Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3A
Lula takes step forward on wastewater plant
No action taken on BCES assistant principal
BY SHARON HOGAN
The City of Lula’s proposed
wastewater treatment plant moved
one step closer to reality at
Monday’s council meeting.
The city council members unan
imously approved a loan pack
age totaling $4.1 million from the
Georgia Environmental Facilities
Authority (GEFA).
The schedule calls for the city to
pay the loan over the next 20 years
at a rate of 4.4 percent. City attor
ney Brad Patten will review the
loan package before Mayor Milton
Turner signs off on it.
Turner said at Monday’s meet
ing, “We will be $4 million in debt
when I sign this.”
Turner said he is expecting the
plant to go out for bid in mid-
August.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Monday’s
meeting:
•the council unanimously
approved the spending of $38,212
from the previous years funding as
a deposit for the fountain element
of phase 1 of the Veterans Park
project.
•the council accepted a low bid of
$6,975 from Concrete Techniques,
Lula, for sidewalk work to be
done at the city cemetery. A bid
of $7,368 from Worley & Son
Construction, Inc., Lula, was also
received on the project.
•Turner said City Manager
Dennis Bergin will be meet
ing with Georgia Department of
Transportation representatives on
July 28 concerning a transporta
tion enhancement grant the city is
slated to receive. The grant is for
$200,000, but the city will have to
fund 20 percent of the sum, which
is $40,000. The city’s funding can
either be through in-kind payments
or explicit funding. The funds will
be used on the city’s downtown
streetscape project.
•the council established two
dates for workshop meetings on
the city’s ordinance codes. The
meetings will be held at 8 a.m. on
Tuesday, August 12, and 8 a.m.
on Wednesday, August 13, at city
hall.
•the council unanimously
approved the first reading of the
city’s right of way performance
and privileged use ordinance. The
ordinance deals with the limita
tions of use, request of use for
curb cut/driveway entrance/mail
box placement, approval/denial,
required up-keep/maintenance of
right of way, violations, enforce
ment and penalties, notice of vio
lation, penalties and repeal.
•July Yard of the Month winners
were recognized by the council.
The winners are: Ricky Lew alien,
McLeod Street, district 1; Connie
Propes, Morgan Manor, district
2; Thelma Worley, Carter Street,
district 3; Caroline McCravy,
Brookside Place, district 4; and
Teresa Johnston, County Line
Road, district 5.
•the council discussed estab
lishing a city-wide speed limit.
Council member Larry Shuler said,
“We should adopt all of them at 25
MPH.” Turner said traffic studies
and engineering work would need
to be done. “We’ll get some engi
neering and some sheriff’s infor
mation before the next council
meeting on this,” Turner said.
•Turner said the city is arguing
its point with North Metro Water
concerning allocations set up for
the city through 2035 on discharge
from Lula’s sewer plant. Turner
said, “We are arguing it should
be much larger than two million
gallons per day (gpd) based on
the number of acres being served
and the drainage basin.” The city
is seeking to have the total raised
up to five million gpd, Turner said.
Turner said even if no change is
made now it will come up for
review in five years and the city
may have to make their argument
again.
•Turner said the new retaining
wall is up in front of city hall and
the new sign should be in some
time next week. Turner thanked
Lula Landscaping for their help
with the wall at no cost to the
city.
•Turner announced the Joint
Local Government meeting set for
6:15 p.m. on Monday, July 28, at
the depot in Lula. There will be
an update given on the SPLOST,
Turner said.
•Turner said a hearing for appeal
on the proposed Highland Lakes
Subdivision is scheduled for 6 p.m.
on Monday, August 4, at city hall.
The next regularly scheduled
council meeting will be held at 7
p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18, at city
hall.
The work session meeting will
be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday,
Aug. 11, at city hall.
Upcoming open houses planned at county schools
Open house will be held at Banks
County schools on Thursday, Aug.
7.
The schedule at each school is as
follows:
•Banks County Primary School,
3-6 p.m.
•Banks County Elementary School,
3-6 p.m.
•Banks County Middle School,
3-6 p.m.
•Banks County High School, ninth
graders, 2:30-4 p.m.
•Banks County High School, 10th-
12th graders, 4-7 p.m.
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Those expecting a decision on
Banks County Elementary School
principal Lori Rylee this month will
have to continue to wait.
Banks County School System
superintendent Chris Erwin said
Monday that he does not expect a
decision on the long-term status
of Rylee to be reached this month.
Rylee was placed on two-week leave
with pay in May following an inci
dent at the school in which she alleg
edly forced male fifth grade students
to drink from a water fountain which
had an unknown substance poured
into it.
There have been rumors and spec
ulation the substance may have been
•Time for action for
BCES situation
— Page 4A
urine. Tests Editorial:
on the
water foun
tain showed
there was
no bacteria
present.
A group of parents of students
who were allegedly forced to drink
from the water after the substance
was poured into it have asked Rylee
be removed from her position within
the school system.
Rylee has been back on the job
following the two-week paid sus
pension.
Erwin said earlier this week with
a number of lawyers involved, the
school board was waiting for its
attorney to “work through the issues
and get back with us.”
Legal representatives for Rylee
have said the lab tests on the water
fountain clear the assistant princi
pal and it is time to move forward.
Numerous teachers have publicly
shown their support since May for
Rylee, who has been in the Banks
County School System for 13 years.
The incident has garnered public
ity on Atlanta television and several
other media outlets.
Chan Caudell, who is represent
ing the group of parents during
the ongoing situation, said Monday
afternoon he does not have a com
ment at this time about the delay in
a final action being taken.
Vision for Homer discussed
Council meets on comprehensive plan update
BY JUSTIN POOLE
The City of Homer is pushing
ahead with a comprehensive plan
that, in part, will guide the city’s
growth for the next 30 years.
As part of this plan, the city
council named stakeholders in the
community. These stakeholders are
the ones who discuss the priori
ties and vision for the city as the
plan is being realized. Stakeholders
include: Mary Hill, Sandra Garrison,
Tim Harper, Michael Brown, Danny
Mason, Steve Lewallen, William
Turk, Herbert Bo Garrison, Jack
Blackwell, Mack Garrison and Ofe
Bridgeford.
During the July 15 advisory meet
ing, the stakeholders discussed the
purpose for the group and reviewed
the community assessment with
Adam Hazell, Planning Director,
of the Georgia Mountains Regional
Development Center. Mayor Doug
Cheek also attended. Hazell said
that the purpose of the advisory
group is to prioritize the objectives
of the city.
“You [stakeholders] have been
nominated or capped by the elect
ed officials because they feel that
you have keen insight or valuable
knowledge,” said Hazell.
The first issue that was addressed
was land use. Hazell said that
Northeast Georgia is growing and
that the real issue is how much
Homer wants growth wise. To
address this issue, Hazell said
that Homer has opportunities with
potential downtown development
and that pedestrian accessibility is
conducive to the current scale of
the city.
Hazell then opened the discussion
to the committee of stakeholders to
discuss ideas and thoughts on the
matter.
Some of the points brought up
included the desire for a grocery
store closer to the city, a sewer sys
tem and the city boundaries and its
relation to business along Highway
441. Cheek said that most people in
the area want a rural setting.
The types of business that were
discussed being sought for the city
include small shops and local-run
business. The prevailing thought
of the discussion is how to make
the city stand out from other towns
with similar features. The city of
Clarkesville was used as an exam
ple. Hazell said that by taking that
train of thought the stakeholders
would need to define what Homer
wants to be capable of and how the
city is to stand out.
Before ending the meeting, Hazell
asked the committee to think about
what they wanted for the city, the
potential cost of making it happen
and if they still wanted it, how to
get it because the community agen
da is about forward thinking.
The prevailing attitude appeared
to be that the small town charm is
the key to the city and the focus
that will be retained throughout
the process. According to Hazell,
the committee will use the next
month, perhaps longer, to revise
and discuss the community assess
ment plan. Public input will also
be welcomed and surveys will be
conducted as future public hearings
are scheduled.
Tolberts Bradford
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THANK YOU
I want to thank you, the people of Banks
County for your vote and support in the July
15, General Primary and electing me your
Republican Candidate for the Office of
Chairman of Commissioners for Banks
County. Again let me say Thank You from the
bottom of my heart.
Milton Dalton
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