Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3A
Baldwin split on new wrecker service ordinance
BALDWIN COUNCIL CONSIDERS WRECKER ORDINANCE
The Baldwin City Council approved the first reading of a wrecker ordinance at
its meeting on Monday, Dec. 8. Shown (L to R) are: council members Beverly
Holcomb, Jeff Murray and Robert Bohannon, Mayor Mike Kelley, council mem
bers Rodney King and Ray Holcomb, and finance director Betty Harper.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
Hiring freeze approved
by Baldwin council
BY SHARON HOGAN
In a 3-2 split vote, the Baldwin
City Council approved the first
reading of an amended wrecker
ordinance at its monthly council
meeting on Monday, Dec. 8.
The amended ordinance states
wrecker service will be provid
ed on a rotating basis. The ordi
nance states the wrecker service
has to be an established busi
ness inside Habersham County
and they must have a lot in the
City of Baldwin. The ordinance
allows the police chief to review
the fees annually and make
changes.
Council members Jeff Mur
ray and Rodney King voted in
opposition to this ordinance.
A discussion was held on this
ordinance at the work session
and at the start of the council
meeting Monday night.
Chris Ramey, Southeastern
Towing, addressed the council
at the work session concerning
the requirement that the wrecker
service have a lot located in the
City of Baldwin. Ramey said
his business has a lot, but it is
in Clarkesville (Habersham
County).
“The chief has no problem
with us not having an impound
lot in the city,” Ramey said. “It
doesn’t make sense to put a
wrecked car lot with a fence in
side the city when you’re trying
to improve the city.”
The lot that Southeastern
Towing has off Habersham Mills
Road has inside storage for cars
from fatalities, so investigators
can look at them, Ramey said.
Police chief Darren Osbom
said three of the wrecker ser
vices currently being used by
the city have lots in the City of
Baldwin.
“But they’ve rented lots to
meet the requirement,” he said.
“Only one is based in Bald-
BY SHARON HOGAN
Revenue is down this year for the
Banks County Health Department.
District 2 Public Healtli Director
Dr. David N. Westfall told Banks
County Health Board members on
Tuesday, Dec. 9, that total revenues
for the health department are down
around $7,000.
“We are financially stable,” he
said. “We are not looking at any
layoffs here.”
This is not true at some of the
other health departments in the
District 2 region, Westfall said.
Outpatient fees are down and
environmental fees are up about
win.
Chris Hulsey, Hulsey Wreck
er Service owner, addressed the
council about this issue at Mon
day’s meeting.
Hulsey asked the council not
to allow Southeastern Towing
to be added to the list unless he
gets a place in the city.
“I am also asking you to con
sider removing RJ’s and Cant
rell’s from the list,” he said.
“They don’t add anything to
the city. My taxes, my tags, my
sewer and water and my busi
ness license fees costs about
$2,500 a year for me to have
a business in the City of Bald
win. I also employ about five
people.”
Hulsey said it never takes his
$1,600, Westfall added. The
increase in environmental fees is
due to a change in the rate struc
ture.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the monthly
health board meeting:
•Westfall asked board vice-
chairman Gene Hart to sign the
Banks County Health Board on as
a signatory for the Campaign For
Public Healtli. Westfall said, “With
more and more people losing their
jobs, more and more people will
be turning to public healtli depart
ments.” The family planning bud-
wrecker service over 10 minutes
to respond to a request, day or
night.
Hulsey also questioned the
council about the other wrecker
services having a manned office
in the City of Baldwin. Hulsey
said the wrecker services rent
ing lots in Baldwin don’t have
manned lots and customers
have to call another location and
get someone to meet them at the
lots in Baldwin when they need
access to their vehicles.
Hulsey said he did not own a
heavy-duty wrecker, but he has
another wrecker service that he
has worked with for 16 years
that he can work with on this.
Hulsey said he is on the rotation
list for five other cities and an-
added.
•Dale Carter presented the
environmental health report for
September, OctoberandNovember.
Some 28 applications were taken
for this period compared to 56 at
this time last year. The department
also had 14 new permits, 14 re-
evaluation permits and four repair
permits taken this quarter. Two
new subdivisions are pending. The
county has 63 food service restau
rants, plus seven county facilities.
Carter reported.
•Hart said McDonald’s, Highway
441, Banks Crossing, is set to be
demolished and re-built. “They will
swers around 60 calls per week
on these lists.
When asked if he became
the only wrecker service on
Baldwin’s list if he would drop
off the lists of the other cities,
Hulsey replied, “No, but I will
not pay rent in Cornelia any
more.”
The second reading on this
ordinance will be held at the
council meeting at 7 p.m. on
Monday, Dec. 29.
In other business at the meet
ing on Monday, Dec. 8, the
council approved the renewal of
the public safety note at a rate of
4.45 percent with United Com
munity Bank. This is the same
rate as this past year. The note is
approximately $380,000.
be closing January 1,” Hart said.
•the board welcomed Cathi
Durham, Georgia Academy of
Family Physicians. Public health
has a contract for the academy to
help get information out.
•JoAnn Dodd, Banks County
Health Department nurse, present
ed the health department news to
the board. Dodd said the pandemic
flu exercise in October went well.
The department is currently focus
ing on health checks. Twenty-seven
were done last month.
BY SHARON HOGAN
Vacant positions will not be
filled and no new positions
will be created in Baldwin
following action by the city
council Monday night.
The council approved a hir
ing freeze with the exception
of “critical positions.”
“The hiring freeze is some
thing we think is advisable
and fiscally responsible with
the exception being critical
conditions,” Mayor Mike
Kelly said.
On another matter, the coun
cil approved the purchase of
two heaters for the adminis
trative offices at city hall.
The council approved the
purchase of the heaters from
D’Peach of Georgia, Cornelia,
at a price not to exceed
$1,250.
Baldwin resident Andrea
Harper asked the council to
put a cap on the amount to be
spent on the heaters.
Baldwin finance director
Betty Harper told the coun
cil at the work session on
Tuesday, Dec. 2, that D’Peach
submitted a bid for three heat
ers, plus installation, at a total
of $1,298. However, only two
heaters are needed.
Mayor Mike Kelley said the
administrative workers are
using ceramic heaters that are
not efficient and not doing a
good job.
Harper said payment for
the heaters would be split
between the water fund and
general fund building and
maintenance budgets.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at
Monday’s meeting:
•the council unanimously
approved the first reading of
an amendment to the city’s
business license ordinance so
that people who are conduct
ing different businesses at one
location will have a different
license for each business. The
business license fee is based
on the number of employees
at each business.
•the council approved the
first reading of annexation
and rezoning requests from
Soque Investment Group for
the annexation of .696 acres,
known as Smithville, locat
ed on Highway 365. Greg
Guthrie and Angelia Sosebee
are seeking to annex the prop
erty in to the City of Baldwin
in order to connect to the
city’s sewer system. They are
seeking to have the property
zoned Highway Business with
conditions. Baldwin resident
Jimmy Tench questioned the
council about this request.
Tench asked the council if
this annexation had anything
to do with Melvin Anderson,
Anderson Village, wanting to
annex into the city. Kelley
said, “Their properties touch,
but they are separate issues.”
•the council also approved
the first reading of the re
zoning request from Soque
Investment Group for the .696
acres to be zoned Highway
Business without conditions.
A public hearing on this
request will be held at 6:30
p.m. on Monday, Dec, 29.
•the council adopted a ser
vice delivery strategy resolu
tion with Banks County, to
expire on June 1, 2009. The
resolution allows the city to
continue under the same ser
vice delivery strategy for the
next six months as has been in
effect. The previous resolution
expired in October, Kelley
said, the city was notified by
the state about this.
•the council approved the
first reading on the beer and
wine application adminis
tration fee ordinance. The
new ordinance will raise the
administrative fee for the
applications and renewals to
$100.
•Kelley announced holi
day closings for the city.
The offices will be closed
on Wednesday and Thursday,
Dec. 24 and 25, for Christmas
holidays and on Thursday,
Jan. 1, for New Year’s.
•Kelley announced a public
hearing on the millage rate and
the Soque Investment Group
annexation and re-zoning set
for 6:30 p.m. on Monday,
Dec. 29, in the courtroom at
the police department.
•the council met in closed
session for an hour and half to
discuss potential litigation and
personnel issues. No action
was taken on this.
The next regularly sched
uled work session meeting of
the council will be held at 6:30
p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8.
get has already been cut Westfall
BOLING
FARM SUPPLY
Health department revenue down
• Come by for all of your livestock and pet needs.
• We carry Justin coats and Farm Boy and
Farm Girl Clothing
• Shop for Christmas: Hand-painted windows
and saw blades.
We also have Reindeer food.
• Authorized Purina and Tucker Milling Dealer
Purina Mills
2268 Damascus Rd. • Homer, GA 30547
(706) 677-0053
Open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Boling Farm Supply
$2.00 OFF
any purchase of $20.00 or more
Limit one coupon per purchase • Expires 12/31/08
The Jesters
Wednesday, Dec. list
Commerce Civic Center
WC, 12:30
SH(<iiPleS2) Single
At the leer: S3t lei leivn
Hisht hers d'ceirvres
t SetUPS E>« Advanced Tickets:
? Casual Cress
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
DDA Office (Reserved Tables at this location only)
Northeast Georgia Bank (Commerce)
Iau Cknnna No one undef 21 will be admitted
Giftworks at the Joy Shoppe id's win be checked
Community Bank & Trust (Commerce) For More , nf0) Ca ,| :
Sanders Furniture (706) 335.2954 SPONSORED BY:
Commerce Drug Commerce Area Business Association
OIm Avdildhle: Downtown Development Authority
• Catered Dinner by the Burns-Telford House ($25 per person) Reservation Required - Call (706) 335-2954