Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 5A
Baldwin approves budget
BY SHARON HOGAN
In a unanimous vote, the Bald
win City Council approved a bud
get amendment totaling $14,347
at the council meeting on Monday
night.
The funds for the extra revenue
in the budget come from the sale of
several surplus items. The council
approved the sale of an old rescue
track, dually diesel track and a
weight machine, all from the fire
department, at an earlier meeting.
The net revenue from the sale of
these items totaled $14,347.
The budget amendment also
includes spending the following:
$6,000 for half of the transporta
tion costs for the fire department’s
new ladder track, $555 for janito
rial devices for the fire department,
$458 for janitorial devices for the
police department and $7,334 to
purchase a smaller, more fuel ef
ficient, vehicle for the fire depart
ment to use on medical calls. This
will replace the dually diesel track
that was sold.
At the council’s work session
on Thursday, the council dis
cussed purchasing the janitorial
devices from Cintas, because they
have the best offer. Interim Mayor
Ray Holcomb said. The devices
are already installed in each loca
tion. The janitorial supplies will be
purchased from Gainesville Jani
torial Supply, Police Chief Daren
Osbom said.
Holcomb said on Thursday that
a private company paid the other
half of the transportation costs on
the ladder track.
“They wish to remain anony
mous,’’ Holcomb stated.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
•the council approved sending
letters out to water customers that
have multi-residences on one me
ter to let them know they will be
required to purchase a meter for
each residence. Council member
Jeff Murray said Baldwin Public
Utilities Director Tim Hall com
piled the price to install a “simple
meter.’’ The total price is $239. If
any boring has to be done, like a
tap, the fee for boring is approxi
mately $800, Murray said. “This
is the bare cost for us,’’ Murray
said. Holcomb said, “At one time,
the city allowed more than one
house to be hooked onto one me
ter, but the Environmental Protec
tion Division (EPD) says we can’t
do that anymore.’’ The city has to
put in single meters for each resi
dence. There are 18 houses and
one business that will be affected
by this, Murray said. The city
currently charges $1,200 for wa
ter and sewer hook-ups. Council
member Beverly Holcomb said,
“A homeowner can be required to
pay a deposit if they’re ever on the
cut-off list.’’
•Murray said during the course
of working on the water meters
an abandoned well up on King
Street was found. “The owner was
notified how to fill the well in ac
cording to EPD standards so they
won’t contaminate a water vein,’’
Murray said.
•JoAnn Smith addressed the
council concerning the use of city
water to pressure wash her house.
Smith said, “One of my neighbors
wanted to pressure wash her house
and she was told she couldn’t. Why
can Mr. (Larry) Whitfield wash
his vehicles two and three times a
week and we cannot do anything
to make our homes look better.”
Holcomb said, “He has a business
license for washing his vehicles.”
Smith said she had a man who
was going to wash her house, but
she told him he couldn’t use her
water. Holcomb said, “If he has a
business license to pressure wash
houses he can do it and use your
water.” Smith also voiced concern
about the attempted break-in at
two outside buildings at her house.
Smith said this was not reported
to the police department because
entry was not made. Chief Osbom
said the police department patrols
all the streets, but if a resident sees
something suspicious they should
report it. “If we don’t know about
it, we can’t do anything.” Osbom
said.
•Polly Ayers, Wilbanks Street,
asked: “How many cops have we
got?’ Chief Osbom said nine. Ay
ers said there is a kid that comes
up and down by her house like a
“bat out of hades.” “You need to
park in my backyard,” Ayers said.
Osbom said the city police depart
ment is not allowed to ran radar on
Wilbanks Street. “If we can catch
him, we can take care of it,” Os
bom said. Ayers also questioned
the council about an ordinance
dealing with a “junk” house. Hol
comb said, “We will have Shawn
(Rhoades), code enforcement of
ficer, look into this.” Ayers asked
the council, “Is it necessary for
the City of Baldwin to have nine
DFACS continued from 1A
Sonny Perdue eliminated
funds from the state budget
for all counties seeking new
DFACS facilities.
“He cut everyone out,” Hart
said. “It was not a case where
we were the only one. All of
the funding was taken out.”
The news was disappointing
to both Hart and Banks County
DFACS director Kenny Jarvis,
who has been hoping for a new
facility for some time.
“Every time we turn around
we think we are on track to get
it,” Hart said. “The governor
is not up for re-election so he
is cutting everything. I under
stand there is a need to cut,
but this was a big need for our
county and for other counties
as well.”
Jarvis has stated numerous
times the local DFACS has
outgrown its current location
on Evans Street.
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amendment
cops?’ Holcomb said, “It is not
necessary to have any, but it’s a
pretty good idea.”
•Theron Ayers, Wilbanks Street,
said, “As we all know, Tuesday
week is election day for a new
mayor. I think we should all listen
to what the candidates are saying
and vote for the one that is inter
ested in saving the city money, not
spending money.” Ayers said the
council needed to make changes
dealing with city vehicles that are
being driven home by employees.
“One vehicle is costing the city, in
gas alone, about $600 per month,”
Ayers said. This is over $7,000
per year to be driven back and
forth home, Ayers added, that’s
not counting tires, etc. Ayers said
the city should consider making
the requirement that the vehicles
could be driven five miles back
and forth. Council member Rob
ert Bohannon said, “A lot of that is
part of a pay package.” Bohannon
said the city has made changes to
this policy that affects new hires,
but this is part of the old employ
ees pay package. “If you change
the policy for the old employees,
you’re going to have to compen
sate them with pay,” Bohannon
said. Ayers asked the council to
look into this. “My taxes are go
ing for something like that...It
would sound good to me if the
heads of every department had to
live in the city and pay city taxes,”
Ayers said.
•Holcomb said the city received
a copy of a letter from Engineer
ing Management, Inc., Law-
renceville, to the EPD stating that
the design has been completed on
the proposed Park Avenue water
line project. The project has been
granted a land disturbance permit.
The project consists of 9,100 feet
of six-inch water line and 600 feet
of two-inch water line. This will
connect to the eight-inch water
line at Park Avenue and Willing
ham Avenue, Holcomb said. All
waterlines associated with the
project will be installed in ease
ments and city right-of-way, the
letter added. Holcomb said, “We
are still working on easements and
when we get all the easements we
will put the project out to bid.”
The council will hold their next
regularly scheduled council meet
ing at 7 p.m. on Sept. 22, in the
courtroom.
14 charged by Baldwin Police Dept.
The Baldwin Police Department made 14 arrests
in the past week, including the following:
•Newton Fredrick Alexander, 30, Baldwin, pro
bation violation.
•Jaime Mora, 22, Baldwin, operating a vehicle
without a license.
•Janie L. Jeeves, 18, underage possession of al
cohol.
•Justin Charles Dobbs, 25, possession, consump
tion or furnishing alcohol to a minor.
•Daniel Jefferson Green, 21, possession, con
sumption or furnishing alcohol to a minor.
•Jason Nathaniel Perez, 19, possession, con
sumption or furnishing alcohol to a minor and ob
structing or hindering a law enforcement officer.
•Coby Lear McDonald, 29, public intoxication
and obstructing or hindering a law enforcement of
ficer.
•Jose Talavera Sanchez, 20, no driver’s license
and speeding.
•Austin James Martin, 17, criminal trespass.
•Wilfred Lee Wiley, 60, open container violation
and DUI.
•Anthony Duchon Foote, 39, operation of an
unregistered vehicle or vehicle without current li
cense plate, giving false information to a law en
forcement officer and knowingly driving a motor
vehicle with suspended, cancelled or revoked reg
istration.
•Juan Velasquez, 36, no driver’s license, failure
to maintain lane, no proof of insurance, open con
tainer violation and DUI.
•Ramone Velazquez, 36, open container viola
tion and possession of marijuana.
•David Edmund Caldwell, 24, speeding, DUI
and open container violation.
INCIDENTS REPORTED
The following incidents were reported recently
to the Baldwin Police Department.
•a 2-year-old girl walking through a parking lot
with her mother put a white substance from the
ground in her mouth. It was sodium hydroxide and
it burned the insides of her mouth and her tongue.
She was treated at an area hospital.
•a teenager threatened to commit suicide be
cause she was upset about breaking up with her
boyfriend.
•a woman said her husband slapped her when
they got into an argument at a restaurant.
•possible methamphetamine lab found in an
apartment. A woman in the apartment had severe
chemical bums on her arms.
•blue plastic “bull nuts” taken from the back of
a truck at a Baldwin Court Apartments. The victim
said this is the third pair that has been stolen from
his truck in the past few weeks.
•financial identity fraud against a Baldwin man.
•two-vehicle accident on Hwy. 365.
•a Baldwin woman said her husband violated
a temporary protective order that she has against
him.
•alleged statutory rape and child molestation,
•verbal domestic dispute at a Park Avenue loca
tion.
•a woman passing through Baldwin on her way
to Tennessee left her wallet in the restroom of a
business. When she returned, it was gone.
•domestic dispute at a Meadow Creek Circle
residence.
•food stamp card taken from a Manor Place
Drive location.
•battery at a Baldwin Court Apartments resi
dence.
•van damaged at a Willingham Avenue location,
•windows broken on a vehicle at an Industrial
Blvd. address.
•money taken from a business. The manager of
the restaurant reported that $80 was missing from
the back room.
•dog complaint at Baldwin Court Apartments,
•domestic dispute reported at a Hwy. 441 busi
ness.
BOC continued from 1A
during emergency situations.
•agreed to send the governor a
letter supporting the homestead
tax relief grant program.
•agreed to designate the new
courthouse as the official meet
ing place for the commission
board.
•approved the payment of the
following: $1,750 to relocate
the water heater in the annex;
$717 for a battery backup to the
light fixture in the lobby of the
annex; $3,668 for board room
side desks and countertops in
the annex; and $19,494 for a
monumental sign at the annex minutes to discuss land acquisi-
entrance. tion and personnel. No action
•met in closed session for 30 was taken.
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