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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. www.braseltontile.com Quality Tile • Design • Installation “SAVINGS TO THE PUBLIC” 706-654-0819 Banks-Jackson Risk Reduction DUI SCHOOL 706-336-6777 DEFENSIVE DRIVING 1728 North Broad Street, Commerce, State Certified 5010 and 2007 Next DUI Class begins on September 20,2008 Next Defensive Driving Class will be held on September 13,2008 iStt/Jft Mome-CoMMi WUde witltOdq'fr^ on i vk lv Sun. 11am-3pm Dine with friends in a warm environment at sauunch tem.12 SL Sarah’s, a family-operated restaurant featuring w. & sat. e - 9pm delicious home-cooked meals & daily specials! 6 Homer St. 706-652-0070 On the Jackson/Banks County line in Maysville I-85N exit 147, Commerce/Maysville exit, left onto 98, 4 miles into Maysville, right over railroad tracks. 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. $ 5 00 OFF Ticket Of s 2CP° Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only. La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Braselton 173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 5391 Highway 53 706-335-7458 706-654-0070 I The Original Mexican Restaurant! 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