Newspaper Page Text
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).
