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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016
Commerce city government
$26 million budget on city
council agenda Monday
The Commerce City
Council is poised to pass its
$26 million budget for fiscal
year 2017 Monday night.
The council meets at 6
p.m. in the Commerce Room
of the Commerce Civic Cen
ter.
The budget projects
increased spending by about
a half a percent over the cur
rent budget. The new fiscal
year takes effect July 1.
There is one wild card
that could change the bud
get total. Interim city man
ger James Wascher report
ed at the council’s June 6
“work session” that the
Georgia Municipal Associa
tion has proposed a 25-per
cent increase in the cost of
insurance. Wascher’s budget
had projected a five-percent
increase.
If that rate stands, it cre
ates a $265,000 budget gap,
Wascher told the city coun
cil, though he did offer some
encouragement.
“I think we can get that
down a little bit,” he said on
June 6, adding that he hoped
to have the matter resolved
by the June 23 meeting. If
not, he said, it would be han
dled as a budget amendment
after the council approves
the spending plan.
Wascher said a major
cause for the premium
increase is the cost of pre
scription medications.
“For the last two years,
we’ve had more in claims
than we paid in premiums,”
he said, adding that the city’s
claims record would make it
difficult for the city to shop
the insurance market for a
better rate.
The draft version of the
budget showed property
taxes going down slightly
which, if accompanied by
an increase in the city’s tax
digest, could lead to a reduc
tion of the property tax rate.
That will not be known until
fall, when the tax digest is
finalized.
The city held a public
hearing on the budget on
Monday, June 6. Only one
person voiced an opinion in
regard to the spending plan.
Other Agenda items
Other items on the agenda
for Monday night include:
•approval of an update
to the city’s fireworks ordi
nance to keep it in compli
ance with the state’s revised
version. The newer version
shortens the hours during
which fireworks may be dis
played.
•the appointment of a
voting delegate to Georgia
Public Web. The council indi
cated at its work session a
desire to keep the city man
ager as the voting delegate.
•a vote to participate in
the Jackson County appli
cation for a FEMA Hazard
Mitigation Grant to update
the multi-jurisdictional plan
that would enable the city to
receive future federal money
related to disasters. The city
received substantial funds
to help recoup its costs for
cleaning up after the 2015 ice
storm.
•approval of a Georgia
Environmental Finance
Authority (GEFA) loan for
$1.4 million to fund its south-
side water pressure project.
Some $500,000 of that loan
is actually a grant and does
not have to be repaid.
• appointment of Jo Toth-
erow and Dr. Narasimhulu
Neelagaru (Dr. Neel) to the
newly-created Commerce
Hospital Authority.
• approval of a condition
al use permit requested by
Bryan Wood to place a tow
lot at the new location for
Wood’s Garage at 0 B Wilson
Road. The approval is con
ditional on the erection of a
fence around the tow lot and
keeping the new building
of a similar architecture to
the rest of the Quality Foods
Shopping Center.
•approval of a variance
for Stacy and Gina Denton
to place a swimming pool in
front of the rear building line
of their house at 4473 Mount
Olive Road. The pool will not
be visible from the road.
•approval of a schedule
of street closures for the
city’s Independence Day cel
ebration on Saturday, July 1.
Little, Oak and Pine streets
will close from 3 to 11 p.m.
•approval for changing
the city’s July “work session”
meeting from Monday, July 4,
to Tuesday, July 5. The meet
ing will be held at 6 p.m. in
the Cold Sassy Room of the
Commerce Civic Center.
School enrollment up over last
year in Jackson County Jefferson
Waiting her turn
Mary Hanson peeks out from behind the curtain
at the Commerce Cultural Center Saturday morn
ing, June 4, awaiting her turn to dance during the
Commerce School of Dance’s “Dancing in the
Moonlight” spring recital. The caption accompa
nying the photo when it was published June 8
carried the wrong name.
Last-day enrollment numbers were up at the Jackson Coun
ty School System and Jefferson City School System.
Jackson County had less than one percent increase in
enrollment. The system had 32 more students on the last day
of 2016 school year compared to 2015. The total enrollment
came to 7,426 on the final day of school this year.
Enrollment increased at East Jackson Elementary, North
Jackson Elementary, South Jackson Elementary, East Jackson
Middle and West Jackson Middle.
Enrollment decreased slightly at both high schools.
Jackson County Last Day Enrollment
School 2015 2016
BES
346
331
EJES
484
504
GSES
855
843
MES
339
324
NJES
318
326
SJES
549
595
*WJIS
390
*WJPS
428
WJES
824
EJMS
763
804
WJMS
911
921
EJCHS
934
899
JCCHS
1.077
1.055
Total
7,394
7,426
*West Jackson Intermediate School and West Jackson
Primary School were combined this year as West Jackson
Elementary School.
Jefferson
Jefferson had a 6.4-percent increase in its enrollment, add
ing 209 more students than last year.
Increases were seen at all four schools, with the largest
being Jefferson Middle School, which had a 10.8-percent
increase, adding 82 students.
Jefferson Last Day Enrollment
School
2015
2016
Jefferson Elem.
826
858
Jefferson Acdy.
730
760
Jefferson Middle
760
842
Jefferson High
924
989
Total
3,240
3,449
Housing rehab grants still available
Fourteen Commerce resi
dents have taken advantage
of a federal housing initiative
for low-income residents to
renovate their homes.
“We’ve had 14 grants rang
ing from $34,000 to $111,400,”
reports David Zellner, Com
merce’s planning director.
He serves as the city’s liai
son with Home Development
Resources, Inc., a nonprofit
group certified by the U.S.
Department of Housing and
Urban Development to man
age the Community Home
Investment Program housing
rehabilitation grants.
Of those 14 grants, 12 were
inside the city limits.
Since the program was
instituted, the potential grant
amounts have increased.
“There was a limit, but they
keep upping it,” said Zellner.
In fact, he said, the largest
grant was not a renovation;
the recipient tore down the
existing house and built a new
one.”
“I don’t know how they
were able to pull off the new
home,” Zellner said.
The program is still being
funded.
Requirements
“The main issue is home
ownership,” Zellner said. The
requirements are:
• The homeowner or
someone living in the resi
dence must be 62 or older.
• The home must be owner
occupied.
• The applicant must be a
U.S. citizen.
• The applicant must meet
household income restric
tions on a sliding scale that
runs from $21,500 a year for a
household of one to $40,600
for a household of eight.
Mobile homes are not eligi
ble for the program.
Successful applicants can
use the funds for repairs to
roofs, heating and air condi
tioning systems, plumbing,
electrical systems, handicap
ramps, handicap bathrooms,
insulation, floor systems, leaky
windows and doors, abate
ment of lead-based paint and
for other repairs/improve
ments.
Commerce became eligible
based on U.S. census data
showing a high level of pover
ty Zellner said.
Applications are available at
City Hall or by calling 470228-
9317. There is no application
fee. Mary Ledbetter heads up
the program for Home Devel
opment Resources Inc. in
Jackson County. Applications
should be returned to Zellner,
whose office is located in the
city’s utility department, on
Cedar Drive.
Banks-Jackson Food Bank open three days every week
The hours of operation of the Banks-Jackson Food Bank,
located at 111 Atlanta Avenue, Commerce, are from 9:30 a.m.
to 1:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from
City of Commerce
“NOTICE OF
BUDGET ADOPTION”
The Fiscal Year 2017 budget will be con
sidered for approval and a budget resolu
tion adopted on Monday, June 20th, 2016
at 6:00 PM. The meeting will take place in
the “Commerce Room” of the Commerce
Civic Center located at 110 State Street,
Commerce, Georgia 30529.
6 to 8 p.m. every Monday. The phone number is 706-335-5143.
The food bank provides emergency food supplies for indi
viduals and families referred by area organizations.
16th ANNUAL
NORTH GEORGIA
FOLK POTTERS
FESTIVAL
June 18, 2016
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Banks County
Recreation Dept.
607 Thompson St., Homer, Georgia 30547
Info: Steve Turpin • 706-677-1528
www.northgafolkpottersfestival.com
Commerce official
reminds residents of
law on yard upkeep
With grass, weeds and shrubs growing rapidly,
Commerce building official Billy Vandiver reminds
residents that they are expected to maintain their
property in accordance with the International Prop
erty and Maintenance Code and the city’s cleanli
ness of premises ordinance.
“Both list tall grass and weeds, inoperable vehi
cles, discarded tires, auto parts, etc.,” Vandiver
said.”
The code enforcement officer also pointed out
that it is the owner or tenant’s responsibility to keep
their yards maintained all the way to the street.
If Vandiver spots a yard in violation, the proce
dure is to give notification in the form of a code
violation notice or a letter.
“If anyone receives an ‘overgrown grass and
weeds’ letter or notice on the door, they have 10
days to cut their property,” Vandiver said. “After
that, the city can take bids and hire an outside
contractor to clean the property at the owner’s
expense. Once the invoice is paid by the city, we
will file a lien on the property in order to recoup
the funds.”
In addition, the city can withhold utility service
until the lien is paid, which means owners will not
be able to rent, lease or sell the property until they
repay the city for the cleanup.
Most of the problem properties are rental units
with out-of-town owners.
WAN TED!
NEW CUSTOMERS
We have money to lend.
Installment loans from
$238 to $1,516*
1816 N Broad St
Commerce, 6A 30529
(706) 335-3551
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