WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2011
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3A
residents may be getting city services for free
Some Baldwin
BY ANGELA GARY
Baldwin city administrator Karen Deg-
ges is doing an internal audit to determine
if any city services, including garbage pick
up and sewer, are being provided to citi
zens who are not being charged.
Degges reported at the city council
meeting Tuesday night that she found two
private accounts and one business account
that are receiving sewer service and not
paying. She said a policy will be in place
to provide that everyone is billed for ser
vices provided.
Degges asked the council if the city
should back bill for services. She said that
some cities bill for a maximum of the past
two years.
The council asked Degges to come up
with a recommended policy and present it
at an upcoming meeting.
WATER LINE PROJECT
In other business Tuesday night, the city
council heard from public works direc
tor Chad Conard that the total cost for the
mountain water line project is $88,218.
The council earlier agreed to pay $58,212
for the project. At the meeting this week,
the council unanimously agreed to pay the
additional $30,006 for the pressure reduc
ing valves needed for the project.
The city has applied for a grant to re
fund 40 percent of the cost of this project
and Conard is optimistic that the city will
receive the Department of Community Af
fairs money. Degges said the money will
come from the water distribution budget if
the city doesn't receive the grant. They will
need a budget amendment to do this.
Degges added that replacing the lines
will be the first phase of the project. She
said that eventually they will need to re
place the lines, but the money is not avail
able for this to be done now. She said that
this first phase of the project is expected to
increase reliability at a good value.
On a related issue, Degges said the city
needs to notify customers who will be im
pacted during the project.
“There will be disruptions and we will
have to tough that all out, but then things
will be better,” she said.
FILM EFFORT
On another matter, the council tabled tak
ing any action on participating in a project
with Habersham County to attract the film
industry to the area. Council members, as
well as Degges, did speak in opposition to
participating in this program, which would
cost the city $2,200 to be listed on a web
site promoting the area to the film industry.
The cost for the project is based on each
city’s population.
The state effort is hoped to boost eco
nomic development by bringing money to
areas through hotel and restaurant use by
those involved in the films.
“We don’t have any hotels,” Degges
said. “We have a handful of restaurants.
We don’t have places that other places do
to spend their money, and we have to work
on that.. .1 feel that Baldwin is still fixing
its foundation and then you build from that
foundation.. .instead of randomly chase
random ideas. We need a plan of what
Baldwin can be good at.. ..We don’t have
a lot of money and we need to be very, very
focused on where we put our money.”
Mayor Jerry Neace added: “I don't see
a need at this time to do something like
that.”
He said he had discussed this project
with other governments and they are using
their hotel-motel money for this and Bald
win doesn’t have this revenue.
CREMATORY
City administrator Karen Degges re
ported that she looked into the issue of
the crematory at the request of a council
member. She said that she found that Hab
ersham County handled the inspections
and permits.
“The county signed off on the inspec
tions certifying that it met code,” she said.
“They sent us a form. “
Degges said that the city fire chief did
not do an inspection, although Habersham
County handled this. She recommended
that the city fire chief do an inspection
since it has been six to seven years since
the county did the inspection. However,
council member Robert Bohannon said
this should only be done if all city busi
nesses are inspected by the fire chief.
“If we do one, we do all,” Bohannon
said.
Mayor Jerry Neace said: “I'm with
you.”
Roy reported that inspections are only
done when businesses change ownership,
the nature of the business changes or a new
business is built.. He said the department
doesn’t have the manpower to do annual
fire inspections of all businesses. The city
has 135 businesses.
Bohannon again said that he doesn't be
lieve the city should pick out one business
and inspect it if all others aren’t inspected
too.
‘This has been beat to death and I’m
tired of it,” he said. “This has been a thorn
in my side for some time. I’m tired of it. If
we are not doing others, we are not going
to do this one. I'm tired of this. We’ve got
more important things we need to spend
money on.”
Degges said: “I reviewed their entire file
and everything appeared to be in order.”
Bohannon replied: “Thank you for the
1500th time.”
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the city council:
•learned that the audit presentation will
be given at the Jan. 9 council meeting.
•renewed the annual accounting/payroll
maintenance software contract with CSI
for $14,719, which includes the cost of an
upgrade. The cost is usually $10,300 but it
is more this year due to the upgrade, which
the council approved.
•agreed to spend $7,710 for an emer
gency sewer main repair at the creek at
the airport that was discovered as part of
the effort to map all of the sewer lines. The
price will cover the cost of 20-inch pipe,
two concrete collars and rip rap.
•approved the annual renewal of a loan
with United Community Bank for the pub
lic safety complex project.
•approved the alcohol license renewal
for El Mexicano Taqueria.
•heard from Conard that the chemicals
used at the water plant have been ordered.
The cost is approximately $10,000 and the
chemicals are ordered every seven to 10
months. The purchase has already been
budgeted.
•agreed to a recommendation from
fire chief Joe Roy to replace an engine in
a four-wheel drive vehicle. Roy recom
mended holding off on the service of two
trucks for two months, putting the money
for this into the next budget cycle, and to
use that money for the engine replacement.
The cost of the new motor is $18,025 and
the cost to put it in the track is $500, with
$100 to be refunded when the old motor
is turned in.
•Roy read two letters from people offer
ing thanks to the fire department for their
service. He also reported that the assistant
fire chief was injured and will have sur
gery, missing some 12 weeks of work.
•heard that the deadline for applying for
homestead exemptions is Dec. 31.
•Mayor Neace thanked outgoing council
members Beverly Holcomb and Rodney
King for their service. Holcomb has served
almost nine years and King has served four
years. Holcomb read a statement, saying
she enjoyed serving. She said she always
voted her conviction and thanked the city
employees for their service. King also
spoke on his time in office and thanked
those who voted for him.
Relay for Life
kickoff planned
The kickoff for the Banks
County Relay for Life will be
held on Thursday, Jan. 12, at the
senior citizens center. Food will
be served at 6:30 p.m. and the
program begins at 7 p.m.
The relay will be held June 8
in downtown Homer.
Team meetings will be held at
7:30 p.m. at the senior citizen’s
center on the following dates:
Jan. 13, Feb. 9, March 8, April
12 and June 5.
For more information on the
event, check out the website at
www.relayforlife.org/banksga.
DFCS: 10 kids
in foster care
Ten children were in foster
care in November, according
to a report given at the Dec. 21
meeting of the Banks County
Department of Family and
Children Services.
This includes two children
in Banks County foster homes,
one child in a foster home in
another county and seven in in
stitutional placements.
The report also included the
following cases for November:
seven neglect; three substance
abuse; three domestic violence;
and three supervision cases
from other counties.
The DFCS office had 2,735
active cases for November, in
cluding 1,236 food stamp cases,
843 Medicaid, 647 ABD Med
icaid and nine TANF.
County funds requested
by DFCS for November total
$2,094.
Maps continued from page 1A
Prison continued from page 1A
congressional plans meet the legal require
ments of the Voting Rights Act. The responsi
ble approach taken by the General Assembly
during the redistricting process resulted in
carefully drawn maps, which ensure that
Georgia’s growing population will be fairly
represented.
“In fact, this redistricting cycle marks the
first time since the Voting Rights Act became
law that all of Georgia’s plans have been
approved on the first review. I applaud the
excellent work of Gov. Deal, Lt. Gov. Casey
(Cagle), Speaker (David) Ralston and the
General Assembly, and outside counsel
Strickland Brockington Lewis throughout
the process to ensure a positive outcome for
the citizens of Georgia.”
Lt. Gov. Cagle said: "From the beginning
of this process, all of us have been commit
ted to ensuring that Georgia’s legislative and
congressional maps are fair and meet all legal
requirements, including compliance with the
Voting Rights Act. Today’s decision by the
Department of Justice is a validation of our
commitment to those principles.
“I appreciate the diligent work of the
Reapportionment and Redistricting
Committee as well as the entire Senate that
resulted in this important approval.”
Last week’s approval by the Democratically-
controlled Justice Department marks the first
time in Georgia’s history that the federal
government has approved all three statewide
redistricting plans on the first review.
catch debris that is coming from the facility’s sewer
and going into the town’s system. She said this
debris has damaged the town’s sewer system.
“Damage has resulted in us needing to build a
new plant,” Degges said. “We are about to borrow
$5 million to build a new plant.”
On Jan. 6, prison officials want to meet and tour
the plant and this meeting has been set up.
“The time is approaching to not be accommo
dating,” Degges said. “In the utility world, when
you don't pay the bill, you are cut off.. .We want
it to be fair and equitable and this is a problem...
How much time do we give it? We began discus
sions of this in April.. .1 don’t see anyone in our
system who is five months delinquent and still
being served.”
Mayor Jerry Neace reported that he has con
tacted area legislators and the governor’s office to
assist in getting the state prison to pay the back fees
and the new sewer rate.
Degges added: “I don’t want to ask the other 870
customers to pay more to cover this. We’ve tried to
do this in a friendly way and it's not worked.”
She said that the city would need to give the
prison 30 days notice of being cut off. Degges said
they usually give customers three days notice but
the EPD wants the city to give the prison 30 days
notice.
TO PURCHASE GATE VALVE
The city also agreed Tuesday night to purchase
a gate valve at a cost of $1,116 from Griffin
Brothers. Public works director Chad Conard said
the EPD had recommended that a gate valve be
used if the prison sewer service is cut off. This is
necessary to make sure the sewage does not enter
the city’s system.
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