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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016 THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS PAGE 3A
Railroad project finished in Commerce
Crews replacing railroad ties on the Lula Spur finished up their work in machine picks up a railroad tie prior to inserting it under the tracks to replace
downtown Commerce last week, replacing ties and rebuilding grade cross- an old railroad tie just removed,
ings. The work is continuing on the south end of town this week. Above, a
Jackson ready to move on
retrofitting animal shelter
Jackson County is ready
to start working on its ani
mal shelter. The county is
still in its 90day due diligence
period, but once it closes on
the property renovations will
begin.
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners approved
in May the purchase of a for
mer kennel for dog and cat
boarding. The kennel sits on
2.33 acres of property located
at 131 Galilee Church Road.
The kennel was built 12
years ago and has been unoc
cupied for four years. Public
development director Gina
Roy says the property is over
grown and will need some
maintenance and cleanup
before opening.
No major renovations are
needed at the site, but the
county will need to section
off some existing rooms to
create quarantine areas.
The county is waiting to
hear back from the seller
on closing and hopes the
renovations will be complete
by the end of fall.
The BOC approved the
contract with Gentzel Prop
erties LLC in May, costing
$259,500. Renovations are
expected to total $28,000.
Funding for the shelter
was included in the recent
ly-approved Special Pur
pose Local Option Sales
Tax referendum. The
county will be reimbursed
$250,000 from that SPLOST
when the revenue comes in
next year.
County Need For Animal
Shelter
Brad Richards, with the
code and environmental
compliance department, said
the county needs an animal
shelter.
“It’s been needed for a
while,” said Richards.
Jackson County animal
control was started in 1997.
The department picks up
25-50 dogs and cats a week,
on average. Richards noted
this is on a slow week.
He said the need for an
animal shelter will continue
to grow as the population of
Jackson County continues to
grow.
The shelter could also be
used for training and educa
tion, and it could allow the
county to expand its services.
These could include spay/
neuter options, volunteer pro
grams and emergency ser
vices.
The county has previously
relied on local veterinarians
to board animals, but given
the size of the county Roy
said it is time for the county
to have its own shelter.
“It’s our time to step up,”
said Roy.
Humane Society Plans
The county’s animal shel
ter won’t affect the Humane
Society of Jackson County’s
plans for its own construc
tion.
HSJC plans to continue
pursuing its animal shelter
project, which it has been
planning for several years.
The group previously pur
chased 31 acres at the site to
board domestic and agricul
tural animals.
The HSJC is still in the
master planning process for
the campus, but president
Cheryl Iski hopes to break
ground this year. The current
plan is for a pod design sep
arated by gardens, and the
project could be completed
in phases.
The group will likely hold
another capital campaign for
the constmction of the struc
tures. The HSJC previously
held its “Raise the Woof”
campaign, which raised
money for the purchase of
the land.
The property is locat
ed close to the site of the
county’s animal shelter on
Galilee Church Road. Both
Roy and Iski noted the two
groups plan to continue to
work together.
“Being right around the
corner from each other is -1
think - a blessing,” said Iski.
“It’s all about the teamwork.”
Grants remain available for low-income
homeowners to renovate their houses
Fourteen Commerce res
idents 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
mns 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 con
ditioning systems, plumbing,
electrical systems, handicap
ramps, handicap bathrooms,
insulation, floor systems,
leaky windows and doors,
abatement of lead-based
paint and for other repairs/
improvements.
Commerce became eligi
ble based on U.S. census data
showing a high level of pover
ty Zellner said.
Applications are available at
City Hall of by calling 470-228-
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.
Hooper gets new challenger in Banks Co.
BY ANGELA GARY
William Reems submitted
a petition Tuesday morning
to the Banks County Voter
Registrar’s office with a peti
tion to get his name on the
ballot to run against board
of commissioners chairman
incumbent Jimmy Hooper in
the November election.
Reems has 570 signatures
on the petition. The law
requires 439 names to get
on the ballot as an Inde
pendent candidate. Howev
er, the signatures must be
verified by the Banks County
Board of Elections before
his name goes on the ballot.
The board will verify that the
signatures are the names of
registered voters.
Voter registrar Andra
Phagan, who is the election
supervisor, said Tuesday that
it will take several days to
verify the petition.
“With a willingness to
serve and improve our com
munity, I promise to rep
resent the voters of Banks
County well in all facets of
local government function,”
Reems said on his Facebook
page, “Reems for Banks
County.”
Reems also stated in the
post that his “values” are
closes to the Republican
party.
Budget
••• Continued from Page 1A
Commerce system uses. He said the Commerce contract
has almost identical wording.
Tolbert said the board’s attorney is “very okay” with the
contract.
Other Business
Also on Monday night, the board:
• approved the class “size reduction policy” required by
the state. The document is unchanged from last year.
•approved a fundraiser requested by the Commerce
High School softball team, which involves selling Domino’s
Pizza cards and Coke products.
•approved the system’s strategic plan, which is
unchanged from last year.
Personnel Moves
The board also approved the following personnel moves:
•the resignation of Commerce Middle School principal
Bill Ruma.
•the hiring of Kim Jones, a sixth-grade Social Studies
teacher; Rebecca Zellner, a pre-kindergarten teacher; and
Dianne Cotrell, Ann Brown and John Bell as substitute
teachers.
•Approved the transfer of CJ Wilkes from special
education teacher at CMS to special education teacher at
Commerce Primary School.
Council
••• Continued from Page 1A
new policy will raise to $2,500 the threshold for department
head spending approval, which is currently $500. It also cov
ers all aspects of getting and receiving bids and has an ethics
section. “Basically it realizes that it is not our money and we
need to be good stewards,” Wascher told the city council.
• an amendment to a city policy regarding the placement
of “donation boxes” around town. Currently, such boxes are
allowed with a permit and an annual fee; the new ordinance
will ban them completely (see separate story).
• approval of a city council resolution authorizing Wascher
to seek nomination to the seat held on Georgia Public Web
by former city manager Pete Pyrzenski. That position, said
Wascher, “really gave us connections inside that were able
to help us with our fiber system.”
• approval of a license to sell beer by the package to Rohin
Rajani, for the convenience store at 527 South Elm Street.
Nicholson
... Continued from Page 1A
Regional Commission. If approved, it will be forwarded to
the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for review.
Once the comprehensive plan is approved by all
required parties, Nicholson will gain compliance with state
guidelines and become eligible for grants and other state
funding.
Nicholson is still searching for citizens interested in
filling two vacancies on the city planning commission.
Chuck Wheeler was suggested as a potential member at
last week’s work session. Council member Mike Barfield
suggested local resident Chip Crane on Monday. The coun
cil plans to reach out to the suggested individuals this week
to see if they’re interested in serving.
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