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About The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2016)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016 THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS PAGE 3A Commerce Hospital Authority Members of the newly-created Commerce Hospital Authority are, left to right, Donald Wilson, Clark Hill, Archie Chaney, Jo Totherow, Bobby Redmon, Dr. Narasimhulu Neelagaru, Mark Fitzpatrik and Keith Burchett. They will serve four-year terms. New hospital authority meets The new Commerce Hospital Authority held its first meeting Monday night during which it elected offi cers and approved its bylaws. The Commerce City Council created the authority at the request of Northridge Medical Center. Technical ly, the authority will own Northridge, a legal maneuver that will allow the hospital to tap federal funding. Prior to Monday night’s meeting, the Commerce City Council appointed mayor Clark Hill as chairman of the authority and appointed two citizens — Dr. Narasimhulu Neelagaru and Jo Totherow — to the authority. The other members are Hill and all six city councilmen. All will serve four-year terms. In a meeting that last ed less than 10 minutes, the new authority named Neelagaru its vice chairman, city clerk Sandra Haggard its secretary and interim city manager James Wascher as its treasurer. The only other action was to approve a set of bylaws. “There is no compen sation for serving on the board,” Hill pointed out. The mayor also comment ed on the role of the authority. “We’re not going to be run ning the hospital day to day, hiring and firing people,” he said. “The goal is to use it as a conduit that will allow us to help a business that is quite successful to grow and hopefully expand their footprint in the community. It also assures that the hospital will be in the city limits of Commerce and not some where else in the county.” The authority plans to meet quarterly, always on the same night as the city coun cil. City attorney John Stell said he expects that “there may be some action items” on the authority at its July 18 meeting. Stell also reminded the group that the new authority will have to abide by “regula tory requirements we have to fulfill each year and report ing requirements. We will be working on that as we go along.” NO SMOKING IN THIS AREA MftMnS -OYOTA . N cents St Toyota Associates Supporting the food bank Employees of Southeast Toyota Distributers presented a check for $1,950, to the Banks-Jackson Food Bank last Friday morning. The check represented proceeds from the associates’ spring fundraiser — a raffle of a Yeti cooler and a garage sale. In addition, SET’s corporate office presented a check for $1,000 to the food bank. Left to right are Cyndi Russell, food bank secretary; Patti Bearden, food bank manager; and Amanda Patton, Cindy Patterson, Kathy Archer and Russell Stafford, all of SET. City council approves zoning requests Two couples seeking zon ing-related changes from the Commerce City Council left the council’s Monday night meeting satisfied. The council voted to approve a conditional use permit for Wood’s Garage, which is building a new facility at 0 B Wilson Road, adjacent to the Quality Foods Shopping Center. Bryan Wood applied for the CUP so he could locate a tow lot behind the new build ing. At the recommendation of the Commerce Planning Commission, the council approved the request with the conditions that the build ing architecture be similar to that of the shopping center, that the tow lot be fenced to obscure the contents of the lot, that no vehicle be kept more than 30 days and that the company keep a list of all vehicles on the lot, their vehicle identification num bers and the dates they were towed. The property was already zoned C-2, which allows for both the garage and the CUP for a tow lot. In the other matter, the council approved a request by Stacy and Gina Denton, 4473 Mt. Olive Road, for a variance in the zoning regula tions related to the location of a swimming pool. The city ordinance requires that the pool be located behind the rear build ing line of the residence, but the location of a septic system on the site makes that impos sible, thus the request for a variance. The planning commis sion recommended approv al since the pool site is well off the road and not visible from the road. The approval comes with the provision that the pool be surrounded by a “decorative” fence. Both council votes were unanimous. Commissioners okay SJ Dollar General In a controversial rezon ing action Monday night, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a rezoning in South Jackson for a Dollar General store at the intersection of U.S. 129 and Hwy. 330. The rezoning had been opposed by a coalition of South Jackson residents who said it did not fit into the mral character of the area and could cause additional traffic accidents at the intersection. The board approved the rezoning with 16 conditions. But absent from those con ditions were two that area residents had pushed for: A pitched roof and a ban on outdoor displays at the store. A representative for the developer and two area res idents spoke in favor of the project while three other res idents spoke against it. Commissioner Ralph Richardson was the only official to address the issue, saying he thought having 17 conditions on the project was “making it hard to do business here.” “Seems like we’re piling on,” he said. “Jackson Coun ty needs retail development.” Road Abandoned A narrow, gravel road in West Jackson is being aban doned by the county. In a 4-1 vote Monday night, the BOC agreed to close E.G. Barnett Road. The ,6-mile road mns between Hwy. 332 and Maddox Road. Most of the road is in unincorporated Jackson County, but a small part is in Hoschton. Commissioner Chas Hardy voted against the move to close the road, saying he wanted to give Hoschton leaders more time to work out differences with property owners who had requested the closure. Hoschton officially opposed the closure, saying the road could be important in the future both to relieve traffic congestion and as a conduit for a potential future city sewer line. Shannon Sell request ed the closure and was supported by several other area property owners, all of whom said the narrow road has become a trash dump and a place where people go to “party.” Other Business In other business, the BOC: • reappointed Carolyn Thurmond for a five-year term to the board of the Jackson County Department of Family and Children Ser vices. • approved updated coun ty payroll polices and proce dures. • approved a resolution to obtain funds from the Haz ardous Waste Tmst Fund. • approved a firm to rede sign the county’s website. • approved the creation of a special tax district for Holly Ridge Subdivision. •approved a supplemen tal resolution for Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority revenue bonds. • authorized an agreement with the Georgia Department of Corrections to provide GED help to Jackson County Correctional Institute prison ers who don’t have a high school diploma. The county had been doing this, but now state funds will help pay for the program. •reauthorized an agree ment with the Georgia Department of Corrections to house up to 150 inmates at the Jackson County Correc tional Institute. Council* •• Cont. from Page 1A 5 since the regular meeting date fell on July 4. The location will also be different. The work session will be held at 6 p.m. in the Cold Sassy Room of the Commerce Civic Center because the regular meeting room — the Commerce Room —was already booked for municipal court. •heard city manager James Wascher report that 11 months into the fiscal year all of the city’s funds are in the black. The General Fund is $321,000 to the good, the Water/Sewer Fund is positive by $155,000, the Electric Fund is $549,000 in the black, and the Gas Fund is pos itive by $379,000. Wascher noted that the Electric Fund appears stronger than usual because of accounting chang es in how the city deals with restricted assets and the Gas Fund balance was helped when cash transferred out was replaced. • heard Wascher announce that he has made an employ ment offer, which has been accepted, for a new accounting position to take on some of the duties Wascher’s been doing as the city’s finance director. •heard Wascher commend Downtown Development Authority executive director Natalie Thomas for the success Saturday night of the first “Concert on Cherry Street,” which drew 50-100 people to a concert in the city’s new parking lot/music venue off Cherry Street. •learned that police chief Brandon Sellers had been chosen a member of the “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Association of Chiefs of Police. Boy Scout Troop 35 led the council in the Pledge of Alle giance to the American Flag to open the meeting. Chambers... cont. from ia Commerce Lions Club welcomed guests, who includ ed Chambers’ widow, Anna, and son, Rick, as well as members of the Commerce Lions Club. Chambers served as a second-grade teacher at Commerce Elementary School before becoming its principal. He later served as principal of Banks Coun ty High School. He wrote a book about the cemeteries of Banks County, served on the Commerce Library Board and Habitat for Humanity and was among the most active members of the Commerce Lions Club. He died in 2011 after falling on icy pavement. “There’s no telling how many people are able to see today because of Richard Chambers,” said Lion Jack Legg, who gave the invocation. Legg’s comments related to Chambers’ pet project, recycling aluminum cans to raise money for eyeglasses as part of the Com merce Lions Club’s sight conservation program. Gasaway spoke briefly. He noted that it was through Chambers’ cemetery book that he learned of one of his wife’s ancestors, who was “tortured for the Confederate gold,” is buried in Winn Cemetery in Banks County. Jimmy Hooper, chairman of the Banks County Board of Commissioners, noted that he and Chambers taught at the same time and both were Banks County princi pals — sharing an office. “He was a person for the people,” Hooper comment ed. He added that phrases like “The Golden Rule,” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and “service before self” described Chambers. “He was a gem. He was a treasure to Banks County,” Hooper said, comparing him to the “Energizer Bunny” for his relentless activity and energy. “He was unique,” he said. “In Banks County, we miss him.” As for the sign on the bridge, Hooper remarked, “Maybe it will inspire us to be a little bit more like Richard Chambers.” At the time of the ceremony, the brown signs were already erected on the bridge, but Lions Club members unveiled a temporary sign to complete the ceremony. Tea Party to meet at Holiday Inn Express The Tea Party of Northeast Georgia will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 28, at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express at Banks Crossing. All candidates from Madison, Jackson and Banks coun ties who are in a runoff have been invited to speak. All voters and concerned citizens are encouraged to attend and bring your questions. For more information, call 706-654-8292 (call instead of text).
