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Commerce News RegiOil RoUndttP PAGE2A • MARCH 4,2009 Commission Discusses Expenditures Renewing the county’s annual $100,000 contribu tion to the chamber of com merce and approving more than $280,000 for furniture at the new jail were among the items discussed by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners Monday night. The BOC will take action on these items when it meets at 6 p.m. Monday, March 16, at the courthouse. At this week’s meeting, the BOC heard a request from the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce to again provide $100,000 for the year. This money was included in the budget and recognizes the chamber’s role in leading the county’s economic development effort. Planners Nix Request For Welding Shop In a split vote Thursday night, the Jackson County Planning Commission rec ommended denial of a Nicholson man’s request to use his property to operate a small welding business. The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will take action on the request at its March 16 meeting. Marvin A. Gaines asked for a home business license to operate B&M Welding in a building on his property at 1105 Cabin Creek Drive. He said he had discussed his plans with his neighbors and no one is opposed to the business. No one spoke in opposition at the plan ning commission meeting. Planning members John Gaissert, Don Segraves and Tim Cornelison voted for denial. A1 Venable voted in favor of the project. In other business, the plan ning commission: • unanimously approved a request from John Adams to rezone one acre at 10216 Commerce Road from A-2 to HRC. Adams plans to construct a pole barn. • approved an amendment to the unified development code to clarify permitted uses in each zoning dis trict and to consolidate the inactive A-l and A-3 zoning districts into the AR zoning district. • approved an amend ment to the comprehensive plan to revise the zoning classification of 221 parcels along Hwy. 124 and Hwy. 53 to more accurately reflect their current uses. •learned that a request from Fred Willis for a home business license to operate a dental lab at 91 Hunter Drive had been withdrawn. United Way Surpasses Goal In Jackson Co. The Jackson County United Way Advisory Board recently announced that it exceeded its 2008 goal of raising $75,000 for the United Way of Northeast Georgia. Jackson County has raised at least $90,659 for the United Way, according to the group. Donations received from residents and businesses in the county help Northeast Georgia residents receive services from the many agencies supported by United Way of Northeast Georgia. Last year, United Way support assisted more than 9,483 individuals, provided 511,905 pounds of food and provided $81,987 in services to the residents of Jackson County. The top donor honor for this year’s campaign goes to Publix #1188 in West Jackson and store man ager James Neese. Publix pledged $26,190 this year. The United Way is still accepting donations and pledges. To make a donation to United Way of Northeast Georgia, whether it be by one-time gift by cash or check, a payroll deduction at work, or direct billing, contact Bonnie Jones at Jackson EMC at 706-367- 6114. Action Urged To Prevent Pine Beetle Damage Local forest landown ers are being urged to take advantage of available assis tance that helps combat the destructive southern pine beetle. The Georgia Forestry Commission is offering a number of solutions to battle the pest, which has caused more than $250 million in Georgia timber losses since 1972. “Forest landowners should contact us now to arrange for any of several services that can improve the health of their stands and increase their value,’’ said James Johnson, for est health coordinator for the GFC. “For the seventh consecutive year we are offering a cost-share pro gram that provides signifi cant assistance for preven tion and relief from south ern pine beetle attacks.’’ April 15 is the deadline by which landowners must sign up for the Southern Pine Beetle Cost-Share Program, according to Johnson. The program helps fund practices that support forest health, including non-com mercial thinning (reducing the number of stems per acre to an optimum level), pine release treatments (removing unwanted hard woods from the stand and lowering the number of stems per acre), prescribed burning, southern pine bee tle infestation treatments, and replanting stands har vested due to southern pine beetle attacks. These healthy forestry practices are also known to increase wildlife benefits for many species, including deer, turkey and quail. For more information, contact a GFC office or visit GaTrees.org/ ForestManagement/spb. cfm. — Reservoir Cont. from Page 1A their property. What’s next? The authority could go to court to get access. “I won’t know what’s next until I meet with the board,’’ Klerk said. The manager said a num ber of citizens raised the valid point that the cur rent status — three poten tial sites — leaves a lot of people facing uncertainty in regard to what could happen to their land. “I would like to see the county pick one site so we don’t keep three areas where people are on pins and needles,’’ Klerk com mented. “The people were saying 'we’re in limbo. How long before you decide whether it is or is not the site.’ That’s a valid complaint.’’ The problem is that the county and its engi neering consultant can’t select the site until they get access to all of the proposed locations. While the authority did not achieve success in get ting more access, Klerk said he was “heartened’’ by the response of those who turned out, the vast majority of whom were cordial, polite and asked a lot of questions. Cities Postpone Meetings Due To Storm Southeast Toyota Cutting Work Force, Wages By Mark Beardsley Southeast Toyota Inland Processing in Commerce will trim its workforce by 33 by March 25 and is cut ting pay for all remaining employees. Facing declining sales and with no expecta tions of improvement in the near future, SET will reduce its workforce by 110 at its processing plants in Jacksonville and Commerce. “The automotive industry is facing its lowest levels in 40 years and analysts do not predict an upturn in the foreseeable future,’’ said Bob Moore, vice pres ident and general manager of SET vehicle process ing. “As a result, we are adjusting our organiza tional structure to align with the current market and significant declines in the number of vehicles we process.’’ To achieve the reduction, SET has offered volunteer severance packages to its 173 hourly production work ers with the goal of enticing 31 to accept. “If we get more than 31 takers, we will base our decision on tenure,’’ Moore said. “If we get less than 31, we will need to implement some mandatory separa tion packages.’’ The supervisory staff was offered the same options, with the goal of reducing it by two persons, Moore said. The announcement was made Monday, Feb. 23. Employees have until March 25 to make a decision. The pay cuts were announced Tuesday. They range from four to 10 per cent, with lower-wage employees receiving small er percent cuts and higher- level employees the greater amounts, Moore explained. Some entry-level wages were not cut. One person on the admin istrative staff was laid off Tuesday. The severance package includes “a generous separa tion package, outplacement assistance and extended health benefits,’’ Moore said. SET processed 145,000 vehicles in 2007. That fig ure dropped to 104,000 in 2008, and projections for 2009 are 90,000, according to Moore. “The good news is that one of the measuring sticks of manufacturing success is market share,’’ Moore said. “Fortunately, we are gaining market share. Our hopes are that when the larger numbers return, we’ll still have that larger market share of a bigger market.’’ SET is a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, which is eliminating 500 jobs due to the automotive sales slump. Moore pointed out that industry-wide in North America, the number of new vehicles sold has dropped from 16 million a year to a projected 10.5 million. City council meetings in Nicholson and Maysville that were scheduled for this past Monday night were cancelled due to the snowstorm. The Nicholson City Council meeting has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday. The Maysville City Council meeting has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Monday. NEED PRINTING? CALL 706-367-5233 Stop by my new office for a free insurance quote during my grand opening celebration. (706) 335-2600 JONATHAN C MILFORD 1237 SOUTH ELM STREET COMMERCE JMilford@Allstate.com Allstate You're in good hands. Insurance subject to availability and qualifications. 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