Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Robert Bohannon to serve
Baldwin as mayor pro-tem
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Baldwin City Council unani
mously agreed at the May 12 meet
ing for council member Robert
Bohannon to serve as mayor pro-
tem while Ray Holcomb is serving
in the mayor’s seat.
Holcomb is serving as mayor in
the seat vacated by Mark Reed.
Reed resigned his position on April
28 to run for a seat on the Georgia
House of Representatives.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the council
meeting on Monday, May 12:
•the second reading on the annex
ation and rezoning request from
Kaye B. Wilkes for 13.50 acres
located on Hwy. 365 near Dairy
Queen was unanimously approved.
The zoning for this property is
highway business.
•the council unanimously approved
the annexation and rezoning request
from James and Krystal Trotter for
property located in Smoke Rise
Subdivision. The Trotters are seek
ing to annex into the city in order to
receive city water service.
•the second reading on the rezoning
request for property on Willingham
Avenue owned by James and Kristy
Woltz was unanimously approved.
The property was rezoned back to
R-2 without a special use permit.
The Woltzes had received a special
use permit to place a doublewide
mobile home on this property and
the deal on the mobile home could
BOHANNON HOLCOMB
not be closed so the city sought to
have the property rezoned back to
its original zoning.
•the council unanimously
approved payment of an invoice in
the amount of $2,880 to Engineering
Management, Inc., Lawrenceville,
for professional services on the
Park Avenue project. Grant funds
will be used to pay this.
•the council approved changing
the regularly scheduled council
meeting from Monday, May 26,
Memorial Day, to 7 p.m. Tuesday,
May 27, in the courtroom at the
police department.
•the council unanimously
approved a beer and wine license
for Uzma Imran, BP Quick Stop,
located on Hwy. 365. R. Holcomb
said, “They have gone through
all the state checks, background
checks, everything comes back
good.”
•the council met in closed session
for 30 minutes to discuss personnel.
No action was taken.
BCES... continued from page 1A
Speaking for the concerned par
ents, Segars said the group wants
Rylee relieved of all of her duties
and removed from school prop
erty. They also want Rylee to have
her accreditation removed so she
can no longer work in education.
Segars said all teachers should
receive training on how to chal
lenge authority when they see
something taking place they know
is wrong and that the principal
should receive training on biohaz
ard issues.
In addition, Segars asked BOE
members if the water fountain
in question had been tested or if
any health experts had been con
tacted.
“Where is the water fountain
now,” Segars asked.
The parents’ group said they
expected a response by the end of
the business day Thursday or other
action would be taken.
“Silence and inactivity will send
a message our voices have not
been heard,” he said.
Morton McInvale, a teacher at
BCES, also spoke to the BOE dur-
ing the public comment portion of
Monday’s meeting. McInvale said
he supported Rylee because she
supported him as a teacher.
“Are we perfect?” McInvale
said. “I wish we were. We make
mistakes. However, she has been
in our school system for 13 years
and has always done a great job.”
When McInvale finished talk
ing a large contingent of teachers
stood and applauded to show their
support for Rylee in the situation.
Rylee released a statement
Tuesday morning through her law
yer Stan Baker of Athens.
“Ms. Rylee is extremely thank
ful for the overwhelming support
shown to her at Monday night’s
School Board meeting. She is par
ticularly grateful that her support
ers pointed out her stellar record
and her 13 years of experience
as a teacher and administrator in
Banks County. We are confident
that the Board’s investigation will
reveal that this whole incident
arises from a misunderstanding
and that Ms. Rylee will be cleared
of wrongdoing.”
The Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series
is coming to Hartwell Speedway May 31!!!
Gates Open at 3 p.m. • Racing Starts at 7p.m.
Admission Grandstands $20 • Pits $30
Be sure to bring the whole family.
Located on Speedway Road in Hartwell, GA.
The Banks County News
MEMORIAL DAY
AD DEADLINE
Classified and Display Ads
12 Noon,
Friday, May 23
for the May 28 publication
33 Lee Street • P.O. Box 908
Jefferson, Ga. 30549
(706) 367-5233
www.mainstreetnews .com
Department heads make requests at BOC budget hearings
BY SHARON HOGAN
Department heads met with the Banks
County Board of Commissioners last
week to present their “wish lists” for
next year. The BOC is reviewing the
requests as part of the budget process.
Sheriff Charles Chapman’s budget
request is $1.9 million, a decrease
of 12 percent over the current bud
get. Chapman said the reason for the
decrease is because some cars were
purchased in last year’s budget and no
vehicles are included in the proposed
budget for 2009.
Chapman said his office has confis
cated over $400,000 in drug money
this fiscal year. The sheriff’s office has
purchased three cars in recent months
with seized drug money, Chapman
said.
Chapman did ask the commission
ers to allocate $7,000 to help pay
for a new radio system that will be
required for the county by January 1,
2013. Chapman said Banks County
Fire Chief Gary Pollard is working
on a grant to help fund the cost of a
narrow band radio system for the fire
department, sheriff’s office and E-911
center.
“We have to come up with $7,000
for this new system.” Chapman said.
Requests from the other departments
included the following:
TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
The total proposed budget for the
technology department is $293,875.
Leonard Burris, technology director,
asked the commissioners to include
$21,000 in his budget to hire a staff
member.
“On a good week, I put in 50 hours,
on a bad week, I put in 100,” Burris
said.
Work for the technology department
will be increasing with the new build
ing (courthouse annex) coming on
line. The technology department will
also begin maintaining the county’s
phone system when the new building
in completed.
“Right now, I am reactive, with
another person we could be proactive,”
Burris said.
Burris said he is looking for an
employee to take over maintenance
and is willing to train a person in this
job.
Commission chairman Gene Hart
said, “I have a concern on this. You are
only budgeting $21,000. Is this the pay
plus benefits?”
Burris said, “No benefits are includ
ed in the $21,000.”
The technology budget also includes
funds to replace the county’s current
accounting software. The county has
received bids from three providers on
this and are still looking at the best
company with the most capabilities for
the county’s use.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The total proposed budget for the
fire department is $2.1 million. Money
has been included in this budget to
redo the living quarters at the station
in Homer and add some space to the
Rock Springs station to allow separate
living quarters there.
Fire chief Gary Pollard said, “In the
last month, we have run into some
serious problems with vehicles. All
front-line engines are coming up with
problems.”
The fire department budget also
includes $135,000 to purchase a medi
um duty truck for a medical unit.
Pollard said the spare medical unit is
an old unit.
“We are having to rotate medical
units out,” Pollard said.
Pollard said he is going to apply for a
SAFER grant this month. FEMA will
pay most of the cost over a five-year
period for staffing for the fire depart
ment. The grant will cost the county 10
percent of the total grant amount.
Pollard said, “This is a great way to
get people.”
ROAD DEPARTMENT
The total proposed budget is
$1,552,646. Road superintendent
Wayne Andrews said he is concerned
with the current mower the county
is leasing. Andrews said he is hav
ing problems with the mower and he
did not feel like the county should
purchase the mower at the end of the
lease. Andrews said he felt the county
should lease a new mower with a
three-year warranty at a cost of $1,233
per month. This is a $200 increase per
month over what the county is cur
rently paying, Andrews said.
EXTENSION OFFICE
The total proposed budget is
$103,670. This includes $6,000 for
new carpet for the extension office.
E-911/EMA
The total proposed budge is
$867,354. This budget includes $7,000
for the county’s narrow band radio
system that will be required by the
state by the end of 2012. EMA director
Deidra Moore said Fire Chief Pollard
is working on a grant to fund a portion
of the county’s cost on this. Moore said
the narrow band radios require more
tower sites.
PUBLIC HEALTH
The total county contribution to
the health department is proposed at
$110,000. This is a $22,000 increase
over last year’s contribution of
$88,000. Dr. David Westfall, District II
Health Director, told the commission
ers that even with the $110,000 county
contribution the health department is
projecting a loss of $26,000.
Westfall said, “When the state went
to managed Medicaid, the reimburse
ments to health departments went
down. This budget coming to you is a
short budget.”
Westfall said the health department
only has one registered nurse (RN),
JoAnn Dodd, at this time. This bud
get does not have any money in it to
hire an additional RN. Westfall said
it would cost $55,000 to $60,000 to
bring in another registered nurse.
Westfall said the health board would
look at environmental health fees to
see if any of them can be raised and
report back to the BOC on this.
The commissioners are consider
ing allocating $100,000 for the health
department in the proposed budget.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
The proposed budget total is
$201,066. DA Rick Bridgeman said,
“We have assessed $167,000 in fines
in about six months time. We are now
caught up on the substantial backlog of
cases in all three counties.”
The district attorney’s office received
$10,000 out of forfeiture funds that
went to upgrading computers.
Bridgeman said he would send a letter
to the court clerk’s in all the cities in
Banks County about sending five per
cent of their fine money to the county.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The total county contribution to the
chamber is proposed at $35,000. This
is a $2,000 increase over the previous
year of $33,000.
TAX ASSESSOR
The total budgetproposalis$361,202.
Tax Assessor Kevin Whitman told the
commissioners that the county cur
rently has one field appraiser to handle
10,000 parcels of land. The commis
sioners cut $28,000 being proposed
for another field appraiser and $2,250
for property re-evaluations. Whitman
said the current assessments are based
on property sale prices as of 2004.
“Property values have definitely
increased since 2004,” Whitman said.
The re-evaluations would be based
on sales in 2007. Whitman said the
county will be about two percent
below the state-mandated ratio if a
re-evaluation is not done.
“We could get into a penalty phase.”
Whitman said.
Whitman said he would check on
this and report his findings back to the
commissioners.
RECREATION
The total proposed budget amount
is $447,378. The proposed budget
includes $65,000 to replace the air
conditioning units at the gym and
$20,300 in recreation fields mainte
nance.
WATER DISTRIBUTION
Steve Reece asked the commission
ers to include funds to hire an addi
tional operator in this department.
Reece said, “We definitely need an
additional operator, we picked up 47
acres with the new sprayfield that
came on.”
Reece also said another meter read
ers is needed.
“One meter reader has no time to
do maintenance,” Reece said. “We are
still having new meters coming on.”
Commissioner Rickey Cain said,
“You are just going to have to get by
for another year.”
Reece said in the water pumping/
purification department the county
currently has four water plant opera
tors.
“This is one per shift. We need to
work up to two per shift for safety
reasons,” Reece said.
The total budget being proposed
for water pumping/purification is
$690,724.
SEWAGE/WASTEWATER
TREATMENT AND
PUBLIC UTILITIES
The proposed budget amount is
$209,229.
WATER DISTRIBUTION
The total proposed budget amount
is $1,541,649. Robin Thomas said
this department needs at least one
more employee.
“We could have two crews work
ing,” Thomas said. “One crew
could be doing taps and the other
crew could be doing maintenance.
I spend a lot of time doing locates.
There is no time to take care of the
system.”
Thomas also asked the commis
sioners to include money in the
budget to replace a truck that was
stolen from the water plant. Thomas
said the truck is not safe to drive
since it was stolen.
Graduation tests... continued from page 1A
Students may return and take the test again
until they can qualify for a high school diplo
ma.
Banks County first-time test takers in their
junior year had an 87 percent pass rate in
English/language arts, down from last year’s
90.1 percent passing and lower than the state’s
90 percent passing in 2008.
But in science, the county saw a dramatic
increase in percent passing, and scored 86
percent passing, same as the state average. In
2007, Banks County had 68 percent passing in
science.
Banks County also saw improvements in both
math and social studies.
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1 • V
SUMMER
JUNIOR
GOLF
PROGRAM
The PGA Golf Staff at Double Oaks Golf Club is offering
a Junior Golf Program for all local juniors this summer.
Every Friday morning in June and July (except the 4th)
we will provide a clinic and on course golf and
instruction.
The program is open to boys and girls ages 6-17 at a cost of
$40.00 per junior.
On August 2, we will have an Adult - Junior Golf tournament
for all participants along with a BBQ and awards dinner.
Call or stop by Double Oaks Golf Club to pick up an
entry to this year’s program.
Double Oaks Golf Club
706.335.8100
Please sign up by June 1, 2008
Only $29
to anyone who has never
been to a chiropractor
before (or hasn't been
in a long time).
Dear Friend,
My name is Dr. Kevin L. Strohman. We are
celebrating our 2 year anniversary in
Commerce, Georgia. To show my appreciation,
I have agreed to “give away” (to anyone who
asks for it) $225 worth of my services for only
$29. That's right $29.
We have had an overwhelming response to
our new office and have already helped a lot
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productive lives through Chiropractic Care.
And now, I'd like to introduce even more
people to the many benefits our profession has
to offer.
For instance, chiropractic care may be able
to help you if you are suffering from any of the
following conditions:
• Migraine headaches
• Numbness in arms and legs
• Lower back pain
• Muscle Spasms
...And a host of other problems ranging
from dizziness to ringing in the ears.
These symptoms can be caused whenever
the vertebrae in your spine are out of
alignment, because these “misalignments”
directly affect your nervous system.
Fortunately, many of these and other similar
afflictions may be relieved or eliminated by
proper chiropractic treatments.
So if you have always wanted to “check
out” chiropractic and see what it can do for
you, now is the best time to do so because only
$29 will get you all of the services I normally
charge new patients $225 for.
• In-depth consultation about your health
and well-being
• Complete chiropractic spinal exam
• Full set of specialized x-rays to determine
if a misalignment in your spine is causing your
problem. (Note: Nobody gives these kinds of
x-rays free. They would cost you at least $100.)
• Analysis of your x-rays and spinal exam
to evaluate what needs to be done to correct
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• Answers to all your questions concerning
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What are you waiting for? Call us for an
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Sincerely,
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Dr. Kevin Strohman
30346 Hwy 441 S.
Commerce, Georgia 30530
Due to insurance regulations, Medicare and some
other insurances may be excluded from this offer.