ll have it done before
City Lights,’’ Sosebee
pledged.
Search On For
New DDA Member
The DDA will interview
nominees or applicants for
a vacancy on the board.
Five people have expressed
interest or been suggested
to fill the seat formerly held
by Terry Minish. The DDA
will vote at its February
meeting on one of the five,
then submit the name to the
Commerce City Council to
consider at its March meet
ing.
nets are needed for voter
cards, absentee ballots and
returned voted ballots.
• more working space
is needed for office per
sonnel, along with a larger
facility to accommodate
citizens when they come in
to register.
“In the future, I would like
to see our office located
in a building that would be
used for voting and registra
tion purposes only,’’ Fulcher
said. “I would like to see this
location be handicapped
friendly with better parking
for citizens. By requesting
a location of our own, we
would be eliminating con
flicts of interest during the
election cycles with other
county offices requiring the
auditorium and conference
room during this same peri
od of time.’’
compromised the older
building because of the
leaks and the backfill used
to raise the floor level, as
well as preventing neces
sary air circulation in the
adjacent crawl space.’’
Mealor also pointed out
that the 1966 addition has
no historic value and little
usable space and that its
removal could improve the
potential for getting grants
from the National and
Georgia historic trusts.
“The 1966 additions are
obviously non-conform
ing to the structural lines,
the architectural flow and
rhythm to our 1879/1907
historic courthouse,’’ she
added.
By Kerri Testement
The pinch of a tough
economy isn’t just affect
ing customers — some
utility providers are notic
ing a rise in delinquent
accounts.
“In general terms, we
have seen an increase in
payment problems over
the past six months,’’ said
Bonnie Jones, a spokes
person for Jackson
EMC, which has more
than 193,000 individual
accounts in 10 Northeast
Georgia counties.
And with more
Americans losing their
jobs and homes, it’s not
too hard to see why the
number of delinquent
accounts is rising for some
utility providers.
“When money is tight,
we found that people are
having to make some dif
ficult decisions between,
'Do I pay my mortgage?
Do I pay my electric bill?
Do I buy prescription
medicines?”' Jones said.
Jackson Electric
Membership Corporation
keeps detailed information
on delinquent accounts
confidential, but Jones
said the number of “idle
meters’’ is rising.
“Idle meters’’ are those in
vacant houses or business
es that are not using elec
tricity. In 2007, Jackson
EMC reported 6,200 “idle
meters’’; in 2008, that fig
ure rose to 8,700 meters,
Jones said.
Georgia Power also said
the total number of dis
connected service slightly
rose in 2008, compared to
the previous year.
However, the number of
residential accounts that
were 30 days past due
rose 8.8 percent from 2007
to 2008, according to a
Georgia Power spokesper
son.
About 65 percent of
those customers had their
electricity service discon
nected for non-payment.
Service was later recon
nected when those cus
tomers worked out a pay
ment plan with Georgia
Power.
Jackson EMC is also
committed to helping cus
tomers keep their electric
ity turned on — even when
cash becomes tight.
Both electricity provid
ers say they are willing to
establish a payment plan
for those delinquent cus
tomers. And they also turn
to local emergency assis
tance agencies to help cus
tomers pay bills.
The Salvation Army’s
Project Share helps some
of those customers pay
their delinquent utility bills,
according to both Jackson
EMC and Georgia Power.
Jackson EMC also refers
its Jackson County cus
tomers to Action Inc., The
ARK, Earth Angels, and
the Department of Family
and Children’s Services
(DFACS).
But not all utility provid
ers report a significant rise
in delinquent accounts for
non-payment.
Sixmonths ago, Braselton
disconnected 1.14 percent
of its water and sewer cus
tomers for non-payment.
That figure decreased in
December to .85 percent
— or 33 customers out of
3,900, according to town
manager Jennifer Dees.
Braselton’s highest delin
quent account month was
October 2008 — when 1.47
percent or 58 customers
— were disconnected for
non-payment, according
to Dees.
The City of Commerce
says 90 percent of its natu
ral gas, water and electric
customers are making on-
time payments.
“That’s excellent,’’ said
Steve McKown, assistant
city manager. “That’s not a
big problem.’’
However, the city’s cof
fers are feeling the affect
of some its largest utility
customers that are facing
tough economic times,
he said. Commerce lost
Louisiana-Pacific (LP) as a
natural gas customer and
Huber Engineered Woods
recently announced it will
lay off 28 employees at its
Commerce plant and cut
back on production..
Commerce city employ
ees also sit down with
delinquent bill payers to
devise a payment plan,
McKown said.
Commerce has 2,385
natural gas accounts,
3,546 water customers and
2,880 electric customers,
he added.
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613 Hawthorne Ave. • Athens
Legion Post Starts Biker Unit
American Legion post 215 in Homer has started an
American Legion Riders chapter and seeks veterans
with motorcycles to join. Veterans from Banks County
and surrounding areas are invited.
Qualifications include being a member of the American
Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary or the Sons of
the American Legion and owning a motorcycle.
Further information will be provided at the first meet
ing. Meetings will be held the second Thursday of each
month at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Homer.
For more information, call 706-677-4258.
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Registrar Speaks Of Successes And Needs
Committee: Remove '66 Addition
To Old Jackson County Courthouse