WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
DFACS building opens in Banks County
Cutting the ribbon
Community members, Banks County Department of Family and Children
Services staff, board members and others gathered outside the new building
on Windmill Farm Road in Homer on Thursday for the ribbon-cutting cere
mony.
BY SHARON HOGAN
A large crowd turned out
Thursday for the ribbon-cut
ting ceremony at the new
Banks County Department
of Family and Children Ser
vices facility.
A plaque on the new
building recognizes Clay
Lewallen, who served for 33
years on the DFCS board.
The Development Author
ity of Banks County and
the Industrial Development
Authority were instrumen
tal in obtaining interest-free
funding for the new building
that is being leased to the
State of Georgia.
“When the building is
paid off by the state, it will
become property of Banks
County,” economic develop
er Bray Day explained.
Development Authori
ty chairman Scott Ledford
welcomed everyone to the
event on Thursday.
“This building is a big
bench mark for Banks Coun
ty,” Ledford said. “We are
glad to be able to give the
employees a facility of this
kind.”
Ledford said the work of
DFCS employees is not an
easy job and the much-need
ed new building, that has
been in the works for over 20
years, is just one tool that he
hopes will make the employ
ees’ jobs better.
Banks County DFCS
Director Mark Akridge said
final approval for the new
building was overwhelming.
Don Chandler, Municipal
Development Services LLC,
was the contractor for the
new building.
Chandler spoke about
members of his team that
were involved in the project.
Robyn A. Crittenden,
Georgia Department of
Human Services Commis
sioner, who oversees a $9
billion budget and over 9,000
employees, talked about the
importance of the new build
ing in Banks County.
“This is not just a build
ing,” Crittenden said, “This
is a place where lives will
change.”
Crittenden talked about
the impact that the DFCS
has on children and families
and how important it is to try
to help families in their times
of need.
“If we build a stronger fam
ily we build a stronger Geor
gia,” she added.
State Senator, District 50,
John Wilkinson, and District
28 State Representative Dan
Gasaway were also on hand
for the ribbon-cutting cere
mony.
Wilkinson introduced Clay
Lewallen’s sister Ruzelle Pat
terson and his brother Ray
Lewallen, to those in atten
dance at the event. Lewal
len’s wife Peggy, daughter
and son-in law, Christi and
Jason Buffington, and grand
son, Drew Buffington, were
also on hand for the rib
bon-cutting.
Wilkinson talked about
the role of the DFCS office in
helping families.
“The family is under attack
today,” Wilkinson said.
He said it is important to
help families today.
Gasaway said the work of
those in child protection is a
challenge.
“Child protection is very
important,” Gasaway said.
Banks County Board of
Commissioners Chairman
Jimmy Hooper said the new
DFCS building represented
help to families and to chil
dren.
“This building represents
hope, a promise, a place of
compassion and empathy,
problem solving, solutions
and comfort,” Hooper said.
Technology tops
funding list for
proposed tax
BY ANGELA GARY
Technology will top the list
of expenditures to be funded
if a proposed education local
option sales tax (ELOST) is
approved by Banks County
voters on March 1.
“Technology will be the
largest expenditure of the
ELOST funds,” superinten
dent Stan Davis said. “The
system will look to imple
ment a modified version of
one to one computing which
will allow each child, who
may have no access to tech
nology at home, to individ
ually utilize Chromebooks,
iPads and other devices to
prepare them for the future.”
Funds would also be used
to provide teachers and staff
with additional technology
for classroom instruction.
Technology updates will be
made to ensure the neces
sary infrastmcture is in place
throughout the campus to
support new software imple
mentations and added devic
es.
Funds will also be used to
purchase new buses that will
be necessary to supplement
and update the existing fleet
and ensure student safety.
“Based on the availabili
ty funds, updates to sports
facilities will be made,” Davis
added.
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All I want for Christmas ...
... v ♦ ' «
On the 'nice list'
Kyson Jones, 7, Alto, celebrated his birth- Event on Dec. 7, at the Mitchell Gailey Park,
day with a visit with Santa Claus during See more photos on page 14A.
the annual Baldwin Christmas Tree Lighting Photo by Sharon Hogan
BOC approves change for proposed tax resolution
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Banks County Board of Com
missioners, in a called meeting on
Dec. 10, approved a change in the
wording for the proposed resolution
relating to the continuation of the
special purpose local option sales tax.
County clerk Jenni Gailey said the
word “imposed” was being changed
to “continued.”
County voters will vote on the con
tinuation of the tax during a special
election set for Tuesday, March 1,
2016.
Also at the meeting, the commis
sioners met in closed session for
approximately 25 minutes to discuss
personnel, but took no action.
Assessors
approve new
meeting time
BY SHARON HOGAN
At the monthly meeting
on Dec. 9, the Banks Coun
ty Board of Tax Assessors
approved a new time for
meetings in 2016.
The board will meet
at 10 a.m. on the second
Wednesday of each month
in the Wilson Shoals
Conference Room at the
Banks County Courthouse
Annex, Hudson Ridge,
Homer.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
monthly meeting:
•the board unanimous
ly approved the 2015 pub
lic utilities final assess
ment equalized ratio at 40
percent.
• the board approved the
ABOS - manual for assess
ing marine equipment val
ues - values for 2016 and
the NADA - mobile home
pricing guide - values for
2016.
•tabled action on the
yearly contract renewal for
Traylor Business Services.
• the board approved
one Affidavit of Correc
tion (ACO) and two 2015
Homestead Exemptions.
•the board set a called
meeting for 11 a.m. on
Wednesday, Dec. 30,
to discuss the 2016 pre
bill mobile home values
and prebill mobile home
digest.
•the board announced
that Guy Rogers had been
hired as the county’s chief
appraiser and would start
work on Jan. 4.
• member Sam Moon
thanked Len Dalton and
Martha Threatt for all of
their hard work during the
hiring process for the new
chief appraiser during his
absence due to an illness.
Alto approves water rate increase
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Alto City Council
approved an increase in
water rates. The council
approved raising the base
rate, up to 2,000 gallons,
from $10 to $12 on Dec. 8.
Residents inside the city
limits who are 70 years
of age and older and the
disabled will be exempt
from the increase. The
rate for these residents
will remain at $10 for the
base rate. But residents
must go to city hall and
fill out an exemption form.
The new rate will take
effect in January.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
•The council held the
first reading of the 2016
Special Election ordi
nance. The election will
be held to fill the Post 3
seat on the council, pre
viously help by Margaret
Beaupre. The term expires
Dec. 31, 2017. The special
election will be held on
Tuesday, May 24, 2016.
• The council tabled
action on the 2015 budget
amendment.
•Mayor Audrey Turner
said a discussion on zon
ing will be held at the Jan.
12 council meeting.
•Turner advised the
council that an intergov
ernmental agreement
with Banks County was
not needed on the pro
posed Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) that will be
voted on March 1, 2016.
Alto’s projected reve
nue from the proposed
SPLOST is $347,273.
• Turner said pricing for
water meter upgrades and
equipment should be in
soon.
• The council briefly
discussed applying for
a grant to fund a filtra
tion system for the Cedar
Creek well.
•Building inspector
Joe Davidson advised
the council that the new
restrooms were 50 per
cent complete.
• Police chief Tim
Vaughan told the council
that all the department’s
radios have been updated
and can now scan.
