Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2008
BOC shortens terms for development authority members
BY SHARON HOGAN
Banks County Board of
Commissioners Gene Hart and Joe
Barefoot voted at last week’s meet
ing to change the length of term
that development authority mem
bers will serve. Commission mem
ber Rickey Cain was absent from
the meeting.
The development authority mem
bers currently serve six-year terms
and the county will have a resolu
tion drawn up changing this to a
four-year term. This is in line with
the planning and zoning board, Hart
said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the meeting
on Tuesday, Jan. 22, the commis
sioners:
•unanimously approved a resolu
tion in support of “prescribed fires.”
Doug Andrews, Georgia Forestry
Commission chief ranger for Banks
and Hall counties, told the commis
sioners that prescribed burns are a
good practice and they are cheap
for the property owner. Most of
the burning done by the Forestry
Commission is done in January
through March, Andrews said. A
prescribed fire is a land manage
ment/public safety tool in the pre
vention of wildfires. It reduces the
liability and loss of private property
and saves lives while it acts as a pre
ventive measure saving taxpayers
the cost of local government pub
lic safety and fire fighting officials
from responding to wildfires which
consume valuable tax resources, the
resolution reads.
•unanimously approved a raise
in the amount paid for grand jury
compensation. The commissioners
agreed to raise the amount from $25
per day to $35 per day.
•agreed unanimously to have
Hart send a letter of acceptance
to Waste Management for a
1990 White Tanker Truck. Waste
Management offered the county the
truck to be used by the fire depart
ment. The truck is a tandem axle
truck with a 4,000 gallon tanker.
Waste Management has agreed to
replace the clutch before the county
receives the truck. Brian Eubanks,
Banks County Fire and Rescue, told
the commissioners that the truck
would need new tires, a new paint
job and a new pump. The cost of
the pump is estimated at $6,000.
Eubanks said the warden at Lee
Arrendale Correctional Institute,
Alto, has offered their services to
paint the vehicle. Banks County will
have have to furnish the materials
only. Hart estimated the total cost
to be spent at $10,000. Eubanks
said a new tanker of this size would
cost $150,000 to $200,000. Hart
and Barefoot unanimously agreed
to accept the truck and later iden
tify where the funds to upgrade the
truck will come from.
•tabled the Uchee Boy Scout
Lodge lease agreement.
•declared the old salt barn located
near the site of the new courthouse
annex as surplus property. Hart said,
“We will tear it down when we have
the money to do so.”
•postponed the budget and finance
report until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday,
Feb. 12. Finance Officer Randy
Failyer was absent from Tuesday’s
meeting due to illness in his family.
Baldwin hears request for special use permit
Baldwin hearing
set for Tuesday
A hearing on the suit filed against
the City of Baldwin by Baldwin
resident Theron Ayers will be held
at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at the
Habersham County Courthouse.
Judge Hugh W. Stone is sched
uled to hear the case filed by
Ayers against the city and City of
Baldwin Election Superintendent
Brandy Kyle.
Ayers alleges in the suit that
Kyle went out to homes in the
city and brought back absentee
ballots.
Ayers ran against incumbent
council member Beverly Holcomb
for the Post 1 council seat. The
count after the Nov. 6 city election
showed Holcomb beating Ayers
by three votes.
Ayers’ suit states that, according
to the two voting machines, Ayers
won the election by one vote. With
the 18 absentee ballots in ques
tion, Ayers lost by three votes.
Ayers states the following rea
sons for filing the suit: not know
ing the conditions that the election
superintendent required to be eli
gible for her to come out to their
homes, the inconsistency of her
answers as to how many homes
she actually went to; his winning
on the voting machines; and the
closeness of the vote after count
ing the absentee ballots. Ayers
also questioned the training of
Kyle to hold this position.
BY SHARON HOGAN
Baldwin City Council members
heard a request for a special use
permit at Monday’s council meet
ing. Kristy Woltz came before
the council seeking the permit
to allow for a new doublewide
mobile home to be located on
property in the city that is cur
rently zoned single family R-2.
The council unanimously agreed
to post the property and hold a
public hearing on the request at 7
p.m. on Monday, Feb. 11, prior to
the regular council meeting.
Woltz told the council that she
and her husband, James, would
like to locate the mobile home
on a lot located on Perry Manor
Drive off Willingham Avenue. An
older home is currently located
on the lot. Woltz said this house
and a garage will be torn down
and removed.
Mayor Mark Reed said a special
use permit allows for a manu
factured home to be located on
the site. The home has to be set
on a permanent foundation with
masonry underpinning. Reed also
told Woltz that she would need
to obtain a copy of the city’s
requirements in the building of
the home.
Council member Ray Holcomb
instructed Woltz to obtain a
demolition permit as well as any
other necessary permits from the
city’s building inspector, Shawn
Rhoades.
The next regular council meeting
will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday,
Feb. 11. The work session meet
ing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, Feb. 7. Both meetings
are held in the courtroom at the
police department.
OTHER BUSINESS
At Monday’s meeting the coun
cil also:
• tabled any action on replacing
the water meter at the J. Warren
Road pump house. Public Utilities
Director Tim Hall told the coun
cil that this meter needed to be
replaced. Hall said the current
meter is a distribution meter, not
a billing meter. Charlie McGugan,
City of Demorest Public Works
Director, said this meter can
not be calibrated and the meter
should be calibrated once a year.
Demorest has agreed to split the
cost of the meter with the City
of Baldwin since Demorest buys
water coming through the old
meter from Baldwin. Hall pre
sented the council with a bid of
$8,750 for a mechanical meter
from Delta Municipal Supply
Company, Inc., Lawrenceville,
and a price of $4,011 for an
electronic meter from Fluid
Equipment Company, Inc., Social
Circle. Hall told the council that
Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax revenue will be used to
purchase this meter. Reed said he
wanted to contact the Woodard &
Curran representatives to see if
they had any additional sources
for pricing.
• voted unanimously to pur
chase a boring unit for the public
works department. Hall presented
the council with four bids for this
unit. The council accepted the low
bid price of $3,643 for a two-and-
one-half inch unit from Georgia
Underground Supply, Forest Park.
Bids were also obtained from
Georgia Underground on a three-
inch unit for $4,510; Vermeer
Southeast Sales & Service, Inc.
on a two-and-one-half inch unit
for $3,895; and Ditch Witch of
Georgia for $3,968. Hall told the
council that revenue from Banks
County SPLOST will be used to
fund this purchase.
• tabled any action on setting
a date for a one-day retreat for
the council members and depart
ment heads to discuss plans for
the City of Baldwin. Reed asked
the council members to come up
with a date to discuss at the work
session at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,
Feb. 7.
• unanimously approved Reed,
Mayor Pro-Tem Ray Holcomb
and council member Jeff Murray
as the budget committee. Reed
said they would begin working on
a new budget for the city.
• met in closed session for
approximately 40 minutes to dis
cuss personnel. No action was
taken when the meeting was
opened to the public.
Baldwin approves purchase of four new police vehicles
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Baldwin City Council unani
mously approved the purchase of
four new vehicles to be used by
the police department. The action
came at the council’s monthly
meeting Monday night.
Police Chief Daren Osborn pre
sented the council with informa
tion on the purchase of three 2008
Dodge Chargers and one 2008
Dodge 1500 Quad-Cab 4x4 pick
up.
Two of the cars will be used
as patrol vehicles and one will
be used as the chief’s car. The
price of the chief’s vehicle fully
equipped is $25,845. The price of
the two patrol cars is $63,190 fully
equipped. All three of the cars
will be purchased at Carl Gregory
Dodge, Columbus. That dealership
has the state contract.
The total price of the truck fully
equipped is $29,398 from Hayes
Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, Baldwin.
The truck will be used by the code
enforcement officer and will also
be equipped as a police vehicle to
be used by the police department.
The payments on these vehi
cles will be deferred for one year
through the leasing agency. The
city will then make quarterly pay
ments on the vehicles. At the end
of the lease, the city will own the
vehicles.
The funds used to purchase these
vehicles will come from the upcom
ing Habersham County Special
Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
5 revenue.
Council member Robert
Bohannon voiced his concern at
the meeting about the SPLOST
money paying for the vehicles
even though they will already have
been purchased by the city.
Councilmember Ray Holcomb
said the city had been told by the
Habersham County manager and
finance director that the action is
allowed, even though the SPLOST
hasn’t begun.
Also at Monday’s meeting, two
Baldwin residents came before
the council to discuss the police
department.
Kristie Harrison asked the
council for extra police patrols
on Wilbanks Street. Harrison said
she was concerned with all the
gang activity in Baldwin. Harrison
said someone was spotted Friday
attempting to steal post-hole dig
gers from her yard.
Gary Lilly told the council the
police department “needs more
cars and more people patrolling.”
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Monday’s
meeting:
• the council held a public hear
ing on the proposed ordinance to
establish a franchise fee appli
cable to holders of cable or video
franchises issued by the state of
Georgia. No one appeared at the
public hearing to speak in favor of
or in opposition to the proposed
ordinance. The council voted
unanimously after the public hear
ing to approve the second reading
of this ordinance.
• Code Enforcement Officer
Shawn Rhoades told the council
that at the request of council mem
ber Jeff Murray he had checked
on the dilapidated buildings at the
Travel Inn. Rhoades said a letter
was drafted to send to the property
owner giving him notification that
an inspection of the property will
be done on Tuesday, Feb. 5. The
property owner will have 45 days
after the inspection to clear up any
violations before a second inspec
tion will be done. If the violations
are not cleared up, fines will be
levied and the property owner will
have to appear at city court.
• the council voted unani
mously to approve payment of an
invoice in the amount of $3,840 to
Engineering Management, Inc. for
professional services performed
in December on the Park Avenue
water and sewer project.
WJJC Welcomes:
The Dr. Laura Program
Morals, ethics, and values... Dr. Laura
Schlessinger helps millions steer a path
through difficult life decisions by insisting
that they do the right thing. In an
“anything goes” World, Dr. Laura’s message
of personal responsibility and
accountability has become the rallying
point for millions of listeners.
i/s /’ aV
™ E o
VPROGRAM
* /
^ i \ . / V n
Monday - Friday
\ /
k \/ /
3:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.
| a- y
O.W. 7
WJJC Radio - 1270 AM www.WJJC.net 703-335-1270
BOE reappoints school principals
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Impressed by the current leader
ship of the Banks County School
System, members of the Board of
Education voted last week to reap
point all four principals for the
2008-09 school year.
The BOE voted 4-0 to reap
point principals Janice Reiselt, Jan
Bertrang, Matthew Cooper and Art
Wheaton for another year. BOE
member Bo Garrison abstained
from voting since he has a son-in
law who is an assistant principal at
Banks County High School.
The BOE also voted to reap
point school system assistant prin
cipals Debra Ayers, Lori Rylee,
Faith Simpson, Christine Bray and
Michael Williams for 2008-09.
Discussion of personnel items usu
ally take place in a closed session
but BOE members told superinten
dent Chris Erwin there was not need
to do so this time and simply voted
to accept his recommendation on
the school principals and assistant
principals.
The BOE also approved mem
bers of the central office staff for
2008-09 including:
•Donna Reed, assistant superin
tendent.
•Dennis Marlow, school food
nutrition director.
•Pam Strickland, special needs
director.
•Ann Langford, federal programs,
student assessment director.
•Holly Koochel, social worker.
•Ray Harness, psychologist.
•Clay Hobbs, transportation
director.
•Stacey Morgan, 21 st Century
Project manager.
The BOE also approved the fol
lowing personnel items Thursday
night:
•classified personnel, new hires:
Lisa Cape, para-professional;
Cassidy Ann Hughes, para-profes
sional and Dione Hughes, after
school program.
•certified personnel, family med
ical leave: Chrystal Carlan, teacher,
Banks County Primary School.
•classified personnel, family
medical leave: Jean Lacey, para-
professional, Banks County High
School.
Fees set for2008 county elections
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Banks County voters will go to their
respective voting polls this summer for
another primary election with 11 county
posts up for vote.
Candidate qualifying for the General
Primary Election will begin Monday,
April 28, at 9 am. and continues through
Friday, May 2, at noon. Candidate
qualifying for the General/Non-Partisan
Election will begin from June 23-27.
Offices which can be contested in the
primary election and the qualifying fee
for each is as follows:
•sheriff, $1,616.40
•tax commissioner, $1,392.24
•clerk of superior court, $1,392.24
•probate judge, $1,392.24
•magistrate judge, $1,392,24
•coroner, $72
•county chairman, $1,080
•county surveyor, $25
•board of education, post 1, $64.50
•board of education, post 2, $60
•board of education, post 4, $60.
The qualifying fee for each office is
based on three percent of that office’s
base salary.
Reed seeks public input on plan
BY SHARON HOGAN
Baldwin Mayor Mark Reed gave the
city council members an update on the
Banks County Joint Comprehensive
Plan at Monday’s council meeting.
The plan is for unincorporated area of
Banks County and the municipalities
of Baldwin and Homer.
Reed told the council that he attended
a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 24, at
Homer City Hall to discuss the com
prehensive plan update. Reed said the
state would be notified of the plan
update. The members project the plan
will be completed in July.
Reed said Baldwin council members
would hold a hearing at its council
meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 11,
on the first phase of the update.
Reed urged all Banks County resi
dents to complete a copy of the issues
and opportunities questionnaire as soon
as possible and return it.
Reed said copies of the questionnaire
are available at Baldwin City Hall.
Reed said it is important for all resi
dents to complete this questionnaire as
soon as possible.
Voter ID continued from page 1A
Department of Driver Services (DDS)
•Valid U.S. passport
•Valid employee photo ID from any
branch, department, agency, or entity of
the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any
county, municipality, board, authority,
or other entity of the state
•Valid U.S. military photo ID
•Valid tribal photo ID
If a voter does not have one of these
forms of photo identification, they can
obtain a free Voter ID card at their
county registrar’s office or the Georgia
Department of Driver Services.
Voters can request an absentee ballot
through Friday, Feb. 1. All absentee
ballots must be received by the county
registrar on Election Day, Tuesday, Feb.
5. Photo identification is not required
when voting by mail. To download
an absentee ballot request form, visit
www.sos.ga.gov/elections.
Anyone with additional questions
about Georgia’s photo ID requirements
can visit www.GAPhotoID.com or call
toll free 877-725-9797. To find advance
voting locations in your county, contact
your county registrar’s office. Local
contact information can be found at the
following website: http://sos.georgia.
gov/elections/elections/voterjnforma-
tion/2000_voterinfo.asp.
TOP 10 REASONS TO MAKE DR. KEVIN
YOUR FAMILY CHIROPRACTOR
1.
2.
3.
I’m a Principled Chiropractor and
I won’t play Medical Doctor, with
you or your family.
No expensive start-up fees or
expensive care plans.
6.
7.
$37 New Patient Offer! And if you
like us, continue for as low as $49
a month for Chiropractic
adjustments.
You’ll feel great, you’ll be
healthier, and you’ll feel relaxed
after getting adjusted.
Chiropractic adjustments are
safe, gentle, and very comfortable.
You’re tired of taking drugs,
shots, and pills and you want to
see if there is a better way to
health.
Fed up of being sick and tired,
and being told you have to live
with it, or that it’s all in your
head.
We are proficient in many
different techniques ranging from
very gentle to more hands on.
5. We accept all patients regardless
of
condition
10. It is our philosophy that we take
care of God’s people and God
age, or
finances.
An affordable, flexible and progressive
chiropractive alternative
FOR AS LOW AS
takes care
of us!
$49
A MONTH
NO APPOINTMENTS!
NO WAITING! NO HIDDEN CHARGES!
30346 Hwy. 441 S.
Commerce, GA 30530
Dr. Kevin L. Strohman
www.bulldoghealthcenter.com
Phone: 706-335-2225
Fax: 706-335-2231
Due to insurance regulations, medicine and some other insurances may be excluded from this offer.