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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2008
JEMC representatives speak at Chamber meeting
ELECTRIC CAR ON DISPLAY
Several members of the Banks County Chamber of Commerce
are shown at Thursday's breakfast meeting looking over the
electric car on display. The car was presented by Jackson
Electric Membership Corporation.
BY SHARON HOGAN
anks County Chamber of
Commerce members heard
from Jackson Electric
Membership Corporation repre
sentatives at the monthly breakfast
meeting on Thursday. Bonnie Jones,
JEMC, spoke to the group about the
cooperative’s Operation Round-up.
Jones said JEMC has 90 percent
participation from its members for
this project. The average costs for
the project is $6 per person per
year.
“Every dime collected goes into
grants,” she said.
So far, $2.45 million has been
put back into the community, she
added.
Banks County organizations have
been the recipients of $60,000 in
grants thus far, Jones said. She urged
Banks County organizations to apply
for the grants.
Alan Shedd, JEMC, talked to the
group about green power. Shedd had
the electric car on display for the
members to see.
The JEMC vehicle is a plug-in
hybrid electric vehicle. Shedd said
at night while he is home he plugs
the car in to the electrical outlet and,
during the day while at work, he
plugs the car in also. The car also
runs on gas when it is not operating
off the electricity.
Hybrid vehicles average $4,000
more in cost than a regular vehicle,
Shedd said. Shedd also discussed
using solar heating in homes.
“It takes three to five years to see
a return on your money for this,”
Shedd said.
Shedd said JEMC does offer solar
rebate programs to its customers.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Thursday’s
JONES TALKS
TO CHAMBER
Bonnie Jones, Jackson Electric
Membership Corporation,
talked with Banks County
Chamber of Commerce mem
bers at Thursday's break
fast about the cooperative's
Operation Round-up. Jones
said $2.45 million has been
collected thus far in the proj
ect. All of the money collected
goes into grants.
meeting:
•Tara Fulcher, chamber director,
said members of the Entrepreneur
Friendly Initiative traveled to
Statesboro on Wednesday to the
Georgia One Authority board meet
ing to receive a signed proclama
tion declaring Banks County as an
Entrepreneur Friendly county.
•Tom Murphy, Murcon Web Site
Developing, Pendergrass, was rec
ognized as a new members. Chamber
chairman Helen Hewell and Fulcher
presented Murphy with a member
ship plaque.
James Luthi, FusionWorks
Technologies, was also recognized
as new member.
•Fulcher announced the grand
opening and ribbon cutting to be
held at 11 a.m. at Funopolis, Hwy.
441, on Friday, June 20.
•Chamber board member Todd
Hubbard, JEMC, spoke to the mem-
bers about the importance of the
chamber committees.
•Fulcher announced the political
forum to be held at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, June 19, at the Banks
County High School auditorium.
UP NEXT
The next monthly breakfast meet
ing of the chamber will be held
at 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, in
the meeting room at First Georgia
Bank.
MURPHY RECOGNIZED
Tom Murphy (C), Murcon Web Site Developing, Pendergrass,
was recognized as a new member at the Thursday breakfast
meeting of the Banks County Chamber of Commerce. Also
shown are: Tara Fulcher (L) chamber director, and Helen Hewell
(R), chamber chairman. Murphy was presented with a member
ship plaque. Photos by Sharon Hogan
Lula officials hold meeting on water district requirements
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Lula City Council held a
called meeting on Wednesday,
June 11, to discuss the require
ments of the Metropolitan North
Georgia Water Planning District.
City manager Dennis Bergin pre
sented the council members with
a copy of the water planning dis
trict’s audit checklist and long
term wastewater management
requirements.
“We (City of Lula) passed the
audit,” Bergin said. “However, we
want them to know what is expect
ed of them down the road.”
Bergin explained the city is under
a new draft review for the district
requirements.
“We want them to play a role in
understanding what’s going to be
expected of them not only today,
but two or three years from now,”
Bergin said.
Bergin pointed out even though
the city passed the district’s audit,
with the city to soon start construc
tion on a new $2 million waste-
No citizens attend
three Lula hearings
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Lula City Council held three
public hearings last week on to dis
cuss the proposed 2008-09 general
fund budget. No citizens turned out
for the hearings.
The total proposed general fund
budget is $629,454.
water treatment plant, compliance
will continue.
Bergin said under water planning
requirements, the city has to moni
tor water quality levels in streams
flowing from Habersham County
that do not even run through Lula’s
city limits. The cost to the city for
the first year of this monitoring is
$43,000.
Mayor Milton Turner encour-
aged everyone to vote yes on the
city’s upcoming Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
6 referendum.
“We have to support SPLOST
6 in Hall County,” Turner said.
“All the regulations are going to
cost the city money. It (SPLOST
6) will fund about $1.2 million
of upgrades to our old water and
sewer lines.”
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Approval of the SPLOST 6 vote
would also help the city offset
the cost of continuing compli
ance with water district planning
requirements, Turner added.
TALKING ABOUT ELECTRIC POWER
Banks County Chamber of Commerce members heard a pre
sentation from Alan Shedd, Jackson Electric Membership
Corporation, on solar and electric power at the breakfast meet
ing on Thursday. Shedd had the JEMC electric car on display for
members to see.
Served with commitment, dedication and honor
Proven leadership with the Sheriffs office
Fiscal responsibility - working within budget
Effective, fair, impartial law enforcement
I would appreciate your vote on July 15
for the privilege to serve as your sheriff.
VOTE FOR AND RE-ELECT
CHARLES CHAPMAN
SHERIFF BANKS COUNTY