Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Development authority meets behind closed doors
Land acquisition, personnel given as reasons for meeting
MEMBERS DISCUSS AD FOR BANKS COUNTY
At the monthly meeting on Thursday the Banks County
Development Authority members agreed to spend an amount
not to exceed $3,000 to purchase a portion of an ad showcas
ing Banks County in the May issue of Georgia Trend Magazine.
Shown (L to R) discussing the ad are authority members Bill
Griffin, Wayne Abernathy, Banks County Board of Commission
Chairman Gene Hart, Banks County Chamber Director Tara
Fulcher, and authority members Dennis Brown and Jimmy
Morrison (not shown). Photo by Sharon Hogan
BY SHARON HOGAN
he Banks County
Development Authority
members met for approxi
mately 40 minutes in closed ses
sion on Wednesday to discuss land
acquisition and personnel issues. No
action was taken when the meeting
was opened to the public.
The Georgia Open Records Law
allows governmental bodies to meet
behind doors to discuss person
nel issues that are only related to
the hiring and firing of a specific
employee. It’s not clear whether the
development authority actually has
any paid employees.
At Wednesday’s meeting, DA
chairman Wayne Abernathy stressed
to the members the need for thor
ough and detailed minutes to be
kept on all the authority meetings.
Abernathy said this is important
in case a question arises about any
action that is taken.
In other business at the meeting on
Wednesday:
•the authority heard from Banks
County Chamber Director Tara
Fulcher on the entrepreneur-friendly
initiative that the county is work
ing on. Becoming a certified entre
preneur-friendly county gives small
businesses more resources and
funding. Fulcher said the county is
expected to reach this status during
the early part of 2009.
•the authority members held a
discussion on the money that is
collected from the one mill prop
erty tax that is levied for the indus
trial development authority. Banks
County Administrative Assistant
Angela Sheppard said the money
is accumulating at this time. The
account is listed as IDA with the
county in the name of the Banks
County Board of Commissioners
and the commissioners write the
checks, Jenni Gailey said.
Financial director Randy Failyer
said at the current time the bal
ance in the account is $1.48 million.
Abernathy said a contract needs to be
drafted by county attorney Randall
Frost that is agreeable with both the
development authority members and
the commission members on how
this money will be spent. Abernathy
also said he felt like the authority
should receive a quarterly report on
the account that shows any activ
ity. BOC chairman Gene Hart said,
“We need to work up a contract for
both boards to approve.” Hart said
he would contact Frost to come up
with a draft copy of the contract and
both boards could review this and
make any necessary changes before
the final version is approved. Gailey
said an inter-governmental agree
ment is needed between the IDA and
the BOC on this. Abernathy said the
authority did not want the money,
but since it flowed through the IDA
the members should be aware of
how the money is spent. The author
ity was in agreement that the money
is there to be used for the betterment
of Banks County.
•Sheppard told those in atten
dance that Scott Ledford, MetroSite,
is open and running in the Industrial
Park. Ledford re-located his cell
tower fabrication business from Hall
County. The IDA was instrumental
in attracting this business to the
Industrial Park.
•Hart told the members that the
county currently has 4.9 acres left
in the Industrial Park for future
development. Hart said there is land
on Industrial Park Drive that is pri
vately owned that is up for sale at
this time. Abernathy said, “Why
doesn’t the county entertain the pos
sible purchase of the land along
Industrial Park Drive?” Hart said
this was a matter that the county
could look into.
•Carole Ciriacks, Georgia
Department of Economic
Development, said industrial parks
and vacant buildings help attract
new businesses. This has happened
in Hart, Stephens and Franklin coun
ties, Ciriacks said.
•Hart told the authority mem
bers that Banks County would
be featured in the May issue of
Georgia Trend magazine and point
ed out that counties that are featured
are expected to buy an ad. Hart said
a two-page ad spread costs $14,000.
Fulcher said she is looking to get
several entities to participate and
cut down on the cost for each group.
Authority member Jimmy Morrison
made a motion to give chairman
Abernathy the authority to spend an
amount not to exceed $3,000 to pur
chase a portion of the ad. Morrison
said this way the issue could be
handled without the entire authority
having to be contacted.
•Hart reported that the Banks
County group traveling to
Washington in February had a good
trip. He said the main focus was on
money allotted to Banks County.
The group met with U.S. Senator
Johnny Isakson and he said he was
aware of the money and it had been
approved and would be going to
the Senate for approval there. The
amount allotted is $5 million, which
is a third of the total for the water
project. Hart said when the group
met with Congressman Paul Broun
he said he is against any money that
is “earmarked” for a certain proj
ect. Hart said he explained that the
county was too far into this project
now to turn back and was depend
ing heavily on the $5 million in
earmarked funds.
•Sheppard told the group that the
county received approval on the
GEFA loan application for the water
line project on Hwy. 105 at a two
percent interest rate.
•authority member Dennis Brown
told the group that two watershed
lakes in Banks County were in the
top 20 on the state’s list for possible
water supplies.
•Hart told the group that the
county’s engineers, Rindt-McDuff
Associates are continually working
on the county’s water issues.
Authority members Jack Banks,
Terrance Dale and Tal Martin
were absent from the meeting on
Wednesday. The next monthly meet
ing of the development authority
will be held at 9 a.m. on April 16.
City of Alto officials agree to purchase used police car
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Alto City Council accepted
a bid of $1,315 last week for the
purchase of a 2000 Ford Crown
Victoria police car. The high bid
der on the car was Bill Carstensen,
BME Motors.
The council accepted sealed bids
on the sale of the car. Five bids
were received on this. Other bid
amounts received were: $500 from
Jeremy Eller, $525 from Wiley
Cook and Charlie Mallean, $551
from Merrell Watson and $1,255
from Donald Wade.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Tuesday’s
meeting:
•Mayor Audrey Turner told the
council that she is working on an
application to annex 13.9 acres
of land into the city. Turner said
the land doesn’t have anything
located on it and it joins the prop
erty her house is located on. The
land runs from Tucker Drive to
Wynn Shoals Road. Turner also
said some other residents in this
area have expressed the desire to
annex into the city.
•council member Cathy Armour
reported that she wants “to go on
record” saying she is against the
motion made at the meeting on
Feb. 12 to provide garbage service
to residents outside the city limits
who are on the city’s water ser
vice. Armour said, “I know I was
not at this meeting, but I want to
go on record saying that I do not
approve of this.”
•the council heard from Alto
resident Pamela Greene concern
ing possible gang activity in her
neighborhood. Greene, a resident
of B.C. Grant Road, said that
“seems gangs are moving in near
her residence.” Greene said, “I
have lived in Gwinnett County and
I am familiar with gang activity.”
Greene also said she has had trou
ble with someone trying to break
into her home. Turner instructed
Greene to meet with Police Chief
Robin Krockum after the meeting
and discuss this.
The next regularly scheduled
council meeting will be held at 7
p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, at city
hall.
City of Maysville officials
hold brief hearing on budget
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Maysville officials held a short
public hearing last Thursday con
cerning the city’s new budget.
In a meeting which lasted only
three minutes, city officials held
the second of three scheduled pub
lic hearings on the proposed 2008
budget.
No citizens attended the meeting
although Alan Harkness, regional
director of the Piedmont Regional
Library System, did speak with
the council about the Maysville
Library.
Harkness, said he is working
on a four-year plan to present to
Maysville officials which would
help make the city’s library more
successful.
“I have been working with librar
ies for the past 23 years,” Harkness
said. “I am glad to be working with
this council on this matter.”
The Piedmont Regional Library
Keep
Banks
County
beautiful!
System covers Banks, Barrow and
Jackson counties.
“We plan on working with you
and helping make our library even
better,” said Maysville mayor Jerry
Baker.
Maysville’s overall proposed rev
enue budget for 2008 is $1,278,721.
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Juniors to take graduation tests
The Georgia High School Graduation Tests will be given to all juniors the
week of March 31-April 4.
The breakdown of the tests include:
•Monday, March 31, math
•Tuesday, April 1, science
•Wednesday, April 2, social studies
•Thursday, April 3 , English
•Friday, April 4 , make up testing
Banks County school officials remind students that it is very important to
be at school for testing on these days. Testing starts each morning at 8:05.
School officials encourage parents to make sure their child gets plenty of
rest the night before each testing day so they are able to perform at the very
best level possible.
Students must pass each of these tests as well as the GHSGT Writing test
they took in the fall in order to graduate from high school.
Subscribe to The Banks County News
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