Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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